rachelmfisher's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Is there a mood for irritating? Cause that's the only mood that fits how I felt. I enjoyed the last three installments of this series but this one just irritated me. The romantic delimma of the main character felt so fake to me. And I'm just a little tired of the crazy religious person trope.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
4.0
And here's another of my guilty pleasure reads for the summer - the fifth entry in Carolyn Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney series. It was great fun to read and, indeed, may be my favorite in the series so far.
Sarah Booth Delaney's private investigation business in the little delta town of Zinnia, Mississippi, now has an actual business office. She has set up a couple of rooms of her family's plantation home, Dahlia House, as offices for herself and her partner, Tinkie. There's even a place for a receptionist's desk, just in case the business ever grows to the point that it needs one.
Sarah Booth's latest case begins when she is contacted by a nun from New Orleans. The nun is a friend of a woman who is now being held on a warrant from New Orleans in the local Zinnia jail. The woman, Doreen, is a spiritualist and alleged faith healer with a large following in New Orleans. She had a baby who had severe birth defects and the baby has recently died. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death, which was at first thought to be Sudden Infant Death syndrome, had actually been sleeping pills that were put in the baby's formula. The mother has been charged with murder in the case, but the nun doesn't believe she did it and she wants to hire Sarah Booth to establish her innocence.
This creates a bit of a problem for Sarah Booth who has to go to the jail to see Doreen. She had been trying to stay away from the sheriff's office so she wouldn't run into the sheriff, Coleman Peters, for whom she has strong and tender feelings. Problem is Coleman, who reciprocates those feelings, is trying to save his troubled marriage because his deeply troubled wife is pregnant, and he doesn't need to be tempted by Sarah Booth.
Meeting with Doreen does give Sarah Booth and Tinkie the sense that she is most likely innocent of killing her baby, but if she didn't do it, who did? Suspicion settles on the father, but who is that? Doreen refuses to name him.
Doreen is returned to the custody of the New Orleans Police Department and Sarah and Tinkie travel to New Orleans to continue their investigation. They are also (very conveniently) just in time for the Orange and Black Ball, one of the most popular social events of the year. Of course, the two get invited and, of course, just in time, a wealthy suitor from Sarah Booth's past, Hamilton, shows up to escort her to the ball.
In addition to being wealthy and cultured, Hamilton is incredibly handsome and is engaged in trying to make the world a better place. In other words, he is a paragon of virtues. He's also apparently very good in bed, though, naturally, Sarah Booth never gives us the details.
At length, their client, Doreen, is persuaded to give Tinkie and Sarah Booth information about the three men who could possibly be her dead daughter's father. One is a well-known evangelist/faith healer; one is a United States Senator; and one is the financial manager for Doreen's ministry. She had had sex with all three men in an attempt to "heal" them.
The plot becomes very convoluted, with many twists and turns, but I actually figured out pretty early who the culprit was here. That's always satisfying. In the end, Sarah Booth got it, too, and again saved the day.
But she lost Hamilton. And Coleman, at least for now. Coleman ends up taking his mentally deranged wife to a sanatorium in Arizona for the remainder of her pregnancy, so we'll have to wait for the next book to find out how all of that turns out.
Sarah Booth is once again alone at Dahlia House with her nagging ghost, Jitty, who had been the nanny for her great-great-grandmother; her dog, Sweetie Pie; and her horse, Reveler. Will she ever find true love? Probably not for that would put the kibosh on the greater part of the plots of these books.
Sarah Booth Delaney's private investigation business in the little delta town of Zinnia, Mississippi, now has an actual business office. She has set up a couple of rooms of her family's plantation home, Dahlia House, as offices for herself and her partner, Tinkie. There's even a place for a receptionist's desk, just in case the business ever grows to the point that it needs one.
Sarah Booth's latest case begins when she is contacted by a nun from New Orleans. The nun is a friend of a woman who is now being held on a warrant from New Orleans in the local Zinnia jail. The woman, Doreen, is a spiritualist and alleged faith healer with a large following in New Orleans. She had a baby who had severe birth defects and the baby has recently died. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death, which was at first thought to be Sudden Infant Death syndrome, had actually been sleeping pills that were put in the baby's formula. The mother has been charged with murder in the case, but the nun doesn't believe she did it and she wants to hire Sarah Booth to establish her innocence.
