Witches' Bane [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group (1994)
• ASIN: B001C91OSU
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 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, 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery with an herbal twist, August 3, 2000

By 

Michael Thorn (Shirley, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witches' Bane (China Bayles 2) (Paperback)

I had the pleasure of hearing the author speak recently and discuss her mysteries and her vast knowledge of herbs. I'm not the usual mystery fan but I liked this book because it creates interesting characters that are multidimensional and it presents lots of interesting herb lore. You learn from this novel and you also have an interesting ride on the search for a killer. Her details on the modern religion of Wicca are well informed and grounded in reality. I've shared this book with several friends who enjoyed it thoroughly. We are now moving on to her other books with great anticipation.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Halloween Pranks Turn Deadly, September 24, 2004

By 

L. Kelly (Lakewood, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witches' Bane (China Bayles 2) (Paperback)

Strange things have been going on in the Texas town of Pecan Springs. A town resident has discovered dead chickens with piles of coins nearby. Another resident has discovered one of his goats killed, also with a pile of money nearby. To make matters even worse, China Bayles' friend Ruby Wilcox has started teaching a class on reading tarot cards. Then a Bible-thumping preacher arrives in Pecan Springs and starts accusing Ruby of devil worship. Are all these strange happening due to Ruby's witchcraft, or are they the work of Mexican santerias?

On Halloween night, one of the women in Ruby's tarot class holds an all-woman Halloween party. Then the hostess is discovered brutally murdered the next morning. The travelling minister suggests that Ruby is the prime suspect of the murder, so China goes to work to find the real killer.

"Witches' Bane" is the second book in the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert. This is a fast-moving, interesting mystery, with great twists at the end. There are lots of facts included about growing herbs and other plants. China is such a smart, down-to-earth heroine and very likable. I highly recommend this book, both to fans of the China Bayles series as well as readers looking for a fun Halloween-themed mystery.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read but the killer was too easy to guess, January 31, 2005

By 

M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Witches' Bane (China Bayles 2) (Paperback)

This is my first book in the series, and although I enjoyed reading this mystery, I thought the author didn't do a good enough job on the plotting. My secret method of guessing the killer worked like a charm on this book, as I think it will with other experienced mystery readers. Still, the characters and writing were enjoyable enough that I intend to continue reading more in the series.

THe plot involves a killing that appears to be the work of santeria enthusiasts -- a kind of voodoo like religion popular among certain elements of the Mexican population of this Texas town. The townspeople think that these people are responsible for the ritual death, but the police and our herb-shop owner/lawyer think otherwise -- that it was instead someone with a particular motive for wanting this woman dead.

Perhaps the small-town Texas setting is the part of the book I liked best. The author creates a place you can imagine as though you were there -- a place you'd like to visit. The characters are quirky and likeable, except for the ones that the author doesn't want you to like. As I said, I will be reading more in the series -- probably go back and try reading them in order!