Yasmine Galenorn – A harvest of bones

The fourth book in the Chintz 'n China series, published December 6, 2005.
Genre: paranormal mystery
Cover: beautiful and so fitting of the story.



Delicious blends of tea aren’t the only draw at the Chintz ‘n China Tea Room – Emerald O’Brien, owner and medium also offers her customers tarot card readings. But Emerald, a single mother of two, never saw herself as a sleuth – which proves that even seers make mistakes...
It’s harvest time in Chiqetaw, Washington – Emerald O’Brien’s favourite season. But this year, nature yields a most supernatural bounty. When Em and her sweetie, Joe, stumble over a bramble-covered foundation that has remained hidden for 50 years in the lot next door, strange events begin to occur. The cat vanishes. Will-o’-the-wisps threaten to harm Emerald and her loved ones. And the ghost of a woman named Brigit and her beloved calico make themselves at home in the backyard. Now it’s up to Em and her friends to delve into the past, revealing the secrets of the dead, laying them to rest – and ringing in the autumn with a harvest of bones.


As a surprise for Emerald, Joe has bought the vacant lot next door. Now they can extend the garden, and make a nice herb garden for her. But first they will have to clean the lot from the brambles that have overgrown it. Em has taken a week of from work, her beloved Chintz ‘n China shop is run perfectly by her two employees in her absence. In a week time, it will be her birthday, on Halloween.

While clearing the lot, they stumble upon the foundation of a house, and something dangerous is set free. Especially when they find the body of a young woman, hidden in a tree that has grown around her. Who was she, and how did she and her cat end up in that tree? When even her daughter Miranda sees the ghost in her bed room, Emerald is determined to find out the truth. This will not be so easy when the sale of the lot is revoked and they are denied access to it. But when her kids and her pet are in danger, Emerald doesn’t care about trespassing laws.

Em’s daughter Miranda is suffering her first crush, and that is sweet to watch. Kip is being Kip, always in trouble. This time he falls out of a tree when he thinks he sees their missing cat up there.


This was a really spooky story, with those will-o’-the-wisps appearing, corpse candles. They are capable of harming people. The mystery was very good though. I did not remember all the details, and I really thought someone else did kill Brigit. I loved how her background story was told, with a page from her diary at the beginning of each chapter. The cat swap was very sad to read about and I was anxious to see that revolved.

A really, really good series, recommended. And yes, I did re-read the whole series one after each other.

10 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian