Bittersweet (China Bayles) Hardcover – January 1, 2015

This mystery gives the reader an insight into problems with canned hunts and invasive species. This is a real problem everywhere especially with plant species. The characters in this book are well developed and some of the difficulties of their careers are included in the story line. I enjoyed reading this book.

I am a big fan of Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series. These are really excellent mysteries, excellently written --and true novels according to the original definition of a novel, which is that the main character must learn something. I only gave this one a 4/5 stars because it is not in the top rank in this series, but this series in general is in the top rank of current mystery fiction. I definitely recommend it. These novels are able to straddle a line, not really being cozies, but not being hard-boiled, either. China Bayles exists in an important and rich matrix of relationships--that makes it rather like a cozy. But she is a (former) lawyer, she has deep relationships with people who are or were police officers, and she deals with real issues of modern life. The deaths are real and have real consequences. If you have not read any of these but you like good mysteries with real relationships excellently written, I suggest you start reading them. The first one is Thyme of Death, one of the best in terms of human emotion is Love Lies Bleeding, one of the best overall is Chile Death, one of the most lovely is Lavender Lies, and one of the funniest is A Dilly of a Death.

I am a self confessed addict of these books so take anything I say knowing that. I live in the Hill Country where the story is set and actually had some experience with the deer operations portrayed here. Mrs. Albert is a great story teller and I have read all of her books, some several times. The characters are old friends by now and I know people that they remind me of. I can easily imagine myself in one of her stories. And that is the point of a good read isn't it?Susan, please write faster.

Susan Wittig Albert never disappoints in her China books. I love how she weaves current and/or past events into her stories. In 'Bittersweet,' she has opened my eyes to a problem I didn't know was going on with the deer in Texas. I love the original characters, and it's great how Susan keeps her books fresh by adding new characters and putting China, et al in new situations.

I am a big fan of Susan Wittig Albert, and have read all her books. Some, better than others, but it's probably more about my interests than an indication of the writing. The first book I read was #5 in the series, and decided to go back to #1 and read them all. I was not sorry...and have enjoyed reading the continuity, even though each book is a stand-alone book. Have enjoyed the evolution of the characters.

I have read the whole China Bayles series, and for the most part I have loved them. This is just not one of the best of the series. I enjoyed learning about the problem concerning canned hunting ranching, etc. But, I like the series best, when it is really about China, the main character in the series, her friend Ruby, and the Tyme and Seasons shop she runs. This is a good enough book, just not up to the usual of Witting Alberts writing. This book is mainly about a woman conservation agent, who is a friend of Chinas, and a murder that she in connected with. I always look forward to these books, and pre order them, so hope the next one is written first person in the herb shop.

Wow, the 23rd installment of this series and I've read them all so far. There are several reasons why :1. I love the information about herbs and their historical as well as current usage.2. Although I haven't made any of the recipes given at the back of the book for food served in the current story, they all look delicious and use the herb that stars in that story.3. We have traveled extensively along the Farm roads all over Texas, including the area around Kerrville, San Marcos, Austin etc and so it is easy to envision the settings as I read4. Albert's recurring characters have become as familiar as neighbors or family and their lives have evolved and grown as people do in real life.5. Her characters incidental to the normal cast of characters are interesting and the mysterious circumstances of the story are engrossing.Why, then, when I've given most of her books a 4 or 5 star rating did I only give this one a 3? All of the five points above are as true for this book as the 22 that preceded it. However, though the mystery is nicely set up at the beginning, after the first chapter of so, the mystery is virtually ignored for almost the entire book, with only now and then an event that indicates something fishy is going on.The bulk of the book is repetitive and overwhelmingly preachy. While Sam's illness is definitely problematic and China's worries about her mother's future if he doesn't recover or recover sufficiently to be able to handle his end of the business they are setting up are understandable and not unfamiliar to children of a certain age whose parents are aging and may need them, the constant harping on these facts became boring.The second theme beaten to death is the truly upsetting problem of genetically altered deer raised on ranches for so called hunts that cost a fortune. I cannot agree with China and Mack, the game warden new to the character list, more ( and, of course, with Susan Wittig Albert , who is very much and environmentalist) but the heavy handedness with which, once more, this point is repeated and driven home seemed nothing more to me after awhile than filler rather than plot development.Indeed, by the end of the book, when the situation that results in the murder of two interesting characters is finally fleshed out and resolved, I felt as though I'd slogged through an awful lot of pages that had nothing to do with it.Don't get me wrong, the relationship between Mack and her new guy, the family dynamics of China's life, and the use of drones by law enforcement was all very interesting but didn't create a cozy mystery this time--mystery and solving it being the operable terms.Also, I missed Ruby and Blackie and Smart Cookie and hate that the Whiz has only been a blink and you'll miss her character.

I love the continuing characters that this series features and the new characters fit right in. The themes in this book are contemporary - invasive species, the ethics of drones and the political clout behind genetically engineered deer. It gives me something to think about and talk over with friends. Very well written.