I must be a series junkie! I love following characters through several volumes...enjoying the stages of their lives, and the people surrounding them. The Sarah Booth series is one of my favorites. The Old South culture pervading the series always amuses me...especially the Daddy's Girl antics of Tinkie. Being a mid-westerner, I can't vouch to the accuracy but hope that the Old Southern ways still exist.

Sarah and Coleman are finally together, happily for the moment. Jitty, Sarah's Civil War era ghost, is up to her old tricks, this time with a Nutcracker slant..Sarah's friend Cece plays a major role in this one.

There a many twists and turns playing up the Christmas season, a kidnapped expectant mother, advice from Sarah's long dead parents, Tinkie's desire for a child of her own, a seriously ill infant loved by many and, of course, an evil stepmother. The threads combine to make an very interesting story with, thankfully, a happy ending.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves the Southern culture, lots of action and a compelling story line.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

There is nothing better than Sarah Booth Delaney solving a mystery during the holiday season. Wait, yes there is, learning more about CeCe Falcon, who comes to Sarah Booth and Tinkie after receiving a box with a ransom note for a long lost cousin. This book is filled with mystery, romance, laughter, and holiday cheer. If you love southern charm with your mystery and characters that come to life, then you will love this book. It is part of a series that I highly recommend but I you can read this book as a stand alone but be warned you will be getting all the books in this series it is that good.

Nobody does it better than Carolyn Haines! Fun to read, every time! And it’s impossible to not get caught up in her books — I want them ALL!

This story is a great blend of mystery, romance and Christmas magic. This time the case is personal for private eyes Sarah Booth and Tinkie when their good friend Cece has received a message demanding ransom for her pregnant cousin. Sarah Booth is conflicted since Cece insists that no authorities are brought in to help yet Sarah Booth's boyfriend, Coleman, is the county sheriff. Sarah now has to walk the tightrope between honoring her friend's wish and not lying to Coleman.

Filled with southern flavor this story adds plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. This is book 19 in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries yet each book has its own voice and this could easily be read as a stand alone. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Gift of Bones is a good small town private investigator cozy mystery.

Eve is days away from giving birth when she disappears. A ransom demand is sent to her cousin. Private investigator, Sarah Booth Delaney, and her partner, Tinkie, are hired to find the missing woman.

The missing woman’s life becomes the focus of the investigation. With parents who disowned her for her unwed pregnancy and an unknown baby daddy, suspects are hard to find.

The setting in a small town Mississippi detective agency and the use of an unwed mother as the victim are frequent cozy tropes. However, the use of a transgendered character updates the story to 2018. Other than that, a Gift of Bones is a good cozy mystery but not very unique. I like the previous entry in the series much better and gave it 4 stars. However, a Gift of Bones gets a reluctant 3 stars.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

In this edition of the the Sarah Booth Delaney series , Cece asks for Sarah Booth help in locating her cousin, Eve, who has been taken. Sarah Booth needs to act quickly as Eve is due to give birth very soon. Sarah Booth and Tinkie work hard to uncover secrets in Eve and Cece family to find her before any harm comes to her or her child.

I always love catching up with Sarah Booth and the group from Zinnia Mississippi . They are always fun and I enjoy the books very much. Can't wait for the next one.

Carolyn Haines has done it again with her latest installment, A Gift of Bones, book 19 in the “Sarah Booth Delaney” mystery series! I love this series so much and just loved this book!

Sarah Booth is finally in a relationship with Sheriff Coleman Peters when Cece Falcon, one of her closet friends comes to her for help. Her very pregnant cousin Eve has been kidnapped and Cece needs Sarah Booth and Tinkie’s help to find her before her baby is born, but she doesn’t want to involve the police. This puts Sarah Booth in a sticky situation since she’s going to help her friend but doesn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with Coleman. Still, she has to follow her heart and loyalty to her friends, especially since an unborn child’s life is in danger…

What ensues is a race to find and save Eve before it’s too late! Sarah and Tinkie are at the top of their game in this exciting mystery, and it was a novel that I couldn’t put down until the last page-turning twist. I loved the Christmas feel of the book and the ending made me feel like I was enjoying a white, family Christmas–one full of wonder and joy. The novel is not only about solving the mystery of Eve’s kidnapping, but it is, as always, about the friendships in Zinnia, the people who make this series so wonderful, and their relationships, which is one reason this is such a fabulous series!

Haines writes with such heart, warmth, and honesty that this southern girl always feels like I’m transported back home to Tennessee when I read her books. She’s been one of my favorite authors for over two decades, and A Gift of Bones just shows why as this cozy mystery transports you to the south for a tale of suspense and intrigue and also a warm, beautiful Christmas.

This is the perfect book to read while wrapped up in front of the fire with a mug of hot cocoa! A Gift of Bones comes out October 16, 2018, just in time for merry, holiday reading, so make sure you pick up this wonderfully festive, suspense-filled read!!

**Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC copy to read and review in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

Love the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series.
In this installment, we got romance, suspense, mystery, a kidnapping, all in the frame of Christmas time.
The author focuses on the reminiscence of traditions, family values and believing on the magic of this season.

A Gift of Bones is part of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series by Carolyn Haines. You don't need to have read any others as this book stands alone just fine. The usual mystery, romance, the Christmas season, and a bit of the paranormal can all be found here.

Sarah Booth Delaney is romantically involved Sheriff Peters, lives in a haunted home with a humorous ghost, and is ready for the holiday. That is when her friend, Cee Cee, shows up and they discover a package full of items from Cee Cee's cousin. Complete with a ransom note. Sarah and the Sheriff join the hunt to find the kidnapper and free Cee Cee's cousin.

