Witches' Bane

Rating:
Summary: Another fun read by Albert.
Review: Once again, China Bayles, herb shop owner/ex-lawyer, finds herself tangled up in a messy murder. Her best friend, Ruby, is accused of being a witch, and an acquaintance of theirs is found murdered. Although China has good intentions and plans to stay out of it, she is drawn in and ends up right in the middle of everything. The characters are fun, some are wacky, but they all serve a purpose in the overall story. I also enjoy the author's in-depth information regarding herbs and their uses, and the insight into the Wiccan religion. The continuing storyline between China and her boyfriend, McQuaid (an ex-cop) also keeps us wondering what is going to happen next.

Rating:
Summary: --GOOD READ--
Review: Since I grow a lot of herbs, I've wanted to read one of the China Bayles mystery stories since they first came to my attention. I began with this one because I thought it was the first in the series, but after I started reading, I discovered that it's actually the second book. The first is called THYME OF DEATH. I like the fact that a plant name is used in the title of each of these stories.

China Bayles is a retired attorney and had previously practiced law in Houston, but had given up that profession to pursue a kinder and gentler life. She now lives in a small town in Texas, where she grows and sells plants. She specializes in herbs. There are several references to different plants and herbs which I enjoyed reading about.

I found this book to be entertaining and I liked China Bayles, the main character. The first part begins with a gathering of China and several of her girl friends at a Halloween party. Some of the women are a little weird in their choice of interests. One woman even has a garden of poisonous plants. When a gruesome murder takes place, China becomes involved and uses her skills as a prosecuting attorney to help solve the mystery. To me, the most interesting parts of the book concerned the tidbits of how an attorney views the evidence of a crime. I think that made the story jell together and become more engaging.

I plan to read more books in this series and hope to see the China Bayles character become more developed.




Rating:
Summary: Halloween Pranks Turn Deadly
Review: Strange things have been going on in the Texas town of Pecan Springs. A town resident has discovered dead chickens with piles of coins nearby. Another resident has discovered one of his goats killed, also with a pile of money nearby. To make matters even worse, China Bayles' friend Ruby Wilcox has started teaching a class on reading tarot cards. Then a Bible-thumping preacher arrives in Pecan Springs and starts accusing Ruby of devil worship. Are all these strange happening due to Ruby's witchcraft, or are they the work of Mexican santerias?

On Halloween night, one of the women in Ruby's tarot class holds an all-woman Halloween party. Then the hostess is discovered brutally murdered the next morning. The travelling minister suggests that Ruby is the prime suspect of the murder, so China goes to work to find the real killer.

"Witches' Bane" is the second book in the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert. This is a fast-moving, interesting mystery, with great twists at the end. There are lots of facts included about growing herbs and other plants. China is such a smart, down-to-earth heroine and very likable. I highly recommend this book, both to fans of the China Bayles series as well as readers looking for a fun Halloween-themed mystery.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read but the killer was too easy to guess
Review: This is my first book in the series, and although I enjoyed reading this mystery, I thought the author didn't do a good enough job on the plotting. My secret method of guessing the killer worked like a charm on this book, as I think it will with other experienced mystery readers. Still, the characters and writing were enjoyable enough that I intend to continue reading more in the series.

THe plot involves a killing that appears to be the work of santeria enthusiasts -- a kind of voodoo like religion popular among certain elements of the Mexican population of this Texas town. The townspeople think that these people are responsible for the ritual death, but the police and our herb-shop owner/lawyer think otherwise -- that it was instead someone with a particular motive for wanting this woman dead.

Perhaps the small-town Texas setting is the part of the book I liked best. The author creates a place you can imagine as though you were there -- a place you'd like to visit. The characters are quirky and likeable, except for the ones that the author doesn't want you to like. As I said, I will be reading more in the series -- probably go back and try reading them in order!