Thyme of Death
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 1 of the China Bayles series
When ex-lawyer and herb-shop proprietor China Bayles's friend Jo dies of an apparent suicide, China looks behind the quaint façade of her new home of Pecan Springs, Texas, and takes a suspicious look at everyone. And though she finds lots of friendly faces, China is sure that one of them hides the heart of a killer. Nominated for both an Agatha and an Anthony Award, Susan Wittig Albert's novels featuring China Bayles have won acclaim for their rich characterization and witty, suspenseful stories of crime and passion in small-town Texas.
Witches' Bane
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 2 of the China Bayles series
In a small Texas town, what starts as a little festive Halloween fun ends in a brutal murder. And lawyer-turned-herbalist China Bayles is even more shocked when her friend Ruby, a New Age expert in tarot and astrology, becomes the prime suspect after a minister accuses her of witchcraft. Now it's up to China to unmask the real killer…
Hangman's Root
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 3 of the China Bayles series
When a prominent animal researcher is found hanged in the midst of angry protests against his experiments, suspicion falls on biology professor Dottie Riddle. Known as the Cat Lady of Pecan Springs, Dottie's sympathy for strays-and the victim's distaste for them-gives the police reason to think she may be capable of murder. But China Bayles doesn't think so. She hires a lawyer for Dottie and starts looking around for clues. But she soon discovers that digging up old evil is a dirty and dangerous business...
Rosemary Remembered
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 4 of the China Bayles series
China Bayles's herb shop in Pecan Springs wasn't a big business, but it kept her busy. So she brought her taxes to Rosemary Robbins, an accountant who reminded China a bit of her former self-preoccupied, distracted, maybe a bit overstressed. Still, Rosemary always seemed pleasant, and China wished she could get to know her better. Now, though, the chance is gone. Driving out to Rosemary's house on an errand, China discovers her accountant has been murdered. With one abusive ex-husband and plenty of former clients in the picture, there's no shortage of suspects. And with a vengeful ex-convict on the loose, there's plenty for China to worry about. And as the evidence unfolds, she's more determined than ever to make the killer pay...
Rueful Death
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 5 of the China Bayles series
In search of respite, China takes off to St. Theresa's Monastery with her friend Maggie, a former nun. The goal is a brief, tranquil retreat-but there's a conflict at the convent. The Mother Superior has recently died, and a battle over the future of St. Theresa's suggests that her sudden demise might not have been accidental. Now, China's quest for a replenished spirit takes second place to a more earthbound pursuit: catching a killer.
Love Lies Bleeding
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 6 of the China Bayles series
Ex-lawyer and herb-shop proprietor China Bayles is investigating the mystery of a retired Texas Ranger shot dead with his wife's gun...while also trying to sort out some mysteries about her own relationship after she overhears a suspicious phone conversation…
Chile Death
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Susan Wittig Albert
Part 7 of the China Bayles series
The annual chili cook-off sounds like a nice respite from the stress, so China Bayles gladly accoumpanies her wheelchair-bound sweetheart to the event. But tragedy strikes when cook-off judge Jerry Jeff Cody dies of a severe allergic reactionto a peanut. Everyone knows that peanuts don't belong in a bowl of Texas chili...and China knows something suspicious is afoot. China Bayles (Rueful Death, LJ 10/1/96) contends with the paralysis of her new husband, an extended visit from her 'helpful' mother, and a case of murder at the annual chili cookoff. A charmed return to small-town Texas; for series fans.
Lavender Lies
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Susan Wittig Albert
Part 8 of the China Bayles series
The exploits of ex-lawyer and herbalist China Bayles continue. In Lavender Lies, the eighth volume (and second audio) in the series, China must put her upcoming nuptials on the back burner when a murder investigation entangles her friends and neighbors.Good riddance, is the response of every Pecan Spring resident to the murder of Edgar Coleman, a local real estate shark. With the small-town gossip mill running full tilt, it doesn't take long for China to learn that Coleman was no stranger to adultery and blackmail.With her fiance, the interim police chief, immersed in the murder investigationand the suspect list growing longer by the minuteChina can forget about a honeymoon; that is, unless she can find the killer. As China investigates, she starts digging up dirt on people she knowsand unearthing secrets that were best left six feet under.
