From Publishers Weekly
Add another fragrant bloom to the dozen already in the bouquet of Albert's herbal cozies (Thyme of Death, etc.) starring China Bayles, a former big-city attorney who now runs Thyme and Seasons Herbs, a small shop in quiet, touristy Pecan Springs, Tex. Dill is the featured herb in this installment of the high-concept series. As Pecan Springs gets ready for its annual Pickle-Fest, China and the other members of the Pretty Pickle Planners panic when Phoebe Morgan the Pickle Queen disappears right before the big event. There are plenty of suspects, false scents and surprises as China scrambles to keep Pickle-Fest alive-and solve a murder or two. The interplay of the author's core characters, including China's husband Mike McQuaid and her best friend Ruby Wilcox, keep the plot perking along. McQuaid, a former cop, is focused on becoming a PI, while Ruby's daughter, Amy, seems bent on making the same mistake Ruby made as a young woman-becoming a single mother. The only sour notes Albert hits in this dill-infused mystery are the terrible pickle jokes, but China's good sense and good humor easily compensate. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Fans of the prolific Albert know that her China Bayles series delivers more than just a whodunit. Included in all of her "herbal" mysteries are several recipes--some featuring delicacies served at former lawyer China's Thyme for Tea shop and others featuring the herb showcased in the story. Dill takes center stage here, mostly in the form of pickles. Tiny Pecan Springs, located in the Texas Hill Country, is preparing for the gala tenth anniversary of Picklefest. China, whose husband, McQuaid, is launching a new PI business, is on the planning committee. Coincidentally, McQuaid's first client turns out to be Phoebe Morgan, the "Pickle Queen" whose family pickle business is the biggest in Texas. When Phoebe disappears before the festival, China and her best friend, Ruby, try to figure out where she went and why. Meanwhile, Ruby's daughter Amy is pregnant--and not divulging the father's name. As China learns more about the baby's father, Phoebe's disappearance, and an embezzlement scheme at Morgan's Premier Pickles, surprising connections are revealed. Readers will relish this more-sweet-than-sour adventure. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Susan Wittig Albert's mystery is aptly named -- because this time out, herb-shop owner and amateur sleuth China Bayles is in a real pickle: Her beloved husband is starting a new, potentially perilous business as a private investigator. Her charming Texas town is in the midst of a crime spree that has just turned deadly. Her friend Ruby's pregnant daughter is moving in with her -- and refusing to name the father of her baby. Her teenage son is actively seeking a mate for his tarantula. And China can't get hold of local business bigwig, Phoebe Morgan -- a.k.a. the Pickle Queen -- to finalize plans for the rapidly approaching PickleFest. Add rising floodwaters, snoops and scandals, labor disputes, embezzlement, and what may be a murder/suicide to the mix, and things are soon going plenty sour in A Dilly of a Death. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"China Bayles is in a pickle. The daughter of her best friend, Ruby, has turned up on her doorstep, pregnant and in need of a place to live. And her otherwise sensible husband has announced that he's bored with teaching and ready for a career change." "Say "hello" to P.I. Mike McQuaid and Associates. There aren't actually any "associates" - unless you count Ruby and China, of course. But the title does have a nice, official ring to it. His first client is Phoebe the Pickle Queen, owner of the biggest little pickle business in Texas. According to Phoebe, her plant manager is embezzling, and she wants McQuaid to follow the money." Meanwhile, Pecan Springs is hosting the annual Picklefest - and this year, China and Ruby are on the planning committee, along with Phoebe. But just days before the festival starts, the Pickle Queen disappears. Some say she sold her business and split; others think the answer may lie with her missing boyfriend. It's up to McQuaid and China to search for the Pickle Queen - and for clues in a case that promises to leave a very sour taste.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly