Customer Reviews

Holly Blues (Thorndike Mystery)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"...let's take time out for introductions. Some of you already know me and have visited my shop a dozen times or more. Others--well, maybe this is your first visit, and you haven't a clue to who we are or what we're talking about. So, my name is China Bayles."

One of the best parts of Holly Blues, or any of the China Bayles series, is the warm welcome. The reader is immediately drawn into the world of Pecan Springs, China, McQuaid, Ruby, and all of the other folks in this small Texas Hill Country town. Since there is inevitably a time span between releases, this serves to refresh the memory of the regular China Bayles reader; and, if this is the first of the series the reader has picked up--heaven forbid!--there is enough background given that this could be read as a stand-alone book. A very nice touch!

As one might suspect from the title, this story finds China and companions ready to celebrate Christmas. Times are hard in Pecan Springs, as elsewhere in the country, and China is working extra at her herbal shop to bring in much needed revenue. Hubby McQuaid, a private investigator, is off to Omaha despite the calendar, also trying to make the most of every money-making opportunity. At this busiest of times, who should show up but the troublesome Sally, McQuaid's ex-wife and definitely not one of China's favorite people. Still, it is the holiday season and China does her best to make Sally feel welcome.

As usual, Sally brings mayhem in her wake, adding murder, threatening phone calls, and tragedy to her list of companions this time. Once again, China, McQuaid, and Ruby have to pool their myriad and varied skills to solve old and new mysteries. The holidays may pass them by if these mysteries and murders aren't solved quicker than they can say "Grinch". It's tough work, but this team is up to the challenge, using McQuaid's connections, Ruby's sometimes far-out ideas, and China's lawyerly and problem-solving skills.

With this book came for me the realization that China has grown in depth of character since the beginning of the series. She has always been a strong and competent woman, a good friend, wife, and business woman. Here, there is softening and mellowing. From a woman who was not sure how to even relate to Brian, her stepson, China has opened her arms and her heart to her orphaned niece, Caitie, reveling in her hugs and cuddles, thankful that they can provide a loving and stable home for her. China seems more rounded and multi-faceted now and the change is pleasant to see.

Just as China and McQuaid have to tough out the hard economic times, they have to learn to cope with a changing landscape. Showing that she is environmentally aware far beyond Pecan Springs and her own gardens, China laments the urban sprawl taking over her part of Texas describing it as "...an ugly octopus of supersized, overpriced McMansions." As always, Albert's keen descriptions of place are detailed and right on, be it familiar Pecan Springs, or snowy Omaha. Her research comes shining through, and is another reason her books are so enjoyable to read.

Instead of letting an established series turn stale, Albert has used her considerable skills and imagination to give the reader yet another thriller, with fresh ideas, up-to-date methodology, current social commentary and new depth to her characters and story line. I'll be waiting anxiously for the next installment!

by Susan Ideus
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

All Susan Wittig Alberts' books are well-written, funny, can't put down experiences. I love nothing better than to pile up in bed on a rainy afternoon and read a book by her.

Her characters are down-to-earth people with all the emotions we all face, with distinct personalities. You are drawn into Pecan Springs and become a member of the community, part of China's family. I would feel very comfortable sitting down at the table with China, McQuaid, Brian and the dog Howard Cosell at my feet, slipping him little bites of dinner when no one was looking.

I love that China is a strong woman who is tough, opinionated, loving and intelligent. She has grown as a person over the years and has developed opinions on politics, the world in general and her family. Just like all of us, she deals with other people and, as a result, we have opinions on things based on the knowledge we have at the time. Oh, to be as intelligent as China! She has taught me many things.

I was talking to a friend the other day and we got into a conversation about herbs and I was able to talk knowledgeably and give her really good advice. Aha! While I was enjoying a fabulous read, I learned a good bit about herbalism!

I highly recommend any and every Susan Wittig Albert book. Books are my thing, always have been. I have over 8000 books in my house and I need many, many more. But the China Bayles mysteries are at the top of my favs list! Love, love, love them!

I own every single one of the China Bayles mysteries, most of them in hard cover. This may be the last one I buy. Why? Because I'm halfway through the book and I have put it aside to read something else. Three China Bayles mysteries ago, I would have read it in one sitting and then been disappointed that there was no more to read.

