Game of Bones
Cozy Mystery Book – Dr. Frank Hafner is an archeologist working on excavating a newly found Native American temple site in the Mississippi Delta. He’s also too handsome for his own good, and a bit of a flirt. Oddly enough, it’s the first quality that gets him in trouble when he discovers the ritualistic murder of one of his archeological crew. When Coleman Peters, Sheriff, and Sarah Booth’s boyfriend, takes Dr. Hafner in for questioning in the murder, the accused doctor hires Sarah Booth to clear his name.
Soon, Sarah Booth has uncovered several possible suspects, but she can’t narrow them down fast enough to stem the continuing violence that seems to trace back to Dr. Hafner’s dig. When Peter Deerstalker, a member of the Tunica tribe, mentions a curse, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched, especially when a young graduate student on the site claims someone on the site is searching for something much more precious than ancient pottery.
Series: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery – Book #20
Author: Carolyn Haines
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ PI
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Page Count: 384
Rating: 
From Minotaur Books comes the latest cozy by Carolyn Haines’s “A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery” series, Game of Bones. This is a long-running series, with the latest addition being the 20th book in the series.
The characters in this book are a little hard to keep track of, and if the reader has not read the series or at least a few of the books in the series, they will have no clue who the characters are. Unfortunately, I was one of those people who hadn’t read any of the other books, so it took me a while to figure out who was a reoccurring character and what their personality is like.
Sarah Booth is a warm, friendly person with a curiosity that seems never-ending. She gets into all sort of trouble with everyone, except her best friend Tinkie, who on her own is a fun and interesting character. Sarah’s love interest, Coleman is a wonderful character who has the patience of a saint.
The location of an architectural dig reminds readers of a long-ago cozy by Agatha Christie. It is rarely used in cozies and a welcome change. I felt that the “Mounds” could have been described better as it was difficult to envision them but overall the reader should get a general idea of what they are and what they were used for in understanding the plot better.
The writing is very good, and the author knows her characters. The murderer did not come as a surprise to me but might present a challenge to others. I would like to have seen the motive for the killing made clearer a bit sooner as it comes out of the blue. How the victim(s) is killed is a bit more violent than most cozies and slightly odd as well.
In general, Game of Bones is a good cozy that most readers will enjoy. It is typical of many cozy mystery books in that it can be read quickly, has memorable characters, and enough twists and turns to keep readers happy. In my copy, there were some continuity issues that hopefully have since been fixed in the final edit.
If readers enjoyed this cozy, they might also enjoy V.M. Burns’ thrilling “Mystery Bookshop” series or Leslie Nagel’s intriguing “The Oakwood Mystery” series.
About the Author:
Born and raised in Mississippi, Carolyn now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of! She has been an animal advocate and activist her whole life and urges all pet owners to please spay and neuter.
Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over eighty novels in a number of genres, including the acclaimed Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series, the Pluto’s Snitch mystery series, and the Familiar Legacy romantic mystery series. She was most recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mississippi Writers Guild. She is the 4th recipient of the prestigious award.
Contact Carolyn: carolyn@carolynhaines.com
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