This is the 20th book in the author's Tea Shop Mystery series, and since it's the first I've read, I was a bit concerned that I'd be at something of a disadvantage. Happily, I was not; no doubt some of the characters would have made more of an impression if I'd known them better, but this story stands alone well and, in fact, is quite enjoyable.It's also a cozy, and I was delighted that main character Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop in historic Charleston, South Carolina, is neither a wishy-washy wimp nor one of the more commonly written-about busybodies who plunges ahead devil-may-care despite dire warnings from everyone around her to butt out. She's likable, although she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. Another player here is a character I've come to think is a cozy requisite - the irascible police detective who's constantly annoyed at the heroine's interference with investigations; but in this case, he seems to have genuine respect for her sleuthing talents. One character almost totally missing throughout this one is Theo's main squeeze, detective Pete Riley, who's off to a training conference (I mention this for series followers who might be expecting to see more of him - he sounds like a pretty cool dude).
The story opens with a bang - literally. Theodosia and her resident tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are riding high amid a rally of hot-air balloons. Out of nowhere, a drone appears, giving their balloon an evil eye before heading toward another. That one, however, doesn't fare so well; the drone rams the balloon, causing an horrific explosion that kills everyone aboard. Among the victims is the CEO of a local technology company who'd been accused of "misplacing" some $5 million in company money, raising the probability that he was the target. As a side venture, the man was in the process of selling an extremely valuable Revolutionary War flag, with several rival bidders queuing up for the win. Just what, if anything, that might have to do with the murder remains to be determined.
Early on, the primary suspect is the fiance of one of Theo's friends, the owner of a local B and B. Not only does he own a drone, but he works for the tech company and recently blew the whistle on what he believed was a defective product. In part wanting to help her friend, who refuses to believe her fiance is involved, Theo begins to investigate - in between running her successful tea shop, hosting a couple of high-profile tea events, judging a decorative teacup contest and getting soaked in the ever-present rain everywhere she goes.
History buffs will get their fill here by way of prolific descriptions of older sections of Charleston. I'm really not one of them, but I admit that exploring all those nooks and crannies was enticing (although the thought of all that rain put a damper on my enthusiasm and made me wonder how they ever found a day to get those balloons aloft). Also worthy of note for those who enjoy baking are the at-the-end recipes for some of the tasty treats mentioned throughout. All in all, this is an easy-to-read, entertaining book, and I thank the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review it.
Broken Bone China by Laura Childs (Penguin Group, March 2019); 336 pp.
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