A Plain Vanilla Murder

I love China Bayles mysteries and this was a very good one.
I learn a lot about orchids and vanilla, and read an entertaining and engaging mystery.
The mystery was solid as usual and it was great to meet again the usual cast of character and to meet new ones.
I loved how the plot was developed, fast paced and full of twists and turns, the well written characters and the lovely setting.
It wasn't hard to spot the culprit but I had to understand the reasons beyond the murder.
I look forward to reading the next installment by Ms Wittig Albert.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a lovely book! Murder and mayhem in a vanilla flavoured Texas. The characters are fun if a little eccentric, the murder pleasingly designed and the descriptions of small town life delicious. Interwoven throughout is vanilla and the passions that it, and all orchids, invoke - hate, lust, greed, jealousy, revenge. Amongst the detecting from a heavily pregnant Chief, Sheila Dawson, and her team we also have folk-lore, remedies and cooking (all with vanilla of course) making a detective story with a difference. China Bayles is our modern day Miss Marple of a sorts and works well investigating/nosing from the side lines whilst also taking the main role of herbalist extraordinaire. There are plenty of red herrings, masked by vanillin, and even more suspects. I like the mix of useful snippets and recipes amongst the story although the odd little changes in grammar took a while to get used to (oh dear, hanging preposition). Bits turned into third person text then back to 'normal' dialogue but it's a very minor criticism. I've now learnt that there are other books featuring the two main characters, Sheila and China, and will be looking out for those. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Persevero Press, for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been reading China Bayles almost since the beginning of the series. Each book seems to be better and more intense than the last one, but yet you still feel that down-to-earthiness with China. I love learning, in great detail, about each herb Ms. Albert writes about. I take away information that is very useful in real life cooking situations. This is another must-read from Ms. Albert that will keep you turning the pages.

Everything you ever wanted to know about vanilla, orchids and crime solving rolled up into one great adventure. I loved the history sections of vanilla and info on orchids. I know I would kill an orchid probably by just looking at it as the author explained how challenging they are to raise and thrive.
The book was hard to put down. Isn't it annoying when you have to work or sleep? I was drawn into this charming hometown with characters that are open minded and refreshing.
A very exhausted pregnant police chief who is still very much a pro at what she does despite her need for numerous bathroom breaks works along with China Bayles whose life now center around her thriving business and family. Murder, smugglers and kidnappers keep China on her toes and the reader turning the pages to race to the end. I highly recommend this book and look forward to another visit with China and her engaging friends.
Posted to Goodreads and will post on KOBO, Amazon and Barnes and Noble when published.

Sheila, Pecan Springs very pregnant police chief, is called into a case involving the death of a professor at a local university. Is it really suicide? Did his extracurricular activities have something to do with his death? He was doing research on rare vanilla orchids, and China is doing a vanilla workshop at her herb shop, so she becomes involved in the case. This series is one of my favorites--the protagonist, China, owns an herb shop, and the author not only does research on the plant in the title, but also includes recipes. I loved the talking parrot who quotes Star Trek, and hope he comes back in subsequent books.

Despite the title of this novel, the murder mentioned in the title is anything but plain vanilla! Of course, the author would state that there is no such thing as plain vanilla anyway; I would agree. A professor of botany who has a great interest in vanilla has been murdered. The murder at first looks like a suicide, but it soon becomes clear that it is not. His ex-wife is the first suspect, of course. But then it turns out that the professor might have been involved in this several shady dealings, perhaps smuggling or taking full credit where it should have been shared.

While I read a lot of mysteries, this was a new author for me. The research is very detailed; I liked the extra details included in the author's note and the vanilla recipes at the end. These aren’t baking recipes; instead, they are recipes that can serve as foundations of other dishes, like homemade vanilla extract, vanilla powder, and even vanilla salt. The author has created a cast of characters whom I could tell had been together for a long time in the earlier books of the series. I like how the narrative focus shifted between the amateur sleuth and the detective. I appreciated that they weren’t at odds and actually worked together; they do have different approaches, so they come up with different information. I am used to reading stories where part of the conflict involves the relationship between the amateur and the real detective. It was refreshing to read a different take. The mystery itself had lots of twists and turns—like the many different notes as pure vanilla—creating a delightful rabbit hole to go down in order to figure out the who and the why. While this might have been my first book by this author, I'm sure it won't be the last.

I just discovered author Susan Wittig Albert a few months ago when I read a book from one of her other series. I wanted to read more of her writing and was so pleased to find A Plain Vanilla Murder. What a story! A great mystery. Great characters. Lots of information on vanilla - I had no idea! Plus recipes and one of the best stories I've read in a while. Ms. Albert is a masterful storyteller. and I can't wait to read more!