The Devil’s Bones by Carolyn Haines is the 21st book in the “Sarah Booth Delaney” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, coming July 21, 2020.
As Sarah Booth sees it, Easter weekend is a time to celebrate life in all its many forms. So when the newly-pregnant Tinkie invites her and Cece on a girls’ trip to Lucedale, Missisippi to celebrate that spring has official sprung, Sarah Booth can’t resist. Plans include facials, food, and a trip to the incredible Garden of Bones—a miniature Holy Land with recreations of all parts of the Middle East—for their Sunrise Easter Services led by biblical scholar, gardener, and creator of the Gardens Daniel Reynolds.
Unfortunately for Sarah Booth and the gang, someone doesn’t seem appreciate this season of new life. Easter morning has just dawned when the trio find themselves at the Mount of Olives—with a dead body at their feet.
Reynolds identifies the dead man as local lawyer Perry Slay, who was well known for his sly and underhanded dealings. Perry had rubbed plenty of people the wrong way, and now it looks like someone has rubbed him out. . .
Because being a PI apparently means never being on vacation, Sarah Booth and her friends must now find a way to resurrect the truth from a list of suspects as long as the River Jordan, reveal the devil in disguise, and—if they’re lucky—find a moment to enjoy a few chocolate bunnies before more bodies pile up like pillars of salt.
Dru’s Musing:
This is a well-written and fast-paced drama that oozes southern charm even when murder intervenes. The author did a great job in presenting this tale with a solid mystery that included a slew of suspects and a few red herrings to keep me immersed in all aspects. The staging of a girl’s weekend at a B&B and a miniature holy land added to the allure in this brilliantly engaging tale with its comfortable tone. I thought I had a handle on the person responsible, but the other author changed directions which enhanced how well this story was being told. This was a fun read and I applaud Ms. Haines as she continues to bring a wonderful and quirky cast of characters to life with her stories set to keep me entertained with murder, mayhem and whimsy.
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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.