China Bayles has it all - a prestigious Houston law practice, money,
power - but it's not enough. She's smart, she's tough, she's confident,
and she knows she wants something more out of life than the fast track
offers. Something like the Thyme and Seasons herb shop in Pecan Springs,
Texas. Realizing that her career is turning her into somebody she
doesn't like, China does what many people only dream of doing: She
relocates to a small town to begin a new and, she hopes, a gentler, more
fulfilling life. But even in Pecan Springs, evil can occur among
ordinary people living everyday lives. China soon learns that while she
can move from the city, she can't escape the world of moral choice. When
China's good friend, Jo Gilbert, apparently commits suicide, China is
more than puzzled. Jo had been suffering from a terminal disease, but
wasn't the type to take her own life. And, to a lawyer like China, some
revealing letters that Jo leaves behind shout blackmail and murder, not
suicide. But why would anybody want to kill a woman who will die soon
anyway? And what about the scent of perfume in Jo's house? When another
mysterious death occurs, China is sure she's dealing with homicide.
Helped by her best friend, New-Ager Ruby Wilcox, and with support from
lover Mike McQuaid, a former-cop-turned-professor, China follows a trail
of greed and fear to discover some unsettling answers. Thyme of Death
marks the memorable debut of one of the most original and appealing new
female sleuths to come along in years. Readers will identify with China
Bayles as she makes the kind of tough decisions that confront us all.
