Sunday, January 3, 2010

Kindle : A Different China Bayles Mystery

Wormwood (China Bayles Mysteries, #17) Wormwood by Susan Wittig Albert


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This entry into the China Bayles series was a bit different. China accompanies her Mississippi friend Martha to a Shaker village in Kentucky where she finds the answers to two different mysteries. One puzzle is current: Are funds being embezzled from the nonprofit foundation that runs the museum village? Was the accountant murdered or did she drown accidentally? The other mystery goes back to 1912: Why did Sister Charity suddenly leave the Shakers? What hastened the demise of the Mt. Zion community?
This book was different from the usual China Bayles mystery because it was set entirely in Kentucky. All of the usual supporting characters are back home in Pecan Springs so China is on her own. The major difference however is that the story is told in 2 parts. One narrator of course is China herself, but the other story is told through the journals and letters of the 1912 Shaker inhabitants.

I really liked the peek into history, and the use of the journals and letters provided insight into a different culture. I didn't mind that the book was a departure from the usual format, although I can see why some readers might not appreciate the break.

This was another book I read on my new Kindle. I really do like the ease of reading in bed that the Kindle affords.

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

You simply must stop this! I just had to spend money for computer repairs, and I want a Kindle so bad so that I can read in bed comfortably without bothering DH. And to tempt me with a new China Bayles is beyond everything!

Have a good return to the school year.