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Sarah Booth Delaney #6
Bones To Pick
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.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2006
111 people are currently reading
984 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Haines
115 books1,573 followersCarolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
November 7, 2009
This is my first by this author, and I really enjoyed it. It's hard to separate my feelings for the Mississippi of my childhood pleasures from the actual book, so my rating may be a combination of nostalgia as well as the quality of the book. I did enjoy the use of the spectral. Jitty as a companion of the main character. I thought it was well done...not too ghostly and all knowing, but enough to add spice to the mystery. I'll be reading more of this author.
June 2, 2011
I thought this was another great book in a great series - one of those series I would like to 'upgrade' to Hardcover eventually. I was pleased by the ending of the book and even though I'd guessed whodunnit early I was so wrapped up in the story itself I didn't care at all. I have to say though that having read the synopsis of the upcoming books, and not seeing mention a relationship I've starting cheering for, I'm hesitant to keep going with the series. I get so wrapped up in the lives of the characters I resent being disappointed when it happens. :) I might take a break from this series for a bit before continuing.
November 5, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2019
Sarah Booth Delaney is a southern Daddy's Girl in the river delta area of the south. She and her best friend Tinkie are also detectives in their own agency. When Quentin, the author of a tell-all book, is found murdered in the cotton field, the agency is asked to investigate by the brother of the chief suspect.
Quentin went to school in an exclusive girls finishing school. All of the girls, now married and with families, have not lost their cattiness from school. All come back to town for the funeral giving plenty of suspects.
Jitty is back and exploring the event and parties leading up to the French Revolution.
This is a great series if you like a little comedy on the side.
Quentin went to school in an exclusive girls finishing school. All of the girls, now married and with families, have not lost their cattiness from school. All come back to town for the funeral giving plenty of suspects.
Jitty is back and exploring the event and parties leading up to the French Revolution.
This is a great series if you like a little comedy on the side.
May 3, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up
Mississippi
I wasn't able to get into this book, at first, I think it was too over the top with the characters, was mostly conversation and not enough setting for me. I put it down and read something else then when I picked it up again I was able to finish and found that the last 1/3 was much better for me.
Sarah and Tinkie are a fun pair the mystery is interesting enough and the pace it good so I rounded up to three stars.
Mississippi
I wasn't able to get into this book, at first, I think it was too over the top with the characters, was mostly conversation and not enough setting for me. I put it down and read something else then when I picked it up again I was able to finish and found that the last 1/3 was much better for me.
Sarah and Tinkie are a fun pair the mystery is interesting enough and the pace it good so I rounded up to three stars.
January 4, 2021
Number 6 in the series and they just get better and better. Southern charm abounds and Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie Richmonds form the glue that hold the story and women friendships together. There is a killer on the loose and they get asked to find the killer by the suspects brother. Oh, the tribulations of the wealthy south.... Great side characters make this story hum. Throw in a love story or two and you have the entire package of a cozy mystery. Looking forward to number 7 in the series.
January 19, 2024
These books will never not be good to me
This storyline was CRAZY in a pretty fun way to me 🤣 Haines does a fabulous job of rolling the plot lines along in my opinion while keeping things comfortable
This storyline was CRAZY in a pretty fun way to me 🤣 Haines does a fabulous job of rolling the plot lines along in my opinion while keeping things comfortable
September 17, 2017
Though I didn't find this to be quite as humorous as the Plum series, I definitely appreciated it enough to want to read the whole series, starting at the beginning!
January 27, 2016
I felt the need of something light and fluffy to read as an antidote to the winter doldrums. There's not much that is lighter or fluffier than Carolyn Haines' Southern Belle mystery series. I have been occasionally reading the entries in this series for a while, maybe one or two a year, and so I decided to grab the next one, Bones To Pick, and settle down for a cozy reading experience.
Sarah Booth Delaney had failed in her attempts to break into the acting profession in New York and had returned home to the Mississippi Delta town of Zinnia about a year ago. Since then, she has stolen her best friend's dog, decided to become a private investigator, set up a PI business with her best friend as partner, engaged in a series of hot and heavy short-term romances, fallen in love with the (married) county sheriff, solved several murders, saved the family home from bank foreclosure, and acquired a horse and a hound. Yes, it has been a busy year.
Dahlia House, the Delaney family home, has a ghost - a haint, to use the proper Southern expression - named Jitty. In life, she was the nanny of Sarah Booth's great-great-grandmother; in death, as a haint, she is Sarah Booth's boon companion who dresses in period costumes and watches over her, never leaving the family home. She gives Sarah Booth raunchy advice on her love life which is Jitty's main concern. She is very anxious for Sarah Booth to get married and start reproducing so that there is another generation of Delaneys to keep Dahlia House going.
Now, Sarah Booth is called to the scene of a brutal murder. A young woman had her face pushed into the mud in a cotton field and was held there until she smothered - this after having been hogtied and dragged for a distance behind a pickup.
The murder victim, it turns out, is the author of a recently published tell-all memoir that named names and told the dirty little secrets of some of the most prominent and powerful families in the Delta, any one of whom would have been happy to see her dead. The list of potential suspects is long.
The night before the victim was murdered, she had had a very loud, heated, and public argument with her partner at the local watering hole. On scant evidence, her life partner, a woman named Allison, is arrested on suspicion of her murder. Allison's parents have disowned her because of what they consider to be her scandalous life, but her brother, Humphrey, hires Sarah Booth to prove his sister's innocence.
Sarah Booth and her friend and partner, Tinkie, proceed with their typical convoluted investigation, which mostly involves visiting local clubs, bars, and restaurants and talking smack with the patrons. As usual they utilize the services of their good friend, the local newspaper's transexual society columnist, CeCe. The trio's conversations are all bitchy good fun as they dish the dirt on the local high and mighty members of society, one of whom may be a murderer.
Almost by accident, Sarah Booth and Tinkie uncover the information that the murder victim had received threatening notes, and then, additionally, they stumble upon the fact that other people who had died "accidentally" had received similar notes before their deaths. Is there a serial murderer loose in the Delta?
At length, the investigators discover that all of these victims were linked in some way to a school for young ladies, the Carrington School, that specializes in turning out the perfect Southern Belles to cater to their well-born husbands' every desire. And, surprise, surprise, the headmistress of the school is in town for the wake and funeral of the murder victim, one of her "girls." Hmm...I wonder if there could be a connection.
As usual, there is a lot of angst going on in both Sarah Booth's and Tinkie's personal lives, as they attempt to solve yet another murder. But we know how all of this is going to end - with their fledgling detective agency wreathed in clouds of glory once again.
Reading these books is a guilty pleasure of mine, but the emphasis is on pleasure.
Sarah Booth Delaney had failed in her attempts to break into the acting profession in New York and had returned home to the Mississippi Delta town of Zinnia about a year ago. Since then, she has stolen her best friend's dog, decided to become a private investigator, set up a PI business with her best friend as partner, engaged in a series of hot and heavy short-term romances, fallen in love with the (married) county sheriff, solved several murders, saved the family home from bank foreclosure, and acquired a horse and a hound. Yes, it has been a busy year.
Dahlia House, the Delaney family home, has a ghost - a haint, to use the proper Southern expression - named Jitty. In life, she was the nanny of Sarah Booth's great-great-grandmother; in death, as a haint, she is Sarah Booth's boon companion who dresses in period costumes and watches over her, never leaving the family home. She gives Sarah Booth raunchy advice on her love life which is Jitty's main concern. She is very anxious for Sarah Booth to get married and start reproducing so that there is another generation of Delaneys to keep Dahlia House going.
Now, Sarah Booth is called to the scene of a brutal murder. A young woman had her face pushed into the mud in a cotton field and was held there until she smothered - this after having been hogtied and dragged for a distance behind a pickup.
The murder victim, it turns out, is the author of a recently published tell-all memoir that named names and told the dirty little secrets of some of the most prominent and powerful families in the Delta, any one of whom would have been happy to see her dead. The list of potential suspects is long.
The night before the victim was murdered, she had had a very loud, heated, and public argument with her partner at the local watering hole. On scant evidence, her life partner, a woman named Allison, is arrested on suspicion of her murder. Allison's parents have disowned her because of what they consider to be her scandalous life, but her brother, Humphrey, hires Sarah Booth to prove his sister's innocence.
Sarah Booth and her friend and partner, Tinkie, proceed with their typical convoluted investigation, which mostly involves visiting local clubs, bars, and restaurants and talking smack with the patrons. As usual they utilize the services of their good friend, the local newspaper's transexual society columnist, CeCe. The trio's conversations are all bitchy good fun as they dish the dirt on the local high and mighty members of society, one of whom may be a murderer.
Almost by accident, Sarah Booth and Tinkie uncover the information that the murder victim had received threatening notes, and then, additionally, they stumble upon the fact that other people who had died "accidentally" had received similar notes before their deaths. Is there a serial murderer loose in the Delta?
At length, the investigators discover that all of these victims were linked in some way to a school for young ladies, the Carrington School, that specializes in turning out the perfect Southern Belles to cater to their well-born husbands' every desire. And, surprise, surprise, the headmistress of the school is in town for the wake and funeral of the murder victim, one of her "girls." Hmm...I wonder if there could be a connection.
As usual, there is a lot of angst going on in both Sarah Booth's and Tinkie's personal lives, as they attempt to solve yet another murder. But we know how all of this is going to end - with their fledgling detective agency wreathed in clouds of glory once again.
Reading these books is a guilty pleasure of mine, but the emphasis is on pleasure.
November 5, 2010
Virgie Carrington has run Carrington House to educate ladies to be prim young ladies - to be the perfect wives & contributors to a stable society... she is in her sixtys now, and ....
Quentin and Allison are two of the young ladies who attended her school, and they did n't quite fit the bill of Virgie's standards... Quentin & Allison are planning to marry, and Quentin has published a book that spills the secrets of the higher class - many of whom also attended Carrington House... and Quentin is murdered - dragged through the field and drowned in a puddle of mud... and Allison is accused of her murder...
Sarah & Tinkie are hired by Allison's brother (a bit of a deviant, who sends Sarah kinky gifts with invitations to play) to prove Allison's innocence. As they investigate they find half a dozen women who died under mysterious circumstances (most considered accidents) after receiving a note warning them to behave...
Tinkie & Oscar are at odds as Oscar wants her to have a biopsy for her breast lump, and Tinkie believes that her faith will keep her healthy... she finally agrees to a biopsy at the end - after surviving Virgie's drugging and kidnapping her... Sarah pines for Coleman, who returns - and finally confesses his love for her and tells Connie (who is not in fact pregnant) that he wants a divorce... and surprise, suprise... Sarah is pulling back a bit... hmmmmm
Jitty is going through a period of the rich courts of France prior to the revolution... hmmmmm
Sarah goes to save Tinkie, and gets captured... Coleman & Oscar come to save them, and Coleman gets shot... Sweetie Pie is the hero of the hour, saving them all...
Quentin and Allison are two of the young ladies who attended her school, and they did n't quite fit the bill of Virgie's standards... Quentin & Allison are planning to marry, and Quentin has published a book that spills the secrets of the higher class - many of whom also attended Carrington House... and Quentin is murdered - dragged through the field and drowned in a puddle of mud... and Allison is accused of her murder...
Sarah & Tinkie are hired by Allison's brother (a bit of a deviant, who sends Sarah kinky gifts with invitations to play) to prove Allison's innocence. As they investigate they find half a dozen women who died under mysterious circumstances (most considered accidents) after receiving a note warning them to behave...
Tinkie & Oscar are at odds as Oscar wants her to have a biopsy for her breast lump, and Tinkie believes that her faith will keep her healthy... she finally agrees to a biopsy at the end - after surviving Virgie's drugging and kidnapping her... Sarah pines for Coleman, who returns - and finally confesses his love for her and tells Connie (who is not in fact pregnant) that he wants a divorce... and surprise, suprise... Sarah is pulling back a bit... hmmmmm
Jitty is going through a period of the rich courts of France prior to the revolution... hmmmmm
Sarah goes to save Tinkie, and gets captured... Coleman & Oscar come to save them, and Coleman gets shot... Sweetie Pie is the hero of the hour, saving them all...
April 15, 2010
Hawt Dayum! This is such a good series. And I've only read two of them! Now there's a whole lot that's happened between book one, THEM BONES (my review), and book 6, so I will be going back to catch up. I meant to read the series in order, but this one popped up on my wishlist on RecordedBooks and I couldn't wait to spend time with Sarah Booth and her buddy Tinkie and the rest of the crowd.
I adore Sarah Booth. She calls it as she sees it, recognizes a bitch when she sees one and is ready to help a friend whether the friend realizes she needs help or not.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired to find the killer of a local girl who wrote a scathing tell-all book about her community of wealthy high society folk. Everyone is a suspect and it's up to Sarah Booth and Tinkie to find the real killer. Things start to accelerate and my jaw dropped when the killer was revealed.
I do love Sarah Booth, but my favorite character in this book was Tinkie. She has some emotional turmoil of her own to get through and wants to get through it on her own, but she still is out there with Sarah Booth investigating. And she is so funny and I kept wanting to reach in the book and hug her. She and Sarah Booth are women I admire, tough and sweet and I always imagine them wearing a strand or two of pearls. And are willing to call a bitch a bitch.
Five Southern sweet tea diamonds.....and a big ol' string of pearls.....
I adore Sarah Booth. She calls it as she sees it, recognizes a bitch when she sees one and is ready to help a friend whether the friend realizes she needs help or not.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired to find the killer of a local girl who wrote a scathing tell-all book about her community of wealthy high society folk. Everyone is a suspect and it's up to Sarah Booth and Tinkie to find the real killer. Things start to accelerate and my jaw dropped when the killer was revealed.
I do love Sarah Booth, but my favorite character in this book was Tinkie. She has some emotional turmoil of her own to get through and wants to get through it on her own, but she still is out there with Sarah Booth investigating. And she is so funny and I kept wanting to reach in the book and hug her. She and Sarah Booth are women I admire, tough and sweet and I always imagine them wearing a strand or two of pearls. And are willing to call a bitch a bitch.
Five Southern sweet tea diamonds.....and a big ol' string of pearls.....
June 30, 2010
Two Southern women have their own PI agency,when then are dragged into murder investigation. The sexy brother of the women thought to be the killer hires them ti find the real killer. He has a lusty heart and a wicked gifting mind for one of the ladies. Some funny gift's and moments here, he is my favorite character. There are twists and turn everywhere, along with death and danger.
June 25, 2021
I enjoy this series but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with Sarah Booth and her indecisions. I'm also trying to wrap my brain around the romance with Coleman, which I am invested in, but don't quite like how it's been built up. In the first few books he barely acknowledges her and she seems to be more of an interfering pest to him. She also mentions how she knows Coleman has a crush on her but there's nothing else to it, until the fourth book when she's involved with Scott and suddenly there's this huge thing between them at the end that increases exponentially over the next couple of books. Regardless of the fact it seems to have developed out of nowhere, I want these two together. Unfortunately, Coleman's marital status is in the way and despite the fact he claims to love Sarah Booth he won't leave his crazy wife. Which brings us to book 6 where things seem to be finally moving forward; however, I know from looking ahead that things do NOT move forward and frankly, I've grown tired of this game. These characters need to act like adults. I think the only way I can continue to enjoy this series is if I jump ahead half a dozen books or so and get through this whole Graf arc that I have zero interest in.
Also, at one point Sarah Booth mentions that she has a hard time believing people would be killed over what was written in a book. Did she forget her second case with Lawrence Ambrose? At any rate, the mystery in this one wasn't too bad, but the ending was a huge mess. I thought the reasoning behind the murders was well done, even if the culprit was obvious. Humphrey seemed out of place and was extremely creepy. Could have done without him. I felt like it was just another excuse to have yet another man interested in Sarah.
Also, at one point Sarah Booth mentions that she has a hard time believing people would be killed over what was written in a book. Did she forget her second case with Lawrence Ambrose? At any rate, the mystery in this one wasn't too bad, but the ending was a huge mess. I thought the reasoning behind the murders was well done, even if the culprit was obvious. Humphrey seemed out of place and was extremely creepy. Could have done without him. I felt like it was just another excuse to have yet another man interested in Sarah.
January 15, 2021
What’s the penalty for improper behavior?
I thought I had read all of the books in the Sarah Booths Delaney mystery series ,but I guess I missed one! It was fun going back to read one of the early ones! Many of the Daddy’s Girl’s had gone to The Carrington School run by Virgie Carrington, to learn to become proper young ladies. But not Sara Boothe or Tinkie , who
both went to local schools. When his sister, Allison is arrested for murdering Quentin, her lover and soon to be mate, their agency is hired by her brother, Humphrey, to find out the truth. Quintin had made a lot of enemies when she published her “Tell-All” book exposing years of well-kept town secrets. That meant there were a lot of people with a motive! Can Sara and Tinkie figure out who it is without endangering themselves? A great and fun read to find out!
I thought I had read all of the books in the Sarah Booths Delaney mystery series ,but I guess I missed one! It was fun going back to read one of the early ones! Many of the Daddy’s Girl’s had gone to The Carrington School run by Virgie Carrington, to learn to become proper young ladies. But not Sara Boothe or Tinkie , who
both went to local schools. When his sister, Allison is arrested for murdering Quentin, her lover and soon to be mate, their agency is hired by her brother, Humphrey, to find out the truth. Quintin had made a lot of enemies when she published her “Tell-All” book exposing years of well-kept town secrets. That meant there were a lot of people with a motive! Can Sara and Tinkie figure out who it is without endangering themselves? A great and fun read to find out!
October 8, 2019
Quentin McGee has written a book disclosing secrets from most of the grand families of the Delta and now she is dead. Someone held her face in the mud until she suffocated. Quentin's lover, Allison, is arrested and charged with murder, but her brother hires Sarah Booth and Tinkie to prove his sister innocent. Humphrey showers Sarah Booth with risque presents trying to interest her in an affair, but she is all about business, plus her heart still belongs to Coleman even if she has not heard from him in quite a while. While investigating Sarah Booth and Tinkie discover several suspicious deaths that were ruled accidental. Then Tinkie vanishes.
September 3, 2019
I know I've read at least 1 of this series before, but have no idea which one. Probably an early book in the series. If you are looking for a bagatelle of relatively mindless entertainment after some serious & heavy reading, these books may fill the desire for distraction.
The series has grown to at least 20 titles, with the author apparently drawing out the plot lines very finely & slowly, judging by the summary posted for #20. The relationship between the formerly married Sheriff Coleman is finally on, after 14 intervening books.
This series does have a devoted following, judging by the ratings & comments.
The series has grown to at least 20 titles, with the author apparently drawing out the plot lines very finely & slowly, judging by the summary posted for #20. The relationship between the formerly married Sheriff Coleman is finally on, after 14 intervening books.
This series does have a devoted following, judging by the ratings & comments.
July 29, 2020
first one I read in the series. Liked it enough to start series. Initially however (like Charleston Tea) there were too many characters - not to enjoy the book starting in the middle of series, but think it would be better enjoyed if I had started at the beginning. As the characters are colorful and add interest and make it exciting, but in beginning of book starting in middle of series a bit hard to follow.
