Grab a cup a tea and enjoy the mystery
350555
This is one of those nice mysteries with fun characters and nice romance. If it hadn't been so hot here in Southern California the past month, I would have loved to curl up in front of the fire place with a cup of hot cocoa.

This story was enjoyable on many levels. One of the things I really enjoyed was the author allowed the reader to solve the mystery with the protagonist. Judy was an intriguing character with her ability to read people. Early in the book it was kind of creepy but it was also evident that she could read everyone. The author did a great job with the male characters in this story. I loved Hart and his bravado, especially when it came to mishaps in the kitchen.

There is also some very fun humor in this story. I don't want to give anything away, but it was great to laugh at some of the antics that took place in the story.

This appears to be a book two in a series, but I didn't feel lost, this story definitely stands on its own.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to review this book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
883372
A good mystery with a few twists that keep you guessing. I enjoyed the British descriptions and dialog, having spent a week in London for training earlier in my career, it brought back some fond memories, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak.
3261991
Easily solved mystery.  The characters, traditions and scenery make the book worth reading on a lazy day when you have time to let it all soak in. Maybe the next one will be better. Not a Tony Hillerman but that bar is high for most.
4870248
This is part of a series that is  set in a Cotswold village and includes a ghostly character.  The plots are mainly about solving the mystery and there is little blood and gore; it's all about solving the puzzle.  The characters are interesting and enjoyable but not deeply drawn.  A lot is left to your own imagination, which I enjoy.  Fun, undemanding, escapist reading.
4585801
Interesting characters and a fascinating place and time make this mystery a very enjoyable read.
138641
Over the years, I have grown to love the Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries, and their descriptive tales of life and murder in Charleston, South Carolina. Childs' case of delightful characters -- Theodosia, Drayton, Haley, Delaine, Timothy Neville and even a cameo appearance by Theodosia's ex, Jory Davis, are back in a tale where murder hits a bit too close to home.

Theodosia is participating in a horsing event one county over when she literally falls of her horse and stumbles onto the body of Abby Davis, Jory's sister, and someone who is a sworn enemy. Having exchanged harsh words when Theodosia and Jory broke it off, there is no loved lost between the two women. Theodosia is soon drawn into solving Abby's murder by Jory, who implores her to help him in getting to the bottom of her death. As Theodosia starts investigating, she discovers that there is a lot more to Abby than meets that eye, and that buried secrets, a possible extra-marital affair,  jealousy and the kidnapping of a prominent South Carolinan's son could be what got her killed.

Oolong Dead is entertaining and delightful, and a must-read for fans of the cozy genre.
798858
All of Theodosia and Drayton's adventures are a great, relaxing way to while a bit of time and take a break from everyday life.  Laura Childs has never disappointed me and working my way through the Tea Shop Mysteries has been a joy.
2347053
This was a delightful and quick mystery to read....which makes it ideal for an afternoon at the beach. The main character is a delighful 60 year old lady gardener who turns sleuth when she finds a body and becomes determined to find the killer. Along the way she reunites with an old flame and what happens next requires actually reading the book. The ending is possibly predictable depending perhaps on the number of mysteries you've read. But overall it was well worth an afternoon of relaxing reading.
808196
I am starting to realize that I really enjoy Cozy Mysteries.  They are a lot of fun with out all the sometimes gruesome details of other mystery and suspense novels and it's also fun to watch an amateur solve the case.  And Ms. Childs makes some very interesting characters in her books that I found endearing and I enjoyed watching through the book.

This is the first book I have read in The Tea Shop Mystery series, and it's the 12th book in the series.  But don't let that stop you if you haven't read any in the series.  I know I would know and understand the characters more if I had read the earlier books, but I never felt lost and I got to know the characters well and found that this book is a good stand-alone cozy mystery.  Will I go back and read the series now?  Sure I will and I will continue to read from this point.  The characters and the setting have really drawn me in and I look forward to having another series to read.

Let's talk a little about characters.  Theodosia, Drayton and Hayley seem to be the main characters.  They are the owners and workers at their tea shop in Charleston, South Carolina.  I loved getting to know them a little in this book and found I really liked all three of them and liked how the work together even though they are all three very different people.  Theodosia (Theo) takes the lead role in the book and she and Drayton work together to solve the mystery with help from some other friends, while running the tea shop and participating in the Food and Wine week that is going on in the city.  To go along with the mystery there may also be some romance brewing.

I also found the setting to be fascinating.  Charleston is a town I would like to visit and since I live just a few hours north on the North Carolina coast I loved the setting.  I also loved the pirate lore in this book.  Using Blackbeard is a great plot device.  Everyone knows about Blackbeard and I loved seeing our own beloved Beaufort Inlet mentioned in the book (I live and work just a few miles from there and that is where the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's ship has been found).  Ms. Childs does a wonderful job with pirate lore and incorporating it into the story and into the Charleston area.

The mystery was fun.  I liked following Theo and Drayton around as they met other people and began to put the pieces together.  Though I did somewhat suspect who did it, it still came as a surprise once they figured it out.  It makes a great cozy mystery and I enjoyed reading every minute of it.

