Carolyn Haines is a novelist celebrated for her captivating storytelling and her creation of unforgettable characters. Her narratives delve into complex relationships and moral quandaries, often steeped in the rich atmosphere of the American South. Haines employs a distinctive literary style, utilizing evocative language and keen psychological insights to draw readers into suspenseful plots filled with mystery and intrigue. Her ability to weave together thrilling suspense with profound emotional depth solidifies her reputation as a leading voice in her genre.
Set in the summer of 1963 in rural Mississippi, the story follows Bekkah Rich, who enjoys the freedom of exploring KaliOka Road. Her world shifts dramatically with the arrival of horse trainer Nadine, the unsettling presence of a mysterious religious group, and the disappearance of her best friend's infant sister, Maebelle. As Bekkah becomes captivated by horses and the enigmatic community, she is compelled to confront the complexities of trust and the harsh realities of adulthood, leading her to take perilous risks in search of the truth.
The concluding story of The Jexville Chronicles follows Dixon Sinclair as she returns to her hometown to manage the local newspaper and confront her father's murder. Settling into her ancestral McVay house, she investigates the mysterious disappearances of two teenage girls, whose grim fates suggest a deeper, sinister ritual linked to local traditions. As tensions rise, Dixon must navigate her distrust of Sheriff J.D. Horton while uncovering the truth behind the town's dark secrets, all while preventing a potential lynching of an innocent suspect.
In this delightful cozy mystery, Sarah Booth Delaney follows a winding trail of murder and deception into a world where ghosts make fashion statements—and where one person’s miracle is another person’s mayhem. “Funny, ingenious, and down-home delightful.”—Dallas Morning News Doreen Mallory is beautiful, mysterious—and claims to have the gift of healing. But why couldn’t she save her own daughter, who died mysteriously at ten weeks? Convinced of Doreen’s guilt, local law is asking the same questions—and it’ll take a modern-day miracle for P.I. Sarah Booth Delaney to prove her innocence. Especially when Doreen refuses to talk about the men in her life. Like the shady televangelist . . . or the married politician with ties to the Mob. Either of them could be little Rebekah’s father; either of them could also be her killer. With Halloween approaching and her own personal life up for grabs, Sarah Booth could use a little faith healing herself. And she’d better be prepared for the fallout of her most unpopular case yet—especially when a decades-old secret explodes, unleashing a storm of fury on Sarah Booth and all those she loves.
Set in a repressive Southern town in 1926, the story unfolds as sixteen-year-old Mattie arrives as a mail-order bride. She encounters a community steeped in strict gender roles and faces challenges when Duncan, the daughter of a controversial figure, survives a lightning strike and gains prophetic abilities. As Mattie defends Duncan against town prejudice and navigates her own troubled marriage, friendships deepen amid rising tensions. A hurricane brings tragedy and a quest for revenge, shaping a powerful narrative of resilience and defiance.
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, Mississippi, to celebrate that spring has officially 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.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie, along with baby Maylin, are in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for Christmas this year, as judges for the annual library tree-decorating contest.
The next charming mystery from Carolyn Haines is Game of Bones, featuring spunky southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney. Will her latest case leave Sarah barking at the moon? When a ritually murdered corpse is discovered at a Native American temple site smack in the middle of Sunflower County, Mississippi, the archeology crew on the dig is immediately under suspicion—with particular focus on its easy-on-the-eyes, charismatic leader, Dr. Frank Hafner. So when Sheriff Coleman Peters closes in on him, Hafner hires the Delaney Detective Agency to clear his name. “Appealing...distinctive...atmospheric...Fans and newcomers alike will be satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly Rumors swirl around the Mound Salla burial mound, where more dead bodies are turning up. Sarah Booth and her partner, Tinkie, have too many likely suspects to whittle down the list. It’s a race against time once Sarah Booth’s resident ghost, Jitty—in the guise of various Native American warrior women—points to the waxing of the coming Crow Moon as the time of maximum danger. As history and mystery cloak the site, Sarah Booth isn’t sure what to believe, or whom. Can she dig up the truth before she herself ends up six feet under? “A dark mystery, effectively framed by its well-drawn Mississippi Delta setting.”—Booklist
She may be a Mississippi belle, but Sarah Booth Delaney is no pampered daddy's girl. Unwed and over thirty, Sarah has her own set of problems--like coping with regular hauntings by her great-great-grandmother's nanny, a busybody of a ghost who's set on marrying her off to the first suitor who comes calling. But when an old friend is in trouble, Sarah Booth doesn't hesitate to get involved. Splintered Bones Eulalee McBride has confessed to murdering her husband...and she wants Sarah to dig up the dirt on the violent scalawag to prove he got what he deserved. Sarah Booth suspects that her friend is lying through her pearly whites...but why? There ' s certainly no lack of suspects in Zinnia, Mississippi, including Bud Lynch, a horse trainer who arouses killer lust in the town's women. As Sarah Booth begins to put together the pieces of the case, a killer is preparing to strike again. And this time it could send one late-blooming southern sleuth into an early grave.
"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 butwonder if the killer has been with her all along.."-- Provided by publisher
People of Eternity are known to have far-reaching connections which Frankie worries may reach as high as law enforcement. Refusing to contact the authorities, she turns to Delaney Detective Agency as her only hope.