I thought that Wormwood was a disappointment, but every author is entitled to a miss instead of a hit once in a while. It's not that the mystery in Holly Blues is so lame, or that I object to the different points of view in the novel. I do object to sloppiness. Where did Sally really park her car? In the First Congregational Church parking lot? In the Methodist Church parking lot? Both are mentioned as the location of the missing car, and on the same page, no less. Then there was McQuaid's revelation that when he met China Bayles and she said she was about to give up the law to open an herb shop in Pecan Springs, he immediately decided he would move there. Why then did the previous books usually mention China butting heads with McQuaid when she was a Houston criminal lawyer and he a Houston homicide officer?

The burning question in my mind is, who really wrote this book? It is not up to Susan Albert's standards. Or is the author spreading herself too thin with China, the now-defunct Robin Paige series, the Beatrix Potter series, and the new Darling Dahlias? Is this why China now has an herb shop, a tea room, a catering service, gourmet meal service, and a hard and fast rule that her family all sit down to a home cooked dinner together every evening? (What evening would you be available, China?)

It is Christmas time and the wonderful smells of the Yuletide season spices up Pecan Springs. Although China Bayles runs Thymes and Seasons Herbs and works with her partner Ruby Wilcox catering events with Party Thyme and their Thyme for Tea Shoppe, she looks forward to the holidays. That is until her husband's former wife Sally Strahorn enters her office. Sally suffers from dissociative identity disorder so is an unfit mother, a liar, and a thief depending on which personality surfaces.

Sally tells China she is broke with no place to go; China knows she should say nothing, but agrees to put her up for now. Sally makes friends with China's niece, whom she and her currently out of town spouse have adopted. A man calls the shop and then China's home asking for Sally both times. China confronts Sally, who says he is Jess Myers, her former friend turned stalker. Myers is soon spotted in Pecan Springs as Sally vanishes. China learns that Sally is a person of interest in the hit and run death of her sister Leslie. Preferring to believe that Sally did not murder her sister or another woman killed in the same way, China and Ruby investigate in a case that places them in danger.

A China Bayles amateur sleuth is always special as the key characters change over time. The secondary cast gives the series a sense of continuity while the inquiry feels genuine as the two partners simply ask questions while pretending innocence. Even Sally seems a bit more mature. Although, placing oneself in danger is an amateur sleuth occupational hazard that China has accomplished eighteen or so times, Holly Blue is a terrific whodunit as the case takes personal spins for the heroine.

Harriet Klausner

I have read all the China Bayles books and always looked forward to them, but the past several have been disappointments, none more so than the latest, Holly Blues. As several other reviewers have noted, it reads as if someone else is doing the writing, and there is certainly a lack of decent editing. Too many inconsistencies, too many stream-of-consciousness thoughts that have nothing to do with the plot, the character development (or lack thereof), or anything relevant or interesting to the reader. There was no mystery...I kept reading to see if there were going to be something unexpected, but there wasn't. And China's ramblings--or inner thought processes--were both repetitive and, quite frankly, inane. I really hate when a previously favorite series goes astray, but I'm afraid that's what has happened here. I may not be visiting Pecan Springs again.

Reading the fine reviews already posted here, both positive and negative, I see it would be rather redundant of me to rehash the plot line of this story to any great extent. That has been done here, and done quite well, I might add. I will be very brief as to this aspect of this particular book.

China Bayless, the owner and operator of an herb shop in Pecan Texas (I say herb shop, but her enterprises have expanded over the years), finds that her husband's ex-wife showing up unexpectedly. She is rather down and out, obviously a rather troubled lady who we find very shortly, is not only troubled but in some sort of trouble. China's PI husband is out of town and when China starts received some very threatening phone calls concerning her husband's ex, she must deal with the problem herself. She quickly becomes involved with the ten year old murder of the parents of her husband's ex, Sally, who strife and mayhem seem to always follow. Mysteries abound, conflicts abound and the reader is quickly caught up in the suspense.

Much of this book is quite similar to the previous offerings in this wonderful series. One of the things I most appreciate as to this particular cozy collection is that the author always catches you up with pertinent characters much like you would be caught up with the goings and comings of family members when you attend a family reunion. I like this as it allows each book in the series to be read as a stand-alone. This I find lacking in many works in this particular genre.

We are also treated to the details of China's life; interactions with friends, family and business associates. Running parallel with the "crime story" we have a look into the life of not only China, but those of her friends. I particular like the accounts of her business (herbs) and of course, as with all books in this series, we have what I call "the plant of the book;" in this case we obviously have Holly.

