This and That with Karen : Independent Bones By Carolyn Haines

Apr 18, 2021

Independent Bones By Carolyn Haines

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Independent Bones" by Carolyn Haines the 23rd instalment in the "A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery" series. I really enjoy this series.

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...

I enjoyed visiting Sarah and the gang again. Sarah Booth is a strong and intelligent protagonist and all the characters are fully developed. I love that it was about Woman’s Rights, I always learn so much from Carolyn’s books.

The relationship between Tinkie and Sarah is so special and one I would like myself. There’s such a sense of friendship and community in these stories. The inclusion of her haint (Dahlia House's ghost Jetty) always brings a chuckle as i can imagine what Sarah looks like talking to herself, also love how the animals are included the solving of the mysteries.

There were plenty of twists and turns and lots of suspects to choose from to keep you intrigued. I found this book to be a real page-turner, suspenseful, read that had me second guessing up till the end.

I highly recommend this book and series to all my cozy mystery friends.