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| Nightshade: China Bayles #16 (China Bayles Mystery) | 
 enlarge | Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $23.95
Buy Used: $2.88
You Save: $21.07 (88%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 31275
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0425219569
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780425219560
ASIN: 0425219569
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Recycled Library Edition
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Product Description
China's herb shop and catering business may be thriving, but she's still reeling from her father's death, and not even remotely interested in her half-brother Miles's investigation into that event. China's husband, on the other hand, has no such qualms. And when fate forces her to get involved as well, China realizes it's time to bring the past to light-or else it will haunt her the rest of her life.
But China and McQuaid discover that Miles may have been keeping as many secrets as he seemed determined to uncover. How deep do the layers of secrecy go? And who has a stake in concealing the truth after sixteen years?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Best of the Best! April 2, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
If you haven't read the China Bayles books - please start, but NOT here. This is the culmination of the mystery surrounding China's family and it is the best of all of her stories. The characters are fleshy, the story line is full of mystery - just enough of Ruby and plenty of food. Your mouth will water with the succulent dishes AND the murder mystery. Ms. Albert is a superb writer. I look forward to each book and try to take my time - but in a day or two the read is over and I am waiting again for the next book. Buy the first book and don't stop until Nightshade. This is an excellent series of books written by a skilled author.
tea time April 2, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Recently, China Boyles learned she had an illegitimate half-brother Miles sired by her father on his secretary Laura who worked in his law firm. He never knew the man he called uncle was really his dad until his biological father died leading to Miles finding letters written to his mother. They implied he was in danger and so were Laura and Miles. Miles believes that the car accident that killed his father was in reality a murder.
China is not interested in reconnecting with her past to find out if her father was murdered but her husband McQuaid, now a private detective, is very interested for numerous reasons. When Miles thinks he located the car that his father died in, he asks McQuaid to meet him at a designated spot. When he doesn't show up, China and McQuaid learn he was killed in the garage where he parks his car for work. McQuaid is determined to carry on with the investigation and when he goes to the location of where the car is supposed to be the woman who is holding on to it looks like she is dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. McQuaid is sure that it was attempted murder and when he pools his information with the info on the tape Laura made that China found, they go to confront someone who might have the answers not knowing that China is in danger of getting shot.
NIGHTSHADE is one of the best books in the China Bayles series. The story is told in the first person POV from the perspectives of China and McQuaid allowing fans for the first time to understand how he thinks. They will love what they learn especially how he sees his wife and his feelings about her that he is too macho to articulate. The mystery is well thought out and the killings in the present have roots in the past. Susan Wittig Albert always delivers a fantastic mystery.
Harriet Klausner
 Beware: this novel contains shifts in verb tense April 13, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I was really psyched about getting McQuaid's point of view in this book, but when I got to the second chapter, I was in for a nasty surprise. The verb tense changes. I love this series, which has always been first person and past tense. When we hit McQuaid's chapters, though, we get third person POV (which I understand) and present tense (which is unforgivable). Consequently, the book moves jarringly from past to present tense, back and forth, throughout.
Further, there are editing errors in which the tense changes sometimes in the course of a paragraph. From p. 19: "But Sharpstown was early seventies," China objected (past tense), her frown deepening. "Long before my father died." She eyes (present tense) him warily.
Seriously, I've enjoyed every one of the other fifteen books in this series, and I'm determined to read this book... I've been looking forward to it ever since I finished Spanish Dagger... but I may have to take a pen and change all the verb tenses in every one of McQuaid's chapters before I can manage it.
What Are You Waiting For? April 20, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
Unwrapped April 26, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have read all of the books in this series but this one left the reader again with unanswered questions.I am glad the saga with China's father and his past murder is over. The mystery centers upon political corruption and has a confusing cast of characters and sub plots.
In the past two books China shares no sleuthing with Ruby and I miss that.
This book left the reader wondering what Marcia is hiding about her health. She is sleeping when China comes over, pale, goes to the doctor, and evasive. McQuaid (in a verb tense hard to follow), wonders about their marriage with children and China discovers she would make a good mother after all. Off the subject,another thing that bothers me is China and McQuaid's fixation with drinking coffee throughout the day. I thought she owned an herb store why aren't they drinking the herbal teas she gives everyone else?? We are left again with an unwrapped up mystery.
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