I'm really enjoying this "cozy" mystery series. I seriously envy the lifestyle of the main character, China Bayles, and love all the bits of herb lore sprinkled throughout the book. This time, I didn't solve the mystery in advance, which was a good thing. I really recommend this series. ( )

A prominent and greatly disliked professor and animal researcher at the
local university is found hanging from a pipe in his office while a mob of
PETA protestors yell in the student quad below. What appeared to be suicide
at first glance begins to look more and more like murder, and evidence seems
to be pointing at China's eccentric friend, known to most as the Cat Lady, a
biology professor in the same department who has a genuine love and concern
for animals of all kinds and a hobby of rescuing strays. But China knows
Dottie Riddle well enough to know that she could never be capable of murder,
and she enlists the help of her best friend, Ruby Wilcox, and an old
colleague from her days as a high-power defense attorney in Austin, to get
to the bottom of it.

Unlike other books from this series that I've read, herbs take a back seat
in this story, which I found almost odd, considering that's the crux of the
series, I thought. Anyway, the writing was good and the story unfolded
well. I suspected the correct culprit about halfway through the book, long
before China had a clue. ( )

China and her "New Age" buddy Ruby find themselves deep into a convoluted story involving a sadistic biology professor, a hideous dungeon full of mistreated guinea pigs, and Ruby's given-up-at-birth daughter. On the side, China is trying hard to conquer her inbred fear of committment, and hunt for a house she can share with McQuaid. ( )