Carolyn Haines

Carolyn Haines is an American author best known for writing the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series, which follows a Southern female private investigator in Mississippi. She has published over 80 books across multiple genres including mysteries, crime fiction, and romance novels, writing some works under pseudonyms such as Caroline Burnes. The Sarah Booth Delaney series, launched in 1999 with "Them Bones," represents her most successful work and has earned her recognition including a Harper Lee Award and multiple Alabama Library Association awards. The series combines elements of Southern fiction, paranormal mystery, and humor while exploring themes of family legacy and small-town life in the Mississippi Delta. Beyond her fiction writing, Haines worked as a journalist and currently serves as a professor of creative writing at the University of South Alabama. She has also written non-fiction works focused on true crime and Southern culture. Her contributions to literature have been acknowledged through various honors including the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence and the Mississippi Writer of the Year award. The Friends of the Library at Mississippi State University established the Carolyn Haines Collection to preserve her literary papers.

Readers appreciate Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series for its Southern charm, humor, and recurring ghost character Jitty. The books receive high marks for their Mississippi Delta setting details and blend of comedy with suspense. Many readers note they feel invested in the characters and their relationships across the series. The dialog and character interactions earn praise for feeling authentic to the region. Common criticisms include plots that move slowly, especially in the first few chapters, and some find the supernatural elements distracting. A segment of readers mention the later books in the series become formulaic. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.0/5 average across all books Amazon: 4.3/5 average across all books BookBub: 4.2/5 average Top-rated books by readers: - Bones of a Feather (4.4/5) - Wishbones (4.3/5) - Them Bones (4.2/5) Most review comments focus on the cozy mystery elements and Southern atmosphere rather than the complexity of the mysteries themselves.

Buried Bones - Sarah Booth Delaney investigates a decades-old murder involving a prominent Mississippi family.

Them Bones - A private investigator returns to her Mississippi hometown and becomes entangled in a murder case involving her high school friend.

Splintered Bones - Sarah Booth looks into the death of a wealthy businessman whose wife claims self-defense.

Crossed Bones - The investigation of a blues musician's murder reveals dark secrets in Zinnia, Mississippi.

Hallowed Bones - A midwife is accused of murdering an infant, leading Sarah Booth into the world of faith healing.

Bones to Pick - The murder of a famous author writing an exposé about Delta farming families draws Sarah Booth into danger.

Shop Talk - A collection of interconnected stories about women working in a small-town beauty parlor.

Summer of Fear - A thriller following a forensic expert tracking a serial killer in Mississippi.

Penumbra - Set in 1952 Mississippi, a woman investigates the murder of her wealthy father's black mistress.

Fever Moon - A historical mystery about a series of murders in 1944 rural Mississippi during a malaria outbreak.