Between the herb shop, the catering business, and now a weekend papermaking class. China Bayles and her friends have as much work as they can handle. Of course, that doesn't stop the rest of their lives from going on - or coming to an end, as the case may be. Ruby, for example, is troubled by her mother's recent strange behavior and upset that her ex-boyfriend has stood her up yet again. Meanwhile, China's half brother is opening up old wounds, trying to investigate their father's supposedly accidental death.

China find a body in a yucca plant while searching for herbs and it turns out to be her friend Ruby’s ex-lover, a local resident t who appears to have had a double life. ( )

This book makes me want to go outside and harvest some yucca for my own papermaking adventure. ( )

Synopsis: While gathering Spanish Dagger leaves for paper making, China and a friend discover the body of Ruby's boyfriend; of course, he's been murdered. This also raises the question of whether he was still an under-cover officer or involved in some sort of illegal activities. Ruby is away dealing with her mother's onset of dementia; McQuaid is off investigating the 16-year old death of China's father.
Review: This is one of the better stories in that it deals with aging parents in an effective and sensitive manner and the mystery is nicely convoluted. ( )

Ruby was away dealing with her mother for most of this book and the dynamic that you've come to expect between the regular characters felt completely off as a result. Definitely NOT my favorite book in the series. Also, I love how many times she talks about "chain evidence" only to ignore her own advice at critical junctures. ( )