Chile Death : A China Bayles Mystery [Paperback]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (2002)
• ASIN: B000UD0RIC
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

More About the Author

My husband Bill and I live on 31 acres in the Hill Country of Central Texas, and have longhorn cows, chickens, and geese, as well as the wild things that roam the meadows and woods. Our best buddies are our two dogs (Mr. Toro and Miss Molly Maquire) and our cat, Shadow. I garden for food (passionately) and am concerned about issues of global warming and energy depletion. You can find out more about all this in my memoirs: Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place; and An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days.

I've been writing professionally for over 25 years, after a stint in higher education as a professor and administrator. When I first started writing full time, I worked in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series--yep, you got it: I am both Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon! (How cool is that?) In the years I was writing young adult novels, with Bill or by myself, I wrote over sixty books. In addition, Bill and I wrote a series of Victorian/Edwardian mysteries together, as Robin Paige.

I am currently writing two mystery series: the China Bayles herbal mysteries and The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s. You might also enjoy my eight-book series, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Another in-the-works project: a book about Rose Wilder Lane and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Writing is not only my work, but my passion, and I am unspeakably grateful for the opportunity to follow my bliss.

I am an active member (and the founder) of the Story Circle Network, an international nonprofit organization that supports women who want to write about their lives. We offer the May Sarton Women's Memoir Award, publishing opportunities, workshops, online classes and writing circles, an editorial service, and lots of opportunities to connect with other women. I am the Coordinating Editor of SCN's book review website (the largest/oldest women's book review site on the Internet) at storycirclebookreviews.org. Check us out!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, November 1, 1998

By 

Pam "SMB,SLT" (Flint Hills of Kansas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chile Death (China Bayles Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The latest entry in the China Bayles' mysteries is terrific. The imaginary world of Pecan Springs and its cast of characters just keeps getting better. China's most recent adventures leave the reader wanting more. I enjoy reading the quotes about various herb lore. I am looking forward to the next book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious !, March 29, 2000

By 

Pauline Cramer (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chile Death: A China Bayles Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Chile Death, as well as the other books in the China Bayles series, will speak to working women who wish they could abandon their current career path and follow their bliss and also to those who have already made major career changes. China Bayles, a successful attorney, quits her job after working for 15 years in a large lawfirm in Houston Texas. She moves to a small town in central Texas and and opens a herb shop. She uses her aptitude for investigation and her skills and training as a lawyer to run a successful business and solve mysteries as well. I liked Rosemary Remembered, but I loved Chile Death. The books in the series get better and better. A variety of issues and relationships are explored. I like the way minor characters in one book are developed into major characters in a later book. China Bayles is a character that I can identify with, but she is a complex character and has her own lessons to learn. I grew up in Texas, and I feel right at home with these fictional characters and the settings. Pecan Springs is a town in which I would like to live. Reading about food in Chile Death has inspired to use a variety of chili peppers in my own cooking. The creation of this series of books is a glorious achievement for Albert.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire of chiles, fire of passion, March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chile Death (China Bayles Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This is wonderful, less for the puzzle of the mystery, (it's NOT that hard to figure out who did it, although you still have to figure how and why) than for the unfolding story of China, Mike, Ruby, and all.

I can forgive Albert a small attack of deus ex machina as she helps Ruby make China an offer she can't refuse. And I appreciate the fact that she hasn't chosen to suddenly heal Mike, although she doesn't seem to have done all her homework about how his disability affects his relationship with China in ways other than sex. (Note to the author: It's impossible to just casually push a big man in a wheelchair accross gravel, especially if you are pushing one outdoors for almost the first time!)

There are passages here that I forced my husband to listen to as I read them aloud. Albert has a fine ear for smartaleck repartee.

And for goodness sakes, DO try the recipies...