My only problem with the whole book was I felt the ending was a little rushed.  I understand that this happens sometimes.  Even though I was a bit disappointed with this, it did not take away from my overall love for the book.  And I will definitely be picking up the next one in this series to see where a storyline from this book goes and to see what kind of mystery Theo and Drayton get to solve next.
1284845
Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries are light, engaging and full of interesting historical and local commentary on the Charleston area. I enjoy these very much and they are an easy read, nice to pick up and read a few chapters then come back to them later on.
4959560
I enjoyed this mystery, which I suppose falls under the heading of historical mystery, although there is less period detail than that label sometimes implies. The characters are well drawn and the plot generally well handled, although there is one clue which the female protagonist takes well too long to absorb. I'll be giving the next book in the series a try.
2245032
Death Comes to London
Kensington Books

By Catherine Lloyd

_____________________________________

Ease into the London Season with this enjoyable Regency England mystery. Dress for a social gathering at the ever important Almacks, be privy to the sweet interplay between protagonist Lucy and her friend Robert, then listen carefully during a scandalous and shocking scene overheard by all.

While there are heated moments and rising action, the overall tone of this story is proper and reserved, and steps back from any emotional turmoil or passion, which seems just right for this time period, as if formally served on a tray with the morning post. The casual placement of exposition and subtle bits of foreshadowing are a welcome quiet at times. But then the pace quickens and swirls through a lakes murky depths, whips atop a window ledge, bubbles into a darkened room of herbals and powders, then splashes a deep blood red onto a crisp new gown. The resolution of the murder does not resolve the changing relationship between Lucy and Robert nor the hurt surely to follow in the next book. We can only wait patiently over tea to find out how those two will proceed.
2003569
I enjoyed this lightweight mystery.  It held my interest to the end.  A pleasant way to spend some time.  It made me want to follow the characters to the next book.
2085497
I received a free kindle copy of The Moonglow Cafe: A Paige MacKenzie Mystery by Deborah Garner, published by Cranberry Cove Press from an Amazon promotion in exchange for a fair review. I gave it four stars.

It's a lighthearted romantic cozy mystery about a New York reporter named Paige MacKenzie who heads to Montana for a brief respite from the grind of the big city. "Kindness, a lost art. Patience, even more elusive. City life in all its undesirable glory." She hopes to reconnect with her cowboy Jake, while she's there.  "Dealing with relationships had never been her strength. She was stubborn & work driven, always had been."

She's researching the Yogo gemstone found in Timberton, Montana & adventure awaits her. This mystery is filled with an eccentric crew of characters & Paige discovers a  journal hidden behind a heating register.

Here are some significant quotes Paige from the journal she discovered.

"Raw emotions seemed to burst off the paper like flames, all depending on the handwritten scroll of the text."

"Was the process of creating, then destroying therapeutic somehow? Or could the frustrated hands that spewed the words & slashes on the page simply be that of a man consumed by rage?

She went to the recommended Moonglow Cafe. She asks for a menu. "Moonglow does not have menus. Menus complicate life. Today is Tuesday. I will bring you the Tuesday breakfast." The hippie waitress, Mist, went into the kitchen.

Will Paige solve the aged mystery before the current one endangers her? It's a race to find out.

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JUG0VZO/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0
1832084
The paint is barely dry on the walls and the company doesn't even have a name yet, but they already have their first client. I love this private detective agency that is run by Sean and Sara McKinley, former police officers, now retired and turned detectives. Sean has come into some serious wealth and the payments he takes are all given over to charities. None of the monies are taken for his or his wife's profit.

Sean and Sara McKinley are approached by a young woman who feels her mother was poisoned with cyanide-laced coffee. However there are no suspects and no motives. All the woman has is the remains of the bag of coffee beans her mother was making her coffee from. This sets the newly formed investigative firm into action to first of all discover if the deceased woman was poisoned and then to determine who did it. I enjoyed this fun cozy mystery with this loving married couple and their group of sidekicks.

It was fun to see them go undercover, working at jobs they weren't used to - particularly Sean who finds the smells from this job a little nauseating. Poor Sara has to admit to herself that she is somewhat addicted to caffeine as she can't give up her daily brew even though most places around town are likely selling the poisoned variety.

There were lots of twists and turns in this fast-paced who-dun-it mystery, but don't count your chickens before their hatched. You'd better make sure you've got all your facts straight before you arrest someone or you'll be letting the killer get away. Coffee is Murder will have you guessing who the real killer is right up until the very end.

I love the characters of Sean and Sara. It is obvious that they love each other a lot but the novel is a clean romance with clean language, making it a pleasurable relaxing read for those who would rather read books free of that kind of thing. They work well together and seem fairly realistic. I like the way they make use of their resources - unselfishly, for the good of others and enjoy working with their staff - Jimmy, Helen and Adam. I also appreciate the interaction between the staff and look forward to seeing their character development in other novels in this series.

And, oh yes, what should they name the new P.I. firm?

This cozy mystery was a fun read that those who enjoy this genre will enjoy. I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-coffee-is-murder-by-carolyn.html
3829022
I would love to visit this tea room, and enjoyed the characters.
Looking forward to reading more in the series, especially about the ghost and the detective, and the tea room owner. The recipes are very nice too!
432793
I love tea...I love mysteries...and I love the recipes at the back!