Member Reviews
Paranormal P.I. Cozy
Ms. Haines Sarah Booth Delaney and company are a hoot. Set in the south the P.I. Team of Sarah and Tinkie have a high success rate with their cases. Intrigue and romance are the theme and they are well done. I highly recommend especially if your in the mood for a Christmas timed tale.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in the same.
Another good cozy mystery in the series. While I did enjoy the story overall, I must admit that while I like a couple of his songs that Elvis was never a huge one that I followed. Still though, would recommend this one, especially if you have read others in this series.
Although I was a relative late comer to this series, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Sarah Booth Delaney is likable and smart and, even better, she's surrounded by a cast of characters that are the same. Each has their quirks, some more than others, but they are well-fleshed out and add to the story, bringing their own strengths and, yes, weaknesses. Even in the short amount of time I've been working on catching up with the characters, I've come to enjoy them all. Sarah's private detective partner, Tinkie Bellcore Richmond is both tough and tender. I'm glad I tuned in in time to catch how motherhood has both strengthened her as a person as well as requiring some adjustments to her work life. It's absolutely adorable, especially in the middle of a case, to see the characters all soften up when her daughter is even mentioned. All this hasn't dulled Tinkie's sleuthing skills, fortunately, as this case involves a multi-million dollar heist and enough Elvis impersonators to make your head spin.
I'm not going to detail the plot but will say that it involves. let's see, a jewel encrusted replica of one of The King's famous belts that is worth millions, feisty pugs, artists, a ghost (or two?), insurance confusions, a dance contest or two, trivia, song titles galore, Grace Land, and, oh, yeah, was that Col. Parker? While we certainly move away from the investigation at times, it's to overdose on all things Elvis. One has to wonder how many credible impersonators there are for Elvis? Heck, there are even Priscilla lookalikes. But, would any of these people who seem to so adore Elvis have stolen the belt? How did they do it? It isn't like it wasn't being guarded. Or monitored. It's well enough known, too, that it'll be a tough sell to even the most shady dealer. Sarah and Tinkie have the hands full but first, of course, they have a trivia contest to enter. Will they be victorious? Not telling. Seriously, there' are no dull moments in this book and even if you're not an Elvis fan, you'll marvel at the virtual display that will probably be dancing around in your head. Yeah, the same head already spinning from being surrounded by so many Elvis impersonators.
Bottom line, this one is both a good mystery, with well-played baddies, humor, and relatively non-stop action. Even better, you'll get to spend some time with not only Sarah and Tinkie but their extended families of friends. Boyfriend Coleman definitely gets to play a part in the action, too, I should note, so the ladies don't hog all the action. And, oh, dog fans. Wait until you meet Avery and Kathleen. They are a terror but, oh, so dang cute. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - "MinotaurBooks for sharing this early peek at what Sarah and Tinkie are up to both family and professionally.
This book was AMAZING!! I so love Sarah Booth and the gang, this book Was a fun and entertaining read!! Love the mystery and it kept me guessing all the way to the end!! I can’t wait for more adventures with Sarah Booth! I highly recommend this book to everyone!!
Recently, I've been in the mood for cozy mystery books. Something with some serious aspects, but also more lighthearted and wholesome. I stumbled upon Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines and took a chance on a book partially through a series (meaning there are many more I could go back to read from the beginning if I wanted). This book definitely hit the notes I was looking for.
Elvis always held a special place in my grandma's heart, and she admitted she secretly listened to it because my grandpa wasn't a fan. I was lucky enough while in high school to take a tour of the real Graceland while traveling through Tennessee, and whoever Elvis really was you could definitely see his personality and larger than life persona at Graceland. In this book, the city of Tupelo is cashing in on the Elvis nostalgia with their annual Elvis Festival. While attempting to enjoy a vacation, Sarah Booth and crew are hired to solve a mystery of a missing belt made of gold and jewels.
The book is fun and quirky, and the characters full of life and personality. There were also some interesting themes of motherhood that popped up, and it seems like this cozy mystery could also have some rather deep discussions, with the discussion of Tinkie and her past and current self, and Brandi in her past and current self. This grabbed my attention throughout the book. The book has some twists and turns and very interesting characters throughout. I think this is a great cozy mystery if as a reader you're looking for something that you can read deeply into or do a surface level fun read. It has elements of both and would appeal to a broad audience. After some of my current books, if I need a break from heavy and slow reads, I'm probably going to return to this series and start from the beginning to get the rest of the context of the book. I do recommend it, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.
This read follows the protagonist - Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends who are all set to celebrate Christmas in a very special way this year. Sarah and her friends plan to celebrate the King of Rock n’ Roll at the annual Elvis Festival held in Tupelo. But that is not all. This annual festival hosts a very unique competition. This attraction is open to all the people across the world.
The main focus is - The Elvis Impersonator for which impersonators participate from across the world.
Can Sarah really enjoy her trip without being in the midst of a robbery or will she don her private sleuth hat once again?
Rating – 3.0/5 Stars
Recommendation – Moderately High
The Author’s writing is engaging and atmospheric, capturing the essence of the Southern setting and the festive holiday season. Her ability to blend humor, suspense, and heartwarming moments makes this read compelling. The well-paced narrative, combined with vivid descriptions and lively dialogue, ensures that readers are thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
This book is a perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries and holiday-themed stories. The Author delivers a captivating tale filled with intriguing twists, endearing characters, and a satisfying resolution. Whether you are a long-time follower of the Sarah Booth Delaney series or a newcomer looking for a festive mystery, this book is sure to bring joy and excitement to your reading life.
Blue Christmas Bones is part of a long running cozy series but easy enough to read as a standalone as the author gives the reader a good feel for the characters in the story. Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are taking a break from their investigations to enjoy an Elvis Festival in Tupelo just in time for Christmas. Elvis impersonators flood the town and Elvis memorabilia of all kinds can be found everywhere including an Elvis replica belt worth millions. Someone steals the belt and the owner hires Sarah and her friends to find the culprit. Since the owner is not most people’s cup of tea, Sarah quickly discovers the suspect list is pretty extensive. Cute and funny, the mystery is a fun read with little doses of the paranormal to liven things up. The main characters are likable and the story is light hearted for an easy to read mystery that will put the series on your must read list. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.
Blue Christmas Bones finds Tupelo, Mississippi preparing for a very Elvis themed Christmas. Impersonators come from all around to perform at the festival.
Things go swimmingly until a jeweled copy of a belt that Elvis wore is stolen.
It is up to Sarah to figure out the thief amongst a lot of possible suspects.
A delightful, low key, Christmas cozy that is a lot of fun.
Always a pleasure to see what Sarah Booth, Tinkie, and of course, Jitty, are up to now.
It’s Christmas in Tupelo, Mississippi and the theme is ELVIS! And boy, do they turn up for that. There are Elvis impersonators everywhere and some are pretty authentic.
The girls have come for a weekend vacay and to enter some dance and song contests. To have some downtime with no murders.
But they are soon on the job again, as the infamous Elvis belt complete with authentic jewels, has been stolen. The owner begs the ladies to investigate and they agree.
There are characters around every corner and they are all hilarious! And so naughty!
What a tangled web of suspects this was! I was sure each of them had something to hide. Most of them did!
Excellent Read!
NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press October 15, 2024
Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, Minotaur and St. Martin Press.
I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Sarah and her friends are planning to celebrate Christmas at an Elvis festival. But things quickly go astray when a priceless jeweled replica on display is stolen. Can she her and friends find the real robber among the imposters? There will be a whole lot of shaking going on to solve the case. It is a fun Christmas Elvis themed cozy for the season.