Well, 2 and a half. Perfunctory mystery. But I love the hill country setting and protagonist's herb shop retreat. Competent prose, some humor, kept wishing for more. Unsurprisingly it made me hungry for texmex. ( )

The story centers around Dottie Riddle...a serious animal lover... who is accused of murdering her co-worker and neighbor, Miles Hartwick. I say good for Dottie for even thinking of killing him!!! China Bayless is quick to come to her friends defense. The only "crime" Dottie...the "cat lady....was guilty of was to provide a home for the homeless cats who found their way to her backyard. Meanwhile a series of nasty neighborhood incidents centering on the stray cats caused a number of people to believe that the kind hearted Dottie could have caused his death. Not a lot really happens after that except a lot of speculation. Cozy mystery people probably will, or already, love this series. I thought after the hanging that the book was just begging to end. ( )

A pretty good little murder mystery. ( )

Third China Bayles mystery. This time a friend of Chinas who is a biology porfessor at the college and who rescues cats is accused of hanging a fellow professor doing questionable research on animals. The title is an alternate name for catnip. An enjoyable series with lots of herbal lore. ( )

Synopsis: Murder of a nasty professor on a college campus brings China to the aid of a cat-loving biologist and of a PETA organizer. China and Mike are house hunting. And Ruby meets a relative she has hot seen in a very long time.
Review: Having been a professor at a research institute, this book is 'more truth than poetry'. Secretaries and the most undervalued people at universities, some researchers are prima donnas and many administrators are pompous asses if not outright jerks. Really fun to read particularly while substituting specific names for the characters in the book. ( )