Rating: 
Summary: Suspension of Belief Required of Sarah Booth...
Review: ... and the rest of us. One reviewer says the author brings the Delta to life? Only if there are readers who truly believe that "life" means a land where heroines are pursued by not one, but two incredibly perfect males--one of whom globe trots between life-and-death political standoffs and our heroine, Sarah Booth (whose sexual proclivities are mighty virulent)--and where "Daddy's Girls" still circle the wagons on behalf of each other's so-called honor.
This book may have worked in the seventies, possibly a stretch in the eighties, but there is no way anyone with a healthy dose of realism can force it to fit today. Not only is there a live-in ghost--dredging up unfortunate memories of the Aunt Dimity cozies--but we are treated to frequent sexually-charged romantic interruptions, recalling (shudder) Barbara Cartland and her earls, dukes, and wayward lords.
The perpetrator can be guessed rather early on, which made finishing the book even more of a chore. But finish it I did, so that probably says something about me: an incurable optimist. I kept believing there had to be *something* at least lightly touching reality in this book. Another suspension of belief! I will definitely pass on the series. If you like a good mystery, not too much gore, and a real brain teaser, this is not the book for you. If, however, you like a romance-titillator-cozy-snuggums, buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Suspension of Belief Required of Sarah Booth...
Review: ... and the rest of us. One reviewer says the author brings the Delta to life? Only if there are readers who truly believe that "life" means a land where heroines are pursued by not one, but two incredibly perfect males--one of whom globe trots between life-and-death political standoffs and our heroine, Sarah Booth (whose sexual proclivities are mighty virulent)--and where "Daddy's Girls" still circle the wagons on behalf of each other's so-called honor.
This book may have worked in the seventies, possibly a stretch in the eighties, but there is no way anyone with a healthy dose of realism can force it to fit today. Not only is there a live-in ghost--dredging up unfortunate memories of the Aunt Dimity cozies--but we are treated to frequent sexually-charged romantic interruptions, recalling (shudder) Barbara Cartland and her earls, dukes, and wayward lords.
The perpetrator can be guessed rather early on, which made finishing the book even more of a chore. But finish it I did, so that probably says something about me: an incurable optimist. I kept believing there had to be *something* at least lightly touching reality in this book. Another suspension of belief! I will definitely pass on the series. If you like a good mystery, not too much gore, and a real brain teaser, this is not the book for you. If, however, you like a romance-titillator-cozy-snuggums, buy the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Another fantastic read from Carolyn Haines!
Review: Great characters, a fantastic plot and a writer who knows how to draw both perfectly. Loved every minute of this book. Can't wait for the next Sarah Booth adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Hallelujah for HALLOWED BONES!
Review: I love the Mississippi Delta Mysteries! They just keep getting better and better. HALLOWED BONES is my new favorite. Yes, Sarah Booth Delaney is back, doing what a Daddy's Girl should do,and, of course, what she should not do. Here she is investigating a New Age healer/guru Doreen Mallory who is accused of killing her baby girl. If Mallory didn't kill her baby, who did? Three major characters are in Delaney's line of sight: a televangelist, a senator, and Mallory's financial advisor. Her investigation not only leads her into the secrets of the past, but also she finds out some things about her partner and friend Tinkie. In order to investigate, Delaney must travel back and forth from her hometown Zinnia to New Orleans where the healer is operating. Not only is she caught between two cities, her heart is split again between two men, unhappily married Sheriff Coleman Peters and fantasy man Hamilton Garrett V. Sarah's friends, CeCe and Tinkie try to help her make a decision, but it's ultimately up to Sarah. Jitty, the sassy plantation ghost, is back to giving Sarah grief and advice. The characters of these mysteries novels are so fun and feisty; they keep me coming back for more and more. Read and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best book
Review: I was very disapointed in this book. I was also left wondering if this is the last of the series?
Rating:
Summary: Another good Sarah Booth novel
Review: In the latest installment of this series, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired by a nun to prove that a faith healer didn't murder her handicapped illegitimate daughter. Not as simple as it looks. The healer Doreen, is the daughter of a deceased religous fanatic, who lived in Zinnia until her death in a fire 12 years before. There are many intertwining plot lines, much like Sarah Booth's love life. Coleman is still sort of in the picture, with his manipulative wife pulling his strings and Hamilton returns with the intention of taking Sarah Booth back to Paris with him. Aunt Jitty doesn't play as big a part in this one as the others, but CeCe and Tinkie really make up the difference. I hope the next one comes out quickly.
Rating:
Summary: Another good Sarah Booth novel
Review: In the latest installment of this series, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired by a nun to prove that a faith healer didn't murder her handicapped illegitimate daughter. Not as simple as it looks. The healer Doreen, is the daughter of a deceased religous fanatic, who lived in Zinnia until her death in a fire 12 years before. There are many intertwining plot lines, much like Sarah Booth's love life. Coleman is still sort of in the picture, with his manipulative wife pulling his strings and Hamilton returns with the intention of taking Sarah Booth back to Paris with him. Aunt Jitty doesn't play as big a part in this one as the others, but CeCe and Tinkie really make up the difference. I hope the next one comes out quickly.
Rating: 
Summary: Mostly enjoyable with some glitches
Review: Occasional private investigators, Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie Richmond get a call from a nun asking them to help clear a young woman of the worst of accusations--murder of her own child. Doreen Mallory is too innocent, too spiritual, and too unconnected to any real sense of grief to be real, but somehow Sarah and Tinkie believe her protestations of innocence. What they don't believe is that the baby just died. The police have clear evidence of murder--drugs in the baby's formula. And the mother is the only candidate with motive (the baby suffers from birth defects and Doreen's career is a faith healer), opportunity, and means. It takes some doing to even get Doreen to name the baby's father candidates--a senator, a minister, and a business manager. All have alibis and none seriously believe that they were the father (Doreen had told each that someone else was the father) so they seem to be clear. But Sarah and Tinkie know that murder is generally connected to the family and they intend to pursue all the leads. In between, that is, showing up in the perfect gown at the New Orleans Black and Orange party and paying close attention to their ticking biological clocks. Because the death of a baby reminds both Tinkie (married to a man who doesn't want children) and Sarah (interested in two unavailable men) that neither is getting younger and that their time to have a baby will eventually run out. Author Carolyn Haines brings the Mississippi countryside to life and captures some of the vibrant energy of New Orleans. Sarah is an interesting character with the happy problem of two men in love with her. Unfortunately, one is married and the other is committed to living in Paris, France, a million miles from Mississippi where Sarah's family is buried and where her resident ghost hangs out. Haines handled transsexual issues (one of Sarah's best friends had been born a man) sympathetically. There were a few problems in the mystery itself. The insistence on DNA evidence of the true father would have made more sense if one of the potential fathers had any reason to believe that Dorren was lying about paternity. As it was, Sarah and Tinkie never bothered to inquire whether any of them might have guessed. The shabby police work isn't quite credible, even for a work of fiction, and the holes in at least one of the alibis were so obvious that surely Sarah should have followed up on it. For me, as well, Sarah's dilemma over which man to pick went on a bit. Still, although HALLOWED BONES is well written and enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Hallowed Bones
Review: Southern Belle and P.I. Sarah Booth Delaney along with her best friend, Tinkie Richamond, has finally opened her own detective agency. For her first case they are called upon by a nun looking to help healer, Doreen Mallory. Doreen has been arrested for killing her deformed infant daughter by giving sleeping pills. Doreen swears she did not do it and from all accounts loved her baby very much. Three other suspects are the men who might be the baby's father. Sarah Booth and Tinkie set out to prove Doreen's innocence, and unleash an avalanche of secrets in the process. If you are looking for gritty realism, this will not be the book for you. It's a charming, atmospheric tale set in the south with a cast of likable and somewhat stereotypical characters. The plot was not overly complex, but it was a light and enjoyable read while it lasted.
Rating:
Summary: Hallowed Bones
Review: Southern Belle and P.I. Sarah Booth Delaney along with her best friend, Tinkie Richamond, has finally opened her own detective agency. For her first case they are called upon by a nun looking to help healer, Doreen Mallory. Doreen has been arrested for killing her deformed infant daughter by giving sleeping pills. Doreen swears she did not do it and from all accounts loved her baby very much. Three other suspects are the men who might be the baby's father. Sarah Booth and Tinkie set out to prove Doreen's innocence, and unleash an avalanche of secrets in the process. If you are looking for gritty realism, this will not be the book for you. It's a charming, atmospheric tale set in the south with a cast of likable and somewhat stereotypical characters. The plot was not overly complex, but it was a light and enjoyable read while it lasted.
|
