Rating: 
Summary: festivals galore
Review: Albert's herbal cozies star China Bayles, a former attorney who now owns and runs Thyme and Seasons, a shop in Pecan Springs, TX. Dill is herb of choice in this installment. China is helping get ready for the annual Pickle-Fest, when Phoebe Morgan, the Pickle Queen, disappears right before the big event. In the midst of this McQuaid is trying to open a PI business...but Phoebe was his first client, and now she's missing. Not to mention that China is letting Ruby's wayward daughter stay at her place, since things seem to be difficult at home for Ruby and Amy. The suspects, friends and family wend their way through your heart while you hear about new and unusual ways to bring dill into your life. The jokes are pretty sour.....
Rating: 
Summary: Who Killed the Pickle Queen?
Review: China Bayles has a new roomer. Amy, the daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has arrived on her doorstep pregnant and in need of a place to stay. She won't tell anyone who the father is and that has Ruby steamed.Then McQuaid, China's husband, announces he's bored with teaching and wants to start his own private detective agency. He even has his first client lined up. She is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of Morgan's Pickles. She wants McQuaid to look into her plant manager's finances. She says that he is embezzling funds, and she doesn't want it made public until she is positive of all the facts. Ruby and China are on the planning committee, Pretty Pickle Planners, with Phoebe for the annual Picklefest. During the last week of preparation, Phoebe disappears. Everyone thinks she has run off with her new young boyfriend, Todd Kellerman, because he is missing too. China suspects that Marsha, Phoebe's assistant, isn't too excited by that prospect. It appears Marsha may be interested in Todd herself! Later Phoebe is found dead at the Pickle plant. This is just the beginning of the many twists and turns in this terrific book. And once again China and Ruby get themselves into some very interesting situations. You might say they find themselves in a pickle! I really like China Bayles. She is such a likeable character. I am not an enthusiast of herbs, but I still find this series to be such an enjoyable and quick read! I can't wait for the next book! Plus China is complimented by so many wonderful characters. McQuaid is a great asset to this series. And there aren't many books in this series where Ruby doesn't play an important role. Her take on life is quite different and she always brings a fresh approach to whatever adventure they're on. Pecan Springs, TX, is a typical small town and I think that Ms. Albert has done a fabulous job in creating and describing it. I feel as if I've been there! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Who Killed the Pickle Queen?
Review: China Bayles has a new roomer. Amy, the daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has arrived on her doorstep pregnant and in need of a place to stay. She won't tell anyone who the father is and that has Ruby steamed. Then McQuaid, China's husband, announces he's bored with teaching and wants to start his own private detective agency. He even has his first client lined up. She is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of Morgan's Pickles. She wants McQuaid to look into her plant manager's finances. She says that he is embezzling funds, and she doesn't want it made public until she is positive of all the facts. Ruby and China are on the planning committee, Pretty Pickle Planners, with Phoebe for the annual Picklefest. During the last week of preparation, Phoebe disappears. Everyone thinks she has run off with her new young boyfriend, Todd Kellerman, because he is missing too. China suspects that Marsha, Phoebe's assistant, isn't too excited by that prospect. It appears Marsha may be interested in Todd herself! Later Phoebe is found dead at the Pickle plant. This is just the beginning of the many twists and turns in this terrific book. And once again China and Ruby get themselves into some very interesting situations. You might say they find themselves in a pickle! I really like China Bayles. She is such a likeable character. I am not an enthusiast of herbs, but I still find this series to be such an enjoyable and quick read! I can't wait for the next book! Plus China is complimented by so many wonderful characters. McQuaid is a great asset to this series. And there aren't many books in this series where Ruby doesn't play an important role. Her take on life is quite different and she always brings a fresh approach to whatever adventure they're on. Pecan Springs, TX, is a typical small town and I think that Ms. Albert has done a fabulous job in creating and describing it. I feel as if I've been there! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: A Dilly of a Story
Review: China Bayles is still adjusting to married life with former police detective and current university professor, Mike McQuaid. Teaching wasn't really challenging enough and he misses investigative work so he has decided to hang out his P.I. shingle. Mike's first client is Phoebe Morgan, Pecan Spring's Pickle Queen. There seems to be a case of embezzlement at Morgan's Premier Pickles, the local pickle factory. Phoebe disappears right before the annual pickle festival. She was in the process of selling her business. Some think she ran away with her much younger painter boyfriend until her body was found in the effluent tank at the plant. Her boyfriend is prime suspect until his body is found dead of an apparent suicide. It's not long before his death is classifed as a murder. In a parallel story, Ruby's daughter Amy is pregnant and is not disclosing the baby's father. The China Bayles series has always been a bit uneven. Some of the books are really good and some are very boring. I thought this was one of the better books in the series. The story really flowed and kept a good pace. Set in Texas Hill Country, Albert gives you nice sense of the rural aspect of the countryside outside of Austin. One of the best parts of the China Bayles books are the herbal facts and recipes included with the actual story. I have almost as much fun reading these as trying to figure out whodunit.
Rating:
Summary: China gets in a pickle!
Review: China Bayles, owner of Thyme and Seasons herb shop, is on the planning committee for the annual Pickle Fest in Pecan Springs. The Morgan pickle factory, a major employer in the town, is the reason for the yearly event and the President of the company, Phoebe, is referred to jokingly as the Pickle Queen. She is an autocratic leader and has many enemies in the community. Her disappearance just before the big event causes a furor and China takes it upon herself to find the missing woman. China has to be careful during her investigation because her husband McQuaid has just given up his college teaching position to become a private investigator and he tries to discourage her from becoming involved. Another complication is the arrival of her friend Ruby's pregnant daughter Amy, who wants to live with the McQuaids until she can get her life straightened out. As usual, China manages to juggle her job, family, and friends, while solving the mystery. With this book, author Albert has created another good entry into her China Bayles series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: China returns with a great adventure. Wonderful characters and a solid story really make the book a fun read. The pickle jokes are tremendously entertaining and provided good dinner conversation one evening.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: China returns with a great adventure. Wonderful characters and a solid story really make the book a fun read. The pickle jokes are tremendously entertaining and provided good dinner conversation one evening.
Rating:
Summary: A Dilly of a Yarn
Review: I just recently discovered this writer and am finding her books to be highly intertaining. She carries her characters from book to book, story to story with nary a flaw in continuity. Her recipies are bang on and I have enjoyed preparing and eating a few of her delicacies. Lavendar scones are to die for. This is a book for those who enjoy a homey draw-you-in tale that moves along quickly. The greatest part of her writing is that one can really care what happens to her folks.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite China in a long time!
Review: I loved A Dilly of a Death. I nearly gave up on this series after the past few books but after this one I was glad I stayed with them. I smiled and groaned at the pickle jokes but shared them with my family. I very much enjoyed my stay with China and her extended family. Ms. Albert brings the hill country of Texas to life and weaves a splendid story. This book was a true delight.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite China in a long time!
Review: I loved A Dilly of a Death. I nearly gave up on this series after the past few books but after this one I was glad I stayed with them. I smiled and groaned at the pickle jokes but shared them with my family. I very much enjoyed my stay with China and her extended family. Ms. Albert brings the hill country of Texas to life and weaves a splendid story. This book was a true delight.
| 
