China's stepson finds a 30 year old skeleton in a cave. The Obermanns have donated land and money for a new community theater providing the first production is a play written by Jane Obermann about her father. Jane is a haughty shrew and a bully used to pushing people around including her more timid sister Florence. She has written an awful play but China's friend, Ruby (cast as Jane's mother) finds a way to improve the play angering Jane. A local handyman with a grudge against the Obermanns seems to have broken into their home with a knife and ended up dead. It turns out that this is related to the skeleton.

Bones have been unearthed in the cave in Mistletoe, Texas. Some were old but some were the remains from a not-so distant and not-so accidental death. I liked the book. Some of the characters were very humerus. I just like books with a little more "meat" to them and not so much "cutesy". My mother reads everything this authors writes and loves them so it's just a difference in tastes. If you like milder mysteries, this is your series of books. ( )

Synopsis: Brian is working with people from the university to excavate some ancient Indian relics but finds a skeleton of someone from the current century. Meanwhile China is landscaping the new playhouse that has been donated by two elderly ladies, one of whom is driving everyone crazy with her demands. Then the local handyman is shot breaking into the house of the two old women.
Review: Most of the book was interesting, but there were several loose ends that never were resolved and the murders (three, eventually) should have been tied together more closely. ( )

China Bayles is a former defense lawyer but now runs an herb shop and tea shop with her friend Ruby in a small town in Texas. One day, her teenage son finds a human skeleton during a caving expedition that appears to have been shot. Later, a mean and disliked elderly woman shoots the town handyman saying he broke in and threatened her. China gets involved with all this plus both of her friends’ romantic troubles.

This was a decent cozy that had a lot going on. Besides the two main murders of the handyman and the skeleton in the cave, there were two minor mysteries with two other characters. It was clearly written and not confusing. A fair amount of the story involved China and her relationships with family and friends but I found them likable and enjoyed them. I guessed who the killer was about half way through but still enjoyed finding out how China and others figured it out. ( )

I skipped "Dilly of a Death" by accident, but Albert does a pretty good job of catching you up with what you might have missed that you need to know so I didn't feel lost. For some reason though I didn't connect with this story as much as other books of the series. I did have the mystery more or less figured out very early on (perhaps that was why I was a little less enthralled?). Despite that, I'm hoping to go back to Dilly of a Death if I can find it locally sometime soon and plan to continue reading the series. I do have the next book waiting for me on the shelf when I ready to move forward. ( )