Wormwood

Written by Susan Wittig Albert

Narrated by Julia Gibson

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. ". another winner from this dependable veteran." -Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 27, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440774195

Susan Wittig Albert

Susan Wittig Albert is the New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred books. Her work includes four mystery series: China Bayles, the Darling Dahlias, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries. She has also published three award-winning historical novels as well as YA fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction. She and her husband live in Texas Hill Country, where she writes, gardens, and raises an assortment of barnyard creatures.

Reviews for Wormwood

[p_s_patrick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had this book on my shelf for quite a while before reading it. Once it was started though, I remember being firmly stuck in it until it was finished. While it is aimed at a young adults, the story is darker, the plot better, and the writing finer than in the other books popular with this audience, that I have read. I found the locales and characters, and events all quite immersing and more believable and convincing that those in Harry Potter or His Dark Materials. The atmosphere of the time is created with such flair that you get great mental images of the scenes as you go through the book. If I were to pick something that would improve the book, I would say that it should be twice as long, so that all the characters could be developed. But this would perhaps have made it more laborious to read for some, and taken away the pace from the great storyline. While I have been through thousands of pages since I read this book, I am actually really looking forward to getting into the sequel, Tersias, which I have on my shelf at the moment.

[caerulius · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A dark little tale set in late-Victorian London. A metaphysical scientist receives a book that predicts a comet, Wormwood, headed for earth, and bound to set off an apocalypse. His servant-girl steals the book and dodges demons and monsters, while around her all hell breaks loose. Pretty entertaining, all told- designed for young adults of a macabre mind. Even angels commit atrocities here, and everyone in the book except, prehaps, the servant girl, has a dark ulterior motive.

[luvdancr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this book kind of dragged on for me, but it was interesting to some extent...It helps to know the symbolism of such things such as where wormwood comes from.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting fantasy set in London of 1756 and a near earth collision with a comet. Featuring magic and several groups of people with a variety of motives. A better read for me than Shadowmancer.

[aadyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great fun in an unusual setting of mid eighteen century London. Great plotting, some weak characters but the moral ambiguity is a welcome change. Good twists and turns and fun throughout. Flabby in some sections, some editing would be helpful but overall recommended

[catquilt-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good mystery, fast-moving. I definitely want to read her other books.

[mchwest · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite of her series but nonetheless I wil lcontinue to by and read all her books ,love them! I know I'm 2 behind but picked up Cat's Claw the minute it was out.

[squeex_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the amateur sleuth series that I never tire and have never been disappointed. China is resourceful and smart. Each time I read one of this series, I want to go live in the part of Texas where Pecan Springs is located. I want to grow more herbs and raise goats and spin yarn and..and..and....well, you get the idea. This story doesn't take place in Pecan Springs, rather China goes to Kentucky to a Shaker village of Mount Zion to help a friend conduct some herbal workshops and maybe help solve some issues that seem to be occurring. The problems of the present seem to be intertwined with those of the past of the Shaker village. There is plenty of herbal lore to keep the fans of the series happy and the mysteries (past and present) are presented in a superb manner as we've come to expect from Susan Wittig Albert. This is the first I've listened to or read of the series that is told by multiple voices and takes place in the past as well as the present. Julia Gibson is perfect for China and the present and Linda Stephens and Ed Sala are the epitome of the Shaker past.Multiple past and present Shaker sparkly diamonds.....

[hjjugovic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think the China Bayles series is the best one I've started in a long time. These mysteries can be considered cozies, and each revolves around an herbal theme. After having read the first few in the series, I skipped to this one because it came available on my library hold list (the list is long and I don't want to wait through it again). I thought Wormwood was particularly good for this series. China visits an old Shaker village, and the story is told partly from their point of view, a century before. The details about their lives and history was fascinating, and I love the herb lore. As usual for this series, there are places that are a little repetitive, and the mystery itself is not that challenging, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Recommended.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. Albert has combined the past and the present in this her latest China Bayles book. China is my absolute favourite heroine in the long list of savy and smart contemporary heroines who get involved in solving crimes. This book was quite different than the usual China Bayles book in that we didn't get to see much of the wonderful people of Pecan Springs like Ruby, Smart Cookie and McQuaid. China has gone off with a woman who is her mother's friend to investigate a series of happenings at a recreated old Shaker village. And of course, while she's there a murder is committed. China finds herself looking at the past as well as the present when she trie to solve the crime. I enjoyed the book because it is China, but really missed the other characters in this one.