Book Beginning: Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs

The Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs are among my favorite entertaining and relaxing reads. I love the characters, the mystery plots in a Charleston setting, and the elaborate teas and sandwich recipes. Here is the latest, #18, in the series.

Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs, March 7, 2017, Berkley.
Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning attends a Rat Tea, where servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, a custom from early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor teas to promote city rodent control and better public health. (publisher)

Book beginning:

Palmettos swayed lazily in the soft breeze, daffodils bobbed their shaggy heads as Theodosia Browning stepped quickly along the brick pathway that wound through a bountiful front yard garden and up to the polished double doors of the Calhoun Mansion. Pausing, she pulled back the enormous brass boar's head door knocker...nothing wimpy about this place... and let it crash against the metal plate.

Page 56:

"If Reggie was desperate enough, yes. I think he could have killed my stepdad...."

What book are you reading this Friday?
Thanks to Berkley for a review/feature copy of this book.

Memes: The Friday 56. Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% of your eReader. Find any sentence that grabs you. Post it, and add your URL post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Also visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader. 

First chapter: MING TEA MURDER by Laura Childs

First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted weekly by Bibliophile by the Sea. Share the first paragraph of your current read. Also visit Teaser Tuesdays meme hosted by Jenn

Ming Tea Murder: A Tea Shop Mystery #16 by Laura Childs
Published May 5, 2015; Berkley
Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning's boyfriend Max has organized a gala opening for an exhibit of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese teahouse, and the crème de la crème of Charleston society is invited. In the exotic garden  in the museum’s rotunda, a Chinese dragon dances to the beat of drums as it weaves through the crowd. The guests are serenaded by a Chinese violin as they sample tempting bites. But Theodosia makes a grim discovery behind the photo booth’s curtains: the body of museum donor Edgar Webster. (publisher)

First paragraph, first chapter: With drums banging and the sweet notes of a Chinese violin trembling in the air, the enormous red-and-gold dragon shook its great head and danced its way across the rotunda of the Gibes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the opening-night celebration for the reconstruction of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese tea house, and the creme de la creme of society had turned out in full force for this most auspicious occasion. 

Teaser: Theodosia grabbed a cracker that was topped with a dab of pate and accepted a paper napkin from a solicitous waiter. 

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," called out a brash, nasal voice ( ch. 8) 

Would the first paragraph and teaser tempt you to continue reading this cozy?
Personally, I'd read on, as I have read others in this series and love the atmosphere, ambiance, and recipes, not to mention the intriguing mystery plots.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for feature/review.

Book Beginning: Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs

The Friday 56: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader  *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Also visit Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader.

Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs
To be released May 5, 2015; Berkley
Genre: cozy mystery

Book beginning, first paragraph:

With drums banging and the sweet notes of a Chinese violin trembling in the air, the enormous red-and-gold dragon shook its great head and danced its way across the rotunda of the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the opening-night celebration for the reconstruction of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese tea house, and the creme de la creme of society had turned out in full force for this most auspicious occasion. 

Page 56:

"Which means, now that Webster is dead, Cecily really isn't obligated to pay the money back."
"That's right," said Greaves. "She's free and clear."
Maybe not that free and clear after all, Theodosia thought as she walked to her car.

Book description:
Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning normally wouldn’t attend a black tie affair. But she can hardly say no to her boyfriend, Max, who has organized a gala opening for an exhibit of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese teahouse, and the crème de la crème of Charleston society is invited.
But Theodosia makes a grim discovery: the body of museum donor Edgar Webster. This case is difficult to ignore—especially after Max becomes a suspect. 

I love this series and can't wait to read this one. 
Thanks to the publisher for a review/feature copy of the book.

Steeped in Evil: A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted weekly by Bibliophile by the Sea. Share the first paragraph of your current read. Also visit Teaser Tuesdays meme at A Daily Rhythm. .

Steeped in Evil (A Tea Shop Mystery #15) by Laura Childs
Published March 3, 2015; Berkley

First paragraph:

Theodosia Browning didn't consider herself a wine connoisseur, since tea was really her forte. Fragrant Darjeelings, malty Assams, and her current favorite, a house-blended orchid plum tea that tickled her fancy as well as her taste buds. 