Readers should take note in the fact that the author has more or less expanded her reach in this work and has addressed some social issues; a practice we have not found all that much of in her previous work. I am one of those people who could care less in reference to this practice. As the author most certainly comes down on what is obviously the "liberal" side of the issues addressed, some might take exception to this and be a bit put off. While I do not fully agree with some of the statements the author makes via her writing, I certainly respect her right to voice them. But again, when all is said and done, I really simply do not care. To be quite frank, I more or less ignored this aspect of the overall story. But hey, that is just me.

Overall, I found this to be a satisfying read. This author can write well and has the ability to tell a good tale.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

But not the best in the series. I still enjoyed it. It is a book set around Christmas and I'm reading it in May so that was a little different. I think this would be a pretty good holiday mystery and I may have enjoyed it more if I read it in December. The book isn't much of a mystery but there is quite a bit going on with the arrival of McQuade's ex-wife in Pecan Springs. She has come to ask to stay at China and Mike's house in order to visit her son, but she appears to have secrets that China finds out are pretty deadly. Her arrival brings up the question of a cold case which involved the death of Sally's parents some ten years earlier. China and Ruby set out to find out what happened and to stop a killer. All my beloved characters are here and that is why I love this series so much. Even the inimitable Basset Hound - Howard Cosell plays a big role in the book. I always love another visit to Pecan Springs with China and her gang.

#18 in the China Bayles "herb shop" mystery series. Pecan Springs is getting ready for Christmas, and China is glad to see an upswing in business at Thyme & Seasons. The poor economy has hit small businesses hard, especially businesses that sell non-essential items, so belts are beginning to tighten a bit in the McQuaid-Bayles household. They are also adjusting to having China's niece whom she and Mike have adopted since the death of her half-brother. This will be Kate's first Christmas with them, and China wants it to be special.

So obviously when Mike's crazy ex-wife Sally--mother to Brian, his teenage son--shows up at the shop, China's not thrilled. Still, in the spirit of the season, she invites Sally, who is once again down on her luck and in trouble, to stay with them over the holiday--much to McQuaid's displeasure. When China makes the invitation, she doesn't realize just how MUCH trouble Sally is in--but of course she finds out before too long.

I started out listening to the audio version of this book and had to set it aside after about 5 chapters and switch to the print version, which I thankfully had on hand. The reader's voice and reading style just annoyed me, plus her voices were terrible and hard to distinguish one from another. The book takes place in Texas and as far as I remember, most of the main characters are native Texans, and yet Ruby was the only one with even a hint of a Texas accent, and it was so overdone and fake sounding it grated on my nerves. I think my enjoyment of the book was somewhat lessened by remembering that voice even when I switched to print. It was a fairly typical visit to Pecan Springs, and I liked the visit with old friends. I will definitely stick to the print version of this series in future, though!

I'm basking in that delightful feeling that comes from a thoroughly satisfying read. I love a good cozy and Holly Blues is just that. I confess, when I first began it my mind was stressed and multitasking, which didn't allow me to enjoy it. I waited till my brain wasn't fully occupied with too many projects to plan and then I got to fully savor it. It was worth the wait. I like how the characters have developed over the years, even their business ventures have blossomed. The story is well-written with just the right amount of suspense for me.

The relationship between main character China Bayles and her husband's ex-wife, Sally, shows a sophisticated understanding of human nature. To have the ability to care about, and be sensitive to, the rights and needs of someone who had mistreated, cheated and disrespected in just about every possible way those China holds dearest - as well as herself - takes a great deal of human development. That ability to transcend what might seem a reasonable, albeit knee-jerk, desire to see Sally reap the consequences of her prior actions - to suffer as she's made others suffer -demonstrates tremendous depth of character, both in the fictional character of China, and in her creator, Susan Wittig Albert. It is this kind of thing that keeps me coming back for more - realistic responses to life, real-life observations about things that affect everyone but sometimes go unnoticed (sometimes till it's too late.)

I loved reading about the children, friends we've followed before, and having more Ruby and more McQuaid. I don't normally like alternating points of view, but in this instance it worked extremely well. I liked going into McQuaid's thoughts and feelings, especially some secretive ones; it added more depth (the way good herbs add to a soup.)

I look forward to the next China mystery - sorry to have to wait a year.

When you enter Pecan Springs you are coming home. This book has it all - China, Ruby, McQuaid, the kids, the shops, THE EX, herbs, holidays, receipes, murder, mayhem and mischief. A great read - as usual. Buy this one but read them all. I have.