Customer Reviews

Rosemary Remembered (China Bayles Mystery)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When China's accountant, Rosemary, is killed, China tries to figure out who the murderer is. There are several possibilities which adds to the suspense. Along the way China discovers how much she loves her boyfriend's teenage son, Brian. Like the rest of us, China doesn't realize how much she loves someone until she almost loses them. It's a great story!!

So far my favorite China Bayles book, this clever herbal mystery reads beautifully. From a stubborn air conditioner to step-child issues to murder, trekkies and channeling, and a host of wonderfully quirky characters, everything fits together neatly and truly works. The later books have more herbal lore included, which I missed a bit in this one, and Ms. Wittig Albert provided enough clues for the reader to puzzle out the mystery. Nonetheless, it was a delightful and enjoyable read.

I have been reading the China Bayles series, and this is the fourth book in the series. I strongly recommend that you begin at the beginning and read them in order. It's not necessary in order to enjoy this book, but it helps. Then you will see how much gentler China is becoming. She is certainly not as "hard-bitten" a heroine like VI Warshawski or Kinsey Mallone, but I like her because she is the way she is. This is a good series and, as always, there is lots of good plant information in this book. Unfortunately, I figured out "who-donuit" about 1/2 way through the book, but it didn't spoil the story. I hope that in subsequent books in the series, which I will be reading, Ms. Albert does not leave such glaring clues. I like being held in suspense until the end.

This is the fourth China Bayles mystery I've read, since I'm reading them in the order published. These books keep getting better and better. While her first three books were great, this one, "Rosemary Remembered," is her best yet. I love her characters. China Bayles keeps growing on me and now I feel like I know her personally. I just love her best friend Ruby. What a great character! And I enjoy watching China's relationship with McQuaid and his son evolve. Susan Wittig Albert has done a marvelous job of creating an entire town and true-to-life characters to populate it. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.

China finds her (and nearly everybody else's) accountant shot in McQuaid's blue truck, which they had borrowed to Rosemary. This happens shortly after a convicted killer, who McQuaid helped to put behind bars and who threatened to get even, was relased. Rosemary happens to resemble China at first glance and she was driving McQuaid's truck. Who shot Rosemary who was recently divorced from an abusive husband (who happens to manage a gunshop) and was involved with one of the local hotel co-owners? Did anybody really know Rosemary? Did she have a secret agenda? Why has the man she was involved with gone on a fishing trip shortly before Rosemary was killed? The hotel co-owner's brother-in-law (who owns the other half of the hotel) sends McQuaid after him to bring him back, but where did Jeff really go?
China, who in the meantime has moved in with McQuaid, Brian and all his animals, is not only busy preparing a conventionof herbalists in Pecan Springs but also busy to find out about the motif for Rosemary's murder as well as her killer.
Even though Pecan Springs is fictional, everyone who knows the Texas Hill County will immediately feel familiar with places and people. Susan Wittig Albert gets better and better! I think it is a good idea to make references to previous novels, because readers not familiar with them will know what has happened before and can start with any book of this series. Read this book and you will get hooked

Rosemary Robbins is China Bayles' hard-working accountant. When China runs an errand to Rosemary's house, she finds her dead from several bullet wounds. There are no lack of suspects, as Rosemary has an angry ex-husband and two women who are jealous of her new relationship with a man named Jeff. Then, there's a man that China's live-in boyfriend McQuaid helped put away, who is now out of jail. China and her friends do some investigating, despite the fact that McQuaid does not want her to become involved. Before it's over, her friend Ruby convinces her to consult with Ondine, who uses Ouiji boards and communicates with the dead. This book seemed to delve into the occult more than was necessary, but it did develop the relationship between China and McQuaid's son, Brian.

As with the first three books in this series, I still ask myself how come somebody who owns a store seems to have so much time to run around doing other things. But, getting beyond that, this has definitely been my favorite to date. In this one, after finding the body of Rosemary Robbins (who ran the store a few doors down from China), China seems to feel she owes it to Rosemary to find out who killed her. So once again, instead of letting the police do their job, she throws herself into the thick of things. So, you've got one dead body, one person missing, McQuaid out of the country trying to track down said missing person, an ex-con McQuaid helped put away recently released and threatening to come after McQuaid's son Brian (who has been left in China's care while McQuaid is out of the country), and McQuaid's ex-wife suing for custody of Brian. All in all, a big improvement over her previous books, and a lot of stuff happening. Of course, let's not forget the never-ending tidbits of knowledge regarding various herbs, which I think adds a pleasant side to each of these stories.

This is my second China Bayles book. This is a good example of compelling plotting and good characterisations. The author combines the sweet sadness of China's home life with the brutal terror of the murder plot. This is in the vein of Kinsey Millhone stories but China is a somewhat more domesticated Kinsey. Well worth a try.

Rosemary Robbins borrowed The Beast, the blue pickup belonging to China's house-mate and best guy, Mike McQuaid. When China arrived at Rosemary's house to retrieve The Beast, she found Rosemary's body inside the truck. It was determined she had been killed the night before, and police on the scene also noted she looked enough like China to be her sister.

As this information followed a phone call from McQuaid letting her know a killer had been released from prison prematurely, and that he had pledged revenge on McQuaid for his role in placing the convict in prison, there was concern that the murder was a case of mistaken identity. Rosemary's recent acrimonious divorce may have also put her in harms way.

In the meantime, China is still getting used to being a step-mom, McQuaid goes out of town on a mission, and Brian gets wrapped up with Trekkies. Multiple story lines keep the plot moving quickly as it rapidly builds to a satisfying finish.

This is one of my favorites of the early China Bayles novels, especially as she and her new family are learning how to adjust to living together. I also like how the author continues to tie together each book in the series providing continuity.

Rosemary Remembered (China Bayles Mystery)

I didn't guess the killer. I didn't even try, but just read along enjoying the book. There were a lot of things going on, but the author kept all of them balanced and under control. This is my second China Bayles mystery. I really like all of the information about herbs because I grow them too.