On the other hand, how often did a girl get invited to a fancy wine-tasting party at the very upscale Knighthall Winery?

I can see why this tea shop mystery series is so popular it has reached its fifteenth novel. Theodosia's Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina is something out of a food and wine magazine, serving only the best of teas, mixed and blended by her master tea maker, Drayton. I found myself wanting to make some of the sandwiches, soups, and scones whose recipes are at the back of the books.

In Steeped in Evil, however, Theodosia attends a wine tasting party in which a murder is revealed in a gruesome scenario.  So the book has its share of the bizarre to make it a true mystery novel. Theodosia also has some scary and frightful adventures, one a car chase, another a dangerous rescue, so the high octane action adds to the plot. '

I enjoyed both the cozy tea shop scene as well as the mystery plot and the suspense. I'd give this a 5/5 rating.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book. 

Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted weekly by Jill at Breaking the Spine. What new releases are you eagerly waiting for. Link your post to Breaking the Spine.

Scorched Eggs

Opening sentence: Suzanne didn't know how she felt about Blond Bombshell No. 4 as a hair color, but she was about to find out. 

Title: Scorched Eggs (Cackleberry Club #6) by Laura Childs
Expected publication: December 2, 2014; Berkley
Genre: cozy mystery

Book description:
Suzanne, Petra, and Toni—co-owners of the Cackleberry Club Café—are equally good at serving up breakfast and justice. As Suzanne is getting her hair colored at Root 66, she witnesses the County Services office next door suddenly go up in flames. The fire department does their best. Unfortunately, their best isn’t enough to save longtime civil service worker—and friend to the Cackleberry Club—Hannah Venable.

Soon it’s discovered someone set the fire on purpose. When Suzanne finds a possible connection between the fire and the nearby Prairie Star Casino, she realizes the arsonist wanted something very big and bad kept secret. (publisher)

What new release are you waiting for?

Book Reviews: Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs; Gilt Trip by Laura Childs

Gossamer Ghost

Title: Gossamer Ghost: A Scrapbooking Mystery #12 by Laura Childs
Published October 7, 2014; Berkley Hardcover
Genre: cozy mystery

Ava glanced at Carmela and said, "What's a Ghost Train?" 

"Are you serious?" said Jekyl. "The Ghost Train is being touted as New Orleans's premier Halloween event and has been promoted up the wazoo!" 

There are so many events that scrapbook shop owner Carmela and her friend Ava must attend while taking care of their respective shops in New Orleans during Halloween week. But when Carmela enters her neighbor's Oddities shop next door and finds shop owner Marcus dead and stuffed in a tall wooden cabinet, she and friend Ava and boyfriend detective Edgar Babcock soon become involved. Edgar warns Carmela off the dangerous case but Carmela and her sidekick Ava can't resist a hunt for a killer.

Lot of New Orleans Halloween fun such as balls, cemetery walks, Ghost Trains, zombies, parades, fill the pages in between Carmela and Ava's sleuthing. The book is great to read, both for the New Orleans ambience and for the mystery plot. Loved it!

I also read the previous Laura Childs Scrapbooking Mystery, #11, coauthored by Diana Orgain - Gilt Trip.

Gilt Trip

This 11th in the Scrapbooking Mystery series, released October 1, 2014 by Berkley.The unusual plot and the engaging characters of amateur sleuths Carmela and Ava, as well as scrapbooking details and the New Orleans food made this a great read for me.

Carmela kicked things off..., passing around sheets of vellum, crinkle paper, linen paper, batik papers, and others that she'd pulled earlier.  (ch. 11)

Carmela investigates the murder of Jerry Earl, the husband of prominent New Orleans socialite Margo Leland, while also running her craft shop and craft classes.She had discovered Jerry Earl's body at a ball, stuffed in the laundry room of his wife Margo's mansion. Quite an inventive though gruesome way to go!

I loved the mystery and the craft tips, food recipes in both books. Especially the shrimp recipes. Gotta try them! I gave five stars to both books,

Thanks to the publisher for review copies of both books.

