Sarah Booth Delaney Series by Carolyn Haines

No self-respecting lady would allow herself to end up in Sarah Booth's situation. Unwed, unemployed, and over thirty, she's flat broke and about to lose the family plantation. Not to mention being haunted by the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, who never misses an opportunity to remind her of her sorry state--or to suggest a plan of action, like ransoming her friend's prize pooch to raise some cash... moreNo self-respecting lady would allow herself to end up in Sarah Booth's situation. Unwed, unemployed, and over thirty, she's flat broke and about to lose the family plantation. Not to mention being haunted by the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, who never misses an opportunity to remind her of her sorry state--or to suggest a plan of action, like ransoming her friend's prize pooch to raise some cash.But soon Sarah Booth's walk on the criminal side leads her deeper into unladylike territory, and she's hired to solve a murder. Did gorgeous, landed Hamilton Garrett V really kill his mother twenty years ago? And if so, what is Sarah Booth doing falling for this possible murderer? When she asks one too many questions and a new corpse turns up, she is suddenly a suspect herself...and Sarah Booth finds that digging up the bones of the past could leave her rolling over in her grave. less

Carolyn Haines has delighted readers with her acclaimed Mississippi Delta mysteries, which introduced a truly unique Sarah Booth Delaney, an unconventional southern belle who solves uncommon murders. Now the author of Them Bones and Buried Bones makes her exciting hardcover debut with Splintered Bones, a novel that plunges her feisty Delta detective into a world of old money, new secrets, cheating hearts, and cold-blooded murder... moreCarolyn Haines has delighted readers with her acclaimed Mississippi Delta mysteries, which introduced a truly unique Sarah Booth Delaney, an unconventional southern belle who solves uncommon murders. Now the author of Them Bones and Buried Bones makes her exciting hardcover debut with Splintered Bones, a novel that plunges her feisty Delta detective into a world of old money, new secrets, cheating hearts, and cold-blooded murder....Splintered BonesShe may be a born-and-bred Mississippi belle, but it’s been a long time since Sarah Booth Delaney was a pampered daddy’s girl. Unwed and over thirty, Sarah has more important things on her mind–like trying to hang on to her family’s plantation...and coping with regular hauntings by her great-great-grandmother’s nanny, a bossy busybody of a ghost who is set on marrying her off to the first eligible suitor who comes calling.But when a friend is in trouble, Sarah doesn’t hesitate to get involved. Eulalee McBride has confessed to killing her husband, Kemper, a gambling scalawag with a violent streak a mile wide. She wants Sarah to dig up the dirt on her dead spouse to prove he was a mean old bastard...and that’s why she bludgeoned him to death right before he was trampled by a 1,400-pound horse. But Sarah Booth knows her old friend is lying through her pearly whites–probably to protect her teenage daughter Kip, an angry kid who may have had her own reasons for wanting Kemper dead.There’s certainly no lack of suspects–or studs–in Zinnia, Mississippi, including Bud Lynch, a trainer with a nasty secret, who arouses killer lust in the town’s women–all married and all ready to scratch each other’s eyes out for a roll in the hay with the Texas cowboy. Now, with the help of handsome Sheriff Coleman Peters, Sarah begins to put together the splintered pieces of the case. But as the season’s hunt ball draws near, she catches the unmistakable scent of blood...as a cunning killer gets ready to strike again. And this time it could send one late-blooming southern sleuth into an early grave.In Sarah Booth Delaney, CAROLYN HAINES gives us an emancipated daughter of the New a steel magnolia with brains, grit, and heart who gives as good as she gets. And in Splintered Bones , she offers plenty of wickedly brilliant humor and good old-fashioned suspense. less

When a local girl is found dead in a cotton field and her lover stands accused of the crime, southern belle and fearless P.I. Sarah Booth Delaney is hired by the suspect's brother to expose the real killer, a dangerous assignment that pits her against the rich and powerful.

Southern gal Sarah Booth Delaney packs up her hound dog and her P.I. business and sets off for Hollywood to take a shot at stardom. No stranger to acting, she aces the screen test for a racy remake of the movie Body Heat alongside leading man Graf Miliau. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and why not? Graf has already starred in one of Sarah’s previous affairs and is well on his way to landing a big part in the sequel.Thrilled as Sarah is, her dream come true comes at a price... moreSouthern gal Sarah Booth Delaney packs up her hound dog and her P.I. business and sets off for Hollywood to take a shot at stardom. No stranger to acting, she aces the screen test for a racy remake of the movie Body Heat alongside leading man Graf Miliau. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and why not? Graf has already starred in one of Sarah’s previous affairs and is well on his way to landing a big part in the sequel.Thrilled as Sarah is, her dream come true comes at a price. She has to leave behind her family’s ancestral home in Mississippi, her closest friends, and the possibility of settling down with her longtime love to film on location in Costa Rica. And it’s not long before rivalries flare, mysterious accidents occur, and this leading lady finds herself in some steamy tabloids without turning up in a single frame of film.Carolyn Haines’s Wishbones takes the sultry romance and colorful friendships of this delightfully Southern series and heads out west for a mystery that is as thrilling off camera as it is on. less

When PI Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner and best friend, Tinkie, take on Monica and Eleanor Levert as clients, they don’t have much hope of solving the case. The wealthy heiresses of Briarcliff in Natchez, Mississippi, claim that a family necklace worth four million dollars has been stolen, and they think that they can hurry the insurance payout if a reputable PI investigates. Sarah Booth has her doubts, and not just about the payout... moreWhen PI Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner and best friend, Tinkie, take on Monica and Eleanor Levert as clients, they don’t have much hope of solving the case. The wealthy heiresses of Briarcliff in Natchez, Mississippi, claim that a family necklace worth four million dollars has been stolen, and they think that they can hurry the insurance payout if a reputable PI investigates. Sarah Booth has her doubts, and not just about the payout. All of the evidence suggests that the sisters might be committing fraud.But when they have just started scratching the surface on the sordid past of the Levert family and the blood money that all of their wealth was founded upon, Monica goes missing. The police suspect that the heiresses are playing more games, and Eleanor isn’t doing anything to make them think any different.But how can she? If she says or does anything besides pass on the insurance money to the kidnappers, they’ll kill Monica.With a family history that runs deep and dark and a twisting plot where no one is exactly what they seem, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are the Levert sisters' best and only hope in Bones of a Feather, the latest in Carolyn Haines sparkling Southern mystery series. less

Professor Olive Twist has come to Zinnia, Mississippi to study a mysterious grave wherein lies the Lady in Red, a perfectly preserved and stunningly beautiful but unnamed and unclaimed body. Olive claims she can not only identify the corpse, she can also prove the woman's scandalous role in the nation's history. Olive takes it a step too far, though, when she starts connecting elite Zinnia families with the same scandal... moreProfessor Olive Twist has come to Zinnia, Mississippi to study a mysterious grave wherein lies the Lady in Red, a perfectly preserved and stunningly beautiful but unnamed and unclaimed body. Olive claims she can not only identify the corpse, she can also prove the woman's scandalous role in the nation's history. Olive takes it a step too far, though, when she starts connecting elite Zinnia families with the same scandal.Dander up, Zinnia's society ladies know only one way to handle Olive: they call on the private investigative services of Sarah Booth Delaney. But Olive's real agenda is clear as Mississippi mud, and when Sarah Booth discovers a present-day dead body, she knows there's more than just family pride and Southern heritage at stake. If she can't find the murderer and fast, it might just be Sarah Booth's life on the line next.Carolyn Haines pulls out all the stops in Smarty Bones, the next charming, sassy, Southern-fried Sarah Booth Delaney mystery. less

Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are still recovering from the attack on Scott Hampton's blues club in Zinnia, Missippia, and Sarah Booth herself is still overcoming her grief at ending things with her fiancé. One bitterly cold night at her family's ancestral home in Zinnia, Sarah Booth hears what sounds like a kitten as she passes the front door. She opens the door to find a newborn baby in a basket on her front porch - with bloody footsteps leading up to the door and back down the driveway... moreSarah Booth Delaney and her friends are still recovering from the attack on Scott Hampton's blues club in Zinnia, Missippia, and Sarah Booth herself is still overcoming her grief at ending things with her fiancé. One bitterly cold night at her family's ancestral home in Zinnia, Sarah Booth hears what sounds like a kitten as she passes the front door. She opens the door to find a newborn baby in a basket on her front porch - with bloody footsteps leading up to the door and back down the driveway. As soon as she steps outside, a loud engine guns and a dark colored vehicle takes off. It's too far away for Sarah Booth to get a good look, and besides, the baby is now her first priority.After rushing the baby to the hospital and calling the police, Sarah Booth and Tinkie Richmond, her partner at the Delaney Detective Agency, know they need to do everything they can to find the baby's mother...even if they are starting to fall in love with the baby themselves. But as she tracks the baby's mother, Sarah Booth soon begins to suspect the woman might be in danger; in fact, she might be running for her own life. And following in the woman's footsteps, Sarah Booth might be next. less