The book is full of holiday cheer. These fascinating characters tell a tale that is a perfect Christmas mystery.

Even so far into this series, Carolyn Haines excels at bringing fresh stories to us. I love Sarah Booth and her friends.

A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines is the 19th book in the Sarah Booth Delaney series, and I loved it!! I love the whole series, please keep them coming. Not only is this book really funny at times, it can also be emotional because I feel like I know Sarah Booth and the other main characters. As always A Gift of Bones is a great mystery with romance thrown in, Sarah Booth has she finally made her choice. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries with a little bit of everything, I strongly recommend this book/series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It's amazing what all happens in Zinnia, Mississippi! Sarah Booth and Tinkie help their friend Cece when Cece's cousin's daughter is, she thinks, kidnapped. There are some secrets in Cece's background and family strife. Rest assured, there's humor and hijinks and a little romance between Sarah and Coleman. This is a long running series and for those of us who haven't read them it's fair to say we might occasionally miss an inside angle but that's ok. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Cece Dee Falcon is one of Sarah Booth's dearest friends. So, when her cousin is kidnapped, Sarah's willing to do anything, even hide her involvement from Coleman. Their relationship is pretty strong right now and she doesn't want to mess it up... but it's Cece. And her pregnant cousin.

I really enjoyed that Christmas was woven into the story but not super in your face. A nice addition to the series.



Three stars

This book comes out October 16

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Ebook/Mystery: This is book 19 in the series and I have only read three others. I do like the series and I am planning to reread book #1 and catch up. Since I read this on two sittings over a weekend, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. I like Sarah Booth and her sidekick Tinkie. Living in the south, I can relate to much of what Sarah Booth goes through. It is currently autumn, so I enjoyed all the Christmas feel in the novel.

I did get this book from NetGalley in lieu of an honest review. I also need to mention that I have a fondness for the author, who I follow on the Facebook and is a graduate of South Alabama (where my son's is currently in school; go Jags). Carolyn Haines is a pet lover and that really shows in her books, but I wish she would put her dog on a leash.

We have had this plot before about a missing pregnant woman in Rock-a-Bye Bones. It is different and I kept reading trying to figure out the kidnapper and if the mom was going to be okay. I do recommend this book, but I would suggest waiting for the paperback.

Another suspenseful mystery by Carolyn Haines. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are asked to help Cece find her cousin Eve. Eve has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. The major problem is Eve is ready to deliver her baby at any moment and the partners have no idea where to start their search for her. Sarah Booth is just getting comfortable in her relationship with sheriff Coleman Peters and she wants to include him in the search, but Cece is adamant no police. What Sarah Booth finds is a terrifying plot to endanger the life of Eve's newborn baby.

I eagerly opened this book to find out what happened with the personal cliffhanger I remembered from the previous book. Nothing, nothing until 45%. Perhaps I mis-remembered and Tinkie's personal craziness from the last story had been resolved. This was the sole reason I was so interested in getting a copy of this book. Tinkie has new craziness in this book which is sort of understandable, but odd. She needs good therapist and despite it mentioned more than once that she has a good relationship with her husband, perhaps that's not true.

Back to what we do have here. The story line, despite having babies as a big component (as it has been increasing all along in the series), has a different take from the preceding baby story lines and there were plenty of twists and turns.

I liked how Sarah Booth's personal life seems to be hashing itself out as well. Only one mention of her womb and thumb as I recall.

I'm still just giving this story an OK rating. As I mentioned in my review of Charmed Bones, I'm getting really tired of the baby obsession that's become prevalent in this series.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review..

I like to enter the world of Zinnia and the Delta where time has stood still in many ways. Although crime and murder have come to the small town, it is still a place where people know one another, and even your immediate ancestors. So it isn't a stretch to believe that someone would contact a stranger and not only know that person's secrets, but those of the family as well. In this genteel society there are those that have always had the public eye, and not always in a positive way.

When CeCe (formerly Cecil) Falcon shows up at Sarah Booth Delany's and needs immediate help, and wants Sarah Booth and Tinkie not to tell Coleman specifically about her problem. Fearing this might cause permanent damage to their new relationship, Sara Booth continues to try and persuade CeCe to change her mind and bring in Coleman on the case. It seems that CeCe's younger cousin, Eve is missing. Not only that, she is pregnant and due to deliver the baby on Christmas Eve. Eve's parents want nothing to do with her. It is a race to the end to find Eve and the baby before something terrible happens. Along the way Sarah Booth and Coleman do have some wonderful Christmas memories. Even Jitty, Sarah Booth's civil war haint, shares Christmas from the great Beyond with Sarah Booth.

A beautiful story of a Christmas miracle in the Delta with an actual white Christmas to boot. Author Carolyn Haines has shared another heartwarming story full of great characters, friendship, and love. Don't miss it!

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press, I received an ARC copy of this book to read. The comments and review are completely my thoughts and given voluntary.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is definitely 5+ stars. I love the escapades Sarah Booth and Tinkie get into. Carolyn Haines does a fantastic job of writing an exciting, interesting, and entertaining story. I hope there will be many more Sarah Booth adventures. Enjoy!

I enjoyed this book very much. It has action from the getgo. All the characters are involved & engaged in the story. I found the ending to be a little convoluted but I wasn’t able to figure out the villains. I think this series keeps getting better. #AGiftOfBones #NetGalley