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Peach Tea Smash (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

320 pages Berkley publisher August 6, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Murder at an Alice in Wonderland–themed event threatens to send Theodosia Browning through the looking glass in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

During the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill, Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident.

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoy this series. I own most of the books in the series and they are all worth a reread.
Once again Theodosia is front and center again conveniently asking questions and nosing around to solve the crime. Some of the things she did took me by surprise as I’m not too sure they’re safe.

A fundraiser with a Mad Hatter Masquerade party goes horribly wrong when a body is found in the old Pendleton Grist Mill.
The deceased, Harlan Sadler is the husband of the chairwoman, involved in banking and all-around friendly guy liked by all who know him.

As his wife Cricket begs Theodosia for her help, past relationships are uncovered, and things may not all be as friendly as assumed. With red herrings and the list of suspects growing this one had me thinking the suspect may have been several different people.

Set in historical Charleston, the author easily brings it to life with her vivid descriptions adding a delightful flavor to her mysteries.

I always enjoy reading about the different themed teas Theodosia and Drayton have. The themed teas with the Indigo Tea Shop being decorated and the different teas and meals to go with it sounds like so much fun.

I’m all in for reading more of my favorite tea shop cozy mysteries.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

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Honey Drop Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery Book 26) by Laura Childs

316 pages August 8, 2023 publication date Berkely publisher

About The Book

The murder of a political bigwig at a Honey Bee Tea sends Theodosia Browning buzzing for answers in this latest installment
of the New York Times bestselling series.

Theodosia’s Honey Bee Tea was an elegant affair set in Charleston’s new Petigru Park amid newly planted native grasses and a community beekeeping project. But when a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests, the party erupts in chaos. Worse yet, a shot rings out and Osgood Claxton III, candidate for state legislature, falls to the ground—dead.

Holly Burns, the gallery owner who asked Theodosia to cater the tea, is understandably heartbroken. A man is dead, her guests are angry and injured, and the paintings that were on display are left in tatters. When the police don’t seem to have a clue, when old-line politicos don’t want questions asked, Holly begs Theodosia to run a shadow investigation and help restore her gallery’s good name.

Between hosting a Wind in the Willows Tea and a Glam Girl Tea, Theodosia questions everyone that had a bone to pick with Claxton. This includes Booker, an angry outsider artist; Lamar Lucket, Claxton’s political opponent; and Mignon Merriweather, the dead man’s soon-to-be ex-wife. But the investigation becomes a political hot potato following a second murder, the revelation of a messy affair, a chase through a swamp, and a vandalized shop.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

I will have to say I’ve bought many books by this author, haven’t read them all yet but have read quite a few of them. I drink a lot of tea, iced and hot and love the setting of this cozy mystery series taking place in a teashop.


Theodosia Browning owns a quite popular teashop in Charleston, South Carolina. Aside from running a teashop she seems to call amateur sleuthing her second calling. Murder always seems to find her or perhaps she finds it. In any case there is a murder during a private tea party at her Indigo Tea Shop on Church Street.

It’s a honeybee themed tea party complete with yellow bumblebee decorations and honey filled foods. When a “beekeeper” shows up at the party the guests think it’s part of the entertainment, but this “beekeeper” has other things on his mind when he smokes out a guest with noxious gas and they wind up dead. You will be kept buzzing along as you piece together all the clues thrown at you, many which will throw you off track as you think you’ve solved it, but it turns out to be a dead end.

Very entertaining and well-paced cozy mystery. I’m satisfied with this book.
Don’t forget to read to the end of the book as there are delicious sounding recipes, interesting facts about tea and a fun list of things to do when visiting Charleston, South Carolina.

Pub Date 08 Aug 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Have a fabulous day and thanks for spending time here today.