Eager to open up an herb shop and get closer to the earth, China Bayles leaves behind her career in corporate law and moves to Pecan Springs, Texas, but a close friend's tragic death could end her happy plans. Reissue.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425203682
|
Lavender Lies
By Albert, Susan Wittig
As former lawyer-turned-herbalist China Bayles prepares her wedding, the festivities are interrupted by a most uncooperative corpse. By the author of Chile Death. Tour.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425170328
|
Hardcover
Bloodroot
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In a starred review of Mistletoe Man, Publishers Weekly raved: "[Albert's] writing sparkles...a funny, human story." Now Albert presents her most stunning achievement to date. Set on a Mississippi plantation, Bloodroot is a vivid, haunting novel brimming with dangerous family secrets-and drenched in the enduring mysteries of the Deep South...
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425181904
|
Hardcover
An Unthymely Death and Other Garden Mysteries
By Albert, Susan Wittig
n/a
Publisher: n/a
|
9780739434987
|
Dilly of a Death
By Albert, Susan Wittig
China's otherwise sensible husband is bored with teaching and ready for a career change...say hello to Mike McQuaid, P.I. His first client is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of the biggest little pickle business in Texas. She says her plant manager is embezzling, and she wants McQuaid to follow the money. But just days before the annual Picklefest, Phoebe disappears. And now it's up to McQuaid and China to search for her-and for clues in a case that promises to leave a very sour taste.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425193990
|
Hardcover
Dead Man's Bones
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Texas ex-lawyer and herbalist China Bayles digs into murders past and present, as a dead man's bones are uncovered-and a community gathering is interrupted by murder... China Bayles already has her hands full balancing her job, her family, and her friends' romantic entanglements. Then her teenage son finds some skeletal remains during a local cave dig-remains from a not-so-distant, not-so-accidental death.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425200179
|
Book
Bleeding Hearts
By Albert, Susan Wittig
When an anonymous source makes shocking allegations of improper behavior on the part of local high school football coach Tim Duffy, China Bayles is called in to conduct a discreet investigation into the charges, but her probe uncovers more than she had ever expected about a case involving betrayal, forbidden desire, and the mystery surrounding a young woman's death. 75,000 first printing.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425207994
|
Hardcover
Wormwood
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Evil can worm its way into the purest of hearts... China Bayles needs rest, and a historic Shaker village in Kentucky seems the ideal place for it. There she can learn about the intriguing, dwindling Shaker culture and its medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, the village is plagued with misfortune and strife. China wonders if, with the help of some age-old journals full of scandal, she can get to the bottom of it. But after a shocking death occurs during her stay, China will plunge into the archives of another time to connect the sins of the past with a modern-day murder.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425226094
|
Hardcover
Holly Blues
By Albert, Susan Wittig
"In a class with...sleuths V.I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum," China Bayles deals with a most unwelcome guest... China Bayles is fit to spit when her husband's troubled ex-wife, Sally, shows up at her herb shop, claiming to be broke with nowhere else to turn. China isn't sure if it's the goodness of her heart or the scent of Christmas wreaths, but she invites Sally to stay. Then China starts receiving menacing calls from an "ex" of Sally's, who seems to have a connection to the murder of her parents nearly a decade ago. With her P.I. husband out of town, it's up to China to weed out the truth behind whatever it is Sally's running from before danger catches up to all of them....
