Queen Anne's Lace is More Than Just a Weed

Queen Anne's Lace by Susan Wittig Albert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been awhile since I've given the books in this series a 5 star rating. Not that the others are not excellent and usually receive a 4 star response. It is just that, while the characters and their stories are as comfortable as old friends, the mysteries in which they have been involved were, just that--comfortable but not particularly challenging or different. In this installment, however, China Bayles, the protagonist and herbalist, who stands in for the author, had to have a story that would allow her to speak of those herbs women have used through the ages either to prevent pregnancy or terminate it.
Since in these modern times herbs are not the first line in a woman's collection of bodily defense there needed to be a storyline in which they were pretty much the only things to which one could resort. As a result, China finds herself in possession of photos taken of the woman for whom China's place of business was built as her home when a newly wed. Not only has China found these photos but there were also newspaper clippings and pieces of old home made lace. In the event these items didn't stimulate China's curiosity about this woman, Annie Laurie Duncan, Annie herself haunts the shop and communicates in various eerie ways to stimulate China's interest. So as not to leave the reader totally in the dark, the story alternates chapters between China's research and Annie's day and her life. Truth be told, I often wanted to skip China's story and jump right back to Annie's story.
If the book is weak at all, it is in the motivation for Annie's haunting and its revelation at the end. There was more I wanted to know about Annie and the ending was too soon and too abrupt leaving me slightly disappointed in it. Still, as always I've learned more about herbs and their usage as well as the history of womens' efforts to control their reproductive lives.

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