Theodosia Browning runs the popular Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. She also caters for some events, and on this occasion, she is providing craft services (food and drink) for a film set. MURDER IN THE TEA LEAVES doesn’t suggest filming, but from the first book Death by Darjeeling, all the Tea Shop Mystery stories have had tea-related titles. Amazingly, Theo has survived 26 previous mysteries, some of which have involved attempts upon her life.

The local Film Board is providing an incentive to use one of the many haunted houses of Charleston as a location. During one of the takes, the lights fail and the film’s director, Josh Morro, is unfortunately electrocuted in what seems a freak accident. On closer inspection, the wires were deliberately set. Brittlebank Manor has claimed another victim.

Delaine Dish, a local socialite, had recently been dating the director, and they had a public breakup. The police wonder if she could have been taking revenge. Theo doesn’t think that likely, so she starts asking questions of his colleagues - the screenwriter who was constantly criticised, the actress who had been trying to break her contract, the new director who seems cheerful – and more. Theo and her amiable co-worker at the tea room, Drayton Conneley, discuss the case while producing sumptuous four-course afternoon teas, and breakfast scones, while walking the dog, all the time in fact. Then Theo comes home in the evening and discusses the case some more with her gentleman friend, Pete Riley, who happens to be a police detective.

Theo manages a few changes of scenery from a fashion display to a memorial service and some of the local industries. This is always an interesting series and it’s amazing how Theo gets into so many tight spots. I started laughing halfway through because her problems were constantly accumulating, and she no sooner dealt with one than someone else asked her to help them or turned up looking to interview her for a news scoop. Theo is a good-hearted person who can’t let a friend down, even if that involves looking into murders or wearing a dress-for-sale sticker for an hour. While I haven’t read all this series by Laura Childs, I’ve read a good many, and by now, it’s like keeping up with an old friend I see once a year. The motives may be dirty, but the language and scenes are clean, so you could gift MURDER IN THE TEA LEAVES to a teen or a parent without blushing. I warn that the actual murder is quite nasty, but the author may well be making a point about society.