Review: Hemlock

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I've read China Bayles--there was a time when I read them as fast as they came out, but got tired of the series and needed a break. This appears to be the last in the series or at least the last published and I decided to go back.
What a refreshing change--China is on her own in North Carolina. She chats with her husband a couple of times and there are references to Caitie and Ruby but the cast of characters is totally new so the geographic location is Eastern Appalachian mountains in place of Texas Hill Country, there is snow and icy roads and small town Southern police and sheriffs.
China has flown in to help out an acquaintance who is the director of a private library, which is in poor shape. The books have no organization, there is no directory of holdings. One tome, however, is missing and the reason that is obvious is because it was kept in a locked, sort of, glass case and it isn't there! A herbal dating back to the 18th Century, incredibly valuable and written, etched and hand colored by a woman. Most unusual. China's friend, Dorothea and her young assistant, Jenna are at the top of the list of suspects. Dorothea has asked her friend to come East to try to locate the book and Jenna is writing a novel based on the life story of the author of The Curious Herbal.
The two plot lines are interesting and the addition of one murder, one suicide and one shooting only enhance the story. Add to that interesting locals, including a slightly ditzy parrot lady and the book just flies along. Glad I came back to finish the series.

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