A Dilly of a Death [Unabridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author), Julia Gibson (Narrator)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Recorded Books; Unabridged edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419338587
• ISBN-13: 978-1419338588
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 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

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Killed the Pickle Queen?, February 14, 2004

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dilly of a Death (Hardcover)

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!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dilly of a Story, February 22, 2004

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dilly of a Death (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful New China!, February 3, 2004

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dilly of a Death (Hardcover)

This book is a "dilly of a book", and I couldn't believe how much I had missed China. Ms. Albert cannot write these books fast enough for my taste. This is a great China Bayles book. In it China is trying to find the killer of a local business lady who runs a pickle factory. As she delves deeper into the past, she finds more suspects and motives for murder than she knows what to do with. In the book we see some of our favourites-Ruby, Janice, McQuaid, but we also see China, and that's what makes this series. Reading this book is like catching up with some old friends. There's also some fabulous recipes in the book.