Sticks and Bones

A New Year's celebration goes bad when Frangelica "Sister" McFee makes her grand entrance in Sticks and Bone by Carolyn Haines. Sarah Booth knew Sister in college and her arrogant, cruel ways have changed not at all even as she became a successful author.

Her latest best seller documents the deaths of her mother, Cleo and brother many years ago. Sister seems determined to have her brother Son (of all names) take the blame for drunk driving and killing himself and their mother. Worst of all, she is back in Zinnia to film a movie based on the book.

The movie producers think there might be more to the story and hire Sarah Booth and Tinkie to investigate. Also in the frame is Colin McFee, husband of Cleo, now married to Susan. Colin, an ultra wealthy developer, is running for Senator in Mississippi. His platform includes rants about how Vladimir Putin is destroying the economy of Mississippi. I would have thought this premise was too bizarre even for southern politics, but now that this country has experienced the most recent presidential election, nothing surprises me or seems outrageous any more. He is truly crazy.

A convoluted trust agreement, billions of dollars in assets, an unfulfilled desire for parental acceptance and the mysterious deaths haunting the family lead Sarah Booth and Tinkie into a complicated investigation. Why were Cleo and Son out on the road on a horrible, rainy night with flooding everywhere? What caused the car to crash into the river? How did the car disappear after it had been salvaged?

Another gem of a mystery by Carolyn Haines. For a review of another Carolyn Haines book -  The Book of Beloved,  click here.

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