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Lavender Lies (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,329 listener ratings
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A national best-selling mystery series with an herbal theme, centered around the exploits of ex-lawyer and herbalist China Bayles. In this installment, China must put her upcoming nuptials on the back burner when a murder investigation entangles her friends and neighbors.
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"Marital bliss is only a few short days away for China Bayles and Mike McQuaid, who have finally agreed to tie the knot after months of rehabilitation following Mike's gunshot wound and China's near-death experience. The garden is ready, the guests have been invited and China's new tea-room is in the final stages of preparation for the big day...until their plans get derailed by the brutal murder of one of Pecan Springs' most disliked citizens. Edgar Coleman, a real estate developer known for philandering and bribery, is found shot at point-blank range at his home in one of the town's upscale communities. As the interim police chief, Mike is responsible for solving the murder and bringing the perpetrator to trial. Though she loves him and respects his abilities, China doesn't trust Mike to solve the case (or bring in back-up) in time for the upcoming nuptials. With the help of her mystery-loving, Tarot-touting sidekick Ruby Wilcox, China sets out to determine which of Coleman's blackmail victims or lovers had something big enough to hide that they would resort to murder to preserve their secret. As she probes further into Coleman's shady dealings, more and more of the town's respectable citizens, including many of the women's friends, become suspects. With a list of suspects with great motives and poor alibis growing by the minute and no good clues, China feels like throwing up her hands in defeat. Plus, as Murphy's law would have it, murder isn't the only thing that goes wrong as the week quickly marches on to the big day. A hurricane is looming on the horizon and China becomes involved in a sad case of kidnapping as well. Will China and McQuaid make it to the altar and to their honeymoon in Hawaii? The best part of this series to date is watching the transformation in China's life and perspective. Seeing the changes in her relationships with McQuaid and her mother is wonderful. Add to that a well-crafted mystery, a plethora of herbal folklore and a great cast of characters and you have everything you could want in a cozy and more. I really appreciate the little tidbits that Ms. Albert includes at the beginning of each chapter. I don't know much about herbs and learning these little facts has been wonderful. My only complaint with this book was the number of typographical errors that I found. I just couldn't believe how many obvious ones were missed by the editors. That's sad to see in a book by such a popular author. Otherwise, however, it's a great read and I highly recommend it. (But read the others in the series first or you won't be able to appreciate the relationship dynamics that you'll see in this one!)"
— Mandolin (4 out of 5 stars)
Lavender Lies Listener Reviews
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" I've only read 3 China Bayle mysteries so far, but this is my favorite right now "
— Laurie, 2/10/2014 -
" Herbalist and detective China Bayles is planning her wedding when a town development magnate is murdered. Not trusting her fiance, who is acting police chief, to solve the crime in time for their nuptials, China and her friends get on the trail. No one is town is particularly bothered by the death of a man who seems to have been blackmailing just about the entire town. A subplot involving the daughter of China's dentist becomes part of the mystery. This one's as cozy as they come, with well meaning kids finding the murder weapon and a hurricane threatening to ruin the wedding. Lavender plays no part in the goings on, other than in its guise a a flower that signifies distrust and suspicion. Very light, quick reading. "
— Linda, 1/29/2014 -
" Yet another good book in the China Bayles series. I had no idea who the killer was in this one until it was revealed. Didn't see that one coming at all! "
— Amy, 1/25/2014 -
" she's witty and insightful, and i love the herb theme...not exactly Gordimer or Rushdie, but fun, and great company. "
— Jodean, 1/20/2014 -
" another good China Bayles mystery! "
— Annie, 1/19/2014 -
" The writing is improving and the characters are interesting but the mystery in this one was a bit of a stretch...still liked it though! "
— Natalie, 12/26/2013 -
" red herrings & hurricanes hamper wedding "
— Helen, 12/9/2013 -
" Incorporates knowledge about herbs as well as a mystery book. "
— Martha, 11/28/2013 -
" An enjoyable episode in the life of China Bayles. I'm surprised she & McQuaid managed to get the knot tied despite everything. "Good riddance" sounds about right for the nasty Edgar Coleman. "
— Catsalive, 11/24/2013 -
" Texas herbalist China Bayles must put her upcoming nuptials on the back burner when a murder investigation entangles her friends and neighbors. "
— Eddy, 11/22/2013 -
" Not sure why I haven't heard about this series. It was fun to read. "
— Nancy, 11/13/2013 -
" Charming story of a sharp DA turned herbal supply store owner and her upcoming wedding to an injured former cop . . . which happy occasion is threatened by their mutual need to solve a pair of murders in the charming town they inhabit. A enjoyable read for any rainy afternoon. "
— Michele, 10/22/2013 -
" Another fun tale in the lives of China Bayles and her friends and family in Pecan Springs, TX. This one revolves around her rapidly approaching wedding day and the trouble she needs to unravel before than so that the bridegroom can make an appearance at his own wedding and honeymoon. "
— Kristi, 9/2/2013 -
" Another great China Bayles mystery--my favorite to date. "
— Lisa, 6/23/2013 -
" A China Baysles mystery, why do I like these? china is independent, gustsy and adventurous. I suspect I really like the 'sisterhood solidarity' in these series. "
— Erin72, 10/16/2012 -
" read 11.27.07 "
— colleen, 5/25/2012 -
" This is another great China Bayles herbal mystery in Texas. This has good insight on lavender for gardeners. Great series. "
— Kristen, 5/17/2012 -
" I think this is my favorite China Bayles mystery yet! "
— Katie, 2/13/2012 -
" Another good China Bayles mystery. This one is set around the mayhem of China's wedding preparations. It's a bit over the top that she's investigating murder while making table decorations, but it still works pretty well. The herb lore continues to be interesting, IMO. "
— Katie, 5/26/2011 -
" red herrings & hurricanes hamper wedding "
— Helen, 3/31/2011 -
" I usually like it when an author reads their own book outloud....but this was not one of them. yikes. <br/>I think I will try to listen to all of these...entertaining while I quilt. "
— Cindy, 6/20/2010 -
" This is #8 in the series, and McQuaid is recovering; China and Ruby put on a wedding, open their tea room, and solve a multi-suspect murder before a hurricane hits Texas the day of China's wedding. There are lots of great lore and recipes with lavender. "
— Nancy, 2/7/2010 -
" The writing is improving and the characters are interesting but the mystery in this one was a bit of a stretch...still liked it though! "
— Natalie, 2/1/2010 -
" Incorporates knowledge about herbs as well as a mystery book. "
— Martha, 11/4/2009 -
" I've only read 3 China Bayle mysteries so far, but this is my favorite right now "
— Laurie, 8/14/2009 -
" An enjoyable episode in the life of China Bayles. I'm surprised she & McQuaid managed to get the knot tied despite everything. "Good riddance" sounds about right for the nasty Edgar Coleman. "
— Catsalive, 7/29/2008 -
" I just love Susan Wittig Albert's books - you feel like you're part of the town of Pecan Springs - plus i love all the herbs! I'll be buying my first lavender plant this weekend! "
— Karen, 4/29/2008
About Susan Wittig Albert
Susan Wittig Albert is the author of over 100 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 published three award-winning historical novels, as well as young-adult fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction. She serves as an editor of Story Circle Book Reviews and helps to coordinate its online class program.