Book Review: Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs

Title: Sweet Tea Revenge: A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs
Publication date: March 4, 2014; Berkley
Genre: cozy mystery

Just when Theodosia was delivering a plate of black currant scones and a pot of vanilla spice tea, the ghost hunters came charging into her shop. They spotted her, gave an enthusiastic wave, then trooped over to the same table they'd secured yesterday. (ch. 8)

My comments: I have no doubt half of the appeal of the Tea Shop Mystery series is the description of delicious scones, exotic teas, tea sandwiches, desserts, and lunch offerings served in Theodosia's tea shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Her cook and baker Haley and her tea expert Drayton are two of the characters involved in the various pairings of delicacies and tea.

That's the tea shop background of the mystery series. This novel, like the others, presents a different mystery and murder for amateur sleuth Theodosia to solve. In Sweet Tea Revenge, Theodosia must find out who ruined the marriage of her friend Delaine with a murder at the wedding, discover if the Ravenscrest Inn, the venue for the wedding, is really haunted, and try to remain safe from a murderer at the same time.

Recommendation: Scrumptious details of tea parties and tea menus were part of the charm for me. The cozy is also a good mystery that had me guessing till the end. The novel has entertaining characters, a subtle plot that is not at all predictable, and a smooth writing style that eases the reader along effortlessly. It was fun to read.  My objective rating is 4.5/5.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary book tour copy of the novel.. 

Book Review: Death Swatch by Laura Childs

Death Swatch: A Scrapbooking Mystery #6 by Laura Childs, published Sept. 2, 2008; Berkley

A scrapbooking mystery by Laura Childs is my latest find. I have enjoyed several of the mystery novels in the series and am getting some ideas for showing family photos from the book, Death Swatch (Sept. 2008) I'm also finding out a lot about New Orleans culture and couture, past and present, about the pirate Jean Lafitte and buried treasure near New Orleans (fictional and legendary), Mardi Gras parties, and of course ways to spend time and money making your memories with scrapbooks and "memory" books.

Don't look for realism - just plain New Orleans fun mixed in with murder and mayhem. In Death Swatch, the main character witnesses the death of a party goer and is not at all traumatized. She goes about her sleuthing, her scrapbooking, and party going with so much aplomb. Of course, this is meant to be a "cozy" mystery and meant to be read just for fun.

Book Review: Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs

One of my latest book finds, Chamomile Mourning (2005), happens to be the sixth in the Tea Shop Mystery series by author Laura Childs.

Set in Charleston, So. Carolina, the mystery is centered around the Indigo Tea Shop, its owner Theodosia Browning, her master tea blender Drayton Conneley, and her pastry chef and tea sandwich maker, Haley Parker. (The first names of the characters seem to conjure up old, historical Charleston).

The book quickly immerses us in tea lore while also telling its story; Drayton, the tea connosieur, serves his customers unusual teas such as Royal Golden Yunnan, Dragonwell tea, Nilgiri tea, Chin Sun Oolong from Thailand, Mai Jiang green tea from China, African Redbush, Darjeeling, the "champagne of teas," and many more.

Theo uses only the best for her tea- Crown Dorset, Spode, and willow-pattern teapots, for example- and serves pastries, savories, and light lunches at elegant tables with linen napkins, silverware, and fresh flowers.

The plot thickens when she leaves the relative safety of her teashop to venture outside of Charleston to solve the murder of auction house owner, Roger Crispin, whose untimely death ruined her rose-decorated cake and the rest of the Poet's Tea at a local Heritage Society get-together.

Theodosia interviews people in the backwoods, avoids being run off the road, and narrowly escapes death by bullet and by quicksand.

She also finds a new love interest in this novel.

The contrast of the teashop setting in Charleston and the wilderness and swamps of South Carolina adds some heady spice to the last part of the book. The pace of the novel picks up at the very end of the book and saves Chamomile Mourning from being just a novel about tea making, hatmaking, interior decorating, and frivolous fashion.

Tea lovers, however, will have a good time reading about different varieties of tea and the foods they complement. They may also enjoy the book's bonus recipes for strawberry biscuits, cinnamon-apple scones, marmalade and cream cheese tea sandwiches, chocolate tea, and she-crab soup!