It’s a busy holiday season at the Indigo Tea Shop.  Theodosia, Haley, and Drayton are busy hosting a Nutcracker Tea, a White Christmas Tea, and a fancy Victorian Christmas Tea.  Along with the tea, there’s trouble brewing in Charleston, and when one of the area’s largest benefactors is murdered, the season becomes a TWISTED TEA CHRISTMAS affair.

Theodosia and Drayton are catering a holiday party hosted by Miss Drucilla Heyward, a large donor to several of Charleston’s charities.  Miss Drucilla is in top form and eager to announce whom she will donate money to in the coming year.  That is until Theodosia finds her murdered in the hallway.  All her rings have been taken and a priceless Renoir painting is missing from the wall.  Miss Drucilla’s personal assistant, Pauline Stauber, is inconsolable and the party guests are shocked.  Theodosia knows she’ll have to put on her amateur sleuth hat and find out who had the most to gain from Miss Drucilla’ s death.  As the suspect list keeps growing, and Theodosia continues to investigate, her teashop is broken into and someone takes a shot at her.  Could the killer be a local art dealer, a former housekeeper, a nephew of the deceased, a fraudulent charity, or someone else? 

TWISTED TEA CHRISTMAS is the latest in the long-running Tea Shop Mystery series and it is pure holiday fun.  No one does ambiance like Laura Childs as she weaves Charleston’s scenery, people, and events with culinary delights.  Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley are old friends and the teashop is humming along during the holidays letting readers partake in the daily happenings.  The mystery is solid and moves along crisply introducing suspects and investigating their connections.  Childs writes so well that the story flows without a wasted moment.  There is also a plethora of interesting and deceitful suspects, and Theo is just the person to unearth their wrongdoings.  This is a perfect holiday cozy to enjoy with a cup of Darjeeling.  Recipes and Tea Time Tips included!   If you like this novel, check out Laura Childs’ other series including the Scrapbook Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.