A DARK AND STORMY TEA

3 stars out of 5

This is a new-to-me series, although I'm not sure how I've managed to miss it since this is the 24th installment. But with a tea shop, a bookstore and murder involved, I couldn't pass up a chance to try a sample. The Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina, is owned by Theodosia Browning, capably assisted by tea sommelier Drayton and young chef Haley. Judging from the extensive food and drink selections at various times of day, it appears that the shop does a thriving business (and made me wonder how on earth Haley could produce such delicacies in such quantity and timeliness when she's basically all alone in the kitchen). But on the fateful stormy night when the story begins, Theodosia walks past a cemetery and, through no fault of her own, sees what she believes is a woman being murdered right before her fog-clouded eyes.

And she's right; turns out the victim is the daughter of the aforesaid bookstore owner just down the street. As the police - including Theodosia's boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley - begin their investigation, similarities to the work of a known serial killer who was active in the area some seven years earlier. An amateur sleuth, Theodosia is eager to do some investigating on her own, but she's cautioned against doing so by Pete and his police cohorts (as is customary in every cozy mystery I've ever read). And just as customarily, Theodosia ignores their warnings and sets out on her own. After all, you see, the victim, an intern at a local TV station, was the daughter of a friend, who asks for Theodosia's help.

To be sure, there's no shortage of suspects - ranging from a former boyfriend to a neighbor who's writing a true crime book to a big real estate developer who's intent on making his mostly unwelcome mark on the historic neighborhood. Theodosia convinces herself each one is the killer, searching for clues to bolster her suspicions at least till the real police find real evidence of their innocence. The requisite ditzy cozy heroine sidekick - the one who's usually obnoxious and headstrong - makes herself known a couple of times, but she doesn't have much of a role in this story. Neither does Theodosia's boyfriend Pete, actually; in fact, they don't seem to have much of a relationship (I'm new to this series, so I'll assume he is as well).

Of course, Theodosia's unauthorized poking around doesn't sit well with the killer, who would very much prefer to be left unidentified. And that, also of course, spells big trouble for Theodosia, "forcing" her to resort to all kinds of devious activities - and one that's downright illegal, which certainly doesn't sit well with me - to get what she's after. The trouble that ensues and how it all ends I can't reveal, but I can say that when it does end, foodies whose mouths watered over some of the scones and tea sandwiches mentioned liberally throughout the book will be delighted to find recipes and other tea-related resources. All in all, it's a fun story that's not too scary to read sitting alone in a big old house in front of a cozy (pun intended) fire. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy to read and review.

A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs (Berkley, August 2022); 316 pp.