Saturday, February 24, 2018

I'm so excited to join #BerkleyMystery in celebrating the March 6 paperback release of 
THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH
Book 25 in the China Bayles Mysteries
by author
Susan Wittig Albert


Now in paperback, the exciting new mystery from the New York Times bestselling author, in which China Bayles fears for her husband's life as an escaped convict targets him...

A killer McQuaid put away years ago has busted out of Huntsville Prison and appears to be headed for Pecan Springs. China wants to stay by her husband's side and keep him from harm, but McQuaid insists that she get out of town and go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch, where she's agreed to teach a workshop on herbs.

The owner, Maddie Haskell, has her own troubles. She inherited the ranch and olive oil business from the late matriarch, Eliza Butler, but Eliza's nephew is contesting the will. While China throws herself into helping Maddie, McQuaid's plan to stop the convict backfires. And now McQuaid's life is not the only one at stake--and this time may really be his last chance...

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*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****
One lucky reader will win a paperback copy of
THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH
Enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.
USA only
This giveaway was made possible by 
#BerkleyMystery.

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MY REVIEW


THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH, is a novel packed with action. 

Between the chapters dealing with China, and the other chapters dealing with her husband McQuaid, readers with be hard pressed to find any down time in this story. Both characters have their hands full in their respective storylines. Splitting the chapters as she does, author Susan Wittig Albert makes her books feel like two or more stories in one, yet having them cross at times to connect everything together. 

As always, I love that each chapter starts off with something interesting. In this case, each chapter featuring China, had a fact to do with olives. The chapters featuring McQuaid simply start by following a time line. 

This was a story with so much energy, at times I felt a rush of adrenaline so strong that I just wanted to get to the end of the book so I could take a deep breath. In the end I was I satisfied with the outcome, and found THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH to be a great story.

I have noticed that with the China Bayles Mysteries, the author is slowly branching away from the more traditional feeling mystery, and getting closer to being considered (at least to me) a suspense thriller series. So far, you will still see cozy-ish things like small towns, an educational aspect, and wonderful recipes, but you will also see a few edgier scenes, and a bit more cursing. 

No matter what genre author Albert is aiming for, the one thing that can’t be denied is her truly wonderful writing.

ABOUT SUSAN


As a writer, I work in three genres, mystery, historical fiction, and memoir. My mysteries include the China Bayles Herbal Mysteries and The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s, as well as an eight-book series, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the 12-book series that my husband Bill Albert and I coauthored under the pseudonym of Robin Paige.

My historical fiction includes THE GENERAL'S WOMEN, a wartime romance about Ike's love affair with Kay Summersby; LOVING ELEANOR, about the intimate friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok; and A WILDER ROSE, about the mother-daughter team that produced the Little House books. A WILDER ROSE is currently under option for film.

Bill and I live in the Hill Country of Central Texas, where I write, garden, raise chickens, and practice the fiber arts. You can find out more in my two memoirs: TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE; and AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS.

www.susanalbert.com

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Time to enter the giveaway!

GOOD LUCK!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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3 comments:

  1. Susan Wittig Albert is a new to me author but I really liked what you told us about "THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH" including your wonderful review. I'd very much love the chance to read this book and to get to know the author better through her written word. Thanks for the chance!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Lisa. Wow, 25 books in this series! Happy weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved the review and have been a fan of your books for years. Thank you for the giveaway.
    ringo_94@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete