China Bayles sells herbs fresh in pots, dried in jars, molded into soaps, poured into lotions, and woven into wreaths. Next door, her best friend Ruby has her own shop where she deals in the more mystical side of the universe.
It’s Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, Texas where China Bayles runs the local herb shop. It's full of all the fresh plants, wreaths, soaps, lotions and books you could imagine. Her business partner, Ruby, will mind the shop as well as her own (New Age) while China visits her mom, Leatha, and stepdad Sam. Stepdaughter Caitie is riding with China, hubby McQuaid is bringing stepson Brian. It sounds like a blended family but with them, it’s seamless.
What’s not to love about herbs? Cooking channels program us to always have herbs on hand (fresh ones at that), so many of us spend a fortune at Kroger, or plant seeds to grow our own. I always cross my fingers after planting, not only hoping my seeds will sprout, but that our neighborhood squirrels don’t harvest them before I can get a share. To encourage the would-be gardener in you, the not-so-cozy world of Susan Wittig Albert’s herbalist, China Bayles, guarantees a good read for any time of year, but in the spring her world is especially attractive.
This week we have 2 Susan Wittig Albert books! Death Come Quickly is the latest China Bayles mystery just out this month, and Widow's Tears, the book just before that, was just released in paperback. Enjoy these reviews and find info at the end of this post on how to win copies of both. Use the Amazon links in this post to purchase either book and a portion goes to help KRL keep bringing you great articles & reviews!
If for you, Valentine’s Day is not a merely a commercial construct, but rather is a holiday that provides a chance to express, even if only superficially, affection and a desire for romance, then have I got three mysteries for you! All involve protagonists who are romance-conflicted, possibly even romance -impaired.
