The Herbalist by author Carole Brown is Book 8 in An Appleton WV Romantic Mystery Series. Do not be concerned if you have not read any of the other books in the series. This book is a great standalone read. It is a fabulous Christian fiction book.
This is the story of Lana Taylor. She is a single mother of twins and takes care of her mother, too. Lana is also an herbalist and makes herbal remedies to help people. It is also the story of Athan Meadows. Like Lana, he is a single parent. They both moved to Appleton, West Virginia because it seemed like a nice place to raise children. Then something happened and Lana is accused of a terrible crime.
I enjoyed the writer’s style. She told the story smoothly and had me captivated within the first few pages. Faith and God were woven seamlessly into the story. The dialogue sounded realistic. I loved the characters. They were easy to identify with. Each one was carefully crafted and played an important part in the story.
I found twists and turns as well as surprises throughout this story. It went at a smooth pace and was easy to read. I loved trying to solve the mystery.
This was a wonderful book that I highly recommend. It would make a great book club discussion or one to read by yourself. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. A complimentary copy was provided by Celebrate Lit, but these are my honest words.
About the Book
Book: The Herbalist
Author: Carole Brown
Genre: Romantic Mystery
Release date: Spring, 2025
It’s a long, lonely walk down this West Virginia road, especially when you’ve just been accused of murder.
Can Lana Taylor prove she isn’t guilty? Can she realize that she does have a few friends who’ll stick by her regardless of the accusations? Can she forget the past and learn to trust again?
And will Athan Meadows be able to not only find the answers Lana needs, but also win her trust and love?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of twenty-one fiction books and two short stories in an anthology, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. An award-winning, best seller author, she has a degree in Religious Education and an Associate in Computer, along with other course degrees. She has a special love for animals—especially dogs, cats, elephants and horses (which is sometimes found in her books)—a love for flowers and plants, traveling and her husband who is her best go-to person for grounding her in her writing.
She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons and great granddaughter, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandchildren?
More from Carole
When I started this series (The Appleton, WV Romantic Mysteries) I didn’t realize that I would, someday in the future, be writing Book Eight. Truly, this series is one of my readers’ favorites with many of them asking when the next book is coming out.
When I plotted The Herbalist, I knew the basic outline of how the story would go, but I didn’t realize all the technical details I would need to research, even though most of it, in the book, isn’t indepth.
Car items: fuel pumps, oil leakages, failing brakes.
Dementia: mental stability, actions, progression, and more.
Police procedures: The various actions from a police crew when there’s a murder, the people who examine bodies, the leniency that can or can not be used in a murder case.
and other items I studied. It was both fascinating and tedious, but necessary.
But I love research, so most times I enjoy it, especially when it comes to my books.
I wanted to create an interesting and catching story that was as real as I could make it. Though the major plot scene was planned, at times, I would be stuck, wondering what should happen next. And lying in bed at night is sometimes my best time to think of the a scene and how to write it. I love it when this happens, because it’s the perfect idea for my book. So I jump from my bed to scribble down the thought at my desk.
In The Herbalist, a young mother with five-year-old twins, is accused of murder, but it’s a long, lonely walk down this West Virginia road, especially when you trust few people. Can Lana Taylor prove she isn’t guilty? Can she realize that she does have a few friends who’ll stick by her regardless of the accusations? And can she forget the past and learn to trust again?
And will Athan Meadows be able to not only find the answers Lana needs, but also win her trust and love?
Find the answers in: THE HERBALIST.
Blog Stops
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 24
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 25
Roads to Everywhere, May 25
Texas Book-aholic, May 26
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 27
The Sacred Line, May 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 30
For Him and My Family, May 31
Stories By Gina, June 1 (Author Interview)
Older & Smarter?, June 1
Vicky Sluiter, June 2
Book Butterfly in Dreamland , June 3
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, June 4
Mary Hake, June 4
Holly’s Book Corner, June 5
Pause for Tales, June 6
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Carole is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and copy of the book in winner’s choice of paperback or eBook!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Abba's Prayer Warrior Princess 