Theodosia Browning and the Tea Shop Mysteries will be familiar to most cosy mystery fans. This is the thirtieth adventure. The books are named for the tea theme, and this one is DEATH AT A FIREFLY TEA.
While happily engaged in running her Charleston tea shop, providing employment and hospitality, Theodosia is an inveterate puzzle solver. She caters at other establishments, such as Tangled Rose B and B, which asks for a tea event to celebrate the fireflies. Unfortunately, one guest, Mrs. Van Courtland, is taken ill near the end of the meal. The paramedics are called, and they believe poison was administered. Thea spots someone hastening away and tries to catch them but fails.
The death of one of Charleston’s fine ladies, a philanthropist and antique collector, causes shock. A heartless developer is interested in buying her mansion. The relatives are at odds, and some hold a grudge that Mrs. Van Courtland had bought a house in town and donated it to troubled youths, who dubbed it Honey Badger House.
Thea continues her work while asking questions and meeting those closest to the situation. My favourite occasion is the Queen Victoria Tea dreamed up by Drayton Conneley, the longstanding tea expert, and Riley in the kitchen. They even hire a local lady to represent Victoria in her later years. Suffice to say, you will be dreaming of the dainty sandwiches, bite-sized scones and tarts served with cream.
I found the crime investigation moved well and swiftly, for all Thea’s complaining that she didn’t wish to get involved. There are a lot of scene changes and various new crimes thrown in suddenly. The only odd point is that Drayton is assaulted one evening in the shop, and nobody reports this to the police. Why wouldn’t you, if only to protect other shopkeepers? Detective Burt Tidwell is frequently found downing a cup of tea and a bite in the shop, so of course, he’d want to know.
All this activity and a loyal dog called Earl Grey await readers. Some recipes are at the back of the book. I will definitely be making a few of them, just as I will keep coming back for more at the charming tea shop created by Laura Childs. New readers can jump into DEATH AT A FIREFLY TEA easily, and occasional readers will find the same setting and main characters, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve missed some books. Charleston is, as ever, a firmly drawn character too.
A brazen killer sparks Theodosia Browning’s sense of justice in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston’s local grande dames. Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V’s grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful ex-daughter-in-law, ne’er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets. As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked stranger and the fiancé of Mrs. V’s son is kidnapped. It’s only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.
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