This is such an entertaining series, Wittig combines food fact and lore along with murder most foul in each story. This time readers learn all about vanilla, where it’s grown, where it comes from, the labor intensive work requires to grow it and the surprisingly dangerous work requires to get it to market. Back home in Pecan Springs, China and Ruby have just had a workshop celebrating the vanilla bean when they hear a local professor has been murdered. Doe the murder have anything to do with the disastrous trip he and some of his students took to Mexico to visit vanilla plantations? The trip that left one student dead and others injured? Heavily pregnant police chief, Sheila Dawson is on the case, along with a little help from China.

The series featuring  China still resonates with long time fans.  Fun to learn about different herbs and spices while engaged in an interesting mystery.