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425232606
|
Print book
Mourning Gloria
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Another herbal treat from national bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert. While Pecan Springs bustles back to life in the warmth of spring, one woman's life is tragically brought to an end. China Bayles happens upon a burning house trailer and hears a woman screaming for help. The evidence leaves no doubt that it's arson homicide. Jessica Nelson, an intern-reporter at the local paper, is assigned to cover the story. But she's gotten herself too deeply involved. When Jessica disappears, China is determined to find her, before she becomes headlines herself.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425239131
|
Hardcover
Cat's Claw
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Police Chief Sheila Dawson believes the death of Pecan Spring's computer guru, Larry Kirk, to be a suicide, perhaps triggered by his painful divorce. Further investigation reveals that Kirk's death wasn't self-inflicted. And the truth is reinforced by her friend China Bayles' news-Larry recently asked her for legal advice in regards to a stalker.As a police chief in a male-dominated force, Sheila meets many challenges, especially when her theories rock the boat in high profile cases like that of George Timms. He was caught breaking into Larry's computer shop to steal his own computer back because of dangerous personal information it contained. Now that Larry is dead, she's sure it's connected to the burglary. And she's also sure she'll get plenty of resistance on her assessment.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425245279
|
Hardcover
Widow's Tears
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A New York Times Bestselling Author -- While her friend Ruby-- who has the gift of extrasensory perception-- investigates a supposedly haunted bed and breakfast, China Bayles walks into a storm of trouble in nearby Pecan Springs. Thirty minutes before she is to make her nightly deposit, the bank is robbed and a teller is killed. And before she can discover the identity of the killer, China is drawn into the mystery of the haunted house-- and some real danger.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781410456571
|
Hardcover
Death Come Quickly
By Albert, Susan Wittig
“One of the most endearing and personable amateur sleuths” (Midwest Book Review), herbalist and ex-lawyer China Bayles is back. In Death Come Quickly, a friend’s murder may be the key to solving a fifteen-year-old cold case… When China’s and Ruby’s friend Karen Prior is mugged in a mall parking lot and dies a few days later, China begins to suspect that her friend’s death was not a random assault. Karen was a filmmaker supervising a student documentary about the fifteen-year-old murder of a woman named Christine Morris and the acquittal of the man accused of the crime. Is it possible that the same person who killed Christine Morris targeted Karen?Delving into the cold case, China learns the motive for the first murder may be related to a valuable collection of Mexican art.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425255636
|
Hardcover
Bittersweet
By Albert, Susan Wittig
New from the author of Death Come Quickly and Widow's TearsThis Thanksgiving, be grateful for China Bayles - who teams up with an old friend to solve a complex case of theft and murder in a South Texas ranching community ... It's Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, and China is planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother's husband, Sam, who are enthusiastically embarking on a new enterprise - turning their former game ranch into a vacation retreat for birders. She's also looking forward to catching up with her friend, game warden Mackenzie "Mack" Chambers, who was recently transferred to the area. But Leatha calls with bad news: Sam has had a heart attack.How will Leatha manage if Sam can't carry his share? She does have a helper, Sue Ellen Krause.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425255629
|
Hardcover
Blood Orange
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In the newest China Bayles Mystery in the New York Times bestselling series, China comes to the aid of a nurse who ends up in the hospital... It's mid-April in Pecan Springs, and China is renting her guest cottage to Kelly Kaufman, who needs a temporary place to live as she contends with a very acrimonious divorce from her husband Rich. One nasty point of dispute is her part ownership of the Comanche Creek Brewing Company, which she is refusing to sell. At the same time, as a nurse employed by a local hospice, Kelly has discovered instances of suspicious practices. Even more disturbing, she suspects that a patient was murdered. Kelly's knowledge could be dangerous, and she wants to get guidance from China on what to do. But on her way to China's house, Kelly is forced off the road and critically injured, putting her in a medically induced coma. Now it's up to China to determine who wanted her out of the picture. Was it her soon-to-be ex? His new lover - who happens to be the sister of China's friend Ruby? Or someone connected with the corruption at the hospice? China owes it to her friend to uncover the truth - but she may be putting her own life at risk...
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425280003
|
Print book
The Last Chance Olive Ranch
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In this exciting new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert, China Bayles fears for her husband's life as an escaped convict targets him... Max Mantel, the killer McQuaid put away years ago, has busted out of the Huntsville prison and appears to be headed for Pecan Springs. McQuaid knows there's only one way to stop the vengeful convict - set a trap with himself as bait. China wants to stay by her husband's side and keep him from harm. But McQuaid insists that she get out of town and go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch, where she's agreed to teach a workshop on herbs. When China and her best friend arrive at the ranch, she learns the owner, Maddie Haskell, has her own troubles. She inherited the ranch and olive oil business from the late matriarch, Eliza Butler, but Eliza's nephew is contesting the will. While China throws herself into helping Maddie, McQuaid's plan backfires when Mantel executes a countermove he never saw coming. Now McQuaid's life is not the only one at stake - and this time may really be his last chance...