Mistletoe Man
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 9 of the China Bayles series
Best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert sets this cozy mystery in the small West Texas town of Pecan Springs. As the Christmas decorating season approaches, Thyme & Seasons proprietor China Bayles feels overwhelmed. While she tries to balance her new roles of wife and step-mom with the demands of her thriving herbal shop, her business partner-and best friend-Ruby mysteriously disappears. Soon China's cantankerous mistletoe supplier Carl turns up dead. With Ruby missing and friends suspected of murder, China must investigate before tragedy strikes again.
Bloodroot
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 10 of the China Bayles series
In Bloodroot, best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert transports listeners to a haunted house oozing with family secrets. When a man dies soon after Tullie bashes his head with her cane, China's estranged mother frantically calls for her daughter's help. Rushing to her family's Mississippi plantation, China must determine if her Great Aunt Tullie is guilty of homicide. She must also face the possibility of developing the same terrifying disease that tortures Tullie.
Indigo Dying
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 11 of the China Bayles series
National best-selling author and resident of Texas, Susan Wittig Albert pens a quirky, but chilling mystery. When Casey Ford threatens to sell his property to a strip mining company, the townsfolk fear that Indigo will be lost forever. Protecting the town is important-so important that someone is willing to kill Casey to keep their home from being ruined. Now, in addition to running the town's cultural crusade, China Bayles must find Casey's murderer.
A Dilly of a Death
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 12 of the China Bayles series
Popular author Susan Wittig Albert and her China Bayles Herbal Mysteries have been hailed for their intelligent plots and quirky characters. China is a member of the Pecan Springs, Texas Picklefest planning committee. When the Pickle Queen disappears just days before the festival, China and her husband P.I. Mike McQuaid relish searching for the clues in this dilly of a case. This exciting whodunit is packed with plenty of pickle jokes, folklore, and homespun recipes.
Dead Man's Bones
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 13 of the China Bayles series
New York Times best-selling author of A Dilly of a Death, Susan Wittig Albert adds Dead Man's Bones to her widely acclaimed China Bayles mystery series. Publishers Weekly says China is "in a class with lady sleuths V. I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum." Deep in Texas hill country, ex-lawyer China thinks life is hectic enough already, and then her teenage son unearths human remains while digging in a nearby cave.
Bleeding Hearts
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 14 of the China Bayles series
National best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert's poetic beauty and West Texas flavor permeate her China Bayles mysteries. The high school principal asks China to secretly investigate the popular football coach who led the Panthers to six state championships. Soon after China confirms the coach's predilection for teenage girls, one of his victims turns up dead and suspicion falls upon the lecherous coach.
Spanish Dagger
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 15 of the China Bayles series
In this 15th entry in the best-selling China Bayles series, our teashop owning heroine discovers a dead body while gathering herbs by the railroad tracks. On top of that, her brother unearths new evidence suggesting their father's death was no accident, and China is soon dragged into both mysteries.
Nightshade
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Tom Stechschulte
Part 16 of the China Bayles series
In this 16th entry in Susan Wittig Albert's long-running mystery series, China is finally on the verge of finding out the truth about her father's death. But her reservations about letting her half-brother Miles hire her husband prove all too accurate when she discovers Miles has a hidden agenda.
Wormwood
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 17 of the China Bayles series
Susan Wittig Albert has won critical acclaim and a devoted following for her China Bayles mysteries featuring beloved herb shop and tearoom owner China. In Wormwood, the death of a woman in a pool-where a Shaker woman drowned in 1912-sets the stage for a perplexing whodunit.
