I wished there was more information about mordants and dye-craft at the end of this book the way this author appends similar info to her other novels. Still, this was a fun book, with a murder mystery that was not immediately apparent. This was not my favorite book by this author, and not just because I still dislike China Bayles, but it's a decently solid, fun read. ( )

China and her friend Ruby are heading to a festival in Indigo. They are also running a natural class with China's old friend from college, Alli. The town of Indigo, like a lot of small Texas towns, was dying. A few determined residents, about 37, are trying to revive it with a new café, craft shops, and by scheduling festivals to bring in business. Turns out Alli's uncle, Casey Ford, with a reputation for being a louse, owns a lot of the commercial buildings in town and has decided to sell the mineral rights to a mining company. Apparently, holding the mineral rights means the mining company could roll over buildings and force people out. Ford announces his intentions at a meeting stunning everyone. He turns up dead. Everyone is anxious to blame Ford for his own death as he announced he had rigged booby traps in empty buildings so anyone trespassing would get hurt and people now want him to be the victim of his own trap. China and her husband are also bothered because her husband's ex-wife, Sally, seems to have gotten involved with an abusive man who has left marks on her husband's son. I like these books. The characters are well done and the reader gets some history and knowledge of cooking and herbs. A young woman who Alli thinks is seeing the man she has been living with, Derek Cooper, ends up dead.

Ms. Albert does it again, a solid story made more interesting with the herbology added in. I knew who did it very quickly which is why I gave the story a three but WHY the killer did it was a surprise as was the story of one of the murder victims. China Bayles and Ruby, her friend and business partner, are in Indigo, Texas to participate in one the town's festivals. While there China co-teaches a dying workshop with a friend from college. While there China and Ruby, along with China's husband and step-son, become involved in a town drama - and not the playing performed at the newly opened theater. A little slow start to the story but once it got going it kept up until the end. ( )

Synopsis: China and Ruby are learning to use plants for dyes. Their teacher/friend, Allie, is going through some trying times. Her uncle is selling the mineral rights to a mining company, which spells the end of Allie's farm and the town of Indigo. He is such a bully that when he's murdered the townspeople make an effort to hide the identity of the murderer. On top of this, Allie's boyfriend seems to have a secret, an investigative reporter descends on Pecan Springs and Brian returns from visiting his mother with suspicious bruising.
Review: The information about dying fibers was interesting although it was only marginally associated with the story. This tale had a back story that played a pivotal point in understanding 'who done it'; however, there were ample clues for the reader to identify the murder. ( )

China Bayles and her friend and business partner Ruby Wilcox are
attending a craft festival in nearby Indigo, Texas, and helping in a
natural dyeing workshop with China's good friend, Allison Selby. But
they find the whole town in turmoil because Allison's uncle, Casey Ford,
has sold the mining rights to most of the ground under Indigo to a
company set to begin strip mining almost immediately. All of the
merchants rent buildings from Casey Ford and they are helpless to stop
this. But the day after Casey made his announcement to the whole town,
he is shot by his own shotgun in a building he booby trapped himself.
But, why would he walk right into his own booby trap? It's another
murder for China and company to unravel.

Another comfy visit with a character I've come to think of as an old
friend. I knew whodunit before I was halfway through the book, but that
didn't matter because the writing is good enough to keep me interested. 4 ( )