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425280034
|
Hardcover
A Plain Vanilla Murder
By Albert, Susan Wittig
From Susan Wittig Albert, the New York Times best-selling author of Queen Anne's Lace, comes an intriguing new addition to her widely-acclaimed China Bayles Mysteries. China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder. Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder. However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake: a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl. A Plain Vanilla Murder is a flavorful blend of mystery and herb lore, present sins and past secrets, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbors - stirred together in an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780998233208
|
Hardcover
The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Beatrix Potter loves the warmth of Sawrey, her new hometown. But even the kindest of souls can turn snappish when houseguests overstay their welcome. When Beatrix returns from time away, she finds the attic overrun with rats. Rosabelle, resident rat and generous hostess, has offered her family a place to stay. But when word gets out, she soon has dozens of rat families on her tiny hands. To get rid of them, Beatrix invites some cats over-deeply offending Felicia Frummety, resident cat. Then a mysterious outsider plans to ruin the pristine shoreline of Lake Windermere by building a sprawl of villas. And trouble has beset three village children, favorites of Beatrix, who are counting on the help of the fairies of Cuckoo Brow Wood. Now, with her signature tact, Beatrix must work with her friends-human and animal-to set things right.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425210048
|
Hardcover
The Tale of Hawthorn House
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A brand-new mystery in the endearing Beatrix Potter series from a national bestselling author. During Sawrey's annual summer fte, Miss Beatrix Potter receives an unexpected visitor in the form of Baby Flora, left in a basket on her doorstep with a note, a sprig of hawthorn, and a scarab ring. All Beatrix knows about Flora's previous guardian is that she was a gray-haired woman, capable of scaling a brick wall in seconds. An investigation reveals that the ring was pawned and reclaimed in Sawrey by a resident of Hawthorn House. The legendary manor is supposed to be vacant-and rumored to be haunted. Now Beatrix and her animal friends are left pondering the possible involvement of fairy folk in these utterly puzzling happenings.
.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425216552
|
Hardcover
The Tale of Briar Bank
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Near Sawrey, the seat of Miss Beatrix Potter?s country home, has been abuzz ever since Mr. Wickstead met his death under a tree limb. Many believe it had to do with a treasure he had dug up. And only Pickles, his dog, knows what happened. Meanwhile, Miss Potter faces dilemmas in her love life and with her parents. But she has no time to muse, what with helping humans and animals alike?and this little matter of murder.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425223611
|
Print book
The Tale of Oat Cake Crag
By Albert, Susan Wittig
The latest tale in the "charming" (Publishers Weekly) Beatrix Potter series! In the Lake District, noisy test flights of the new hydroplane are disrupting life in the village of Near Sawrey. Miss Beatrix Potter can barely hear herself think-which she needs to do for the new case she's just taken up. Her friend Grace Lythecoe has been receiving some anonymous letters, threatening her good name. Now Beatrix must proceed quietly, so as not to arouse village gossip. And while her visit to Near Sawrey has proven to be anything but quiet, there is yet another piece of business for Beatrix to address: that of her own future. When she's offered a second chance at love, she decides that sometimes causing a disturbance can be well worth the trouble.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425236611
|
Hardcover
The Tale of Castle Cottage
By Albert, Susan Wittig
The latest in the Cottage Tales series-starring Miss Potter herself! It's the heart of summer in 1913, and Beatrix is eager to marry her fianc, solicitor William Heelis. But there are a few obstacles blocking the happy couple's path to the altar, like the troubled remodeling of Castle Cottage-Will and Beatrix's future home...
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425243503
|
eBook
The Darling Dahlias mysteries
The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A brand-new mystery in the "exceptional" (Booklist) series by the national bestselling author. Rumors are sprouting in Depression-era Darling, Alabama. The town's newest visitors, Nona Jean Jamison and Miss Lake, may be the Naughty and Nice Sisters from the Ziegfeld Frolic, who specialize in dancing nearly naked. The Dahlias suspect more than modesty when Nona denies her association. They'll have to dig through clues to get to the root of the mystery...
