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LEGEND
OF THE JADE DRAGON
By Yasmine Galenorn
Publisher Berkley Prime Crime
Copyright: May 2004
ISBN: 0-425-19621-6
Series: #2 Chintz ‘n China mystery
Genre Sub-genre: Mystery / Cozy
LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON reminded me of a Harlequin Romance, but
when I tried to determine why, I could only come up with the fact that
it has the sameness of so many of the formula paperback. In this case
the kitchen cozies. The heroine is a beautiful, strong-willed, spirited
owner of a bed and breakfast, quilting store, etc, trying to make it on
her own. It is a tea shop, Chintz ‘n China. There is a handsome love
interest, but since it isn’t a romance, it doesn’t have to be love
ever after. And there are scores of problems plaguing her and her
friends. Oh, yes, there is a recipe at the end of the book. But it isn’t
a recipe for cookies or cakes, but a charm, a spell for breaking bad
luck.
That is were LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON steps beyond the ordinary.
Emerald O’Brien, the owner of Chintz ‘n China, is a genuine psychic.
Not only does the Chintz ‘n China sell tea pots and china while
serving afternoon tea, Emerald reads the Tarot Cards with incredible
accuracy. When a careworn man asks her for a reading, the cards tell of
catastrophe and despair. Leaving her store, he is killed by a hit and
run driver and Emerald inherits a small jade dragon and with it a curse.
As she explores the history of the beautiful little statue, she learns
that everyone who has own the statue for the last 500 hundred years has
suffered incredible bad luck and every member of the family has died
from terrible accidents. The statue is already causing havoc with her
life, with her store and her home vandalized. Somehow she must break the
curse! Or she and her two children will suffer a horrible fate.
This is the second in the mystery series, the first is GHOST OF A
CHANCE, the third MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON is due out January 2005.
When I checked out Yasmine Galenorn's website, I learned that she is
a respected author of metaphysical nonfiction, which definitely lent an
air to authenticity to LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON. Would I read more
books by Yasmine Galenorn, the answer if definitely yes, for she has
certainly twisted the old plain vanilla formula kitchen cozy in an
interesting direction.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, March 21, 2005
Her website is http://www.galenorn.com/
Her book is available from Amazon.com
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