Nightshade

Written by Susan Wittig Albert

Narrated by Julia Gibson and Tom Stechschulte

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. "Details of herbs and herbal remedies continue to flavor the always-intriguing plots."-Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9781440790416

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 Nightshade

[romonko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you have not read the China Bayles series, I suggest that you get started, and quickly. This is by far the best of the 16 or so books in this wonderful series. It also the last of the trilogy of books about China Bayles' family secrets, and her father in particular. For that reason, I wouldn't suggest starting here. These books progress and the characters develop in each book, so the only way to truly enjoy this series is to start with the first one "Thyme of Death" and read on from there. I envy you your journey into the fascinating world of China and her friends! I really don't want to say too much about the story in this book because it would give too much away, but once you have gotten to "Bleeding Hearts", which is the first of the three books in the mini-trilogy about China's family's past, you will want to read "Spanish Dagger" and this book very quickly in order to get to the heart of the whole story. This book has lots of wonderful herb lore too, and some fascinating recipes at the end. I cannot wait for another China Bayles' book, and hate that it will be at least another year for me to touch base with China and her friends.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is actually #16 in the series, where the Protagonist, China Bayles has evidentally retired from her law career and is running some sort of herbal tea/catering business. She has also recently (?) married McQuade - a studly character I'm definitely going to want to become better acquainted with. This was an enjoyable book, but definitely is one where I know I would have been much better off reading some of the earlier ones in the series. So this whole China Bayles series has gone onto the cozy-thon list. It's difficult to 'review' this one because, although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm not quite sure who all the players were, and I'm especially interested in some backfill to understand their motivations. I'll definitely be reading more to catch up- and then probably will re-read this one.

[scrabblenut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is part 3 of a trilogy which wraps up loose ends surrounding the mystery of China's father's death in an apparent accident where his Cadillac went off a bridge and burst into flames. Generally a great series with lots of information about various herbs and plants.

[mchwest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love this series, from number one to 16 and beyond...

[rachelfromsarasota · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I "discovered" the China Bayles mystery series when perusing the shelves at my main library branch. I grabbed some of the China Bayles' books, one of Albert's Victorian mysteries (written, I believe, in collaboration with her husband, under the nom de plume Robin Paige), and one of her Beatrix Potter mysteries. I'll admit that I couldn't get through the Victorian mystery -- I felt it was poorly written and researched. At first I enjoyed the Beatrix Potter book, but it just became too cloyingly sweet. I couldn't really get into the mystical mystery in that book.I was not a huge fan of the China Bayles' herbal mysteries, but there was just enough of a spark in China and her relationship with her significant other, Mike McQuaid, to hold my interest. The plots were not particularly engaging, and all too often the characters seemed overly saccharine and one-dimensional -- tand they never just "said" something, but were instead constantly "chortling" or "giggling "or "laughing" -- I never met such determinedly cheerful folks in my life. But I liked the herbal lore and the recipes, and frankly, sometimes there was just not that much around to read.So it was with some reservation that I picked up Nightshade, still on the "New Books" shelf of my library. I was shocked -- I really liked this book, much more than any of the other works in the series. Being of an analytical turn of mind, I've given some thought about what made this book so different from the others in the series.The answer is fairly simple -- it is written in a very different style from all the others. Albert herself notes this in her forward -- mentioning that parts of this book are written from McQuaid's point of view, rather than solely from China's perspective. I felt this added depth and interest to the story.And there's no denying that this narrative device greatly improved Albert's writing. There's a good deal less simpering in this book than in her previous works -- perhaps because she concentrates less on China's satellites (Ruby, "Smart Cookie" Chief of Police Sheila Dawson, etc.) and more on plot and China's conflicted feelings about her late father and her half-brother. For most of this book Albert's writing is tauter, more showing than telling, and thus far more engaging to the avid mystery fan.Albert's skill in drafting interesting and truly individual characters seems to be growing. She does suffer a dreadful relapse in the last chapter, when the mystery is solved and China is once again surrounded by her sycophants, but up till then I found the book eminently readable and even enjoyable.

[mldg_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another winner! Nightshade concludes a storyline that was begun earlier in this series. In Bleeding Hearts China Bayles discovers that she has a half brother, Miles Danforth. In Spanish Dagger, Miles tells China that he thinks their father's death many years ago was no accident. He hires China's husband, McQuaid, to investigate.Nightshade brings that investigation to it's conclusion. The previous books have been written in first person in China's voice. In this book, the author, Susan Wittig Albert, uses both China's and McQuaid's voices to tell the story. The switch from first person to third was disconcerting at first. After a few times I got used to it and the story flowed. The change in person did help to differentiate the points of view. It was fun to read how China and McQuaid independently discovered what had happened sixteen ago.I enjoyed this book. It was over all too soon, but there were some hints dropped as to a scenario that might continue into the next book in the series, Wormwood, due out in April 2009.

[kingsportlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a series that you really need to begin with the first book. The main character, China Bayles, owns a shop that sells herbs. She is married to a private investigator and they solve the murders together. This book solves a murder that occurred in an earlier book, but she gives enough background so you still know the whole story.

[seasidereader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Giving a voice to McQuade was a bit unnerving at first. On the whole I think it succeeded.