Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner Tinkie, along with their families take a vacation to Bay St Louis, where they have been invited to judge the town’s annual Christmas tree contest. The other judges are local authors Sandra O’Day and Janet Malone, childhood friends that now are constantly at each other’s throats. Sarah Booth and Tinkie are on the case, however, when Sandra and her assistant Daryl disappear during a book signing event…and Janet is the main suspect!

This is the 25th book in the series, and it seems like a solid book in the series. If you like cozy mysteries set in the small coastal town south, this is for you! There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing, and we even get several Jitty cameos all the way from Zinnia.

"Bones of Holly" by Carolyn Haines the 25th instalment in the "A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery" series which releases on October 11th. I am a huge fan of Carolyn’s and this series!

I always enjoy visiting with Sarah and Tinkie it’s like coming home to old friends. Sarah Booth is a strong and intelligent protagonist and all the characters are fully developed. I liked visiting the Bay of St. Louis, Mississippi at Christmas with Sarah and Tinkie and learning a little bit of the history in that area and even a little about Al Capone.

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. There were a few spots in the book that were really funny if you picture it in your head, oink oink…

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’m looking forward to the next instalment

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

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from St. Martins Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Baby Maylinn doesn't cramp Tinkie's style or the ability of Tinkie and Sarah Booth to investigate the case of a missing woman. They, along with their crew, are in Bay St Louis for a Christmas tree decorating contest. When Sandra, an author who has been in a long running snit with Janet, disappears, Janet hires them to find her. Turns out they find more than they expected- there's an Al Capone subplot. I like this long running series and this is a nice addition which, admittedly, is probably best enjoyed by those who have read at least a couple of the preceding installments. The characters are good, the dialogue is snappy, and the mysteries are just twisty enough. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fun.

I have been a fan of the Sarah Booth Delaney series for years. This was a delightful installment, and I think it was Haines’ best book yet in the series!

ay St Louis is one of our fav cities on the Gulf Coast, so I knew this would be a must read! Haines ones agian gets all the local nuances right, so that you wish you were there with Sarah Booth and Tinkie. This time Sarah plays detective more with her husband, than Tinkie, as she's still in recovery from having her baby. It's an interesting mystery, as long as you set aside some common sense at times (ie what law enforcement would ACTUALLY let them get away with, while visiting far from home). I had guessed the solution a bit early, but then I've read the series, so I have a feel for how Haines works her storylines. It's a fun pre-Christmas read, to get you in the holly jolly mood!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Sarah Booth and Tinkie are shopping with little Maylin when they see Sandra and Janet outside a bookstore, fur flying, and when Sandra vanishes from her own gala later that night, suspicion turns to Janet. Janet accuses Sandra of attempting to manipulate the media by a fake disappearance, but is it a stunt, or is something more sinister at play?

Sarah Booth and Tinkie will have to dive deep into the history of Bay St. Louis, and even Al Capone himself, to get to the bottom of this case. But the trail in fact leads them back to several prominent families still residing in the area. Families who may not want their secrets known…

This is a fun, easy read with likable characters.

Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines continues the story of Tinkie and Sarah Booth and their various friends. Set in a small town in Mississippi during the Christmas season, the mystery of the disappearing author and the supposed link to Al Capone add flavor to the story.

Bones of Holly is the twenty fifth mystery in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. In this mystery, Sarah and her PI partner, Tinkie, are in Bay St Louis to help judge Christmas trees when one of two feuding authors disappears. Sarah and Tinkie are in the case, but can they find the missing people by Christmas?

This is the first I have read in the series, but I really enjoyed it and now plan to go back and start the series from the beginning. I enjoyed the characters and the way the mystery unfolded. This was a well written cozy mystery with just the right touch of Christmas. Even though this is the first in the series I have read, I don’t feel like I missed out in too much besides a little background info. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to starting this series from the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

These books are like wearing your favorite sweater. Soft, comfy and you can dive right back in where you left off. Always look forward to the next one.

Sarah Booth, Tinkie, and the gang get pulled into an investigation during a pre-Christmas break in festive Bay St. Louis. And it is complicated! Also frustrating as no one is sure their client is telling the truth. Off duty and on holiday, Coleman is pure delight as his mischievous fun side emerges. Sarah Booth definitely has her hands full!

What a wonderful Christmas themed mystery written by Carolyn Haines! I was excited to get back with my Zinna friends that feel like family.
Sarah Booth, Coleman, Tinkie, Oscar as well as baby Maylin are in Bay St Louis as judges of a Christmas tree decorating contest to benefit the library. They have co judges Sandra and Janet, who are both best selling authors. Seems these two authors are always feuding and when Sandra ends up missing, Janet hires the Delaney Detective Agency to find her.
Seems the case dates back to Al Capone. There are a lot of secrets as Al Capone and his missing treasure intrigue everyone.
Fun read with laugh out loud moments, plenty of twists in the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur for the opportunity to read this book.

I always enjoy this series and it was great that the whole gang was involved in solving the mystery.

Tinkie and Sarah Booth are back, this time it's Christmas and they are judging Christmas trees at a library in Bay St Louis. Two well known authors are the other judges, until one of them goes missing. The story moved along well, lots of twists and turns. The gang arrives to help out and little Maylin is in some parts as well with her nanny. Surprise ending to the storyline. Hopefully the next book takes place in Zinnia with the regular cast of characters. Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Ms Haines for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Bones of Holly is a perfect holiday cozy with plenty of Christmas cheer, southern charm, and mobster tales. This is the first book I've read in this particular series; however, it will definitely not be my last. I enjoyed getting to know Sarah Booth, Tinkie, and their friends. In Bones of Holly, Sarah and Tinkie are visiting Bay St. Louis to judge a Christmas tree competition. Their fellow judges happen to be rival authors who are not afraid of causing scenes. When one of the authors goes missing, Sarah Booth and Tinkie set out to investigate. I really enjoyed the relationship between Sandra and Janet and the ensuing mystery. I'll definitely be recommending Bones of Holly and reading more of Carolyn Haines' books.

Sarah Booth and the gang are back and ready to celebrate Maylin's first Christmas. They travel to judge a Christmas tree competition and find themselves in the middle of a feud between two authors. When one goes missing, what started out as a jolly holiday turns into a job as they search for the missing author and her assistant.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Sarah and Tinkie are judges for the annual library tree decorating contest. When one of the other judges, Sandra, vanishes, the fourth judge, Janet, who's been seen fighting with her earlier, obviously becomes suspect.
This holiday themed cozy mystery (my favorite kind) is book 25 (25!) of the Sarah Booth Delaney series, and I have read a few before, enough to get a good backstory on the main characters, but you can read it as a standalone. It has plenty of red herrings that keep you guessing, likeable characters and a great setting.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not my favorite of the series but a good read. Once again the crew is away from Zinnia and have stumbled into a Christmas case. There was plenty of humor. The fights between authors were fun. The mystery was engaging. I wasn't a fan of the way it played out. I do love seeing more of Sarah Booth and Coleman. I also enjoy how things are growing now that Maylin has arrived. I hope we get back to Zinnia though. I miss the interactions of all the characters we as fans have grown to love over the years.

Sarah Booth, Tink and friends once again are brought into a murder whether they like it or not. This plot has several twists and I'm glad Tink doesn't bring the baby with her on investigations :)

I received this ARC via Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, in return for an honest review. While the 26th book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone although reading the past books allows a greater familiarity with the main characters and their relationships. It’s Christmastime and the Sarah Booth Delaney and her co-detective partner, Tinkie, are in Bay St. Louis to shop and judge the library tree decorating contest. Of course things don’t go as planned and the Delaney Detective Agency, plus significant others, is on hand to solve the case before a grinch steals Christmas. Another solid entry in this long-running series.

Classic Sarah Boothe. While out of town for a pre Christmas holiday the Delaney Detective Agency is hired to local a missing author and her assistant. Lots of Southern history and charm.