Death by Darjeeling
by Laura Childs
A Tea Shop Mystery, No. 1
Prime Crime - May 8, 2001
ISBN: 0425179451 - Paperback
Cozy Mystery
Reviewed by Brenda
Weeaks, MyShelf.Com
Buy
a Copy
I will tell you right
upfront, this is a terrific new series, and no one is getting my Tea Shop
copy. I have just one complaint - there was only one tea recipe listed
at the back of the book. I think other cozy mystery readers will agree
with me when I say: More! We want more!
Theodosia Browning owns
and operates the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. She lives
above the store with her mixed breed dog, Earl Grey. With the help of
her employees, who are also good friends, she sells varying tea blends
and lovely tea sets, has Tea tasting parties, and, in this storyline,
is trying to get a website up and running. When in need of peace, Theo
has her Aunt Libby and the family plantation, Cane Ridge, to run to.
Theo's initiation into
sleuthing begins when a customer is poisoned after drinking a cup of tea
during the annual Lamplighter tour. Since it was her tea that did the
dirty deed, Detective Tidwell shows up with plenty of questions. When
a friend is fired from the Heritage Society because of it, she decides
to deal with it head on, bringing suspicion, danger, and even romance
to the Tea Shop's front door.
Here is a highly educated,
experienced sleuth taking on crime in a subtle way. The Tea Shop has a
pleasant atmosphere. There are no outrageous characters, no sharp jabs,
or attitudes to deal with. Readers can expect the typical new series introductions,
but once done, the mystery begins! Suspicion is immediately planted in
the readers mind; varying directions are taken, then the reader is taken
back to center stage as the killer is revealed. It's a great series debut,
with simple characters and a mystery that wraps up nice and tight.
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