Tinkie and Sarah Booth find themselves working on a cold case, which soon ties into a current case, so the ladies are working with Coleman and his team. The question is whether a young socialite is still alive after all this time, or whether she has been dead at the hands of her husband all along.

A seance, digging up dirt on the past, figuratively and literally, and tracking clues that seem to change with each person they speak with leaves the ladies treading water at times, but Sarah Booth and Tinkie need to figure this one our or there will be even more blood shed.

This is book 26 in this series and I absolutely adore it! Set in the deep south of the Mississippi Delta, there’s history, ghosts, and Southern belles that make for an interesting whodunit each and every time! This series doesn’t get old, it just gets better!

Tell-Tale Bones is an interesting story. I was not sure I would like it when I started reading it but as I got into the story I really enjoyed it. The story takes place in Zinnia, Mississippi. The main character is Sarah Booth Delaney who owns Delaney Detective Agency along with her partner, Tinkie Richmond. Dahlia House is her family house that she inherited and lives in along with a ghost named Jitty. Sheriff Coleman Peters is her boyfriend. There are other characters in the story that live in Zinnia.

The story opens when her high school friend Tammy Odom (Madame Tomeeka) who is a fortune teller comes to see Sarah and tells her that she had the strangest dream that scares her. She keeps hearing a thumping sound like a steady heartbeat in the floor. The dream relates to Edgar Alan Poe's short story.

Elisa Redd wants to hire Sarah and Tinkie to find her daughter Lydia who disappeared 6 years ago along with her best friend, Bethany Carter. Tote Maxwell has filed papers to declare his wife Lydia legally dead. Lydia was a very wealthy woman. They had been married about a year. There were signs that she was abused, Did he kill her? It is rumored that he is engaged to Vivian Dantzeler. Sarah and Tinkie decide to take the case to help Elisa find out the truth. They start asking questions, They go and speak to Vivian and see that she too has bruises, Later they find out that Vivian was dead from falling off the balcony of Tope's house. Did she fall or was she pushed by Tope?

This is where the story takes off and takes the reader on an adventure of finding the truth. Is Lydia and Bethany alive or dead. Did Tope push Vivian off the balcony, etc. There is so much going on in the story that I will leave it to the reader to enjoy to the climax ending. The funniest part of the story is when Tammy does a séance at Tote's house as he wants to ask Lydia questions.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

I absolutely adore the Sarah Booth Delaney series by Charlaine Harris. The way that she imparts her feminist views throughout the book is fantastic, and I absolutely adore the way that the women in the book depend on each other and support each other. The mystery for this one was intriguing, and I was glad that there were not too many sad pieces.

My only complaint is that the relationship with Coleman and Sarah Booth needs to move forward. They need to get married and start a family because it is obvious that they are trending that way.

Overall, I recommend this book to other cozy mystery lovers.

Tell-Tale Bones, the twenty-sixth book in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries series by Carolyn Haines, enraptures the reader with a fast-paced journey of complex and insightful layers of mystery, suspense, tension, and a parent/child love that transcends even the evilest of an inherent psyche...reaching a pinnacle in the rectification of the immoral and sinful nature of a man whose privilege goes unchecked

Sarah Booth, Tinkie, and their devoted friends (two and four-legged alike) once again give depth and dimension to the tale as they probe for missing persons who were determined to disappear. The story’s chain of events took the types of twists and turns that keep readers engaged, emotionally invested, and rapidly turning pages.

With the characters, I’ve grown so fond of over the years, and their wit, humor, and rapid-fire repartee I’ve come to expect from Ms. Haines’ storytelling I was able to once again lose myself in the beauty of the Mississippi Delta and the vivaciousness of a heroine I look forward to becoming reacquainted with during each visit of Zinnia, Mississippi I'm swept away to.

This ARC was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.

Sarah Booth and her friends are drawn into the case of a woman who disappeared almost 7 years ago. Her husband is now trying to have her declared dead while her mother hopes to prove she is alive and stop the husband from benefiting from her inheritance. Filled with the usual great characters and an interesting string of dead gothic authors. Wonderful.

Another good book in the series of Sarah helping to solve a case. This one has two women who disappeared after one was in an abusive marriage. Liked it overall, but not as strongly as others in the series. Not sure why, but struggled a bit with this one. Would still recommend though.

I enjoyed this book. The story speaks to a unfortunate but common situation. I was glad to see that most of the missing were found/okay. I loved the surprise at the end. #TellTaleBones #NetGalley

I really enjoy the characters and the settings of this series. It was a bit difficult at first as it’s been some time since I read the last one and you need knowledge of earlier titles to fully experience this new one. Haines has a talent for creating evocative atmospheres as well as linking the American south to its history. Highly recommend.

Haines manages to keep her long running Sarah Booth Delaney fresh as Sarah Booth and her business partner, Tinkie get caught up in a cold case involving a local woman. Elissa Redd is determined to find out what happened to her daughter, Lydia. Elissa believes that Lydia’s disappearance may be related to the human rights organization she worked for. Even though this is really a job for the local police department and sheriff Coleman Peters, Sarah Booth and Tinkie get stuck in to uncover the truth. Enjoyable as always

Although Sarah Booth and Tinkie plan on taking a break after the holiday, neither can ignore the request of a mother looking for her daughter who disappeared years ago from the delta. The case is far from simple and the story moves through changing times around themes such as women’s rights, domestic abuse and the privilege, entitlement and chains that bind especially women.

We also get to see Sarah Booth’s extended family that she has claimed and found in the Mississippi delta come together to right the wrong. The author continues to provide historical figures but this time the focus is on famous and lesser known authors that tie in stories that reflect similar themes across times.

Another great build-up to a satisfying end.

Tell-Tale Bones by Carolyn Haines continues the adventures of Sarah Booth and Tinkie and their families as they help find out the true story of the disappearance of a young woman seven years earlier. Each story is another well done entry in the series and always one to look forward to.

Another great Sarah Booth Delaney mystery! I really enjoy each new romp that Carolyn Haines puts out. It's an engaging and relaxing cozy mystery that makes one want to plan a trip to visit her and her town! This latest one is no exception. I am placing it on my book club to-be-read list.

The characters are quirky and fun in this mystery. Solving the crime is not easy. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. The author is talented at writing an intriguing story. Curl up in a cozy chair and read away the evening with the characters in this book.