Reviews

Dead Man's Bones, by Susan Wittig Albert

wildflowerz76's review

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3.0

Eh. The mystery, though convoluted enough, was incredibly transparent. The "who" in "whodunit" wasn't so much a mystery and a foregone conclusion the reader would make and quickly.

Also, why the heck do so many cozy mysteries have places to eat where they let cats wander around? Ew.

jacinta_m_carter's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

birdomens's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

pussreboots's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

cherylanntownsend's review against another edition

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5.0


China Bayles is an ex-lawyer that runs an herbal gift shop in Pecan Springs. Ruby Wilcox is her BFF and partner in an upscale tea room, as well as owner of adjoined new age shop. Together, they help the local authorities solve crimes. Sometimes, they are even asked to.

The skeletal remains of a man are found during an archeological dig, but of a more recent era than anticipated. With nothing to go on, its back burner status.

As I have come to notice, even given my limited TV/movie viewing history, there seems to be a lot of re-charactering in this series. First, Minerva from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is reincarnated in “Bloodroot,” then the scene with Brad Wesley reimagined as uncle Clancy erratically driving & sideswiping China from “Roadhouse” appears in “Indigo Dying.” In this mystery, we have a bit of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane” nodding in as (ironically) Jane Oberman and her sister, Florence. The two spinsters of old family wealth and secrets. When the sterner of the two shoots dead an “intruder” it opens up a fleur de lis of murders and interloping side stories to keep you guessing (often wrong) as to just who did what to whom and why.

The townspeople we’ve come to know are mostly here, with a few additions, so it’s always a reunion, of sorts.

As with all her books, there is the addition of herbal lore, uses and recipes.
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