Witches' Bane (China Bayles Series #2) by Susan Wittig Albert

From the Publisher

The second China Bayles mystery. Herb shop owner China is shocked when Halloween hijinks take a gruesome turn in Pecan Springs, ending in a brutal murder. And China 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. **MASS MARKET PAPER**

Publishers Weekly

Murder and suspicion of witchcraft in a small Texas town draw attorney-turned-herbalist China Bayles into her second case (after Thyme of Death ). Rumors of devil worship are rampant in Pecan Springs following the probable suicide of a teenager and the unexpected deaths of a transient and a nursing home resident. The turmoil increases when the Reverend Billy Lee Harbuck begins picketing the Crystal Cave, a New Age shop, claiming that the owner, China's friend Ruby Wilcox, and her customers are practicing witchcraft. Wealthy Sybil Rand, notorious for maintaining a garden of poisonous plants, is found murdered with Ruby's knife after a feminist Halloween party attended by assorted goddess worshippers. Ruby becomes the prime suspect. Other candidates for the murderer's role are Ruby's newest love interest, Andrew Drake, who has a mysterious past and may have been Sybil's lover, and, despite his excellent alibi, the widower, C. W. Rand, managing partner of a nearby resort and sometime ladies' man. As China and her lover, criminal justice professor and ex-cop Mike McQuaid, delve into the case, China must cope with her feelings for an alcoholic mother who is finally taking control of her own life. Albert's lively mystery captures the flavor of a modern small-town being reshaped by big-city refugees. Mystery Guild alternate. (Oct.)

Library Journal

A former fast-lane lawyer, now an herb-shop proprietress, China Bayles has both the expertise and the time to help her friends when they get into trouble. After police accuse best friend Ruby's new boyfriend of a cultlike murder, China charges to the rescue. A local anti-Satan, anti-witchcraft, anti-anything-different preacher with a grudge against the two women becomes the prime suspect. This novel has a nicely constructed plot and captivating characters and dialog. Even better than Thyme of Death ( LJ 11/1/92).

BookList

High-powered Houston attorney China Bayles has forsaken big bucks in the big city to become a good ol' gal in tiny Pecan Springs, Texas. She's opened an herb store and now dabbles in New Age arts and crafts, hangs out with the local "single and loving it" ladies, and solves crimes in her spare time. And it's a good thing she does--Pecan Springs is in the throes of a witch hunt. First it was the appearance of sacrificial artifacts. Then it was a Wiccan Night of the Dead celebration. Next someone slit the throats of the town pets. And now the wife of a local developer has been found brutally murdered. Albert dishes up abundant Tex-Mex detail (flora, fauna, lingo), hearty local recipes and cooking tips, herbal wisdom, and lots of female bonding scenarios--a combination ripe with cornball potential. Luckily, Albert also offers a delightful cast of unusual characters, a catchy plot, and a refreshing heroine to balance the often too-hearty folksiness. On the whole, an entertaining and engaging story.

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