A fun romp through West Texas hill country, in a small town with all of its challenges, this book is the second in the China Bayles series. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the plot did have me guessing (I suspected, but then decided, "no, it couldn't be!"), and our lawyer-turned-herbalist shopowner China Bayles has her doubts about a permanent relationship with her boyfriend and a realistic dysfunctional relationship with her mother. All while owning her own business and helping get to the bottom of a creepy murder. No, make that two. Was there a third??
A great lunchtime read, or a great read on a lazy weekend. Highly recommend and would love to read more. ( )

Witches' Bane is my second foray into the spicy world of China Bayles, and in this installation the reader glimpses the dysfunctional Bayles family. Halloween enlivens the atmosphere with whisperings of witches, use of magic, and mysterious deaths. As usual, our heroine must risk life and limb in an effort to find truth and justice. Why do female detectives shun relationships and commitment? China Bayles closely parallels Deborah Knotts in the Margaret Maron mystery series in many aspects. Each author follows their own path in presenting a story. Susan Wittig Albert focuses on herbs, flowers, and women. The supporting men characters present a one sided individual, whereas the women grab center stage. Albert gives a fun read. ( )

Witches Bane by Susan Wittig Albert is a 1994 Berkley publication.

I try to attend my “Friends of the Library” annual sale each year to raise money for my local library. And each year I lag home sacks full of books not only for a good cause but to give them a good home.

So, when I signed up to review some new releases from this author, I seemed to remember bringing home a few older books I picked up at the library sale from this series, and sure enough I have a handful of these “China Bayles” books on my shelf. So, I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of the first installments before tackling the newer ones so I would have an idea of how the series has progressed over time.

Set in the East Texas Hill Country, China has settled into Pecan Springs after walking away from her high pressure career as an attorney and opened up an herbal shop and began living a slower paced lifestyle. But, as they say, murder happens everywhere, and so when China's friend Ruby comes under scrutiny by a local minister for her dabbling in tarot cards, and poisonous herbs, she is first person people suspect when a murder occurs. So, China and her boyfriend McQuaid begin looking at the case more closely.

Although written in the early nineties, the story holds up well with age, although there are references here and there to things we no longer say or do or think the same way about these days. Otherwise the mystery stands the test of time admirably. China is a savvy lady, ahead of her time, with a stubborn streak, a wounded soul afraid of taking changes with love or what will perhaps be a whole new family, after her estranged mother announces she is engaged to be married. But, China's family is fairly tame compared to some residents in Pecan Springs...

The Halloween setting sets the stage for a twisted murder mystery, with a lot of underlying messages that spotlight family dynamics and the pecking order of siblings and the long lasting impact our parents have on us, well into adulthood. These older books in the series are different, an if you go back and read some of them now you will see a very different tone than what the newer releases have. But, this simply implies that the series has not become stagnant, it has moved forward and it's characters with it. Over all this one was a satisfying read and a fun bit of nostalgia.
3.5 stars ( )

Synopsis: As Halloween nears, Ruby decides to hold a few classes in using tarot cards. Of course, she's branded a witch by the 'moral majority' and her business as well as China's are picketed. It also appears that real witches are in the area and that they have murdered one of the women who attended the tarot classes. Ruby's new boyfriend is blamed and China must prod the police to find the source of the murder.
Review: An interesting and entertaining examination of small-town Texas, this book has several red herrings that keep the reader from figuring out 'who done it' until the last chapter. ( )

Great read! I'm keeping on with the series. ( )