Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Dark and Stormy Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Dark and Stormy Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs
A Dark and Stormy Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
24th in Series
Berkley (August 9, 2022)
Hardcover : 320 pages
A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.
It was a dark and stormy night, but that was the least of Theodosia Browning’s troubles. As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog.
In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim—it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.
Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, and the sage words of Drayton, her tea sommelier, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. And quickly discovers that suspects abound with the dead girl’s boyfriend, nefarious real estate developer, private-security man, bumbling reporter, and her own neighbor who is writing a true-crime book and searching for a big ending.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
My review of A Dark and Stormy Tea
I have loved every book I’ve read in the Tea Shop Mystery series, and A Dark and Stormy Tea is no exception! It feels like coming home when I step into one of these books (even though I’ve never been to Charleston!). Laura Childs makes Theodosia’s area of Charleston as well as her tea shop come alive with her descriptive and detailed writing.
A Dark and Stormy Tea has a bit of a Gothic feel to it. The nearly constant rain and fog permeate the pages giving it a dark atmosphere. And the slightly spooky cover just adds to that feeling. Right away, you know something is coming as Theodosia heads to her tea shop that fateful day. It’s storming. It’s dark. And as she passes the cemetery, she hears a sound. The lightning flashes, and she sees two people in what could be an embrace. But as more lightning flashes and a dark figure with a knife passes her, she knows it wasn’t an embrace! And so it begins. Theodosia gets wrapped up in another murder case; and, this time, it might be a serial killer!
If you’ve not read any of the books in this series, don’t worry! Each book can easily be read as a stand-alone. You’ll quickly get to know the characters not only through Childs’s writing but also by observing how they interact with each other. The supporting characters that appear in this book are also well-written; and among those, you’ll keep wondering who the killer is…and if he committed similar murders several years ago.
Reading about the food and teas served daily and the special themed teas always make me hungry! You’re going to want a good cuppa and a scone on hand when you read. If you can get a hold of some Devonshire cream, let me know! I wish I had the toppings they serve with the scones because they sound delicious! Okay, I just got curious while writing that sentence and found a recipe that looks really easy. (Adding cream cheese and heavy cream to my shopping list….) There are several recipes included in the book too, and I want to try most of them!
A Dark and Stormy Tea is a page-turner that, once you get into the story, you won’t want to put down! The atmosphere, characters, teas, and mystery make A Dark and Stormy Tea a very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it!
About Laura Childs
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries 
The Scrapbooking Mysteries
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries
Laura’s Links: Website – Facebook
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound
Enter the giveaway
A Dark and Stormy Tea TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 8 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 9 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
August 9 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
August 11 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
August 11 – The Book’s the Thing – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 13 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
August 13 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
August 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST
August 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 17 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 18 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
August 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
August 19 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 20 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 21 – Girl with Pen – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
[…] A Dark and Stormy Tea is a page-turner that, once you get into the story, you won’t want to put down! The atmosphere, characters, teas, and mystery make A Dark and Stormy Tea a very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it!~Christys Cozy Corners […]