Leticia "Tish" Ballard, formerly a real estate agent, is now owner of Rest Easy Property Management in Cypress Bay. She is going on four years of sobriety with her first drink at 12. She has a comfortable relationship with her boyfriend Daniel Gunderson and a schizophrenic brother Arthur who she looks after. Her father is deceased and mother left them for another man when she was only 11 leaving Tish with a very unhappy childhood.

She finally finds a "good" place in her life (and AA) when she inherits the contents of a locker unit run by Tom McGee. Finding a skeleton of her runaway mother changes it all. Now she is full-out investigating the how and why of her mother's death. Suspicion falls on her mother's old boyfriend, Stan Cruikshank, who lives near by. Tish also becomes interested in Bradley Trousdale, son of one of the properties she manages, but for personal reasons. Soliciting the help from a retired cop, Spence Breedlove, Tish finds herself breaking and entering property and asking too many questions bringing threats upon her own life. Will she uncover the true murderer before he makes her his next victim only to follow in her mother's footsteps?

Bones and Roses is a Cypress Bay Mystery set in Northern California surrounding by the beautiful ocean. I fully loved Tish's colorful and feisty character. Set out to avenge her mother's murderer, all stops are barred as she draws friends and an unwilling retiree into her quest. Expect a surprise ending.

Eileen Goudge knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the story and is a real mystery pro who will not let you down. BONES AND ROSES is an excellent read you will find it difficult to put down. I have had the pleasure of reading other works from this author, and have loved each one. Each story has a fresh new plot full of warmth, and emotion riddled with tons of suspense.