Sarah Booth Delaney #28
Carolyn Haines’ twenty eighth Sara Booth Delaney Mystery is Blue Christmas Bones. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are going on a well-deserved vacation from their business, The Delaney Detective Agency, to visit Tupelo, Mississippi, for a festival honoring the king of rock and roll. That’s right, book twenty eight is all about Elvis and those who love him still. Impersonators, singing competitions, king themed beverages, and plenty of gift buying opportunities. The Elvis impersonator competition is the main draw for the event, and Sarah Booth’s friends are competing as well. All in all it looks like they will finally get to really just relax and enjoy some crime-free fun.
Or at least they would if this wasn’t a mystery series and Carolyn Haines didn’t keep their little investigative team in pretty regular drama. There’s a very ostentatious bedazzled gold replica of one of Elvis’ belts, the gems and gold a tempting target for any thief, especially when displayed so publicly. Unsurprisingly, the belt vanishes. Surprisingly, the owner of the belt is right on scene and hires Tinkie and Sarah Booth to find it. While resistant at first, being determined to enjoy their vacation, a truly ludicrous fee manages to persuade them to take the case. There are plenty of motives, both because of the value of the belt itself as well as an alarming amount of hatred for the belt’s owner.
With the majority of town in costume, and events constantly taking place, our tenacious detectives have their work cut out for them. Sara Booth and Tinkie’s biggest challenge this time around is the amount of lies they are facing, not just from suspects but from their employer as well. Unsure who to believe or what to trust, they have to dig deeper into the town’s relationships and personal lives of anyone who could be a suspect, much to the dismay of local law enforcement, who aren’t interested in working with the two at all.
Blue Christmas Bones is the second Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery I’ve reviewed, and Tinkie remains my favorite character. Sarah Booth is a solid second, but Tinkie’s fearlessness and eccentricities really draw me into the story. Sarah Booth often decides to go along with her crazy plans, and knows that if she suggests any herself, Tinkie will be on board. Sarah Booth’s own more thought out and careful determination balances well with Tinkie and makes them an unstoppable team. Blue Christmas Bones is a must have for any Elvis fan as well, with plenty of trivia about the King and his life peppered through the book. Carolyn Haines does both fans, and Elvis himself, justice in her depiction of the festival, the historical facts, and even in the conspiracy theories. You can feel a genuine love for the musician and a still very prevalent regret for his short life. First time readers will enjoy the mystery and travelling along with the two detectives as they try to make sense of a very tangled web of lies and thievery. Long time readers will be very satisfied with the latest addition to the series as well. – Carla Schantz