One of my favorite cozy mystery authors, Laura Childs, has a new installment in her Tea Shop Mystery series, THE TEABERRY STRANGLER, out this month, and it is just terrific!
Theodosia Browning and her crew at the Indigo Tea Shop have just wound up a successful Alley Crawl, an fun event where all the shop owners throw open their back doors along the cobble-stoned alleys for customers and Theodosia is thrilled at the turnout, especially since the event was her idea.
On her way to celebrate the end of the night with her friend Daria, owner of the Antiquarian Map Shop, Theo is shocked to find her dear friend in a struggle for her life in the alleyway. But the time Theo reaches Daria, the woman is dead, having been strangled to death and the culprit dashes away before Theo can get a good look at him.
Her friend’s death comes as a great shock to Theo, but she is further alarmed when Detective Tidwell informs her that she might have actually been the target of the killer, since both woman looked very similar. As a favor to her Aunt Libby, who is a close friend with Daria’s mother, Theodosia dives into the murder investigation, using her uncanny powers of reasoning and deduction to figure out who the real killer is, but will Theo finger the murderer before her own life is targeted?
And the cast of suspects is numerous – from Cinnamon and Aunt Kitty, the new, slightly kooky perfume shop owners next door to the Tea Room, to Daria’s new employee Jason, to Joe Don Hunter, Daria’s treasure-seeking boyfriend, somebody knows the who’s, what’s, when’s and where’s of this murder case.
Add in Theodosia’s ex-boyfriend Jory’s crazy new girlfriend, who seems hell-bent to make sure Theo is out of the picture, the poor girl certainly has her hands full.
With her characters who are familiar and endearing as beloved family members, Laura Childs always brings her readers thrilling excitement in her Tea Shop Mysteries, as well as a whole new batch of delicious recipes.
And this, dear ones, is what a teaberry looks like! Anybody remember Clark's Teaberry gum??
