What do you think?
Rate this book
The Haunted Ranch Mysteries #2
Bones and Cactus Blooms
Claire Caldwell has finally found her footing. Six months after solving her first murder, she's turned Whispering Saguaro Ranch into a thriving animal sanctuary and embraced her ability to see the dead.
But the desert has more secrets to reveal.
When volunteers preparing for the Cactus Bloom Festival unearth human bones that have been hidden for thirty-five years, the whole town starts whispering about old scandals and vanished souls. Then one of the most powerful man in Perdido Springs turns up dead in his office, and everyone Claire knows had a reason to want him gone. The man who foreclosed on half the town... dead. The festival meant to save local businesses... in chaos. The ghosts in Claire's kitchen... warning her that death isn't finished yet.
As Claire digs into both the old bones and the fresh corpse, she discovers the two deaths are connected by threads of family, loss, and long-buried grievances that someone would kill to keep hidden. With her fox, Rusty, bringing ominous warnings, the ghost of a long-dead librarian helping her research, and her relationship with Sam strained by family obligations, Claire must navigate a town full of desperate people harboring deadly secrets.
In Perdido Springs, old wounds never heal... and some debts can only be paid in blood.
Welcome back to the desert, where the past never stays buried.
But the desert has more secrets to reveal.
When volunteers preparing for the Cactus Bloom Festival unearth human bones that have been hidden for thirty-five years, the whole town starts whispering about old scandals and vanished souls. Then one of the most powerful man in Perdido Springs turns up dead in his office, and everyone Claire knows had a reason to want him gone. The man who foreclosed on half the town... dead. The festival meant to save local businesses... in chaos. The ghosts in Claire's kitchen... warning her that death isn't finished yet.
As Claire digs into both the old bones and the fresh corpse, she discovers the two deaths are connected by threads of family, loss, and long-buried grievances that someone would kill to keep hidden. With her fox, Rusty, bringing ominous warnings, the ghost of a long-dead librarian helping her research, and her relationship with Sam strained by family obligations, Claire must navigate a town full of desperate people harboring deadly secrets.
In Perdido Springs, old wounds never heal... and some debts can only be paid in blood.
Welcome back to the desert, where the past never stays buried.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2025
180 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Sara Bourgeois
234 books344 followersSara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 20, 2026
This is a very good story, with a hair raising ending. The characters are human, animals, ghosts and something a lot worse. The plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who killed the greedy banker and why. The answers were far more than most bargained for. I most definitely recommend this book.
November 12, 2025
Good book
This book had a lot of people with dealing with money and relationship issues. The man who caused most of the problems is murdered. Many suspects. The killer is brought to justice. But wait! Another plot twist! Read the book.
This book had a lot of people with dealing with money and relationship issues. The man who caused most of the problems is murdered. Many suspects. The killer is brought to justice. But wait! Another plot twist! Read the book.
November 29, 2025
The captivating animal characters, particularly the charismatic rooster, have truly stolen my heart in this delightful narrative. I am eagerly anticipating the release of the next installment in this enchanting series.
January 12, 2026
Claire the hero
We see someone trying to draw big business into town and getting rid of the little people. It seems everyone hated Robert and Claire ends up trying to find out who killed him. The police are a joke and this town needs to fight this corruption.
We see someone trying to draw big business into town and getting rid of the little people. It seems everyone hated Robert and Claire ends up trying to find out who killed him. The police are a joke and this town needs to fight this corruption.
November 19, 2025
Great read
Wonderful read although the segway into the new book was really scary. This story was really good! Thank you for such an awesome read
Wonderful read although the segway into the new book was really scary. This story was really good! Thank you for such an awesome read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews