China Bayles is in a pickle. The daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has turned up on her doorstep, pregnant and in need of a place to live. And her otherwise sensible husband has announced that he's bored with teaching and ready for a career change." "Say "hello" to P.I. Mike McQuaid and Associates. There aren't actually any "associates" - unless you count Ruby and China, of course. But the title does have a nice, official ring to it. His first client is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of the biggest little pickle business in Texas. According to Phoebe, her plant manager is embezzling, and she wants McQuaid to follow the money." Meanwhile, Pecan Springs is hosting the annual Picklefest - and this year, China and Ruby are on the planning committee, along with Phoebe. But just days before the festival starts, the Pickle Queen disappears. Some say she sold her business and split; others think the answer may lie with her missing boyfriend. It's up to McQuaid and China to search for the Pickle Queen - and for clues in a case that promises to leave a very sour taste.
Dilly of a Death: China Bayles Mystery Series, Book 12
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From Publishers Weekly
Add another fragrant bloom to the dozen already in the bouquet of Albert's herbal cozies (Thyme of Death, etc.) starring China Bayles, a former big-city attorney who now runs Thyme and Seasons Herbs, a small shop in quiet, touristy Pecan Springs, Tex. Dill is the featured herb in this installment of the high-concept series. As Pecan Springs gets ready for its annual Pickle-Fest, China and the other members of the Pretty Pickle Planners panic when Phoebe Morgan the Pickle Queen disappears right before the big event. There are plenty of suspects, false scents and surprises as China scrambles to keep Pickle-Fest alive-and solve a murder or two. The interplay of the author's core characters, including China's husband Mike McQuaid and her best friend Ruby Wilcox, keep the plot perking along. McQuaid, a former cop, is focused on becoming a PI, while Ruby's daughter, Amy, seems bent on making the same mistake Ruby made as a young woman-becoming a single mother. The only sour notes Albert hits in this dill-infused mystery are the terrible pickle jokes, but China's good sense and good humor easily compensate.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Fans of the prolific Albert know that her China Bayles series delivers more than just a whodunit. Included in all of her "herbal" mysteries are several recipes--some featuring delicacies served at former lawyer China's Thyme for Tea shop and others featuring the herb showcased in the story. Dill takes center stage here, mostly in the form of pickles. Tiny Pecan Springs, located in the Texas Hill Country, is preparing for the gala tenth anniversary of Picklefest. China, whose husband, McQuaid, is launching a new PI business, is on the planning committee. Coincidentally, McQuaid's first client turns out to be Phoebe Morgan, the "Pickle Queen" whose family pickle business is the biggest in Texas. When Phoebe disappears before the festival, China and her best friend, Ruby, try to figure out where she went and why. Meanwhile, Ruby's daughter Amy is pregnant--and not divulging the father's name. As China learns more about the baby's father, Phoebe's disappearance, and an embezzlement scheme at Morgan's Premier Pickles, surprising connections are revealed. Readers will relish this more-sweet-than-sour adventure. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a hardy annual member of the parsley family, native to southern Russia and the Mediterranean area. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a hardy annual member of the parsley family, native to southern Russia and the Mediterranean area. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By S. Schwartz
Format:Hardcover
This book is a "dilly of a book", and I couldn't believe how much I had missed China. Ms. Albert cannot write these books fast enough for my taste. This is a great China Bayles book. In it China is trying to find the killer of a local business lady who runs a pickle factory. As she delves deeper into the past, she finds more suspects and motives for murder than she knows what to do with. In the book we see some of our favourites-Ruby, Janice, McQuaid, but we also see China, and that's what makes this series. Reading this book is like catching up with some old friends. There's also some fabulous recipes in the book.
By A. Christie
Format:Hardcover
China Bayles is still adjusting to married life with former police detective and current university professor, Mike McQuaid. Teaching wasn't really challenging enough and he misses investigative work so he has decided to hang out his P.I. shingle. Mike's first client is Phoebe Morgan, Pecan Spring's Pickle Queen. There seems to be a case of embezzlement at Morgan's Premier Pickles, the local pickle factory. Phoebe disappears right before the annual pickle festival. She was in the process of selling her business. Some think she ran away with her much younger painter boyfriend until her body was found in the effluent tank at the plant. Her boyfriend is prime suspect until his body is found dead of an apparent suicide. It's not long before his death is classifed as a murder. In a parallel story, Ruby's daughter Amy is pregnant and is not disclosing the baby's father.
The China Bayles series has always been a bit uneven. Some of the books are really good and some are very boring. I thought this was one of the better books in the series. The story really flowed and kept a good pace. Set in Texas Hill Country, Albert gives you nice sense of the rural aspect of the countryside outside of Austin. One of the best parts of the China Bayles books are the herbal facts and recipes included with the actual story. I have almost as much fun reading these as trying to figure out whodunit.
By "lucy_98"
Format:Hardcover
She's a good author, and writes substantial mysteries. While I'm not into regional work from that area of the country, I still get interested by her books.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who Killed the Pickle Queen?
China Bayles has a new roomer. Amy, the daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has arrived on her doorstep pregnant and in need of a place to stay. Read more
Published on Feb 15 2004 by Dawn Dowdle
4.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite China in a long time!
I loved A Dilly of a Death. I nearly gave up on this series after the past few books but after this one I was glad I stayed with them. Read more
Published on Jan 28 2004 by SAS
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Fun
China returns with a great adventure. Wonderful characters and a solid story really make the book a fun read. Read more
Published on Jan 26 2004 by S. hemenway
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is A Real Pickle
It's closing in on Picklefest when the Pickle Queen, Phoebe Morgan disappears, leaving China Bayles to start the search for her. Read more
Published on Jan 16 2004 by Dominic Smith
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