Plum Tea Crazy ( A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Laura Childs has continued the adventure in her wonderful Tea Series. Theodosia Browning and  Drayton Conneley are invited guests of Timothy Neville at the Gaslights and Galleons Parade. The  widows- walk on the roof is the perfect place to watch the ships come in from all over the World for the Event. Amidst a volley of cannon...a scream rings out and a man falls. Carson Lanier, is impaled on a wrought iron fence. It is an obvious case of murder, but he seems to have no enemies...or even a good reason why this should happen.

  Theodosia, who works side- by- side with Drayton in the Indigo Tea Shop is asked by Timothy to help investigate the mystery. She is dragged into a feud, with a scene worthy of a cat fight in a film noir, between Sissy Lanier and Betty Bates during a showing at Delaine’s shop. A rock is tossed through her window. Sissy shows up at the tea shop bereft because her Fidelity account had been raided. Jud Harker’s apartment is illegally visited  and she finds out some juicy information concerning Bob Garver’s grant money and loan. A very entertaining plot unfolds with some of the locals providing the bounty.

But for me... the Teas that are served and the food throughout this book are especially charming. Imagine a carefully blended plum-flavored Ceylonese black tea. This was a visit for me with old friends in their elegant Tea Shop and a chance to try some of these wonderful blends... as I sat with my cup of Tea and read this book. A delicious little mystery and a surprise twist at the end. Very enjoyable.

Blurb:

Theodosia Browning investigates a Charleston steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

While viewing the harbor's Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow's walk of Timothy Neville's Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it's discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow.

At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner--all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.

My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley