Rock-a-Bye Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery

Rock-a-Bye Bones by Carolyn Haines is the sixteenth Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery novel. Sarah Booth Delaney is awakened during the night to knocking (and Jetty, her resident ghost) at her door. She discovers a baby on her doorstep (and a lot of blood). After Sarah Booth opens the door a pick-up truck takes off down her driveway. Whoever left the baby on her doorstep was bleeding badly, but they waited to make sure that someone found the baby. Sarah Booth contacts Sheriff Coleman Peters (who is attracted to Sarah Booth) and her business partner (and friend) Tinkie Richmond (bad idea). Tinkie loves children, but she is unable to have them (you can guess that she is going to fall in love with this baby). Who would leave a baby on Sarah Booth’s doorstep? Sarah Booth figures the person had to know her or her reputation (for investigating). Sarah Booth sets out to find the mother of the baby (she could be in serious trouble). Sarah Booth has another problem. Gertrude Strom (from previous book) has escaped (she’s on the lamb) and is wanting to kill Sarah Booth. Gertrude always seems to be a step ahead (someone is helping her). Sarah Booth refuses to stay home, but she will have to extra vigilant to avoid Gertrude. Of course, who wants to stay home with Jetty. She is trying to convince Sarah Booth that it is time to settle down (marry and have kids). Things are never dull in Zinnia, Mississippi. I have not read a Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery novel is a few years (I read the earlier books). I was hoping to see that Sarah Booth had developed more as a character (grown up). I was disappointed. I found Rock-a-Bye Bones to be just plain silly (inane). The book started off with a good pace, but then it slowed down. There is too much going on in the book (the baby, Tinkie, Jetty, Gertrude, her new haircut, the dogs). Sarah Booth also seems to have three men after her and she is only interested in two of them (her man issues seem to dominate the book). Another thing that seemed to be mentioned quite a few times is Sarah Booth’s new haircut. Her hair suffered from a fire in a previous book and Sarah Booth had to get a new hair style. She evidently likes it (and we get to hear about it). I felt that the book went on way too long. I give Rock-a-Bye Bones 2.5 out of 5 stars. One thing that made no sense is Sarah Booth taking her dogs with her to find the killer (risking their lives). Does that make sense to anyone else? The ghost seems useless. Her main goal seems to be getting Sarah Booth married and pregnant (I just thought Jetty could be more useful/helpful in the crime solving). Sorry to be so critical. I am just trying to explain why I did not enjoy this cozy mystery. The mystery is very easy to solve despite the lack of clues. Rock-a-Bye Bones is not a stand-alone book. You do have to have read some of the previous books (at least the first ones) in order to understand everything that is happening in Rock-a-Bye Bones. I received a complimentary copy of Rock-a-Bye Bones from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rock-a-Bye Bones is the best book in the series so far and I have missed few. Carolyn Haines work always amazes me! Her work is a perfect example of the high quality of writing available in lighter fiction. We laugh, but there is so much to each of her books. This one is a heartbreaker, tear-jerker, hilarious, complicated story that will hold any reader from beginning to end.

A delightful book. The ending was fantastic.