Tim Duffy is a beloved football coach who has led the high school team to several state championships and the principal is afraid to believe anything bad about him. China agrees to look into the accusation and finds suicide, a distraught mother and secrets, none of which add up in her mind. More digging leads to more deaths and when China finally has all the pieces in place, even she can’t quite believe the outcome.

Readers of this series will feel welcomed to China’s world and are quickly drawn in. Susan Albert’s writing is easy, and China often addresses the reader as if they were part of her world. China’s husband McQuaid is in New Mexico this time on his own detecting assignment, leaving China to deal with stepson Brian, forging better relationships with her husband’s teen son.

China also must face her own past as an attorney contacts her with a packet of letters left by her father that not only call into question his accidental death eighteen years ago, but give China a shock, one that will have lasting effects on her as well as her mother, with whom she is beginning to rebuild her relationship.

China’s investigation takes her back to the world of high school and insecure teens looking for acceptance and adults who take advantage of their vulnerability. While China’s initial investigation is pretty straight forward, the outcome is more surprising than she first expected. Business partner Ruby Wilcox continues to offer a lighter touch to the more serious China. A missing quilt at a quilt show also ties into the Valentine’s Day theme and adds another layer of small town authenticity without complicating the plot.

Readers new to the series will feel as at home with China and Ruby as if they were longtime friends. Herbal tips and botanical information adds to the overall interest without feeling forced. Bleeding Hearts is another strong entry in a series that never disappoints.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry