Bonefire of the Vanities - Paperback

by Carolyn Haines (Author)

Despite the wishes of her overprotective fiancé, Sarah Booth Delaney can't give up her detective work, no matter how dangerous it becomes. It's too much a part of her. On this case, avoiding danger might be impossible--she's on the trail of a porn-star-turned-psychic operating from a haunted estate on the edge of town. Medium Sherry Cameron promises to reunite grieving family members with their dearly departed, but it seems vaguely suspicious that Sherry will only accept emotionally vulnerable and tremendously wealthy clients. Aging billionaire Marjorie Littlefield fits the profile perfectly--her daughter died in a tragic accident as a young girl, she's been estranged from her son for decades, and she's planning to leave her considerable inheritance to her cat.

Convinced she's uncovered a scheme to separate a lonely woman from her fortune, Sarah Booth talks her way onto the estate as a maid, where she finds Marjorie and several other wealthy eccentrics ready to commune with the dead. Between chores, Sarah Booth explores the estate, mingles with the other staff...and finds a few dead bodies. But which guest or staff member might be the killer? Even Jitty, Sarah Booth's personal haint, won't tell until Sarah Booth has uncovered all of Sherry's well-kept secrets.

With spooks and charlatans around every corner, Sarah Booth is the only PI in the southlands who can put an end to this elaborate scam in Bonefire of the Vanities, the charming twelfth entry in Carolyn Haines's sparkling series.

Back Jacket

P.I. work comes at a price for Sarah Booth Delaney in her latest adventure in Carolyn Haines's award-winning mystery series.

A porn-star-turned-psychic has made a business of reuniting grieving relatives with their dearly departed and it's up to detective Sarah Booth to find out...why? Her claim to beyond-the-grave fame aside, there's something suspicious about medium Sherry Westin, since all of her clients happen to be Southern billionaires. Is she preying on the emotionally vulnerable for profit? Or is something far more sinister in store?

"A happy romp filled with colorful characters."--Houston Press

Take Marjorie Littlefield. Sarah Booth is convinced that Sherry is scheming to steal away Marjorie's fortune from her sole heir: a cat. Soon Sarah Booth is on the case, posing as a maid at Marjorie's estate. Between chores, she searches for clues of psychic manipulation, mingles with the other staff, and, lo and behold, finds a few dead bodies. With spooks and charlatans around every corner, which guest or staff member might be the killer? Even Jitty, Sarah Booth's personal haint, won't tell until Sarah Booth has uncovered all of Sherry's well-kept secrets. Before it's too late...

"Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood!"--Kirkus Reviews

Author Biography

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.