Love hurts… In Zinnia a criminal Cupid turns into a case for Delaney Detective Agency. Gods, goddesses, slaves, centurions—all are gathered at Tinkie Richmond’s elegant home to celebrate the holiday for love. The costume Valentine’s party is the hot ticket in the Mississippi Delta. But Tinkie’s title of Queen Bee of Delta Society becomes jeopardized when her Valentine’s guests are all robbed... moreLove hurts… In Zinnia a criminal Cupid turns into a case for Delaney Detective Agency. Gods, goddesses, slaves, centurions—all are gathered at Tinkie Richmond’s elegant home to celebrate the holiday for love. The costume Valentine’s party is the hot ticket in the Mississippi Delta. But Tinkie’s title of Queen Bee of Delta Society becomes jeopardized when her Valentine’s guests are all robbed. There’s nothing for it but that Tinkie and Sarah Booth Delaney find out what happened to the very handsome Cupid (who failed to appear at the party) and where the short, hairy, Pan-like Cupid (who crashed the party) came from. Certainly not Central Casting. As Sarah Booth and Tinkie begin to unravel the secrets of the God of Love, they find themselves in danger and with a lot more at stake than some stolen goods. less

Private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are celebrating New Year's Eve at the party of the year, a smashing Winter Garden party at the Prince Albert Hotel. It's a dazzling success...until Frangelica "Sister" McFee walks through the door. Sarah Booth knew Sister in college, before Sister became a bestselling author and moved to New York, and fame and fortune don't seem to have tempered her arrogance and cruelty... morePrivate investigator Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are celebrating New Year's Eve at the party of the year, a smashing Winter Garden party at the Prince Albert Hotel. It's a dazzling success...until Frangelica "Sister" McFee walks through the door. Sarah Booth knew Sister in college, before Sister became a bestselling author and moved to New York, and fame and fortune don't seem to have tempered her arrogance and cruelty.Sister's latest book is a memoir about the death of her mother and brother many years ago. Now, a film about the book is in the works, and a film crew has descended upon Zinnia, Mississippi, to tell the complete tale. The film crew soon realizes there may be more to the story than meets the eye--or is told in Sister's memoir--and they hire Sarah Booth to discover the absolute truth about those deaths so many years ago. But Sarah Booth quickly realizes that someone is desperate to keep the truth hidden and will go to any lengths necessary to protect a long-held secret.Carolyn Haines's next Sarah Booth Delaney novel, Sticks and Bones, is sure to delight series fans and newcomers alike. less

Spunky southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney tackles a string of strange accidents while celebrating the holiday season in Carolyn Haines's cozy A Garland of BonesSarah Booth has traded in hosting this Christmas season for a road trip with her besties. Each little Delta town has a special Christmas activity, and Sarah Booth’s bff and detective partner, Tinkie, has arranged to rent a limo for the gang and drive to Columbus, MS, to stay in a B&B... moreSpunky southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney tackles a string of strange accidents while celebrating the holiday season in Carolyn Haines's cozy A Garland of BonesSarah Booth has traded in hosting this Christmas season for a road trip with her besties. Each little Delta town has a special Christmas activity, and Sarah Booth’s bff and detective partner, Tinkie, has arranged to rent a limo for the gang and drive to Columbus, MS, to stay in a B&B. Visions of Christmas shopping, parade floats, and romantic rendezvous are already dancing in their heads.But Christmas cheer soon turns to Christmas fear when, at one event after another, people keep getting hurt. Christmas karaoke gets ugly when one singer’s microphone gives her an electric shock. A party during a historic home tour ends with a fall down the stairs for one of Columbus’s most disreputable “players.” And when the woman who hires Sarah Booth to find the villain behind the so-called accidents is nearly killed with an arrow during a holiday mumming, Sarah Booth knows something more sinister is at work.The Christmas bells are ringing hauntingly in Columbus this year, and Sarah Booth and Tinkie―with a little help from hunky Sheriff Coleman Peters, of course―are determined to catch the wrong-doers and ensure they receive nothing but coal in their stockings. less