Sarah Booth and Tinkie have a new "partner" in their investigation business - Maylin, Tinkie's cute as a button and fashionable baby girl! While visiting Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to judge a Christmas tree competition, the ladies and baby find themselves refereeing "cat fights" between two competing authors while eventually solving the mystery when one of the authors disappears.

I love this series even more with cutie Maylin. Her birth has brought out so many emotions and changes in Tinkie and Sarah Booth. The mystery is fast-paced with all the southern charm you expect from the series.

I can't wait to see what adventures these ladies have in the upcoming books!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This looked intriguing so I read it not realizing it was #25 in a cozy detective series. I normally like to start at the beginning, but this certainly works as a stand alone. Guess I have some catching up to do! I like the main characters and their relationships and the female Private iInvestigator business.

Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines is the 25th in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are on a holiday trip set to judge the local tree trimming contest with two rival authors, Sandra and Janet. However, Sandra and Janet are at each others throats constantly. So when Sandra disappears, Janet becomes the primary suspect and hires Sarah Booth and Tinkie to find Sandra.

With a strong sense of place, the author flawlessly executes a well-plotted mystery as our intrepid investigators follow a twisty trail of clues to solve the disappearance. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

Sarah Booth and Tinkie, along with baby Maylin, are in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for Christmas this year, as judges for the annual library tree decorating contest. The other two judges are writers Sandra O’Day and Janet Malone. They’re bestselling Mississippi authors, but bitter competitors. For years, they’ve brawled, their sales skyrocketing with each cat fight. Sandra’s most recent true crime book documents the 1920s rum-running era of Al Capone, who built a mansion in BSL and a distribution network for his liquor. Janet’s book, scheduled to be published in January, is a fictional account of the same material—which only heightens their bitter rivalry. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are shopping with little Maylin when they see Sandra and Janet outside a bookstore, fur flying, and when Sandra vanishes from her own gala later that night, suspicion turns to Janet. Janet accuses Sandra of attempting to manipulate the media by a fake disappearance, but is it a stunt? Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired to find Sandra and her assistant who disappeared with her. Her friends from Zinnia join them and help with the search.

This is one of my favorite cosy mytery series, and I have read all of them! I love the chacters, and how the author has developed them over the course of the series. I highly recommend the series, and I recommend starting from the beginning as events in each book carry to the next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read the latest in this fun and enjoyable series.

Solid entry into this long running series. As always, I love the characters and the setting, although I’m getting pretty sick of Jitty and her antics. I loved the history of Bay St. Louis added in and the legend of Al Capone. Looking forward to the next one.

This is the 25th in series and a charming Christmas theme cozy. I love the regular charcters in this series who are like visiting old friends. This next in series has a intriquing mystery surrounding a Christmas Tree Contest, historical information and murder. A fun read and the perfect introduction to the Christmas cozy season.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.

Another fun book in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. Sarah and crew are in Bay St. Louis, MS to judge a library fundraising Christmas tree decorating contest. But things aren't all fun and colored Christmas lights when one of the judges disappears. Sarah jumps right in when she's asked to find the judge and help put an end to the Christmas hijinks. There's alot going on, but Sarah's the perfect sleuth to get things solved.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Sarah Beth and Tinkie are having a wonderful time celebrating the holidays.
Things are never complete without a murder investigation, so make a cup of your favorite drink and kick back and this fun, holiday cozy mystery.

Sarah Booth and Twinkie and the crew are off to Bay St. Louis at Christmas time. This is a fun holiday mystery. I’ve read a few of the previous mysteries in this series as well and enjoyed catching up with the gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bones of Holly is book #25 in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series by Carolyn Haines.

Sarah Booth, Tinkie, and baby Maylin in are in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to judge a tree decorating competition. But it isn’t a simple trip when one of the other judges disappears.

I can’t believe this is book #25. It is always fun to visit the characters from Zinnia. This is a complex mystery and it kept me guessing. I love the description of the locale. It makes me feel like I’m there.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

ghosts, cozy-mystery, friendship, Christmas-shopping, animosity, private-investigators, rivalry, writers, abduction, family-dynamics, family-drama, family, investigation, suspense, treasure-hunt, historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-setting, historical-figures, myths-legends, vacation, library, verbal-humor*****

The usual characters (including a haint who follows Sarah Booth) are on a shopping vacation in Bay St Louis for the judging of a Christmas tree decorating contest to benefit the Bay St. Louis library. They also have co judges Sandra and Janet, who are bestselling authors and apparent frenemies. Suddenly one of them (and her assistant) go missing during a party from her own rehabbed mansion built by Al Capone to share with his mistress. There are a lot of secrets in that house and mausoleum and his missing treasure. Love each and every one of the characters! Great research plus imagination! And the twisty sleuthing and red herrings!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Christmas time, Sarah Booth and Tinkie (with crew) are in Bay St. Louis as judges for the annual library tree decorating. Their fellow judges are 2 best selling Mississippi authors who are also extremely competitive with each other.
Pretty simple, relaxing assignment, but one of the authors and their assistant goes missing. Publicity stunt, did their research into Al Capone pull some undesirable strings, family secrets …. Sarah and Tinkie have are asked to look into the disappearance, but it doesn’t look as simple as it seems.
Love Sarah and Tinkie’s adventures, you always want to curl up and you will leave this world behind for the time being.

What do Al Capone, a silent era film star and treasure have in common? They may be why famous popular history author, Sandra O’Day, and her assistant, Daryl, vanished without a trace during a party at her house. Or it could have been current mobsters, neighbors that have a grudge, or simply a publicity stunt to increase book sales. When Private Investigator Sarah Booth and her best friend Tinkie are hired by another author, Janet Malone, who had several public disagreements with Sandra, to investigate, they must try to untangle the rumors from the facts in Bones of Holly.

Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt or private investigation? Throw in mobsters, movie stars, and Christmas just for fun, stir and enjoy the refreshing result.

The setting of coastal Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is so well described that you will feel like you vacationed there. The ongoing characters of Sarah Booth, former society girl, Tinkie, and Sarah Booth’s resident haint, Civil War-era Jitty, all feel like real people with genuine emotions and actions. The mystery was good and not so challenging you had to take notes. Bones of Holly is a pleasant afternoon diversion for cozy mystery fans. 4 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Sarah Booth Delaney and her gang of cohorts are back with this great Christmas whodunnit set in quaint Bay St Louis, Mississippi.

This is one of the best! Sarah Booth and Tinkie are off to Bay St Louis to judge a Christmas tree contest and have a little fun with their beaus. Who knew they’d find 2 warring authors and a kidnapping. Will the daring duo solve this case before Christmas or will this be their first failure. Baby Maylin needs to return home to star in the Nativity Pageant!

I think that Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries is one of the best mystery series and surely one of the best cozy mystery series.
The mystery are always well plotted, tightly knitted, and surprises me with every twist till the solution.
I love them because I always learn something new on the historical or cultural side.
Sarah Booth and her friends are a great cast of characters, well developed and likeable.
This is a complex mystery, full of references to historical facts and set in a wonderful place. The descriptions made me wish I could visit Bay St. Louis and I loved the setting.
The plot is well developed and gripping. A solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sarah Booth and Tinkie are in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for Xmas in this 25th installment of this cozy mystery series. 2 popular authors are at each others' throats when one of them disappears w/ her assistant. It's up to Sarah Booth and Tinkie to find them. There's a whole convoluted story regarding Al Capone, a missing treasure and a mysterious movie star to go along with this caper. Christmas is coming and Sarah Booth needs to find the missing author and her assistant before it does!
These books are always fun and I love how Haines incorporates the gang of friends into every novel

*Special thanks to Minotaur books and NetGalley for this e-arc.*

Christmas is just around the corner and Sarah Booth Delaney along with Tinkie, Oscar, baby Maylin, Harold, Cece and Millie have taken a holiday trip to Bay St. Louis on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The reason is innocent enough - Sarah Booth and Tinkie are to judge decorated Christmas trees for a library fundraiser. Things will be interesting because the other judges are two authors who are constantly at each others throats. While approaching the bookstore where the book signings will be the books start flying out the door - literally. As in hurled as projectiles between the two women. That sets the tone for the event and before long one of the women disappears. Is it a stunt or is it the real deal? Time for the Delaney Detective Agency to set aside holiday shopping and seeing the sights and try to track down the missing author.
Bay St. Louis was a bootleggers paradise back in the 1920's and Al Capone and his missing treasure become part of their investigation. Turns out that there are some well established families who have lots of secrets. Are the books that the two authors wrote about Capone, one non-fiction, one fiction, at the heart of the mystery?
I always enjoy spending time with Sarah Booth and her friends. They make me smile and laugh. The mystery is only one reason to enjoy this long running series. I'm always left wanting to know what will be in store for them in the next book.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sorry, but this was unreadable for me. DNF. The dialogue was beyond wooden, and not even the holiday atmosphere could draw me in.

Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner Tinkie, along with their families take a vacation to Bay St Louis, where they have been invited to judge the town’s annual Christmas tree contest. The other judges are local authors Sandra O’Day and Janet Malone, childhood friends that now are constantly at each other’s throats. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are on the case, however, when Sandra and her assistant Daryl disappear during a book signing event…and Janet is the main suspect!

This is the 25th book in the series, and it seems like a solid book in the series. If you like cozy mysteries set in the small coastal town south, this is for you! There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing, and we even get several Jitty cameos all the way from Zinnia.