Ah, I love China Bayles Mysteries. This is the fifth book in the series, and it's still great.

China goes to a monastry for some quiet time, only, her time there is not so quiet after all. The nuns are devided into two camps that are at war with each other, fighting over who takes over, and ultimately, what will become of the monastry. There's an arsenist at work, and a poison pen letter. China investigates, together with her friend Maggie, a former nun at the monastry.

The herb that is central to this book is garlic, and you learn a lot about it by just reading the book. Next to that, the mystery is exciting, and I couldn't figure out who did it. There's only a little bit of personal things going on with China, and the focus is completely on the mystery this time.

Great book, I recommend it very much, but, I do suggest reading this series in order. It's more fun if you can pick up the little things too. ( )

Another installment in the China Bayles series. In this story, China has
moved in with her boyfriend McQuaid and his son and the daily routine is
getting to her and she's begun to wonder if her life is going in the
direction it should be. So she accepts an invitation from her friend Maggie
(owner of her favorite restaurant near her herb store) to go away to Saint
Theresa'a Monastery for a retreat. St. Theresa's is an idyllic spot with
acres of rich farmland where the nuns grow garlic to sell for income. Upon
their arrival, they learn that the sisters have been plagued in recent weeks
by a series of anonymous accusatory letters and small fires. Mother
Winifred enlists China's help in tracking down the guilty parties. As China
investigates, she discovers a deep chasm between two factions of nuns, each
with their own agenda for the future of St. Theresa's, and the plans
couldn't be more different. In the course of her investigation, China
reexamines her own personal life agenda, as well.

I found this episode to be rather depressing for some reason, but it was
well written and the mystery unwound in a logical manner. A little bit of
misdirection early on led me down the wrong path for a while, but eventually
straightened itself out. ( )