Thyme of Death
Written by Susan Albert Wittig
A Book review by Rosie Kern
Do you enjoy reading? It’s been a passion of mine from childhood and my tastes run across a multitude of genres. It’s always fun to find stories, regardless of genre, that contain elements familiar to the reader. As a gardener my mind perks up when the author weaves elements including plantlife into the story.
From the ingredients named in the Witches Brew in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, to the treelike creature named “Groot” in Guardians of the Galaxy, a story takes on more depth when it touches the reader’s passions.
Gardeners can take delight in the herbal mystery series written by Susan Wittig Albert. From the first novel, Thyme of Death, to Forget Me Never, there are 32 novels. Each book is centered around a lady named China Bayles, who in her mid-thirties decided to walk away from a high paying career as a criminal lawyer in Houston, and move to a small town in central Texas where she opened an Herb Store. Little did she know that small towns generate mysteries as varied as the big city!
Albert weaves intriguing and interesting characters and events all totally believable as residents of small-town America into her stories. Of course, it is curious that there is at least one mysterious death a year in a place the size of Roswell.
In addition to solving crimes, these books have hints and tips about various herbs, some have excellent recipes. For example, Lavender Lies has a delicious recipe for Lavender Madelaines, and Lavender and Mint Tea. It also tells how to make lavender bath oils, lip balm, and sachets.
The book, Chile Death, does contain a recipe (and a poem) about chili – but unfortunately it is obvious that her favorite version is the bean-less texan type containing Poblanos. Regardless, the stories are still quite good.
I find that one of the joys of “finding” a series that has been in print for awhile is that I can binge out on books without having to wait a long time for the next one. Most of the list are easily available on Amazon both in print form and as ebooks, or audible. You can find a list of titles in wikipedia under the author’s name. So, wander through the Nightshade, Hemlock, and Widow’s Tears to a Rueful Death when you want to enjoy a good mystery!
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Did you enjoy this book review? Do you have a favorite book – fiction or non-fiction, that features gardens and plants in some fashion? If so, send the title and author name to Rose Kern for possible inclusion in a future newsletter. solarranch@swcp.com
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