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. *
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. *
yes I used to read these and enjoyed the tea and foods but the mysteries all seemed too quirky for me.
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