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, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:   Website –  Facebook 

Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

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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

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