Still the end is good.
The kinky boy scenes are both hilarious and a bit much
and the killer is the old lady
Still the end is good.
The kinky boy scenes are both hilarious and a bit much
and the killer is the old lady
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2019
I just finished Wishbones by Carolyn Haines. The 8th book in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery series. I read them all in order. I don’t read books in the paranormal category, but I am so glad I read these, and grateful my library has the series. The characters are fun and believable, the story flows very well, and the plot had me guessing right to the end. I also loved the “character” interviews at the end of some of the books. I would recommend these to anyone who loves cozies.
July 28, 2017
In this book, Sarah Booth is still trying to decide her feelings for Coleman while being pursued by her client. Her client, Humphrey Tatum, hires Sarah Booth and Tinkie to prove that his sister, Allison, is not guilty of murdering Quentin McGee. Allison and Quentin were in love which was not liked by their families. The book was a quick easy read.
November 4, 2019
Bones to pick by Carolyn Haines (Sarah Booth Delaney series) (Rb digital audiobook. When a author of a scandalous book about the community ends up dead, her girlfriend is nabbed as the murderer. Sarah and Tinkie are in the case to prove she didn’t do it.. the ending may not be surprising but getting there is very entertaining. I’m off to the next book in the series.
March 11, 2021
One of the best cozy mysteries I have encountered. The usual cast of multi-faceted characters, believable and human, with a complement of surprises, plot twists, and good old-fashioned wisdom kept my interest high. It would have earned five stars if it had not dragged a bit at about the 75 percent mark. The ending is a good lead-in to the future and makes me want to read #7 NOW!
November 4, 2025
Carolyn definitely creates a page-turner. Sarah is looking for a murder and goes to save Tinki and gets captured herself, then Coleman and Oscar try to save them and Coleman gets shot, but Sweetie Pie is the hero of the day. Sarah is still pining for Coleman.
Just love this author and the narrator.
Just love this author and the narrator.
May 9, 2017
Yippie! Progress with Sara Booth and Coleman! This was another great installment in the series. However, I'm going to pause here for awhile since I read the blurbs on the next few books in this series and things aren't looking good for them. :-(
May 15, 2017
Normally I'm not a huge fan of ghosts as part of the cast of characters, but this one is fun. I figured out the culprit before the sleuth, and of course I prefer to be surprised instead. However, this is fun and quick with a mystery added on, so I can't be too upset by that.
July 17, 2018
Sarah Booth Delaney is called out to view the body of a murdered local girl. And when the girl's lover (Allison) is arrested, Allison's brother brings a large check to Sarah to prove she was innocent. But the tell all book Quentin wrote leads to many suspects and some suspicious deaths.
September 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. This one was about a serial killer and who I thought it was it ended up being somebody else such a huge twist. I’m so excited to read the next book in this series to see if that relationship really sparks.
July 17, 2019
I saw this one coming.
The murderer was fairly obvious and as for the personal story line ... that one was obvious about 2.5 books ago. This story shares the theme of the past and tradition. What we hold on to and why is explored.
The murderer was fairly obvious and as for the personal story line ... that one was obvious about 2.5 books ago. This story shares the theme of the past and tradition. What we hold on to and why is explored.
December 25, 2019
Good one for cold winter nights. Enough suspense to keep my heart pumping and my brain whirring as the clues are pointing to one then another possible murderer. The guilty party puts the whamy on our PIs toward the end, but they're saved. Whew!
October 24, 2021
I like to read a series for the character development and attachment to those characters. What is irksome about reading a series is how the author retells previous plot points. I understand that it is necessary I just wonder how the retelling could be tightened up.
February 10, 2022
This is generally an entertaining series but Sarah Booth's whining can sometimes be a bit much. The narrator, Kate Forbes, does a nice job will the many voices and manages to give them a gentle Southern twang.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews