Auras, tarot readings, karma, destiny…all of these cosmic events, and more, come together in author Yasmine Galenorn’s LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON.

Emerald O’Brien owns the Chintz ‘n China Tea Room, where patrons in the small town of Chiqetaw can have a quiet cup of tea with cookies, browse or purchase from the crystal and china that fill the cabinets and shelves, or make an appointment for a tarot reading with Emerald herself. The shop is almost as unique as its owner, a single mother of two who moved from big city life to the closeness and relative crime-free living of this small town.

Unfortunately, at this point in Emerald’s life, she is discovering that small town life doesn’t always equal a calm and quiet atmosphere. One afternoon a worn-looking stranger came in the Chintz ‘n China requesting a tarot reading, a reading that both he and Emerald soon knew revealed very negative outcomes for the stranger. As the stranger left  the shop, life came to an abrupt halt for him as a van made an illegal left turn and struck the man full on. While the stranger lay dying on the street, his last few words were to Emerald, imploring her to hold onto a small jade figurine for him. Life for Emerald and her children took an unusual turn at that point; hence THE LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON.

This book is the second offering by Ms. Galenorn in this Chintz ‘n China Mystery series, the first being Ghost of A Chance. Unlike some series, I felt immediately at ease beginning to get to know the characters here in the second book of the series. The book offers a good mystery and a comfortable read. The characters are believable and the action is moderately paced. As an interesting “extra” there is a charm recipe included at the end of the book. THE LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON is a pleasant reading experience.