Holly Blues
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Tom Stechschulte
Part 18 of the China Bayles series
Author Susan Wittig Albert turns up the suspense in her China Bayles mystery series. Just as the holiday season begins, so does the drama, when her husband's ex-wife Sally appears begging for help and a place to stay. 'Tis the season of giving, so China opens her home to Sally. But when troubling phone calls start, China knows she'll need to dig up the truth before Christmas turns deadly.
Mourning Gloria
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Thérèse Plummer
Part 19 of the China Bayles series
This 19th mystery in the China Bales series is a cozy herbal treat from national best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert. While Pecan Springs bustles back to life in the warmth of spring, one woman's life is tragically brought to an end. Assigned to cover the story, an intern from the local paper gets too deeply involved. When she disappears, China is determined to find her-before the young journalist becomes headlines herself.
Cat's Claw
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Morgan Hallett
Part 20 of the China Bayles series
New York Times best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert is widely acclaimed for her cozy China Bayles mystery series. In Cat's Claw, China's friend, Police Chief Sheila Dawson, takes center stage. When local computer guru Larry Kirk is found dead, many are convinced it was suicide over his recent divorce. But Sheila has a hunch there's more to this case than meets the eye-especially when evidence surfaces that Larry was being stalked.
Widow's Tears
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Morgan Hallett
Part 21 of the China Bayles series
Best-selling author Susan Wittig Albert is especially beloved for creating herbalist and ex-lawyer China Bayles. In Widow's Tears, China has urgent business to discuss with Ruby, a friend gifted with extrasensory perception. Meeting Ruby at a supposedly haunted house, China soon uncovers a mystery that may be linked to a deadly robbery that very night.
Death Come Quickly
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 22 of the China Bayles series
Herbalist and ex-lawyer China Bayles is back. In Death Come Quickly, a friend' s murder may be the key to solving a fifteen-year-old cold case When China' s and Ruby' s friend Karen Prior is mugged in a mall parking lot and dies a few days later, China begins to suspect that her friend' s death was not a random assault. Karen was a filmmaker supervising a student documentary about the fifteen-year-old murder of a woman named Christine Morris and the acquittal of the man accused of the crime. Is it possible that the same person who killed Christine Morris targeted Karen? Delving into the cold case, China learns the motive for the first murder may be related to a valuable collection of Mexican art. Enlisting the help of her San Antonio lawyer friend Justine Wyzinski-- aka the Whiz-- China is determined to track down the murderer. But is she painting herself into a corner from which there' s no escape?
Bittersweet
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Morgan Hallett
Part 23 of the China Bayles series
For more than 20 years, Susan Wittig Albert has been delivering "some of the best-plotted mysteries on the market" (Houston Chronicle). In Bittersweet, China is hoping to spend a peaceful Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs. But the holiday turns treacherous after a deadly accident. And when a local vet is shot, China and game warden Mack Chambers suspect a connection to fawns stolen from a nearby ranch.
Blood Orange
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 24 of the China Bayles series
In the newest China Bayles Mystery in the New York Times bestselling series, China comes to the aid of a nurse who ends up in the hospital... It's mid-April in Pecan Springs, and China is renting her guest cottage to Kelly Kaufman, who needs a temporary place to live as she contends with a very acrimonious divorce from her husband Rich. One nasty point of dispute is her part ownership of the Comanche Creek Brewing Company, which she is refusing to sell. At the same time, as a nurse employed by a local hospice, Kelly has discovered instances of suspicious practices. Even more disturbing, she suspects that a patient was murdered. Kelly's knowledge could be dangerous, and she wants to get guidance from China on what to do. But on her way to China's house, Kelly is forced off the road and critically injured, putting her in a medically induced coma. Now it's up to China to determine who wanted her out of the picture. Was it her soon-to-be ex? His new lover-who happens to be the sister of China's friend Ruby? Or someone connected with the corruption at the hospice? China owes it to her friend to uncover the truth-but she may be putting her own life at risk…
The Last Chance Olive Ranch
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Tom Stechschulte
Part 25 of the China Bayles series
In the exciting new mystery from the New York Times bestselling author, China Bayles fears for her husband's life as an escaped convict targets him. A killer McQuaid put away years ago has busted out of Huntsville Prison and appears to be headed for Pecan Springs. China wants to stay by her husband's side and keep him from harm, but McQuaid insists that she get out of town and go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch, where she's agreed to teach a workshop on herbs. The owner, Maddie Haskell, has her own troubles. She inherited the ranch and olive oil business from the late matriarch, Eliza Butler, but Eliza's nephew is contesting the will. While China throws herself into helping Maddie, McQuaid's plan to stop the convict backfires. And now McQuaid's life is not the only one at stake-and this time may really be his last chance.