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425241288
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s - and the Darling Dahlias, the ladies of a garden club who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty solving mysteries ... Just in time for the Confederate Day celebration, the Darling Dahlias are ready to plant Confederate roses along the fence of the town cemetery. Of course, Miss Dorothy Rogers, club member and town librarian, would be quick to point out the plant is in fact a hibiscus.The Confederate rose is not the only thing that is not what it first appears to be in this small Southern town. Earle Scroggins, the county treasurer, has got the sheriff thinking that Scroggins' employee Verna Tidwell (also the Darling Dahlias' trusted treasurer) is behind a missing $15,000.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425247761
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930swhere the Darling Dahlias, the colorful ladies of a garden club, are anything but shrinking violets when it comes to rooting out criminalsThe Texas Star herselfMiss Lily Dare, the fastest woman in the worldis bringing her Dare Devils Flying Circus to Darling. Unfortunately, shes also bringing a whole lot of trouble. As the Dahlias prepare for the annual Watermelon Festivalwhere they will present the famous female aviatrix with her own Texas Star hibiscusrumors are flying.Dahlias president Liz Lacy learns from newspaperman Charlie Dickens that Miss Dare has been threatened and her plane sabotaged. Apparently the bold and beautiful barnstormer has made plenty of enemies.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425260586
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert takes readers back in time to small-town Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s - where the Darling Savings and Trust has just closed and the women of the Darling Dahlias' garden club are betting their bottom dollar there's going to be trouble ... It's the spring of 1933 and times are tough all over. The only businessman not struggling is moonshiner Mickey LeDoux, though he still has to steer clear of federal agents. But banks are closing all over the country, and the small town of Darling is no exception. Folks are suddenly caught short on cash and everyone is in a panic.Desperate to avoid disaster, several town leaders - including Alvin Duffy, the bank's new vice president - hatch a plan to print Darling Dollars on newspaperman Charlie Dickens' printing press.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425260609
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady
By Albert, Susan Wittig
New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert transports readers to the summer of 1934, when a sensational murder shakes up the small Southern town of Darling, Alabama - and pulls in the ladies of the Darling Dahlias' garden club, who never let the grass grow under their feet when there's a mystery to solve ... The eleven o'clock lady has always been one of garden club president Liz Lacy's favorite spring wildflowers. The plant is so named because the white blossoms don't open until the sun shines directly on them and wakes them up.But another Eleven O'Clock Lady is never going to wake up again. Rona Jean Hancock - a telephone switchboard operator who earned her nickname because her shift ended at eleven, when her nightlife was just beginning - has been found strangled with her own silk stocking in a very unladylike position.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780425260623
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle
By Albert, Susan Wittig
It's Christmas, 1934, and the citizens of Darling, Alabama, are unwrapping a big package of Christmas puzzles. Mildred Kilgore and Earlynne Biddle are planning to open a bakery on the square - if they can come up with the right recipes. Charlie Dickens faces two of the biggest puzzles of his career as an investigative reporter, and one of them involves his wife. Cute little Cupcake's talent as a singer and dancer makes her a tempting target for an unscrupulous exploiter; Lizzy must enlist the Dahlias to protect her, while she herself is confronted by a romantic puzzle. And Sheriff Norris is forced to reopen a puzzling mystery that the town thought was solved and follow a string of clues that lead to a deadly situation at the nearby prison farm. Once again, NYT best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert takes us to a place where real people have courage, respect their neighbors, and dream of doing their best, even when they're not sure what that is. She reminds us that Christmas is a celebration of friendship, community, and what's right with the world. There's nothing puzzling about that. Bonus - Liz Lacy's Garden Gate column on poinsettias, plus the Dahlias' collection of traditional sweet Southern goodies for the holiday table, garnished with some cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era background at DarlingDahlias.com.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780996904070
|
Hardcover
The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover
By Albert, Susan Wittig
NYT bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to Depression-era Darling, Alabama . . . where the ladies of the Dahlias, the local garden club, are happy to dig a little dirt! In the seventh book of this popular series, it looks like the music has ended for Darling's favorite barbershop quartet, the Lucky Four Clovers - just days before the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition. Another unlucky break: a serious foul-up in Darling's telephone system - and not a penny for repairs. And while liquor is legal again, moonshine isn't. Sheriff Buddy Norris needs a little luck when he goes into Briar Swamp to confront Cypress County's most notorious bootlegger. What he finds upends his sense of justice. Once again, Susan Wittig Albert has told a charming story filled with richly human characters who face the Great Depression with courage and grace. She reminds us that friends offer the best of themselves to each other, community is what holds us together, and luck is what you make it. Bonus features: Liz Lacy's Garden Gate column on ''lucky'' plants, plus the Dahlias' collection of traditional Southern pie recipes and a dash of cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era info @DarlingDahlias.com ''Captivating . . . Charming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy.'' - Publishers Weekly ''The author of the popular China Bayles mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culture - the Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the South - with authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling.'' - Library Journal Starred Review
Thyme of Death
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Eager to open up an herb shop and get closer to the earth, China Bayles leaves behind her career in corporate law and moves to Pecan Springs, Texas, but a close friend's tragic death could end her happy plans. Reissue.
Lavender Lies
By Albert, Susan Wittig
As former lawyer-turned-herbalist China Bayles prepares her wedding, the festivities are interrupted by a most uncooperative corpse. By the author of Chile Death. Tour.
Bloodroot
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In a starred review of Mistletoe Man, Publishers Weekly raved: "[Albert's] writing sparkles...a funny, human story." Now Albert presents her most stunning achievement to date. Set on a Mississippi plantation, Bloodroot is a vivid, haunting novel brimming with dangerous family secrets-and drenched in the enduring mysteries of the Deep South...
An Unthymely Death and Other Garden Mysteries
By Albert, Susan Wittig
n/a
Dilly of a Death
By Albert, Susan Wittig
China's otherwise sensible husband is bored with teaching and ready for a career change...say hello to Mike McQuaid, P.I. His first client is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of the biggest little pickle business in Texas. She says her plant manager is embezzling, and she wants McQuaid to follow the money. But just days before the annual Picklefest, Phoebe disappears. And now it's up to McQuaid and China to search for her-and for clues in a case that promises to leave a very sour taste.
Dead Man's Bones
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Texas ex-lawyer and herbalist China Bayles digs into murders past and present, as a dead man's bones are uncovered-and a community gathering is interrupted by murder... China Bayles already has her hands full balancing her job, her family, and her friends' romantic entanglements. Then her teenage son finds some skeletal remains during a local cave dig-remains from a not-so-distant, not-so-accidental death.
Bleeding Hearts
By Albert, Susan Wittig
When an anonymous source makes shocking allegations of improper behavior on the part of local high school football coach Tim Duffy, China Bayles is called in to conduct a discreet investigation into the charges, but her probe uncovers more than she had ever expected about a case involving betrayal, forbidden desire, and the mystery surrounding a young woman's death. 75,000 first printing.
Wormwood
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Evil can worm its way into the purest of hearts... China Bayles needs rest, and a historic Shaker village in Kentucky seems the ideal place for it. There she can learn about the intriguing, dwindling Shaker culture and its medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, the village is plagued with misfortune and strife. China wonders if, with the help of some age-old journals full of scandal, she can get to the bottom of it. But after a shocking death occurs during her stay, China will plunge into the archives of another time to connect the sins of the past with a modern-day murder.
Holly Blues
By Albert, Susan Wittig
"In a class with...sleuths V.I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum," China Bayles deals with a most unwelcome guest... China Bayles is fit to spit when her husband's troubled ex-wife, Sally, shows up at her herb shop, claiming to be broke with nowhere else to turn. China isn't sure if it's the goodness of her heart or the scent of Christmas wreaths, but she invites Sally to stay. Then China starts receiving menacing calls from an "ex" of Sally's, who seems to have a connection to the murder of her parents nearly a decade ago. With her P.I. husband out of town, it's up to China to weed out the truth behind whatever it is Sally's running from before danger catches up to all of them....
Mourning Gloria
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Another herbal treat from national bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert. While Pecan Springs bustles back to life in the warmth of spring, one woman's life is tragically brought to an end. China Bayles happens upon a burning house trailer and hears a woman screaming for help. The evidence leaves no doubt that it's arson homicide. Jessica Nelson, an intern-reporter at the local paper, is assigned to cover the story. But she's gotten herself too deeply involved. When Jessica disappears, China is determined to find her, before she becomes headlines herself.
Cat's Claw
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Police Chief Sheila Dawson believes the death of Pecan Spring's computer guru, Larry Kirk, to be a suicide, perhaps triggered by his painful divorce. Further investigation reveals that Kirk's death wasn't self-inflicted. And the truth is reinforced by her friend China Bayles' news-Larry recently asked her for legal advice in regards to a stalker.As a police chief in a male-dominated force, Sheila meets many challenges, especially when her theories rock the boat in high profile cases like that of George Timms. He was caught breaking into Larry's computer shop to steal his own computer back because of dangerous personal information it contained. Now that Larry is dead, she's sure it's connected to the burglary. And she's also sure she'll get plenty of resistance on her assessment.
Widow's Tears
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A New York Times Bestselling Author -- While her friend Ruby-- who has the gift of extrasensory perception-- investigates a supposedly haunted bed and breakfast, China Bayles walks into a storm of trouble in nearby Pecan Springs. Thirty minutes before she is to make her nightly deposit, the bank is robbed and a teller is killed. And before she can discover the identity of the killer, China is drawn into the mystery of the haunted house-- and some real danger.
Death Come Quickly
By Albert, Susan Wittig
“One of the most endearing and personable amateur sleuths” (Midwest Book Review), herbalist and ex-lawyer China Bayles is back. In Death Come Quickly, a friend’s murder may be the key to solving a fifteen-year-old cold case… When China’s and Ruby’s friend Karen Prior is mugged in a mall parking lot and dies a few days later, China begins to suspect that her friend’s death was not a random assault. Karen was a filmmaker supervising a student documentary about the fifteen-year-old murder of a woman named Christine Morris and the acquittal of the man accused of the crime. Is it possible that the same person who killed Christine Morris targeted Karen?Delving into the cold case, China learns the motive for the first murder may be related to a valuable collection of Mexican art.
Bittersweet
By Albert, Susan Wittig
New from the author of Death Come Quickly and Widow's TearsThis Thanksgiving, be grateful for China Bayles - who teams up with an old friend to solve a complex case of theft and murder in a South Texas ranching community ... It's Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, and China is planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother's husband, Sam, who are enthusiastically embarking on a new enterprise - turning their former game ranch into a vacation retreat for birders. She's also looking forward to catching up with her friend, game warden Mackenzie "Mack" Chambers, who was recently transferred to the area. But Leatha calls with bad news: Sam has had a heart attack.How will Leatha manage if Sam can't carry his share? She does have a helper, Sue Ellen Krause.
Blood Orange
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In the newest China Bayles Mystery in the New York Times bestselling series, China comes to the aid of a nurse who ends up in the hospital... It's mid-April in Pecan Springs, and China is renting her guest cottage to Kelly Kaufman, who needs a temporary place to live as she contends with a very acrimonious divorce from her husband Rich. One nasty point of dispute is her part ownership of the Comanche Creek Brewing Company, which she is refusing to sell. At the same time, as a nurse employed by a local hospice, Kelly has discovered instances of suspicious practices. Even more disturbing, she suspects that a patient was murdered. Kelly's knowledge could be dangerous, and she wants to get guidance from China on what to do. But on her way to China's house, Kelly is forced off the road and critically injured, putting her in a medically induced coma. Now it's up to China to determine who wanted her out of the picture. Was it her soon-to-be ex? His new lover - who happens to be the sister of China's friend Ruby? Or someone connected with the corruption at the hospice? China owes it to her friend to uncover the truth - but she may be putting her own life at risk...
The Last Chance Olive Ranch
By Albert, Susan Wittig
In this exciting new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert, China Bayles fears for her husband's life as an escaped convict targets him... Max Mantel, the killer McQuaid put away years ago, has busted out of the Huntsville prison and appears to be headed for Pecan Springs. McQuaid knows there's only one way to stop the vengeful convict - set a trap with himself as bait. China wants to stay by her husband's side and keep him from harm. But McQuaid insists that she get out of town and go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch, where she's agreed to teach a workshop on herbs. When China and her best friend arrive at the ranch, she learns the owner, Maddie Haskell, has her own troubles. She inherited the ranch and olive oil business from the late matriarch, Eliza Butler, but Eliza's nephew is contesting the will. While China throws herself into helping Maddie, McQuaid's plan backfires when Mantel executes a countermove he never saw coming. Now McQuaid's life is not the only one at stake - and this time may really be his last chance...
A Plain Vanilla Murder
By Albert, Susan Wittig
From Susan Wittig Albert, the New York Times best-selling author of Queen Anne's Lace, comes an intriguing new addition to her widely-acclaimed China Bayles Mysteries. China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder. Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder. However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake: a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl. A Plain Vanilla Murder is a flavorful blend of mystery and herb lore, present sins and past secrets, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbors - stirred together in an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create.
The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Beatrix Potter loves the warmth of Sawrey, her new hometown. But even the kindest of souls can turn snappish when houseguests overstay their welcome. When Beatrix returns from time away, she finds the attic overrun with rats. Rosabelle, resident rat and generous hostess, has offered her family a place to stay. But when word gets out, she soon has dozens of rat families on her tiny hands. To get rid of them, Beatrix invites some cats over-deeply offending Felicia Frummety, resident cat. Then a mysterious outsider plans to ruin the pristine shoreline of Lake Windermere by building a sprawl of villas. And trouble has beset three village children, favorites of Beatrix, who are counting on the help of the fairies of Cuckoo Brow Wood. Now, with her signature tact, Beatrix must work with her friends-human and animal-to set things right.
The Tale of Hawthorn House
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A brand-new mystery in the endearing Beatrix Potter series from a national bestselling author. During Sawrey's annual summer fte, Miss Beatrix Potter receives an unexpected visitor in the form of Baby Flora, left in a basket on her doorstep with a note, a sprig of hawthorn, and a scarab ring. All Beatrix knows about Flora's previous guardian is that she was a gray-haired woman, capable of scaling a brick wall in seconds. An investigation reveals that the ring was pawned and reclaimed in Sawrey by a resident of Hawthorn House. The legendary manor is supposed to be vacant-and rumored to be haunted. Now Beatrix and her animal friends are left pondering the possible involvement of fairy folk in these utterly puzzling happenings. .
The Tale of Briar Bank
By Albert, Susan Wittig
Near Sawrey, the seat of Miss Beatrix Potter?s country home, has been abuzz ever since Mr. Wickstead met his death under a tree limb. Many believe it had to do with a treasure he had dug up. And only Pickles, his dog, knows what happened. Meanwhile, Miss Potter faces dilemmas in her love life and with her parents. But she has no time to muse, what with helping humans and animals alike?and this little matter of murder.
The Tale of Oat Cake Crag
By Albert, Susan Wittig
The latest tale in the "charming" (Publishers Weekly) Beatrix Potter series! In the Lake District, noisy test flights of the new hydroplane are disrupting life in the village of Near Sawrey. Miss Beatrix Potter can barely hear herself think-which she needs to do for the new case she's just taken up. Her friend Grace Lythecoe has been receiving some anonymous letters, threatening her good name. Now Beatrix must proceed quietly, so as not to arouse village gossip. And while her visit to Near Sawrey has proven to be anything but quiet, there is yet another piece of business for Beatrix to address: that of her own future. When she's offered a second chance at love, she decides that sometimes causing a disturbance can be well worth the trouble.
The Tale of Castle Cottage
By Albert, Susan Wittig
The latest in the Cottage Tales series-starring Miss Potter herself! It's the heart of summer in 1913, and Beatrix is eager to marry her fianc, solicitor William Heelis. But there are a few obstacles blocking the happy couple's path to the altar, like the troubled remodeling of Castle Cottage-Will and Beatrix's future home...
The Darling Dahlias mysteries
The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies
By Albert, Susan Wittig
A brand-new mystery in the "exceptional" (Booklist) series by the national bestselling author. Rumors are sprouting in Depression-era Darling, Alabama. The town's newest visitors, Nona Jean Jamison and Miss Lake, may be the Naughty and Nice Sisters from the Ziegfeld Frolic, who specialize in dancing nearly naked. The Dahlias suspect more than modesty when Nona denies her association. They'll have to dig through clues to get to the root of the mystery...
The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s - and the Darling Dahlias, the ladies of a garden club who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty solving mysteries ... Just in time for the Confederate Day celebration, the Darling Dahlias are ready to plant Confederate roses along the fence of the town cemetery. Of course, Miss Dorothy Rogers, club member and town librarian, would be quick to point out the plant is in fact a hibiscus.The Confederate rose is not the only thing that is not what it first appears to be in this small Southern town. Earle Scroggins, the county treasurer, has got the sheriff thinking that Scroggins' employee Verna Tidwell (also the Darling Dahlias' trusted treasurer) is behind a missing $15,000.
The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama, in the 1930swhere the Darling Dahlias, the colorful ladies of a garden club, are anything but shrinking violets when it comes to rooting out criminalsThe Texas Star herselfMiss Lily Dare, the fastest woman in the worldis bringing her Dare Devils Flying Circus to Darling. Unfortunately, shes also bringing a whole lot of trouble. As the Dahlias prepare for the annual Watermelon Festivalwhere they will present the famous female aviatrix with her own Texas Star hibiscusrumors are flying.Dahlias president Liz Lacy learns from newspaperman Charlie Dickens that Miss Dare has been threatened and her plane sabotaged. Apparently the bold and beautiful barnstormer has made plenty of enemies.
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush
By Albert, Susan Wittig
National bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert takes readers back in time to small-town Darling, Alabama, in the 1930s - where the Darling Savings and Trust has just closed and the women of the Darling Dahlias' garden club are betting their bottom dollar there's going to be trouble ... It's the spring of 1933 and times are tough all over. The only businessman not struggling is moonshiner Mickey LeDoux, though he still has to steer clear of federal agents. But banks are closing all over the country, and the small town of Darling is no exception. Folks are suddenly caught short on cash and everyone is in a panic.Desperate to avoid disaster, several town leaders - including Alvin Duffy, the bank's new vice president - hatch a plan to print Darling Dollars on newspaperman Charlie Dickens' printing press.
The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady
By Albert, Susan Wittig
New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert transports readers to the summer of 1934, when a sensational murder shakes up the small Southern town of Darling, Alabama - and pulls in the ladies of the Darling Dahlias' garden club, who never let the grass grow under their feet when there's a mystery to solve ... The eleven o'clock lady has always been one of garden club president Liz Lacy's favorite spring wildflowers. The plant is so named because the white blossoms don't open until the sun shines directly on them and wakes them up.But another Eleven O'Clock Lady is never going to wake up again. Rona Jean Hancock - a telephone switchboard operator who earned her nickname because her shift ended at eleven, when her nightlife was just beginning - has been found strangled with her own silk stocking in a very unladylike position.
The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle
By Albert, Susan Wittig
It's Christmas, 1934, and the citizens of Darling, Alabama, are unwrapping a big package of Christmas puzzles. Mildred Kilgore and Earlynne Biddle are planning to open a bakery on the square - if they can come up with the right recipes. Charlie Dickens faces two of the biggest puzzles of his career as an investigative reporter, and one of them involves his wife. Cute little Cupcake's talent as a singer and dancer makes her a tempting target for an unscrupulous exploiter; Lizzy must enlist the Dahlias to protect her, while she herself is confronted by a romantic puzzle. And Sheriff Norris is forced to reopen a puzzling mystery that the town thought was solved and follow a string of clues that lead to a deadly situation at the nearby prison farm. Once again, NYT best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert takes us to a place where real people have courage, respect their neighbors, and dream of doing their best, even when they're not sure what that is. She reminds us that Christmas is a celebration of friendship, community, and what's right with the world. There's nothing puzzling about that. Bonus - Liz Lacy's Garden Gate column on poinsettias, plus the Dahlias' collection of traditional sweet Southern goodies for the holiday table, garnished with some cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era background at DarlingDahlias.com.
The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover
By Albert, Susan Wittig
NYT bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to Depression-era Darling, Alabama . . . where the ladies of the Dahlias, the local garden club, are happy to dig a little dirt! In the seventh book of this popular series, it looks like the music has ended for Darling's favorite barbershop quartet, the Lucky Four Clovers - just days before the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition. Another unlucky break: a serious foul-up in Darling's telephone system - and not a penny for repairs. And while liquor is legal again, moonshine isn't. Sheriff Buddy Norris needs a little luck when he goes into Briar Swamp to confront Cypress County's most notorious bootlegger. What he finds upends his sense of justice. Once again, Susan Wittig Albert has told a charming story filled with richly human characters who face the Great Depression with courage and grace. She reminds us that friends offer the best of themselves to each other, community is what holds us together, and luck is what you make it. Bonus features: Liz Lacy's Garden Gate column on ''lucky'' plants, plus the Dahlias' collection of traditional Southern pie recipes and a dash of cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era info @DarlingDahlias.com ''Captivating . . . Charming characters, a fast-paced plot, and a strong sense of history help make this a superior cozy.'' - Publishers Weekly ''The author of the popular China Bayles mysteries brings a small Southern town to life and vividly captures an era and culture - the Depression, segregation, class differences, the role of women in the South - with authentic period details. Her book fairly sizzles with the strength of the women of Darling.'' - Library Journal Starred Review