Queen Anne’s Lace

◊ QUEEN ANNE’S LACE by Susan Wittig Albert

◊ Series: A China Bayles Mystery, Book 26

◊ Hardcover: 304 pages

◊ Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

◊ Publisher: Berkley (April 3, 2018)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 0425280055

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0425280058

SYNOPSIS:

 A present day ghost leads China Bayles to a secret from Pecan Springs's past in this haunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert.

While helping Ruby Wilcox clean up the loft above their shops, China comes upon a box of antique handcrafted lace and old photographs. Following the discovery, she hears a woman humming an old Scottish ballad and smells the delicate scent of lavender....

Soon, strange happenings start to occur in Thyme and Seasons: misplaced items, a ringing bell, and the appearance of lavender sprigs in odd places. When a customer mentions seeing a mysterious woman picking flowers nearby and then suddenly disappearing, China must finally admit what Ruby has always known--their building is haunted. But by whom?

As China investigates, the tragic story of a woman in one of the old photographs unfolds. Annie Laurie was a young widow who'd lost both her husband and her child in the same day. She manages to survive through her lace-making business and finds happiness again only to have a suspicious death overshadow her new life.

China delves into Annie's century-old mystery and realizes that solving it could have unimaginable repercussions in the here and now.

An interest in herbs first drew me to the China Bayles Mystery series by Susan Wittig Albert. Great storytelling by Albert keeps me coming back for more and more.

QUEEN ANNE’S LACE, the latest installment in the series, is a prime example of Albert’s writing abilities. She combines mystery and a touch of the supernatural with family and friendship blends it into a story about the past and present for a tantalizing tale. The intrigue pulls you in quickly and the characters hold you spellbound until the very end.

Albert has created a protagonist and cast of supporting characters that are realistic and likable. They are easy for readers to relate to. Even though this is the 26^th installment in the series, Albert keeps it fresh and inviting. She blends enough of the back story so that new readers aren’t left in the dark. At the same time, she doesn’t rehash events in such a manner that returning fans feel overwhelmed with the same old story.

Another interesting aspect of the story is the depth of research Albert does in order to feature herbs throughout the tale. There are even recipes included at the end using herbs.

Albert delivers another story that will tug on your heart strings and make you ponder what you would do if you were in China’s place.

Queen Anne’s Lace by Susan Wittig Albert, A China Bayles Mystery (Book #26), Berkley, @2018, ISBN: 978-0425280058, Hardcover, 304 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks for stopping by. Have you ever picked up a book and read it, then discovered it was the latest in a series? Do you go back and read the earlier installments and/or keep going with any future books?

P.S. Hope you’re having a great and HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13^TH!!

Wicked Cowboy Charm {+ Giveaway}

It’s always a pleasure to welcome author Carolyn Brown to Thoughts in Progress. I’m delighted to be a part of the Teaser Blitz for WICKED COWBOY CHARM, the latest installment in Carolyn’s Lucky Penny Ranch series.

To celebrate the upcoming release, Carolyn is sharing an excerpt from her new book. In addition, you have the opportunity to win one of ten (10) mass market copies of WICKED COWBOY CHARM being given away during this blitz. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details.

◊Title: WICKED COWBOY CHARM

◊Author: Carolyn Brown

◊Series: Lucky Penny Ranch, Book #4

◊On Sale: January 31, 2017

◊Publisher: Forever

◊Mass Market: $7.99 USD

◊eBook: $7.99 USD

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ONE BLIZZARD, ONE BUNKHOUSE, AND A WHOLE LOTTA TROUBLE . . .

          Josie Dawson is new in town, but it doesn't take a local to know that Deke Sullivan is trouble—in a smokin' hot package. He's sweet, sexy, and has charmed just about every woman in Dry Creek, Texas. Well, Josie won't be next. She'll keep her distance, even if he is great with babies and makes a mean cup of homemade hot chocolate.

          Deke Sullivan really is a one-woman type of guy. He just had to do a lot of looking to find that one woman. Now he thinks he's found her and he won't let a strong, sassy gal like Josie slip away. Just when he's wondering how to convince her he only has eyes for her, they get stranded in a tiny cabin during a major blizzard. If Deke can melt her heart before they dig out of the snow, he'll be the luckiest cowboy in Texas . . .

PREORDER THE BOOK HERE

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THE SERIES

WILD COWBOY WAYS, #1

HOT COWBOY NIGHTS, #2

MERRY COWBOY CHRISTMAS, #3

WICKED COWBOY CHARM, #4

Series Page on Goodreads

Now here’s an excerpt from WICKED COWBOY CHARM for your reading pleasure.

Josie could hardly take her eyes off Deke’s strong arms as he carried a pile of wood the short distance from the box to the fireplace. To have those arms around her, to cuddle up next to him on one of those bunk beds—she shook her head to get the picture out of it and reached for the tin box of matches on the mantel.

“How many do you need?” she asked.

“Just one,” he answered.

“Confident, aren’t you?”

“Not confidence, just practice, ma’am.” He got the fire going with the first one.

“Impressive,” she said.

“We’ll get it warmed up in here soon enough.”

Josie sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace and took stock of the little cabin. A set of bunk beds covered the wall to her right. A doorway into a bathroom was to her left along with crudely made bookshelves with about a hundred well-worn paperback books. A deck of cards was in the middle of a card table with a couple of folding metal chairs on either side. A second table was fitted into the small corner from the end of the bunk beds to the wall and another oil lamp had been placed in the middle of it.

“We’ll survive,” Deke said.

“Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?” Josie asked.

“Both of us. It’s better than freezing to death in our vehicles. Lord, I wish I would have turned around and gone right back home when the first snowflake hit,” he answered.

“Me too.” She threw one arm over her head and groaned.

“Top or bottom?” Deke asked.

“Well, now that depends on lots of things,” she said before she thought.

Deke whipped around, his eyes big as silver dollars. “What did you say?”

She blushed and quickly covered her blooper. “I don’t care. I could sleep right here. Maybe I’ll wake up to find this is all a dream.”

“Okay then, I’ll take the bottom bunk. Rascal gets restless if he’s not sleeping right beside the bed on his blanket or else on the foot of it. And darlin’, if you wake up and find this is a dream, don’t leave me behind.”

“No way, cowboy. You are stuck with me for the duration of this damned storm.”

“And you, darlin’, are stuck with me.”

Author Carolyn Brown, Credit Charles C. Brown

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author and RITA® Finalist who has sold more than 2.75 million books. She presently writes both women's fiction and cowboy romance. She has also written historical single title, historical series, contemporary single title, and contemporary series.

She lives in southern Oklahoma with her husband, a former English teacher, who is not allowed to read her books until they are published. They have three children and enough grandchildren to keep them young.

For more on Carolyn and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.

You can follow Forever online too by visiting their website and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This blitz-wide giveaway is for ten (10) mass market copies of WICKED COWBOY CHARM by Carolyn Brown.

To enter the giveaway just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you ever been stranded in a snowstorm? What type of food would you want to have on hand if you were caught in a snowstorm?

BTW, Happy Friday the 13^th!

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