Nightshade: China Bayles #16 (China Bayles Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2009

China's herb shop and catering business may be thriving, but she's still reeling from her father's death, and not even remotely interested in her half-brother Miles's investigation into that event. China's husband, on the other hand, has no such qualms. And when fate forces her to get involved as well, China realizes it's time to bring the past to light-or else it will haunt her the rest of her life.

But China and McQuaid discover that Miles may have been keeping as many secrets as he seemed determined to uncover. How deep do the layers of secrecy go? And who has a stake in concealing the truth after sixteen years?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former attorney China Bayles, now the proprietor of a small herb shop in Pecan Springs, Tex., finally gets some answers to her questions about the death of her cold, distant father, who perished in a fiery car accident 16 years earlier, in the satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that began with Bleeding Hearts and Spanish Dagger, the preceding two books within Albert's long-running cozy series. When China's half-brother, Miles, hires China's husband, Mike McQuaid, a former homicide officer struggling to establish himself as a PI, to investigate the fatal crash, China isn't sure this is a good idea. Her reservations prove well founded after the secretive Miles turns out to have his own agenda. Fans will be pleased that by supplementing China's usual first-person narration with McQuaid's third-person perspective, Albert casts fresh light on his character and his relationship with China. Snippets of plant lore, mostly to do with the nightshade family, add spice. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Susan Wittig Albert grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she now lives with her husband, Bill, in the country outside of Austin, Texas. In addition to the China Bayles mysteries, she writes a Victorian mystery series along with her husband under the pseudonym of Robin Paige.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425227030
• ISBN-13: 978-0425227039
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My husband Bill and I live on 31 acres in the Hill Country of Central Texas, and have longhorn cows, sheep, geese, as well as the wild things that roam the meadows and woods. Our best buddies are our three dogs (Zach, Lady, and Toro) and our cat, Shadow. I'm a passionate gardener and am concerned about issues of global warming and energy depletion. You can find out more about the way I live in my new memoir, Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place.

I've been writing professionally for nearly 25 years, after a stint in higher education as a faculty member 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.

Now, I write three mystery series: the China Bayles herbal mysteries, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and a new series (starting in July, 2010) called The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s. Writing is not only my work, but my passion. Truly a right livelihood, and I'm grateful to have found it. I am also a member (and the founder) of the Story Circle Network, a nonprofit organization that supports women who want to write about their lives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best!, April 2, 2008

By 

Sandy Rhoad "Insatiable reader" (Branchville, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nightshade: China Bayles #16 (China Bayles Mystery) (Hardcover)

If you haven't read the China Bayles books - please start, but NOT here. This is the culmination of the mystery surrounding China's family and it is the best of all of her stories. The characters are fleshy, the story line is full of mystery - just enough of Ruby and plenty of food. Your mouth will water with the succulent dishes AND the murder mystery. Ms. Albert is a superb writer. I look forward to each book and try to take my time - but in a day or two the read is over and I am waiting again for the next book. Buy the first book and don't stop until Nightshade. This is an excellent series of books written by a skilled author.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Susan Albert does it again,, April 19, 2008

By 

Virginia B. Turkelson "Jinni T" (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nightshade: China Bayles #16 (China Bayles Mystery) (Hardcover)

Nightshade is the 16th China Bayles mystery and the first in which we hear her husband, McQuaid's,POV. Although the tense changes, I did not find it all that distracting and it was great to know what he thinks and feels about China.This book is the third in the trilogy that began with Bleeding Hearts with the discovery of China's half brother and his interest in their father's death. I liked that Ms Albert took this long to develop the story so that we had a feeling for China's aversion to it but an understanding of why she ultimately gets involved.
The China Bayles mysteries are exceedingly well written and, in my opinion, the best of the genre with the amount of research that is involved and the inclusion of Ms Albert's knowledge of herbs and their uses. And the recipes that are included make your mouth water! Who could ask for more? I highly recommend reading all 16 books, preferably in order, because of the character growth and the new characters that appear now and then.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Are You Waiting For?, April 20, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Nightshade: China Bayles #16 (China Bayles Mystery) (Hardcover)

If you have not read the China Bayles series, I suggest that you get started, and quickly. This is by far the best of the 16 or so books in this wonderful series. It also the last of the trilogy of books about China Bayles' family secrets, and her father in particular. For that reason, I wouldn't suggest starting here. These books progress and the characters develop in each book, so the only way to truly enjoy this series is to start with the first one "Thyme of Death" and read on from there. I envy you your journey into the fascinating world of China and her friends! I really don't want to say too much about the story in this book because it would give too much away, but once you have gotten to "Bleeding Hearts", which is the first of the three books in the mini-trilogy about China's family's past, you will want to read "Spanish Dagger" and this book very quickly in order to get to the heart of the whole story. This book has lots of wonderful herb lore too, and some fascinating recipes at the end. I cannot wait for another China Bayles' book, and hate that it will be at least another year for me to touch base with China and her friends.