Wormwood

[cornerofmadness]

Wormwood by Susan Wittig Albert

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I used to read this in order but as years went by not so much so I plopped into this one having missing major life events. No problems since it brings you up to speed but doesn't belabor the point. China needs a break according to her friends and family. Her friend Martha has just the thing: helping her at a herb workshop in a Shaker village in Kentucky. Martha's Aunt Charity had bee a Shaker there but left for reasons the family never knew and she'd like to learn why.

However, that wasn't all Martha wanted. She waits until they're on the road to tell China that Rachel Hart is now CEO and president of the board running the village (a clear conflict of interested, though she inherited ownership) and she thinks Rachel is up to something illegal. China reluctantly agrees to help.

It's told in dual time lines, China's and Aunt Charity's from the early 1900s as the Shakers were fading out as a religious group. I'll be honest I was not nearly as captivated by the Shakers are Albert clearly was when she researched this. Also I'm not a fan of the dual time frame trope so I was bored with a lot of that (which is sad because I am a history buff)

It takes over a third of a book before there is even a mystery. Turns out Martha was right about embezzlement going on and someone has killed to stop the investigation, one of Martha's friends being the victim.

At least China is aware she can't quite go bumbling into this because law enforcement might frown on it and thankfully the book steered away from the Andy Fife level of incompetence we usually see given to rural cops (but it did toe the line). The mystery wasn't bad. The end was unbelievable...for both mysteries (though Charity's wasn't much of a mystery). Was not a fan of how that wrapped it.

Still over all it wasn't bad and I still like China as a sleuth.



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