Sarah Booth Delaney's fiancé, Graf Milieu, has become depressed while recovering from a severe leg injury, but Sarah Booth knows just how to help him heal. She's arranged a romantic getaway for the two of them at a lovely beach cottage on Dauphin Island off the Gulf Coast. On the first day of their island adventure, they take a historical tour led by Angela Trotter, a young woman well-versed in local lore, including rumors of pirate treasure hidden somewhere on the island. In fact, Angela confides to Sarah Booth and Graf that her father, a sailor and treasure hunter, was murdered just when he thought he was closing in on the treasure. Angela's convinced that the wrong man was imprisoned for her father's murder, and she manages to persuade Sarah Booth to take the case. And Sarah Booth soon realizes that there's much more going on than meets the eye. With untold amounts of treasure offering plenty of motive for murder and a fiancé falling deeper into depression, Sarah Booth's peaceful island vacation is quickly spinning out of control. In Booty Bones , Carolyn Haines will once again delight readers with her trademark blend of clever plotting, witty prose, and Southern charm. Sarah Booth Delaney is helping her fiancé, Graf, recover from a gunshot wound during a week’s vacation on Dauphin Island off the Gulf Coast. Graf does not seem to want much from her, though, as he keeps asking for time to consider his future acting jobs and their marriage. A local woman asks Sarah for help finding out who really murdered her father (she believes the man in prison for the crime is innocent). The case looks airtight, but early on, client Angela is threatened. Throughout the investigation, Sarah is visited often by family haunt Jitty, in various guises, offering her typically confusing advice. A scratched spyglass, a tragic legend, and a whole lot of greed come together, all while a hurricane threatens to hit the area. The domestic issues with Graf and Sarah and the many scenes with Jitty move in surprising directions, but these side trips slow down the plot throughout an otherwise entertaining mystery. Fans of G. A. McKevett may also enjoy this series. --Amy Alessio “[Haines] delivers a riveting love story alongside the mystery, leaving her readers in hot anticipation of her next novel.” ― Mississippi Magazine “Delightful…[a] satisfying beignet of a mystsery.” ― Publishers Weekly “Entertaining.” ― Booklist Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series and a number of other books in mystery and crime, including the Pluto's Snitch paranormal-historical mystery series, and Trouble, the black cat detective romantic suspense books. She is the recipient of the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing and the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence. She is a former journalist, bartender, photographer, farmhand, and college professor and lives on a farm where she works with rescue cats, dogs, and horses. Booty Bones By Carolyn Haines St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2014 Carolyn Haines All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-04613-0 CHAPTER 1 The setting sun casts gold upon the white beach, and the azure curl of surf takes on a lavender cast as it rushes the shore and spreads a mantle of foam. The waves crest inches from my bare feet, a rhythmic tidal pull that comforts me, promising that life continues. The end of an October day is nothing less than stunning on the small barrier island named for French royalty: Dauphin Island, Alabama. Graf Milieu, my fiancé, is in the beach cottage I've rented for a week. My hope is that Graf will find walking in the sand good therapy for his gun-shot leg and the island's beauty healing to his injured spirit. Graf's wounds go much deeper than a shattered bone, and they are my fault. He was abducted, shot, and held prisoner without medical care because my private investigative work spilled over into his life. But that is the past and cannot be changed, no matter how hard I wish it. What I'm planning with this Gulf Coast getaway is to protect the future. Sweetie Pie, my loyal hound, roots her nose into the back of my armpit, letting me know she sympathizes with my worry. My dog and Pluto, the black cat who lives with us at Dahlia House, my ancestral Mississippi Delta home, are here with me at the beach to aid in Graf's recuperation. I need all the help I can get. The wind is chilly off the water, and my butt is damp from sitting in the sand. Pluto struggles toward me, his dainty little paws sinking with each step. With a kitty sigh, he plops into my lap. He has only contempt for the surf and for anyone who admires water — even the dazzling aqua waves of the Gulf of Mexico. Water is necessary for fish, and that's as far as Pluto is willing to go. "Where's Graf?" I ask the critters, hoping he is not far behind them. They both look back toward the beach cottage. Sweetie's long, delicate ears droop more than usual. The critters are wo