Honestly, this novel struck a chord for me, a horror chord. Dogs being stolen from the backyard and potentially used for dogfighting. However, it is also the way certain law enforcement was handling it that made me want to cry even more.

This is the first novel that I read in the Sarah Booth Delaney series, but I think I will add it to my GROWING collection of novels to backtrack and read. Because I started late, there were moments of confusion. Mainly it was backstories and keeping straight who was related in what way to who. This didn’t take away from the plot of the novel, so I didn’t take any points away from my rating.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Long life to Carolyn Haines and Sarah Booth Delaney series as it's one of my top 5. Another great one that kept guessing, turning pages and made me travel to the South USA and visit wild and great places.
Loved it, great novel
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another great addition to this AMAZING series!! I love Sarah Booth and the gang!! This is a great mystery that is so well written, I was on the edge of my seat trying to find out what happens next!! I highly recommend this book and series to everyone!!

Book 29 in a series which I did not know. I've never heard of or read any of the authors work. While it's a stand alone there's still much that I wasn't up on. As much background as possible was there and more would have dragged the story more than it did. The shape shifting ghost was a character I wish I'd know more about, she was popping in and out, a little annoying. I can't say I especially liked any of the characters and the animals weren't fleshed out enough to become attached to. There's a lot of driving back and forth, the cars became secondary characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NetGalley #DoggoneBones #CarolynHaines #SarahBoothDelaneyMystery #MinotaurBooks #mystery #contemporymystery #bookreview #

I absolutely loved this book. Can't wait to read more of her work. I will be searching the library and Amazon for books by this author.

4.5 stars
Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines is seriously fun. The book follows Sarah Booth Delaney as she tries to find missing dogs in her county. She encounters corrupt politicians, crooked cops, a possible dog fighting ring, an old enemy, and much more in her quest to discover where these dogs are located.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought that the characters were charming and fun. I liked the little mystery. I did deduct half a star because without giving spoilers I thought that the whodunit final villain should have been mixed in the story a bit earlier. I did think it made sense and boy was I surprised when we found out a secret about Sarah Booth's family's past. My jaw was on the floor at the end and that's not easy to achieve with a cozy mystery.

While this book is 29 in the series I do not think you need to have the full context. These books feel a lot like episodes of Murder! She Wrote, in that they do not need to be sequential when you watch them. You will get enough information in the book for it to be self-contained. I have only just started the first few books after reading the more recent books first and it is fun to see where some of the information is coming from but has not dampened my enjoyment of the present story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries with amateur sleuths. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs and fighting for dogs' rights. I do not recommend this book to anyone who is triggered by the mentioned of the mistreatment of dogs. If you've never read this series, I still recommend this book! It was so much fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Carolyn Haines for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was witty and fun, and totally unlike anything else being written right now. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, and their banter. I can't wait to see what they do next!

Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines is fantastic, with many questions, greed, tears, and new revelations.

Will Sarah Booth and Tinkie find the missing dogs?

Sarah Booth and Tinkie are called upon to help find a missing dog in the nearby town of Nixville. Although Nixville is only a few miles away, it is almost like another world, where drugs are easier to get, there is gambling, and dog fights. The local Police Chief only investigates the crimes that interest him and the Mayor. There is a whole underbelly in this town that isn't in Zinnia. Even with all that going on, it is still a small town where people know what is happening but turn their backs and don't talk to strangers.

The animal lover in me cried out in outrage at some of the things Sarah Booth and Tinkie uncovered. The horrors that people do to animals are scary. Yet, their friends were there to help them cope with the aftermath. This installment really brings out Tinkie's temper; there are a few instances where Sarah Booth is the voice of reason. That isn't their usual mode. However, I rather enjoyed Tinkie's colorful descriptions of what she would like to see happen.

Jitty's Visits
Sarah Booth's haunt friend can't break the rules and tell her things, but she does help to direct her in the right direction. Her guests direct Sarah Booth to be the voice for those who don't have one, much like dogs, cats, horses, or any animal.

Some Updates:
• Harold may have another dog with whom Roscoe can be buddies.
• Sarah Booth and Coleman may have another dog to go with Sweetie Pie, Pluto, and Poe.
• Tinkie and Oscar have another dog to be with Chablis.
• Sarah may have learned something about her past, or it could be a ruse.

Five Stars
My rating for Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines is five stars. I love this series. Ms. Haines is a fabulous writer, and I am entirely invested in Sunflower County. It feels like going home and seeing all my favorite people. If you haven't read any of these books, I highly recommend them. Ms. Haines is one of my favorite authors.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Sarah Booth is ready for a new case but is not expecting Tammy Odom to ask her to find a lost dog. This is not the last dognapping, either. Even Sweetie Pie and Chablis are taken for awhile. It will be up to Tinkie and Sarah Boothto get as many dogs back as soon as possible before they disappear for good.
An old foe is back again.