This creates a bit of a problem for Sarah Booth who has to go to the jail to see Doreen. She had been trying to stay away from the sheriff's office so she wouldn't run into the sheriff, Coleman Peters, for whom she has strong and tender feelings. Problem is Coleman, who reciprocates those feelings, is trying to save his troubled marriage because his deeply troubled wife is pregnant, and he doesn't need to be tempted by Sarah Booth.
Meeting with Doreen does give Sarah Booth and Tinkie the sense that she is most likely innocent of killing her baby, but if she didn't do it, who did? Suspicion settles on the father, but who is that? Doreen refuses to name him.
Doreen is returned to the custody of the New Orleans Police Department and Sarah and Tinkie travel to New Orleans to continue their investigation. They are also (very conveniently) just in time for the Orange and Black Ball, one of the most popular social events of the year. Of course, the two get invited and, of course, just in time, a wealthy suitor from Sarah Booth's past, Hamilton, shows up to escort her to the ball.
In addition to being wealthy and cultured, Hamilton is incredibly handsome and is engaged in trying to make the world a better place. In other words, he is a paragon of virtues. He's also apparently very good in bed, though, naturally, Sarah Booth never gives us the details.
At length, their client, Doreen, is persuaded to give Tinkie and Sarah Booth information about the three men who could possibly be her dead daughter's father. One is a well-known evangelist/faith healer; one is a United States Senator; and one is the financial manager for Doreen's ministry. She had had sex with all three men in an attempt to "heal" them.
The plot becomes very convoluted, with many twists and turns, but I actually figured out pretty early who the culprit was here. That's always satisfying. In the end, Sarah Booth got it, too, and again saved the day.
But she lost Hamilton. And Coleman, at least for now. Coleman ends up taking his mentally deranged wife to a sanatorium in Arizona for the remainder of her pregnancy, so we'll have to wait for the next book to find out how all of that turns out.
Sarah Booth is once again alone at Dahlia House with her nagging ghost, Jitty, who had been the nanny for her great-great-grandmother; her dog, Sweetie Pie; and her horse, Reveler. Will she ever find true love? Probably not for that would put the kibosh on the greater part of the plots of these books.
laurafalls's review against another edition
3.0
While I thoroughly enjoyed this installment in the series, I was left wanting more. Sarah Booth kinda bugged me in the fact that she had so little faith. As someone who has lost her parents and aunt and so much more, you would think that she would want to cling to her faith more. Not so. I'm glad to see she's softening up more in later books.
rlbasley's review against another edition
5.0
Hallowed Bones (sara Booth Delaney mystery) by Carolyn Haines (rb digital audiobook ) this was probably my favorite book so far. Sara and Twinkie are hired by a nun in New Orleans to help prove that a popular healer did not kill her baby daughter. So off they go to New Orleans where solving the mystery will take them to a tent revival preacher to the governor. Plenty of laughs and an interesting side story await you as well. I’m off to the next book in this series.
jenndian's review against another edition
4.0
Another great Sarah Booth Delaney book!! It was great getting to know more about Tinkie and CECe. Very intriguing case!! This book's tone is not as light-hearted as the others as Sarah Booth has some big should searching to do for herself. A great read and I'm looking forward to the next book!!
vkemp's review
3.0
Sarah Booth Delaney and her best friend, Tinkie, run a PI business in Zinnia, Mississippi. They are hired by a nun in New Orleans to investigate murder charges brought against Doreen Mallory, who is accused of murdering her disabled daughter. But no one believes Doreen is capable of murder, her entire life is devoted to healing and works of faith. Sarah Booth and Tinkie travel to New Orleans to figure out who benefited from the death of a child who did not have long to live. But what they discover there is confounding, it wasn't the baby who was the target, it was Doreen. Could it be the Senator, looking to eliminate a source of blackmail? Could it be the televangelist, who has lost his faith and his power? Could it be Doreen's business partner, who might be more than he seems? Life is never dull around Sarah Booth and Tinkie and their transgender friend, Cece. Read this series for the setting, the Mississippi Delta in all its glory.
murderbydeath's review
4.0
The more I read of this series, the more I truly like it and admire the author. The stories have elements of fun, humour, sincerity, and depth. They are intelligently written and the plots are intricately woven. This book is probably her best in the series so far. I look forward to continuing with the series.
laurafalls's review
3.0
While I thoroughly enjoyed this installment in the series, I was left wanting more. Sarah Booth kinda bugged me in the fact that she had so little faith. As someone who has lost her parents and aunt and so much more, you would think that she would want to cling to her faith more. Not so. I'm glad to see she's softening up more in later books.
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