Publisher's Weekly Review
Sarah Booth Delaney heads for Hollywood in Haines's entertaining eighth cozy to feature the Zinnia, Miss., PI (after 2007's Ham Bones). Lucky enough to be cast as the female lead in the remake of the movie Body Heat, Sarah Booth is reunited with her onscreen and offscreen lover, Graf Milieu, but she also becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a woman whose body is found near her and Graf's rented home. When the cast travels to Costa Rica for filming on location, Sarah Booth discovers her family ghost has followed her. A second ghost, which resembles the director's deceased wife and appears before someone suffers serious injury, adds to the paranormal mischief. The chemistry sizzles between Graf and Sarah Booth as she sets out to discover exactly who's trying to sabotage the film. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Hollywood shenanigans intrude on a Southern gal's movie debut. Sarah Booth Delaney, part-time PI, full-time Daddy's Girl, leaves Zinnia, Miss., to costar with her new beau, Graf Mileau, in a remake of Body Heat. They barely have time for a wardrobe fitting before director Federico's former lover is found dead in Lettohatchie Canyon; flames nibble at Sarah Booth's rental house; and a set balustrade crumbles. Nor do matters improve when the cast moves to Costa Rica to film at the home of Federico's dead wife Carlita. A ghost stalks the corridors; Federico's crazy daughter threatens all newcomers; and his current lover, Jovan, a gorgeous supermodel turned actress, is waylaid. Sarah Booth's Zinnia chums Cece, Millie and Tinkie come to the rescue, but more trouble's afoot. Sweetie Pie and Chablis, the southern gals' doggie pals, are harmed. Worse yet, Sarah Booth is haunted by both a mysterious lady in red and Jitty, a familiar ghost who keeps popping up in costumes from movie classics. Sarah's heart is torn between love for Graf and lingering pit-pats for Coleman, her married amour. Several close-ups and close calls later, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are en route to Zinnia, where all good Southern girls belong. Jitty's costume changes are amusing, but the rest of the plot runs on clichs, from secret passageways to unacknowledged offspring. Like Bones to Pick (2006), a shade too cutesy for sophisticates. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney, Haines' popular series lead, returns to solve another crime. This time, though, she is not supposed to be solving crimes; she is supposed to be off in Costa Rica, starring in a remake of the steamy movie Body Heat. Her costar, Graf Mileau, is also a former love interest, and Sarah figures she'll have a nice adventure, making a movie and rekindling an old romance. What she gets instead is a murder, a series of suspicious incidents, and a lot of people depending on her to unmask a killer. Fans of the Delaney mysteries will settle right in, but newcomers to the series may be a bit put off by the flimsiness of the premise: the idea of a private investigator picked to star in a high-profile movie seems a little forced, perhaps too obviously a gimmick, a way to take the hero to unfamiliar climes. Still, the book is lively, as always, and Sarah remains a likable protagonist.--Pitt, David Copyright 2008 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Southern gal Sarah Booth Delaney packs up for an acting gig in Costa Rica, but mysterious accidents have her back on the PI prowl in this seventh cozy in the series. Haines lives in Alabama. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.