Rueful Death

paperback book arived in great time and was in good shape. What more could anyone want. Thanks

China has survived the Christmas rush at her herb shop but is sadly in need of some private time. So off she goes to a nunnery! Together with her friend Maggie, she heads off to a remote nunnery where the sisters grow amazing garlic. Instead of the peace and quiet she longs for, China finds herself embroiled in a contentious power struggle between two groups of nuns working to combine two disparate orders into one. As the sister's jockey for position, fires break out and several mysterious deaths occur. If that wasn't enough, China runs into an old beau and the heat is still there. As she works to solve the nunnery mystery she is making major life choices for herself. Once again, I enjoyed the ride and learned more about herbs and gardening.

Another remarkably resourceful Texas cozy mystery, featuring China Bayles, former lawyer turned herb shop owner. China is on a post-Christmas overload, needing some soothing winding down time to consider whether to accept an offer to sell the herb shop, and whether to stick around Pecan Springs with McQuaid and son. She heads for some solitude at a quiet monastery where the sisters raise garlic. Full of garlic tidbits and trivia, the plotting is excellent and the characterization clever. Not only does China immediately find herself involved investigating some odd happenings, she also finds an old flame has moved into the vicinity. Ms. Albert sketches the setting so well, I feel as if I had a brief respite. And there is an exceptionally fun website for China (and friends) at mysterypartners.com, where you can visit between books.

I just became acquainted with this author's series recently. I read (and enjoyed) Thyme of Death, and Witch's Bane, but this book is the best so far!! I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere, and the off-stage (so to speak) deaths (Witch's Bane and even Thyme of Death had some pretty bloody, gory deaths, which I don't care for). One minor quibble: the author could do with a bit of better copy editing. 1) She had too many nuns name Rose (and variants thereof) -- it got confusing. 2) Early on in China's stay at the monastery, she & Maggie go up the cliffs at night. Just before they do, the author mentions a "sliver of moon" hung low in the sky, but when they're on the cliff, all is bathed in moonlight!! You don't get much moonlight from a sliver, and suddenly the moon is described as "quarter round" -- huh?? "Quarter round" I take to mean full -- certainly, the landscape won't be bathed in moonlight under a crescent (sliver) moon. There is just as glaring a copy editing problem in Witch's Bane; unfortunately, it's just as China is realizing who the murderer is, so I'm not going to describe it here online.

How can you not like China Bayles? She is the kind of character that it truely believable. I enjoyed this story because of the unusual setting -- at St. Theresa's Monastery. China decides her hectic life could use a break, and she goes on retreat. It was interesting to see that the nuns were portrayed as real people. It was also refreshing to see China making mistakes (like the rest of us do). I enjoyed the story and can't wait for the next China Bayles mystery!