A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines

Item: A Gift of Bones
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted December 15, 2018 by BaronessMom in #HolidayMystery, Mystery, Paranormal, Review, Series / 0 Comments

A Gift of Bones

by Carolyn Haines

Series: Sarah Booth Delaney #19
Series Rating:

Published by Minotaur Books on October 16, 2018
Genres: Private Investigator Paranormal Southern Holiday Mystery
Pages: 272
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: Sticks and Bones, Charmed Bones, Clacking Bones, Game of Bones, The Devil's Bones, Enchanted Bones, A Garland of Bones, Independent Bones, Lady of Bones, Bones of Holly, Tell-Tale Bones, Lights, Camera, Bones, Blue Christmas Bones

Christmas comes to Zinnia, Mississippi—Sarah Booth Delaney must solve a case as the holiday approaches, in this new cozy mystery from Carolyn Haines.Christmas is just around the corner and Sarah Booth and Tinkie are preparing for a festive holiday season. After a turbulent season of solving cases, they’re ready for some holiday cheer. Sarah Booth and Sheriff Coleman Peters have finally gotten together, and this is the first holiday they’re celebrating as a couple. Sarah Booth busies herself with decking the halls and daydreaming about romantic Christmas nights with Coleman.
Then her friend Cece Dee Falcon shows up needing Sarah Booth’s help—right now. She shows Sarah Booth a box that was delivered by courier and left at Cece’s front porch. It contains a lock of hair, a photograph of a pretty young woman, very pregnant, and a note demanding ransom for the return of the teen. Cece reveals that this is her cousin’s daughter, Eve Falcon, and that she’d lost touch with this part of her family years ago. Eve and Cece had been close, until the family had a terrible falling out, and banished Cece from their lives. The countdown begins as the kidnapper pushes for payment—or else, he threatens, Eve will meet her maker. It’s up to Sarah Booth and her friends to find the girl before something terrible happens on what should be the merriest day of the year.
Carolyn Haines’s trademark humor and lovable characters are back, in a heartwarming Christmas story that will enchant and delight readers looking for a suspenseful mystery wrapped in joyful holiday merriment.

Will Sarah Booth find the mother in time?

A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines is marvelous. I loved the whole story, the mystery, the Christmas tie-in, all of it is superb.

In this installment, Sarah Booth and Coleman are officially a couple. It will be their first Christmas together, and Sarah Booth has lots of plans. We all know about plans though. Sometimes things just won’t follow the plan.

Christmas in Zinnia

Christmas in Zinnia is lovely, and Sarah Booth loves all of the Christmas decorations around town. Tinkie does too, except those blow-up ornaments. The ladies have talked Oscar, Harold, and Coleman into being the wise men in the church’s Christmas pageant. I have to give the church credit as they keep trying to pull off the nativity scene. Last Christmas in Jingle Bones, the pigs, and bad boys ruined the party and this year. Well, I will let you read about that.

The Mystery

Cece is in need of Sarah Booth and Tinkie’s assistance. They would never turn a friend away. However, now that Sarah Booth is dating Coleman the Sheriff, things are a little different. She promised not to withhold things from him. I think Sarah Booth did an excellent job of maintaining her professional code without completely lying to Coleman.

It was nice to get to meet Cece’s family. They are more wacked than I thought. Oh, and wow does her Uncle Will need to seriously grow a pair. Family secrets are terrible things.

The mystery was well played. I caught most of the clue and had my suspicion, but I wasn’t entirely sure until…well, you know…until Sarah Booth announced it.

Some of my favorite parts

I always love a good party at Harold’s house. He knows how to throw a party.
Madam Tomeeka and Cece decorating for Sarah Booth
Cece with a shotgun, shooting at the bad guy
The Christmas pageant, Mrs. Hedgepeth, and the baby Jesus doll
Tinkie and Oscar’s generosity
Deputy Budgie suckered Sarah Booth with a fabricated story
Snow in Zinnia for Christmas
The Nutcracker, Jitty and Mr. & Mrs. Delaney

I think that the moral to this story is communication is the best form. You never know what someone’s answer will be unless you ask the question.

5 Stars for A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines

My rating for A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines is five stars. I absolutely love this series. It always feels like I am catching up with old friends when I am reading one of the books. I think that there may be a change coming in the next installment, but I know Carolyn Haines will keep up the laughs, and the mystery will be superb.

I highly recommend this series. If you haven’t already you should check it out.

This Guest Review is for the Baroness’ Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site.

About Carolyn Haines

Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. She was the recipient of the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing and the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the “Best Amateur Sleuth” award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.