Queen Anne's Lace
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson, Linda Stephens
Part 26 of the China Bayles series
A present day ghost leads China Bayles to a secret from Pecan Springs's past in this haunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert. While helping Ruby Wilcox clean up the loft above their shops, China comes upon a box of antique handcrafted lace and old photographs. Following the discovery, she hears a woman humming an old Scottish ballad and smells the delicate scent of lavender... Soon, strange happenings start to occur in Thyme and Seasons: misplaced items, a ringing bell, and the appearance of lavender sprigs in odd places. When a customer mentions seeing a mysterious woman picking flowers nearby and then suddenly disappearing, China must finally admit what Ruby has always known--their building is haunted. But by whom? As China investigates, the tragic story of a woman in one of the old photographs unfolds. Annie Laurie was a young widow who'd lost both her husband and her child in the same day. She manages to survive through her lace-making business and finds happiness again only to have a suspicious death overshadow her new life. China delves into Annie's century-old mystery and realizes that solving it could have unimaginable repercussions in the here and now.
A Plain Vanilla Murder
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 27 of the China Bayles series
China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder. Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder. However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake is a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl.
Hemlock
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 28 of the China Bayles series
Herbalist China Bayles's latest adventure takes her to the mountains of North Carolina, where her friend Dorothea Harper serves as the director and curator of the Hemlock House Library, a priceless collection of rare gardening books housed in a haunted mountainside mansion that once belonged to Sunny Carswell, a reclusive heiress. But the most valuable book-A Curious Herbal, created by Elizabeth Blackwell in the 1730s-is missing, and Dorothea is under suspicion. China's search for the thief takes on a new urgency when she discovers Miss Carswell's bookseller, the victim of an attempted murder. Is his shooting connected with the theft? And there are other urgent questions: What is the Hemlock Guild? Who owns Socrates.com? Did Sunny Carswell really kill herself, or does her ghost have a different story to tell? And what is the real truth behind the many tantalizing mysteries of A Curious Herbal? A compelling mix of mystery and herb lore, past secrets and present sins, and characters who are as real as your friends and neighbors, Hemlock is an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create.
Forget Me Never
by Susan Wittig Albert
read by Julia Gibson
Part 29 of the China Bayles series
Olivia Andrews is locally famous for her blog and podcast, “Forget Me Not: A Crime Victim's Storyboard”, which is dedicated to telling the stories of victims of crime. Now she has a stunning story to tell about a decades-old murder mystery involving a prominent citizen of Pecan Springs, someone who isn't the man everybody thinks he is. But she is killed by a hit-and-run driver while she's out jogging early one morning. Was it an accident, or something else? Her sister wants to know. And Olivia's friend China Bayles also wants to know, urgently. Who is the prominent citizen Olivia was about to expose? How did he manage to get away with murder twenty years ago? Did he kill Olivia to keep her from revealing his secret? What is local lawyer Charlie Lipman trying to hide? And when there's another murder... well, it has to be a part of the same story, doesn't it? And so does the scrapbook a cousin has compiled to honor the memory of one of the victims and make sure she won't be forgotten. It might hold the answer, except that the one person whose face China wants to see has been scissored out of every photo. “Forget Me Never” asks the compelling questions Who remembers? What do we choose to remember? Why do we forget?
Susan Wittig Albert's book is an engaging mix of mystery, murder, and herb lore, past sins and present secrets, and characters who are as real as your friends and neighbors.