Death at a Firefly Tea - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston’s local grande dames. Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V’s grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful ex-daughter-in-law, ne’er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets. As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked stranger and the fiancé of Mrs. V’s son is kidnapped. It’s only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a number of books in this series and always enjoy a trip to Charleston - plus the cover really caught my eye.

My Impression:  I've been reading this series for years and while I have missed a number of them it is always easy to immediately slip into Theodosia's world for a visit to Charleston, South Carolina.  This was a fun read with an unlikely victim - and yet with somehow a decent number of suspects.  

The mystery is an intriguing one and disasters keep befalling the Van Courtland family - as well as Theodosia and her staff - as the book goes on.  The real star of this series is Charleston and Theodosia's tea shop.  I love the descriptions of the themed teas, the food, and Drayton's special blends.  I'm not the biggest tea drinker but the descriptions always have me wishing that they really existed as they sound delicious.  As well, Childs does a good job of making Charleston feel like a character with the feel and look of the city beautifully described.

This isn't my favorite series as Theodosia is just a bit too perfect and too nosy but the books always provide a fun read.  This book might be my favorite yet.  I enjoyed the twist and all the tea mentions.  If you're looking for a light cozy mystery to enjoy and a virtual trip to Charleston this is a great series to pick.  There are a decent number of characters which can make just jumping in a tiny bit confusing but for the most part this is an easily standalone series.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would. This isn't the top of my list of cozy mystery series but I enjoy the mysteries everytime I read them.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy light cozy mysteries I would recommend this book and this series as a whole.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Reading Recap - What I Read in February 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 20 - This total really surprised me but I've really been enjoying my reading so I'm hoping this is a good sign for a great reading year.

Type:

Print: 8

Ebook: 5 

Audio: 7

Genre:

Mystery - 16 

Fiction - 3

Romance - 1 

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Homefront Sleuths Mystery by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - I really wanted to finish this series by the end of the month so I could cancel my Audible subscription without having to pay for another month.  I'm typically not a series binge reader.  I tend to start getting annoyed with characters or writing styles after a couple of books by the same author in the same series close together.  This was absolutely not the case with this series.  I loved the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they worked together.  If there's another book in the series I would buy it full price without hesitation.  

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst - Audiobooks were definitely the star of February though I did like the bulk of what I read this month.  This was probably my favorite of all the print/ebooks that I read.  While it does have love letters in the title it isn't really a romance but instead focuses much more on the sisters and their relationships - both with each other and themselves.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rereads:  

I'm trying to make sure I get some rereads in this year as I always enjoy it and I was in the habit of not letting myself pick up some old favorites.  Here is what I reread in February:

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Mathews - This was the first book in the quartet I read and I really wanted to revisit it after reading the first book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading book 3.

Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - This was the February pick for the Read Christie challenge and it was a delight.  This is one of Christie's books that I always forget about but always enjoy.

Armchair Travels for February

Domestic Travel:  I visited Wyoming, Connecticut, New York, Oregon, and Georgia for the first time this year.  All domestic travel was to new states for the year which is fun.

International Travel:  I visited England 10 times - half of which was during the 1940s, Canada, early 1990s Jordan, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.

How was your reading in February?  Where did your reading take you?

Friday Fives - March TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Since this is the first Friday in March, I'm planning my January TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in March. 

1.  The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly - This has been such a fun cozy mystery series and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind structure Whitney and her cousin are flipping this time and what kind of mystery they're going to stumble into.  

2.  The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur - I had never heard of this series until I read a series by Gigi Pandian where she talked about this book and it sounded so fun.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

3.  Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - I love this cozy mystery series but I didn't love the previous book so I'm hoping this one is better.

4.  A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson - I read a book by this author last year and loved it.  This one looks fantastic and I've been really wanting to read it.  This is the month!

5.  A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry - This series has been on my radar for years.  It looks kind of bizarre but lots of fun.  I've been collecting the books but I need to read the first book to make sure that I really want to continue with this series.

What are you hoping to read in March?

Books From the Backlog - The Library of Lost Dollhouses

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

Blurb:   Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s uneventful life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy starts to believe that Belva Curtis LeFarge, the influential heiress who established the library a century ago, is conveying a significant final message.
With a newfound sense of spontaneity, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey to understand introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, overlooked history, but also a future for herself, filled with exciting possibilities—and an astonishing familial revelation.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  It sounds amazing and I love the dollhouse angle.  

What I'm Reading - March 4

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Ebook

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth - I just started this one and am only about a chapter in so I don't have an opinion on it yet, but my hopes are high.  

Print Book

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - This one I haven't really even started but I moved my bookmark over to it so it counts as my current print book.  I am really looking forward to getting started with it tonight.

Audio Book 

I'm taking a short break from audiobooks to get caught up on my podcasts but will start a new one at the end of the week.  I'm not sure what I'll start so I might just let my TBR Jar pick for me.  I am currently obsessed with How Did This Get Made? and DNA:ID podcasts.

Slow Read

Pinot Read or Dead by J.C. Eaton - I really enjoy another cozy series by this author team but this one isn't quite living up to the enjoyment of the other books I've read by them.  I'm about 40% done with it so I'll finish it but won't be jumping to get the rest of the series unless it gets much better quickly.  

What are you reading today?

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Mysteries on My TBR with Buildings on the Cover

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Genre Freebie.  I'm going with Mysteries on My TBR with Buildings on the Cover.

1.  The Witching Hours by Heather Graham

2.  Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

3.  Old Money by Kelsey Miller

4.  Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

5.  The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

6.  Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry

7.  The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp Leonnie Swan

8.  First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

9.  The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

10. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

A Ghastly Catastrophe - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell #10) by Deanna Raybourn

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

Genre:  Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read all the previous books in this series and other books by this author and enjoyed them all.  

My Impression: This was a lot of fun!  Veronica and Stoker's friend (frenemy in some cases) Inspector Mornaday comes to them with 2 deaths that just aren't sitting right.  Two deaths that seem unrelated and the investigations are quickly and quietly closed but Mornaday just can't quite let them go.  Veronica and Stoker are pulled into the investigation with bizarre characters, sinister secrets, and potentially vampires.

This was a fast paced twisty mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.  I didn't love (or fully see the point of) JJ's role in the story but I did enjoy Mornaday's presence.  I also really enjoyed the banter between Veronica and Stoker - and their arguments regarding vampires.  I enjoyed the crossover with Julia Grey and her husband and it has definitely encouraged me to give that series a try.  

I've enjoyed all the mysteries in this series and this one is no exception.  This one would read fine as a standalone but like most series mysteries will be more enjoyable if read as part of the series.  I'm already looking forward to the next book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and am hoping to start the Lady Grey mysteries.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries - especially historical mysteries this is a great series to try.  While all the books can be read as standalones I think they're more enjoyable if read as part of the series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *