Crossed Bones

March 3, 2003
The Mississippi delta in the summer heat is not all that's steaming in Haines's (Splintered Bones, etc.) fourth outing featuring PI Sarah Booth Delaney, an atypical Southern belle who's fiercely independent and outrageously witty. Sarah is enjoying her family home, a mansion in Zinnia, Miss., complete with cotton fields, coral honeysuckle vines and the ghost of Jitty, her great-great-grandmother's nanny. When nightclub owner and black blues pianist Ivory Keys is stabbed to death at his club, Ivory's wife asks Sarah to vindicate the prime suspect, Scott Hampton, a talented white blues guitarist with a history of racism. Aided by her partner Tinkie Richmond, Sarah inadvertently stirs up passions among the townspeople that were long thought forgotten. Jitty's continual lectures on marriage and family and Sarah's mixed feelings about Sheriff Coleman Peters and two new suitors complicate the investigation. While the ghostly Jitty's advice can be wearying and the clothing details verge on the tedious, Haines delivers some real heartwarming moments in a mystery with some fascinating twists. This cozy read is the next best thing to curling up with a mint julep on the porch swing on a lazy afternoon. Agent, Marian Young. (Apr. 8)Correction:
The ISBN for Joan Hess's Big Foot Stole My Wife! And Other Stories
(Forecasts, Jan. 27) is 0-7862-4318-X.

March 1, 2003
Sarah Booth Delaney, series PI (Splintered Bones), Southern belle, and owner of a Mississippi plantation house with its own interactive ghost, defends up-and-coming blues guitarist Scott Hampton (white), accused of murdering popular juke joint owner Ivory Keyes (black). Sadly, Hampton's previous life as a convict and his blatant racism condemn him in locals' eyes. Ivory's widow (immediately) and Sarah Booth (eventually) believe in Hampton's innocence, but the road to the truth is mined with ex-prison buddies, noose-hanging threats, and ghostly cautions. A sympathetic heroine, colorful small-town characters, and Southern allure commend this title to most mystery collections.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2003
Reluctant southern belle and PI Sarah Booth Delaney is hired by Ida Mae Keys to exonerate Scott Hampton, the man who is accused of killing Ida's husband, blues pianist Ivory Keys. Hampton, a former racist and Ivory's protege, maintains his innocence, but the murder weapon and some bloodstained cash are found in his possession. Hampton's offensive attitude and lack of cooperation hinder Sarah Booth, but she perseveres despite the rising racial tension in her rural Mississippi community. Sarah Booth's life is further complicated by her attraction to Sheriff Coleman Peters, who has just returned to his wife to try to save his marriage. Despite the serious issues addressed in the story, the mood is lightened by the commentary of Sarah's partner, Tinkie, and the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, both of whom believe that Sarah Booth should be wedded and bedded. Sarah Booth is a charming, likable hero, and this fourth installment of her series continues to provide a vivid snapshot of southern life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)