Helpful Score: 1
#17 China Bayles mystery, which finished off the thread started a couple of books ago dealing with Chinas fathers death. This book focuses on the investigation that Chinas recently-discovered half-brother Miles instigated by hiring McQuaid, Chinas husband, to look into it. He believes that Robert Bayles death sixteen years ago in a firey car crash was no accident, but that he was murdered. Before he can do much work with McQuaid though, Miles Danforth ends up dead himself, the victim of a supposed hit-and-run in the parking ramp at his office building. All the heavy coincidences and bits and pieces of evidence come together in a totally NOT surprising ending.
This book is different than others in the series, which are always told from Chinas point of view. In this book, the author switches over to McQuaids point of view for several chapters and I must say it just does NOT work well at all! Everything from McQuaids point of view was written in the present tense and instead of using first person (I did this, I did that), it was written as McQuaid does this, McQuaid does that. I found that immensely annoying for some reason. For example, one chapter opens with, McQuaid has a long list of things to do this morning, but first things first. Another starts with McQuaid is on the road by nine thirty, heading southeast on Ack! Very distracting.
This is, truthfully, the only book in this series that I out and out did not like very much. It was primarily due to that change in POV, but also many of the regular cast members werent much in evidence til the end of the book. I missed Ruby, I missed Chinas musings in the herb garden and the shop and the folks around Pecan Springs. Im glad that Ms. Albert has gotten the mystery of what happened to Chinas father sewn up so she can move on now, and I sincerely hope she returns to the writing style she used in her previous books. I loved those, and I have already put Wormwood, the next-in-series, on my wishlist in anticipation of a GOOD return visit to Pecan Springs.
This book is different than others in the series, which are always told from Chinas point of view. In this book, the author switches over to McQuaids point of view for several chapters and I must say it just does NOT work well at all! Everything from McQuaids point of view was written in the present tense and instead of using first person (I did this, I did that), it was written as McQuaid does this, McQuaid does that. I found that immensely annoying for some reason. For example, one chapter opens with, McQuaid has a long list of things to do this morning, but first things first. Another starts with McQuaid is on the road by nine thirty, heading southeast on Ack! Very distracting.
This is, truthfully, the only book in this series that I out and out did not like very much. It was primarily due to that change in POV, but also many of the regular cast members werent much in evidence til the end of the book. I missed Ruby, I missed Chinas musings in the herb garden and the shop and the folks around Pecan Springs. Im glad that Ms. Albert has gotten the mystery of what happened to Chinas father sewn up so she can move on now, and I sincerely hope she returns to the writing style she used in her previous books. I loved those, and I have already put Wormwood, the next-in-series, on my wishlist in anticipation of a GOOD return visit to Pecan Springs.
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