It’s true, I’m known all over Zinnia, Mississippi as a devil dog! Well, some people don’t have a sense of humor, and I have been blessed with a keen ability to unmask those who need to adjust their elevated opinion of themselves. In my small Mississippi town, I am a force for justice, and sometimes just entertainment.

I plead guilty to going through the neighbor’s garbage and dragging embarrassing things out into public attention. You do not know who is living near you until you investigate their trash. I can tell you the number of vodka bottles one woman goes through in a week, or the addiction to Twinkies another neighbor has. Not naming names—I’m just having fun.

I do have a criminal record. Harold can’t get rid of me because without his protection I would certainly be euthanized. There was once even a petition to have that done, but Harold saved the day and promised to keep me inside the house. I allow Harold to think he has the upper hand, but I am a free spirit and cannot be contained.

I do appreciate Harold’s efforts on my behalf, though. He’s saved me more than once from cruel and unusual punishment. It’s true, I did go into the high school locker room with Sweetie Pie Delaney and steal all of the shoes and jock straps and leave them all over town. My word, you should have witnessed the reactions when various proper church ladies found. . .athletic equipment in their flower beds.

And yes, I confess to peeing on the shoes of people I don’t like. How else is a dog supposed to show his disdain for bad or insufferable people? Some people just take themselves way too seriously.

Even though I am a bane, I’m happy to report that in Independent Bones, I’m also responsible for protecting my magnificent human, Harold Erkwell, and for helping Sarah Booth solve the mystery of several abusive men who just needed killing. In my opinion, the killer should have been applauded not punished. And to my credit, I’m willing to risk my own life to help others. Harold sees this, which is why he loves me so much.

Harold has already forgiven me for destroying an antique door and several other items of furniture in my bid for freedom so I could do my job. Harold is the perfect partner for me. He forgives easily and laughs heartily.

I shouldn’t have to mention it, but I will. For all the grief that I periodically cause Harold and his friends, I also chewed some ropes to free Harold at a crucial point in the case. A “bad dog” depends on the circumstances, right? I may be naughty, but I’m a “good boy.” Never forget that.

I think you get a pretty good picture of my day-to-day life in Zinnia. As I mentioned earlier, I am a force for justice! I pierce the bubble of self-importance of those who need an attitude adjustment, and I protect those I love and cherish. It’s just a dog’s life, but at the end of the day, I love snuggling up with Harold. I wonder if Marvel Comics might not want to consider a new super hero based on me. Hmmm, something to work on in the future.

Independent Bones, A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery #23
Genre: Traditional
Release: May 2021
Purchase Link

Carolyn Haines’s Independent Bones is the next novel in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.

When Dr. Alala Diakos, a visiting professor of Greek literature, comes to teach at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, it doesn’t take long for controversy to follow. With her fervent feminist ideals and revolutionary leanings, she quickly earns the admiration of many—and the ire of others. During a speech in the park, in which Alala tries to organize the women of Zinnia to demand equal pay, the crowd gets unruly, with men heckling the professor. And when PI Sarah Booth Delaney finds a sniper rifle and scope in the bushes, she begins to worry that there are more than fighting words at stake.

Sarah Booth calls her boyfriend, Sheriff Coleman Peters, who offers the protection of the Zinnia police department, but Alala rejects him, saying she has no use for the law or men. And when a notorious domestic abuser is found dead the next day, suspicions turn to Alala herself, who was overheard bragging that she would take him down. Tensions deepen when connections are drawn between Alala and two similar, previous deaths.

But Sarah Booth doesn’t want to believe Alala is a murderer, and when the professor shows up at Sarah Booth’s doorstep, asking her to find the real criminal, Sarah Booth embarks on a case stretching across the Delta. Yet Alala remains at the center of it all, and Sarah Booth can’t help but wonder if the killer has been with her all along. . .

About the Author
Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series and a number of other books. An animal advocate, she lives on a small Alabama farm with numerous dogs, cats, and horses.

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