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Spanish Dagger (China Bayles Mystery) Mass Market Paperback – April 1, 2008

by Susan Wittig Albert (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 218 ratings
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While harvesting yucca plants to make paper, China Bayles finds a body-cause of death: unknown. It seems that the simple lives of many residents of Pecan Springs hide complex and dangerous pasts. And now, while also unraveling secrets that hit close to home, China must set the record straight- and find a killer.
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Previous page
  1. Book 15 of 29
    China Bayles
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Berkley
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2008
  6. Dimensions
    4.19 x 0.82 x 6.78 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0425220885
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0425220887
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A leader among female sleuths." -- Publishers Weekly "Combines a fast-moving plot with the botanical lore and recipes that her readers have come to expect. Solid entertainment." -BOOKLIST

About the Author

Susan Wittig Albert grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she is the author of the China Bayles Mysteries, the Darling Dahlias Mysteries, and the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Some of her recent titles include Widow’s Tears, Cat’s Claw, The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose, and The Tale of Castle Cottage. She and her husband, Bill, coauthor a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries under the name Robin Paige, which includes such titles as Death at Glamis Castle and Death at Whitechapel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; Reprint edition (April 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0425220885
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425220887
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.82 x 6.78 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 218 ratings

About the author

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Susan Wittig Albert

Susan Wittig Albert

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As a writer, I work in three genres, mystery, historical fiction, and memoir. My mysteries include the China Bayles Herbal Mysteries and The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s, as well as an eight-book series, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the 12-book series that my husband Bill Albert and I coauthored under the pseudonym of Robin Paige.

My historical fiction includes THE GENERAL'S WOMEN, a wartime romance about Ike's love affair with Kay Summersby; LOVING ELEANOR, about the intimate friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok; and A WILDER ROSE, about the mother-daughter team that produced the Little House books. A WILDER ROSE is currently under option for film.

Bill and I live in the Hill Country of Central Texas, where I write, garden, raise chickens, and practice the fiber arts. You can find out more in my two memoirs: TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE; and AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS.

www.susanalbert.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
218 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

dakota
5.0 out of 5 stars The series only gets better and more interesting!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2012
Verified Purchase
The characters are very well developed and become increasingly more interesting as the series progresses. I enjoy the research that has gone into this book and all her others re: policitical events, historical perspective on herbs and plants, and personal medical issues woven in. I like these books so much, my mother and other friends can't wait until I finish the next one and pass it on.
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Melinda G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this one, too!
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2013
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This book is about the middle of the 20-year long series of the China Bayles mysteries. It is one of the trilogy of China Bayles finding out more about her deceased father and that she also has a half-brother. I like the way Susan Albert writes concerning China, who in the beginning was in her forties, not married and not really desiring to have children. When she finally marries Mike McQuaid, she becomes a mom to his 11-year old son, Brian. Now, in this trilogy within the series, China will also become the mom to her 10-year old niece, Caitlin, her half-brother's daughter.
One person found this helpful
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Edie
4.0 out of 5 stars Another Clever Herbal Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2010
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China Bayles is back with another murder mystery on her hands. As she is helping her friend Carole gather yucca leaves for a papermaking workshop, she discovers the body of Ruby's ex-boyfriend, Colin. Ruby, in the meantime, is out of town dealing with her elderly mother as she tries to get her into a nursing home.

As if all that was not enough, China's newly found half-brother wants to find out what really happened when their father drove off a bridge to his death sixteen years before. While China wants nothing to do with this situation, her retired cop husband, now a PI, decides to investigate.

Author Susan Wittig Albert deftly weaves the several storylines together for a solid tale of misguided love and betrayal. How she comes to find out who killed Colin and why is, of course, at the root of Spanish Dagger. While I have read this series from the beginning, I am just now catching up with the latter books. It seems each book was written with more depth and deeper characteriation than earlier books.

Every time I open another China Bayles mystery, I feel like I am returning to old stomping grounds and catching up on what has been going on in my absence. As usual, China and her family and friends keep things interesting in Pecan Springs, Texas.

If you love a good mystery but haven't yet read any of the China Bayles series, you can jump in anywhere. Each book stands alone while you can also go back to the beginning and get the deeper background of her family and relationships. Either way, you will be rewarded with another great mystery.

 Spanish Dagger (China Bayles Mystery)
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Susan Hill Barrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Spanish Dagger
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2014
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I am hooked on China Bayles Mysterys. I like the plot, the characters, the solving of the mysteries and the humor. I also like the fact that the murders aren't described in gruesome detail.
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glinda davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the book and the story line
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
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Loved the book and the story line. There is always more than one mystery with this author and it successfully carries into the next book! I love this series, love all the characters and all recipes and plant/herb info! Love this author!
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Born to Read
3.0 out of 5 stars I'm still waiting
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2007
Verified Purchase
I have read every book and I wait anxiously for each new one. This one didn't quite live up to my expectations. It was fun to learn more about Sheila, but keeping Ruby AND her husband away and acting so immature about the situation with her half-brother didn't help this story at all. I enjoyed this one the least. The only enjoyable feature is the dog. If she kills him, I am finished. I am afraid that is she is getting tired of the series, and she might start using worn techniques. I don't think that she should close the herb shop as one reviewer suggested because this series has too much potential. I will be here next year when the new book comes out.
2 people found this helpful
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Trudie F. Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars China Bayles
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019
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This is another magnificent book about China Bayles! Love the series!!!
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Michelle Boytim
4.0 out of 5 stars Past lives uncovered while family trouble brews
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2012
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Spanish Dagger is the 15th installment of the China Bayles series. China is setting up to do a paper-making workshop when her friend Ruby, is called out of town to deal with her mother, who is suffering from early dementia and is causing trouble by stealing silk scarves and locking herself in her car. China has some family issues of her own as her half brother hires her husband to investigate their father's purportedly accidental death. While looking for plants to use in the paper making class, China makes a grisly discovery of a dead body. Now she must take on digging into the case and informing Ruby that her boyfriend has been murdered. To make matters more complicated "Tough Cookie" also knew the victim and his secret past. This was a good mystery and also had some great plant lore and recipes as well.
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Top reviews from other countries

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daxie1968
5.0 out of 5 stars Great sequel!
Reviewed in Germany on August 6, 2008
Verified Purchase
I know not many writers that manage to write a serial on such a high level! The new book is no exception! It is a real page-turner. The plot is very thrilling, but we also meet the faces we know and love from the former books. I strongly recommend though, to read the previous books first, before taking this one.
Can't wait for the next!
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Fuchs Joan
5.0 out of 5 stars Ausgezeichneter weiterer Band
Reviewed in Germany on May 2, 2008
Verified Purchase
Die meisten Bücher dieser Serie sind solides, interessantes und komplexes Handwerk, und dieses ist keine Ausnahme. Ein richtiger Pageturner. Der No-Nonsense-Stil der Autorin, keine Schnörkel, eine packende Geschichte, stimmig und logisch bis zum Schluss. Dieses Buch war ein Genuss und macht Lust auf mehr.
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