Three stars
Sarah Booth Delaney #28
This book came out May 27, 2025
Follows Blue Christmas Bones
ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Ever since I read the first Sarah Booth Delaney book, I have loved this series. I get deeply involved with Sarah and Coleman and Tinkie and all the other characters who populate the stories.. They are so interesting and richly drawn and of course, there are the animals who contributed so much. It is animals, dog-napping in fact, that first draw the partners into the investigation. Tilly hires them first to find her beloved pooch. Then her arch enemy loses her beloved dog too. What is going on in this sleepy little place. As they investigate, they realize they are at the cusp of something nefarious and deadly and the local powers that be are turning a blind eye at best and participating at worst.

Trying to figure out who the bad guys are and how they all fit together brings Sarah Booth face to face with her nemesis, Gertrude, the woman who has done her best to ruin Sarah Booth’s life. What is revealed, however, at the end of the book is by far the most sinister and cruel revelation possible. And while she was so close to capturing her, Gertrude, once again, escapes justice. I was so hoping for a resolution but that is clearly going to be continued in the next book. Did I ever mention I hate cliff hangers and this one is a doozy..

Five purrs and two paws up.

Another exciting Sarah Booth mystery! In this story, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are called in to a neighboring town to find a dog that had gone missing. However, this led the both of them to become embroiled in a deeper mystery - one of dog fighting. As a dog owner and lover, this was a harder read than most because it's such a close topic to my heart.

As Sarah Booth and Tinkie get involved, more dogs end up going missing. When the dognapping hits too close to home, it becomes clear that an old foe is also involved. Without giving away spoilers, someone from Sarah Booth's past pops up and divulges a new secret, one that keeps Sarah Booth guessing about her family history.

While the dognappers and the dogfighting ring are taken down, this new secret gives us an idea of the next story to come!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book!

I just love this series. Even though this is not my favorite, it is still a good read. I enjoyed the references to my small hometown of Ripley, MS, even if it was not in the best of light. This is a cute dog napping tale that will keep you on your toes!

2.5 stars

In this 29th book in the 'Sarah Booth Delaney' series, private detectives Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie Richmond - who run the 'Delaney Detective Agency' in Zinnia, Mississippi - are on a dogs' rights mission.

Animal rights is a cause close to author Carolyn Haines' heart. At the end of the book, Haines notes: "For the past thirty-plus years I've worked with a handful of dedicated friends to support Good Fortune Farm Refuge, a nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare."

*****

As the story begins, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired to find a chow chow/spitz mix called Jezebel. The canine has been dognapped from her owner Tilly Lawson, who lives in the nearby town of Nixville, Mississippi. The abduction seems spiteful, because Tilly is a very active senior citizen who's publicly accused Nixville's Mayor Fenway and Police Chief Garwool of being involved in a dogfighting ring.

The abduction of Jezebel is the tip of the iceberg, because another dog called Cupcake goes missing soon afterward, and other dognappings follow. Sarah Booth and Tinkie know that people steal pups to use as bait dogs for fighting, or to sell to labs for medical experiments, or to keep as personal pets. Being huge dog lovers, the private detectives are determined to find the missing dogs and punish the thieves and miscreants who abuse them.

The sleuths are aided in their mission by friends and family, including: Sarah Booth's boyfriend, Coleman Peters - the sheriff of Sunflower County; Tinkie's husband Oscar - an influential banker; Harold Erkwell -whose dog Roscoe is an excellent tracker; CeCe Dee Falcon - a journalist; Millie - a restaurateur whose café has the best food in the region; Madame Tomeeka - a psychic; and Dawson Reed - a pet detective who searches for missing animals.

As Sarah Booth and Tinkie investigate, they unearth a number of suspects, including Rutherford Mace, a former professional wrestler whose property - filled with outbuildings - would be ideal for hiding dogs; Zotto Hammerfist - a fighter who teaches in Mace's wrestling school; Ellis Adams - a good-for-nothing teenage boy who's been hanging around with Mace; Gertrude Stromm - a psychopath who's wanted by the police; and more.

Most of the story has Sarah Booth and Tinkie - armed with righteous anger, a gun, and their fists - running around here and there, confronting suspects and searching for the missing dogs. Often, the detectives have canine 'helpers', including Tinkie's yorkie Chablis, Sarah Booth's hound Sweetie Pie, the tracker dog Roscoe, and a pittie-hound mix called Avalon - who was found in Rutherford Mace’s field.

Sarah Booth and Tinkie follow various real and false trails to resolve the case and identify the culprits.

I'm 100% in synch with Sarah Boothe and Tinkie's dogs' rights crusade, but I can only mildly recommend this novel. To me, the book seems like the work of a young writer in a fiction class who's penning a 'wishful thinking' narrative. I can't believe Sarah Booth and Tinkie, two relatively lightweight gals, would run around BY THEMSELVES (sometimes in stilettos), confronting dangerous men: spying on them; jabbing them with letter openers; making threats; pulling guns, etc.

For instance, in one scene Sarah Booth says: "Oh, I felt certain if I had to slap the snot out of [Police Chief] Garwool....I'd end up in jail. If I could prove Garwool was working with Gertrude - a known criminal and a wanted woman - I intended to run him out of office permanently. After I kicked his butt all over town."

The novel is full of sketches like this, and they're not credible (to me).

On the upside, I like Sarah Booth's personal 'haint'(ghost) Jitty, who shows up periodically impersonating a well-known historical or current figure. Jitty's mission is to advise Sarah Booth, and to nag her to have a baby. In this story Jitty impersonates actress Brigitte Bardot; animal rights activist Henry Bergh; actress Betty White; anthropologist Jane Goodall; and musician Paul McCartney.

I also appreciate the 'southernisms' sprinkled through the story. For instance:

"If Ellis's brain was made of TNT, he wouldn't have enough juice to blow his nose."

"She's going to be meaner than a sack full of cottonmouths."

"I'm more like a tick than a spider. Once I'm dug in I'm hard to shake."

"You've crawled inside a croaker sack with a rattlesnake."

I've enjoyed several books in the 'Sarah Booth Delaney' series, and this story seems like an outlier, as if it was penned by a ghostwriter. However, the animal rights cause is trumpeted loud and clear, which might appeal to some readers.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sarah Haines, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.

In Doggone Bones, Carolyn Haines delivers another delightful installment in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series, full of Southern charm, witty banter, and plenty of canine capers. When local pet activist Tilly Lawson’s dog is snatched from her yard, Sarah Booth and the Delaney Detective Agency jump into action. What starts as a simple dognapping quickly spirals into a tangled web of neighborhood rivalries, shady breeders, and a disturbing underground dogfighting ring.

As always, Haines balances cozy mystery fun with real stakes, keeping readers invested from start to finish. The characters remain a highlight—Sarah Booth’s sass, Tinkie’s sharp wit, and the ever-present canine companions add warmth and humor to the investigation. The addition of a meddling online pet detective agency brings an extra layer of tension and competition.

While some twists are a bit easy to spot, the fast-paced plot, engaging dialogue, and heartwarming moments make this another satisfying entry in the series. Fans of cozy mysteries, animal lovers, and longtime readers of Sarah Booth’s adventures will be thoroughly entertained.

Another great mystery that involves Sarah Booth, Tinky, and their whole host of friends. This one really hit me in the gut since I am such an animal lover. The mystery keeps your heart beating super-fast the whole time because even though you want them to find all of the furry critters, sometimes you know it's unlikely.

The author did an excellent job of putting a spotlight on dog fights, animal abuse, and dognapping. It happens more often than we want to think about. I enjoyed all of the characters that Jinty turned into and thought they brought a lot of relevance to the story. I am excited to read the next book and see how everything plays out.

I loved all the cat and mousing, that was really a fun part of the book to read. The not knowing is what really gets me. I loved it. A great book.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and Carolyn Haines for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

This series always gives me a warm feeling. In this one, Private Detective Sarah Booth has her toughest case yet as she tries to find several kidnapped dogs and shut down a dog fighting ring. When her furry friends are in trouble, she pulls out all the stops!

Doggone Bones is the 29th book in the Sarah Booth Delaney cozy mystery series. In this one, Sarah Booth with her detective agency partner and best friend Tinkie look for a missing dog. They find more than they bargained for including a dog fighting ring and an underground dog selling operation.

I absolutely adore this series. It feels like I am catching up with old friends each time a new book is released. However, this book was rather slow in the first quarter compared to earlier books in the series. The girls are mostly asking locals if they have seen the dog. Once the pacing picks up, the subject of dog abuse may turn off some readers. Still, it’s always fun to read about their adventures. 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

You can’t keep a good woman down, even if she comes back as a hang the descendants of the family. She’s been attached to figure out life and murder mysteries. Between the ghost, the characters, and the animals, you find yourself falling in love with them. But it’s the cozy mystery that keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat and turning the pages. I absolutely adore this and cannot wait for the next entry. It’s not like there hasn’t already been a bunch in the series, and I’ve read them all, but this is like chocolate to me. I can never have enough. It’s that good.

I should probably not have started this series at #26. And probably not with the one dealing with dog thefts. Sara Booth and her partner at the Delaney Detective Agency, Tinkie, have been contacted about a dog that was stolen right out of someone’s backyard.

We had so many characters that it was hard to keep everyone straight. The author provided plenty of background, but I’m sure if I had read the previous books, I would have had a much better handle on who was who and how everyone is connected. Sara Booth has a good batch of friends, including her boyfriend sheriff, and several animals: dogs, horses, a cat and a crow. Oh, and she has a ghost haunting her house that often appears to her as historical figures.

The mystery this time around involved several dogs who were stolen from homes, including Sara Booth’s Sweetie Pie. There’s rumors of a dog-fighting ring, but Sara’s old nemesis, Gertrude, seems to be involved too. There’s was a lot going on and I didn’t quite understand where Gertrude’s character came from, just that she hated Sara. And I didn’t like being worried about the dogs. I like when my detectives have pets, but not when those pets are in danger.

The cover seemed more fun than the book turned out to be. Maybe I’d have a different opinion if I had followed the characters from the beginning, though.

Wow! I always say this, but each book just gets better. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are drawn into a wild case. We see our beloved characters and some new, sometimes quirky ones. Reading this story is like visiting old friends. And there are so many twists! Yes, it's a mystery. However, it's also about friends, family of all kinds, love, community, and a touch of supernatural.