Reviewed by Kristin
If you like your murder mysteries with an abundance of plants
and folk wisdom, Susan Wittig Albert’s China
Bayles series might be for you. With 29 titles published from 1992-2024
(not to mention some spin-off series!) this will keep you reading for quite
some time.
China is a former lawyer and current proprietor of Thyme and
Seasons, a little shop in Pecan Springs, Texas, halfway between Austin and San
Antonio. Her best friend Ruby Wilcox operates the Crystal Cave in the same
building, and they have collaborated with other local business owners to staff
a tearoom, catering, and other artistic endeavors.
Local blogger and podcaster Olivia Andrews was investigating a
decades old crime when she was struck and killed while jogging on a winding
foothills road one morning. Her death is declared an accident, but was it?
Olivia’s sister Zelda has some questions, and she wants China to find answers.
As China reluctantly accepts Zelda’s request, she finds that
Olivia may have been uncovering secrets that some people would much rather stay
buried. A prominent citizen might find exposure of their past crimes
embarrassing, but would they go as far as murder to protect themselves?
Albert plays fair with the clues, letting the readers attempt
to figure out the mystery along with China. Of course China knows everyone in
town and has plenty of legal and law enforcement connections. I had some
suspicions as to “whodunit”, but I enjoyed the characters and the plot as it
unrolled.
Albert also writes a charming mystery series called The Darling Dahlias, with a group of
women sleuthing their way through Depression era Alabama. The China Bayles spin-offs are novellas in
the Crystal Cave and Pecan Springs Enterprise series. Also
noteworthy is her Cottage Tales of
Beatrix Potter series.
No comments:
Post a Comment