I wasn’t able to finish this book. Because of this, it is my policy not to review the book on my site or on Goodreads/Amazon. I also didn’t mark it DNF.

An early morning phone call about Max Mantel, an escaped convict, has McQuaid upset. McQuaid sent Max to prison years ago and now that Max is loose he is out for revenge against those who put him away. Meanwhile China and Ruby are due at The Last Chance Olive Ranch for a weekend retreat and workshop. China has her doubts about leaving McQuaid to handle the mad man alone but finally gives in and goes. While McQuaid is hunting down Max China ends up having her own dangerous situation to deal with plus a mystery to solve. I love how the book jumped back and forth between China and McQuaid's ongoing stories. I was able to keep up with both stories and they kept my attention the entire time. Along the way you get to enjoy knowledgeable tidbits the author has spread throughout the book, not to mention fabulous recipes at the end. I've read this series for years and can say it has aged well which I appreciate as a reader. I would definitely recommend this book and series to anyone who loves a cozy mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. Although the author's historical fiction novels are favorites of mine, I had not realized before that she has written an entire mystery series with this being book 25. While one could follow it easily without having read the previous novels, I thought that the characters lacked depth which I know would have come with reading from the beginning. Lots of action which moves back and forth between 2 story lines but not many surprises. It makes for an easy lazy day read and I am considering whether I should go back to book one and start there for all of the back story.
Better than 3 stars but not a 4.

Susan Wittig Albert has done it again!!!! This is an excellent addition to her China Baylee's series! I've read them all, but this one was especially appealing. A primary reason was all I learned about one of my favorite cooking ingredients - olive oil. The balance between China's mystery and adventure and McQuaid's separate ones was especially impressive. As usual, there were also interesting developments among the family and friends who make up China and McQuaid's lives so interesting. The combination of all theses elements made for a rousing, edge of one's seat read that shouldn't be missed!! It's to going to be very hard to wait for the next installment!!!!

The Last Chance Olive Ranch by Susan Wittig Albert is the twenty-fifth book in The China Bayles Mystery series. Mike McQuaid and China Bayles are awakened early by the phone ringing. The call is for McQuaid to let him know that Max Mantel, a convict he put away in prison, has broken out of Huntsville prison. Mantel has already killed Paul Watkins, the prosecutor at his trial. McQuaid is glad that China is going out of town for the weekend to teach a conference. China, though, would rather stay in town and make sure that McQuaid is safe. McQuaid is not going to risk China’s life, so he ensures that she is off with Ruby. China agreed to teach a workshop at Maddie Haskell’s Last Chance Olive Ranch. After teaching on Saturday, they will have the rest of the weekend to relax. It turns out that Maddie has a little problem. She inherited the ranch from Eliza Butler and Eliza’s nephew, Billy Butler is less than thrilled. Billy is contesting the will and has the probate judge in his pocket. The weekend is not going to be as restful as China was hoping nor as safe as McQuaid was expecting. Meanwhile, McQuaid is setting a trap to capture escaped Max Mantel. The plan goes awry when Sally, McQuaid’s crazy ex-wife shows up in town. Sally ends up getting kidnapped by Mantel who believes he has China. Mantel wants McQuaid to turn himself over in exchange for Sally. McQuaid sets out to capture Mantel and reluctantly save Sally (she is one nutty lady). China and McQuaid are in for a rough weekend.

The Last Chance Olive Ranch is nicely written and has some interesting information about olives and olive oil. I did not know olives could grow in the United States. I found the pace to be a little slow at times especially during the McQuaid sections (it did help me fall asleep one night). The story is told from two different perspectives: China and McQuaid. I would have preferred third person to make the story more cohesive and logical (instead of switching back and forth every other chapter). Personally, I wish the author had only done one storyline. The McQuaid sections are not the type normally included in cozy mysteries. I keep hoping the author will find a way for McQuaid and China to solve cases together (cozy mystery cases). Actually, I was a little bored with no mystery to solve. The revelation regarding Maddie was no surprise. I am sure that the majority of readers will figure it out long before the secret is revealed. I give The Last Chance Olive Ranch 3 out of 5 stars. I did not find this novel to have any suspense (and it was supposed to). The writing is descriptive (overly so), and I never was able to get into the story. This is one of those books that I just read. I love it when a book fully engages my attention and draws me in. While reading the McQuaid storyline, I kept hoping that McQuaid would capture Max and Sally would get hit by a stray bullet (and then bite the bullet if you get my meaning). I found Sally to be a very unlikeable character and an unwelcome addition to the book (I do not understand why she is not in a mental health facility). While The Last Chance Olive Ranch is the twenty-fifth book in the series, it can be read alone. The author provides all the necessary background details on China, McQuaid and the family (including Sally). I preferred the early books in The China Bayles Mystery series. I did appreciate the ending of The Last Chance Olive Ranch. It is sweet and nicely wraps up the storylines.

I am a big fan of cozy mysteries, and mysteries in general. Somehow, I have never read a book by Susan Wittig Albert. The Last Chance Olive Ranch is the 25th! book in the China Bayles series but I did not have any problems following the action. McQuaid and China are a married couple. A killer McQuaid helped put away has escaped from prison and is killing everyone who helped put him away. McQuaid knows he is coming for him, and has China and his daughter go away for the weekend while he tries to capture Max. And so the book branches off into two separate stories.

Story 1, McQuaid is trying to lure Max into a trap to capture him. Story 2, China and her friend Ruby go to the Last Chance Olive Ranch to teach a class over the weekend. The olive ranch is struggling, and China becomes involved in a battle for ownership of the ranch.

So, I could have done with just one storyline in this book. The McQuaid story read like a police drama, while China's story was more of a soft mystery. There is no real connection between the two. I liked China and all the characters we meet at the ranch. They were the most engaging to me. In McQuaid's story, a woman is kidnapped but because she is unlikable, I really didn't care whether or not she was rescued. There was no real tension there for me.

I thought the book was well written, and I did learn some interesting facts about growing olives. I would not hesitate to read another book from this author.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I won't be talking at all about character development when it comes to this novel because I think that would be very unfair to the series; I'm sure the author has spent countless books developing the interactions between the different characters and since I just started with this one, it makes sense that I may be a bit confused by all of the different relationships. In terms of the story itself, this was told from 2 different perspectives: one from McQuaid and one from China. It was cool to see how they both dealt with separate problems but it made for a very confusing story, and it didn't really feel as if either story was fully resolved. This novel had a fast pace but there wasn't really any suspense. It was still a nice read, and I would recommend this novel to those who are fans of this series.

My review is available on Gumshoe Review in the April 2017 issue. It is exclusive to Gumshoe Review until May 1, 2017.

This is #25 in a series and my first experience with the main character of China Bayles - my mistake - I should have found her a lot earlier! For those of you who have read the entire series - way to go and you should have let the rest of us know! This is the perfect popcorn book - cozy couch, big bowl of popcorn, comfy clothes and the joy of a good read. There is enough here that the book could be read as a standalone without feeling like you are missing too much but on the other hand the characters are interesting, friendly and leave you with a feeling of wanting to know what happens next - or in my case what happened before this book.
Not sure if this is in the entire series but in this book there were great and interesting first pages of the chapters with nonfiction information about Olive trees - I learned a lot - now I am looking at the olive oil in my pantry in a whole new way and I'm going to talk with the local olive oil person at my farmer's market. Another nice plus were the recipes at the back of the book.

China Bayles is about to leave on a trip with her best friend, Ruby, to the Last Chance Olive Ranch. She’s given her word that she would help Ruby teach a workshop on herbs, but now she wishes she could back out of the trip. Ordinarily, the trip would be a fun break for China, but the timing is bad. She really doesn’t want to leave her husband, McQuaid, by himself in Pecan Springs. A violent killer has escaped from prison and is out for revenge against anyone who helped put him there, and that makes McQuaid a likely target. McQuaid wants China out of danger, though, and insists China stick with her plans. China grudgingly leaves with Ruby and finds herself in the middle of a mystery of her own on the ranch helping the owner, Maddie Haskell, prove she’s the rightful heir to the ranch.

I think the best books in this series are the ones in which China and Ruby work together, so when I started reading this book, I was excited to see China and Ruby would be spending time together at the Last Chance Olive Ranch. When China and Ruby work together to solve a case, the two friends get results. Their skills complement each other since China uses logic and Ruby relies on her feelings when looking into a case. While at the ranch, they both try to help Maddie with a problem, and get caught up in a murder case. I really enjoyed the circumstances surrounding Maddie’s inheritance and the mystery is fun to read. This book is well-researched and to give the reader background information related to the olive oil industry, the author has included everything you ever wanted to know and more about olive oil. It fits well with the story since China is eager to learn more about olive oil, so the information given flow well within the story and sometimes is included at the beginning of the chapter.

McQuaid’s hunt for a killer out for revenge is also interesting, but the way it’s interspersed with chapters set on the ranch, it loses some of its punch. Except for the fact McQuaid and China worry about each other throughout the book, the two plots don’t have much in comment and end up competing for the reader’s attention. The result is both stories, especially McQuaid’s, suffer. The back and forth style works okay at the beginning, but as each story heats up, it is distracting to switch to the other one. I also didn’t enjoy the inclusion of McQuaid’s ex-wife into the mix, but see how it did add some drama. Luckily, the strength of the storyline set on the ranch is enough that I still enjoyed the book as a whole and would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and to new readers who would like to get to know China Bayles.

~ Christine

No one likes a late night call as it never signifies anything good. Unfortunately for China and her husband, McQuaid, a late night call brings back a blast from McQuaid’s past. Max Mantel, a man on death row for murder and leading a sex trafficking ring, has escaped from maximum security and seems determined to seek revenge on everyone who put him there. McQuaid was the lead detective on Max’s case and he wants his wife out of harm’s way. China doesn’t like it, but she’s already promised her best friend, Ruby, that she’ll teach a class at THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH. McQuaid is going to have his hands full dealing with Max while China has her own troubles as the ranch is in the middle of an ownership dispute.

THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH is the 25th book in the <i>China Bayles</i> series and wow, this series just continues to amaze me! THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH can be read as a standalone story, but the relationships are better appreciated if you’ve read at least a few of Susan Wittig Albert’s other books in the series. In particular, a couple of scenes are absolutely hilarious if you know the background of all of the characters. The viewpoint alternates between China and McQuaid, as they both are forced into life or death situations. I like the alternating viewpoints as we get to see inside McQuaid’s head a bit more. Hopefully, this is a new trend we’ll see in future books as well!

Both mysteries are fascinating and I have to give Susan Wittig Albert credit for the strong writing she displays in THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH. Normally in stories where there are two storylines going, I want to skip past one to get back to the storyline that intrigues me the most. THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH didn’t have any of those moments as I found both storylines equally captivating.

THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH is another phenomenal entry into the long-running <i>China Bayles</i> series. China, with her knowledge and love of herbs, has been a favorite cozy mystery heroine of mine for years and it’s always fun to sit back and see what quandaries she encounters. THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH kicks things up a bit with McQuaid’s predicament. Cozy mystery fans who haven’t sampled one of Susan Wittig Albert’s delightful mysteries should give THE LAST CHANCE OLIVE RANCH a try as they won’t regret it!

*Review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Even a mediocre China Bayles book is better than an average easy read. In this latest of the series, China heads off to Last Chance Olive Ranch (and vineyard) with Ruby to teach a class, and McQuad stays in Pecan Springs hoping to take down a criminal from his past who's broken out of prison and is out for revenge.

In some ways these books are getting repetitive. This one was a mashup of Rosemary Remembered and Rueful Death, but in some ways it's nice to see how the characters have evolved. Instead of the stubborn, willful, angry attitude China had in Rosemary Remembered, in this book she realizes the wisdom of staying out of town while Max Mantle is on the loose, even if she doesn't like it. Since we also get McQuad's point of view in this story, we also see some of decisions of his past that haunt him, and cause him to be extra protective of his wife and children. And we learn a lot of interesting information about olive oil, inheriting property in Texas, and even a little bit about growing grapes for wine. And of course, recipes in the back, including one for an olive oil lemon cake!

Since the author was juggling two completely different storylines, both of these stories weren't very exciting, or felt very well resolved. There were some pieces randomly thrown out that made me interested, but they were barely mentioned again. (Brian new live-in girlfriend, for example, or Sally's latest escapades.) Maybe this was hinting at future storylines to come?

I will always, always read China Bayles books, no matter how terrible they are. I am pleased to say this one wasn't. In fact, I rather enjoyed it.

For the true cozy fan just saying the name Susan Wittig Albert and they know they're in for a treat. This entry in the China Bayles series is a good read. Both McQuaid and China are busy on their own projects. McQuaid is chasing down an escaped felon intent on killing everyone involved in putting him in prison. To keep her safe, he encourages China to visit the Last Chance Olive Ranch and she gets involved in an inheritance issue. Both solve their case and live to fight another day.

China Bayle's has two worries. Her husband is at home thinking of being bait for an escaped killer. She is at the Last Chance Olive Ranch for a workshop and the owner has inheritance problems. She has enough with the mystery in front of her without worry about her husband.
This tale keeps you traveling between the ranch and Pecan Springs to see what is happening with both China and her husband. Did the previous owner die a natural death? Which killer will strike next? And who else will die before the end. You will not want to put this book down once you start.

Even though each book can't be read as a stand alone each box does hold it's own. China is a great female protagonist and the writer has given her a wonderful essence and a personality with a kick. I enjoy the people that she has surrounded herself with each one is as strong as China and supportive and true family and extended family

This latest entry in the Chine Bayles herbal mystery series has alternating chapters between China, traveling with Ruby to the Last Chance Olive Ranch to give a class, and McQuade, who is looking for an escaped criminal with a big grudge against him. Albert has a knack for characterization, and readers are drawn into the multi-faceted plot. A must read for both series fans and for those who enjoy well-written mysteries.

The China Bayles novels have been going for a long time, but they are still fantastic! Albert has a great knack of combining herbal and gardening lore with the central Texas landscape, and of course, murder. There's a great deal of suspense in this novel, with an escaped criminal coming after China's husband, but there's plenty going on besides. A great read!

I'm never disappointed when I read a book written by Susan Wittig Albert.
China Bayles is such a strong character I have had the pleasure of reading about for a while now.
This story was fantastic, two separate situations, involving the lovely China and her husband McQuaid.
China agrees to give a workshop at Ruby's insistence. As China prepares for her trip, McQuaid receives disturbing b news, a criminal he has helped put away has escaped and he is targeting McQuaid.
China refuses to go, but we know that won't fly, so off to the Last Chance Olive Ranch she goes. She isn't expecting to step into a mystery involving family secrets, olives and greed.
When a greedy land owner tries to claim other property, explosions begin and China finds herself in the middle of it all.

This book was hard to put down and I loved catching up with all the colorful, quirky characters in Pecan Springs.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley.