THE
DEVIL’S
BONES
By
Carolyn Haines
Publisher:
Minotaur Books (July, 2020)
Format: Hardcover
Price: $26.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-25786-4
Kindle edition: $13.99
*** The paperback edition will be released April 27,
2021. ($7.99) ISBN-13: 978-1250257840
A
Sarah Booth Delaney mystery (Book 21 of 23)
Reviewed
by Shirley Wetzel
(December, 2020)
Sarah
Booth Delaney and her best pals, journalist
Cece and the newly pregnant Tinkie were looking forward to a relaxing
spa visit
over Easter weekend. All is well until they attend a sunrise Easter
service in
the Garden of Bones, a miniature replica of the Holy Land near the spa.
They
set off for a stroll through the meticulously recreated Biblical
landscape,
marveling at the beauty and historical detail. The serenity of the
morning was
shattered when they discover the body of a man, face down in the River
Jordon.
The
victim is identified as Percy Slay, a litigious
and vindictive lawyer best known for his underhanded dealings and lack
of
scruples. The list of suspects is a mile long, with pharmacist Eric
Ward at the
top.
Eric
loudly proclaims his innocence, and hires the
Delaney Detective Agency, consisting of Sarah Booth and Tinkie, to
exonerate
him. He talks a good game and Sarah Booth wants to believe him, but as
the
bodies continue to pile up, her faith in him is shaken by his erratic
behavior
and his failure to share important information. Sheriff Glory Howard
gives him
a few breaks, but he keeps pushing his boundaries.
In
the quest to clear Eric, danger follows Sarah
Booth, Tinkie and Cece throughout the county. She and Tinkie are shot
at twice
in one day, and Cece disappears on her way home. If they can’t find the
killer
soon, they may all be dancing with the devil.
Sarah
Booth’s beau, Sunflower County sheriff
Coleman, sums it up succinctly: “Sarah Booth, I swear. You go off for a
girlfriends’ weekend and you get in more trouble than an egg-sucking
hound
dog.”
The latest in the long-running series is as charming and refreshing as magnolia blossoms. The scenery, the scents, the lushness of the Mississippi Delta comes alive on the page. The characters are all fully developed, each one unique. I look forward to the future adventures of Sarah Booth, Cece, Tinkie, and their beaus. Highly recommended.
Copyright © 2020 Shirley Wetzel. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of the author is prohibited. OMDB! and OMDB! logos are trademarks of Over My Dead Body!