Lavender Blue Murder
A Tea Shop Mystery
by Laura Childs
About Lavender Blue Murder
Cozy Mystery
21th in Series
Publisher: Berkley (March 3, 2020)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 0451489667
ISBN-13: 978-0451489661
Digital ASIN: B07SSQ1X4R
Tea-Maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.
Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.
Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.
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| I could not resist this one! |
But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor's lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.
His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00 A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.
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| Theo with Earl Grey |
As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald's daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she's made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
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| Charleston, South Carolina |
About Laura Childs
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Shop Mysteries
, The Scrapbooking Mysteries
, and The 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.
, The Scrapbooking Mysteries, and The 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!
– 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.
– 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.Author Links
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31
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| An tea shop with vintage decor |
My Summary
Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs takes readers to Charleston, South Carolina where the Indigo Tea Shop
resides in the historic district. Theodosia Browning along with her tea
sommelier, Drayton Conneley are enjoying an old English bird hunt at the estate
of Reginald Doyle. Amid the blasts of
shotguns, Theo hears a pistol shot in their hunting zone. She heads off to the lavender field where she
heard the shot and finds Reginald on the ground bleeding from a gunshot wound to
his chest. Reginald dies before help can
arrive and his wife, Meredith is distraught.
Meredith insists that Theo and Drayton stay overnight. Theo awakens during the night to find smoke
pouring under her bedroom door. The
house is on fire and, thankfully, everyone makes it out alive. It seems too much of a coincidence for the
two events to happen within hours of each other. Meredith comes calling the next day and asks
that Theo using her sleuthing prowess to learn who committed these terrible
deeds. Theo, of course, agrees to
investigate and begins by questioning the Doyle’s neighbors. When Meredith’s daughter-in-law disappears with
the assumption she died at sea, Meredith insists on holding a séance to get
answers. Can Theodosia discover what
happened before there is another incident?
My Thoughts
Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs is the twenty-first A Tea Shop Mystery.
I look forward to each new installment of A Tea Shop Mystery series. This is one of the two series
that got me interested in cozy mysteries.
I picked up Death by Darjeeling and quickly devoured it. I hurried back to the bookstore to pick up
the next two books in the series (that was all that was out at that time). Theodosia Browning and Drayton Conneley are
at Reginald Doyle’s estate participating in an old English bird hunt. Well, Theo is shooting while Drayton is
holding his gun like it is a “plague infested rat”. The hunting party ends when their host is
found shot in a nearby lavender field. That
night the mansion is set on fire and then Fawn Doyle, the victim’s
daughter-in-law, disappears. A
distraught Meredith asks Theo to investigate and find who is responsible for
these terrible events. Theo is too curious
to say no. Lavender Blue Murder is a
well-crafted novel with developed characters set in a beautiful city. I just love descriptive images of Charleston
and Theo’s charming shop plus her home (makes me want to live there and own a
bookshop next to the Indigo Tea Shop). At
the tea shop, they have a Gone with the Wind Tea complete with the staff in
costumes and a Lavender Lady Tea. The
mystery had a multiple suspects, secrets were revealed and good clues. The story moved along quickly with Theo
asking questions and nosing around. The take down scene was delightful. I
like the relationship Theodosia has with Drayton. They are more than co-workers. They are good friends who respect each other
and enjoy each other’s company. I especially liked how Drayton participated in the mystery. It added humor to the story with his reactions. Haley, Miss
Dimple, and Detective Burt Tidwell are back along with Theo’s beau, Detective
Pete Riley. Theo is having her kitchen remodeled (new cabinets made with reclaimed barnwood). It will be lovely once it is done, but Theo is having a hard time with the chaos (you know how she loves to cook). Lavender Blue Murder was over
far too soon and now I must wait a year for the next A Tea Shop Mystery. Lavender Blue Murder is an enchanting cozy mystery with a weeping widow, a surplus of
suspects, tasty tea, loads of lavender, blaring bagpipes, and a spooky séance.
Lavender Blue Murder is available from Amazon*, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, and IndieBound. You can find the other twenty novels in A Tea Shop Mystery series here on Amazon. Would you like to win a copy of Lavender Blue Murder? You can enter the giveaway for one of two copies of Lavender Blue Murder (Sorry, but U.S. Only) by clicking here or enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Leave on a comment on my blog for an extra entry. Good Luck! I hope you take the time to visit the other stops on the tour for spotlights, reviews, author interviews, and guest posts (schedule below). Thank you for stopping by today. Tomorrow I am featuring The Crow's Call by Wanda E. Brunstetter. It is the first novel in Amish Greenhouse Mystery series. Now for your book pun: I read this book about Mount Everest. It was a real cliff hanger. Did you laugh or groan? I hope you have a fanciful day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Tour Participants
March 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
March 2 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 3 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW
March 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 4 – My Journey Back – REVIEW
March 5 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – GUEST POST
March 5 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
March 6 – I'm All About Books-SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Here's How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW
March 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW
March 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLGHT
March 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 13 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – The Book Diva's Reads – GUEST POST
March 14 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW
March 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW
March 16 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
March 16 – This Is My Truth Now – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 18 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 19 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW
March 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
March 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
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Love this cover!
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting and fun to read. I love the descriptions of the buildings and gardens. The tea shop sounds cozy and Theos house sounds beautiful and cozy too. The food always sounds delicious. Lavender is my favorite color and the cover is amazing. Gone with the wind is a favorite book of mine can't wait to read this one! Thank you for the chance
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to try a Laura Child's book for quite a while! I am not much on hunting, but those sporting dogs are lovely, as is the tea tray.
ReplyDeletebrowninggloria@hotmail.com
Thank you for your review on "Lavender Blue Murder" by Laura Childs and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteLove this series and can't wait for the opportunity to read this book. LOVE the cover! It has all my favorites - hydrangea, blueberries and the color purple.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thanks so very much for your fabulous review of Lavender Blue Murder and I encourage everyone to enter the Raffle Copter! Laura Childs
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this series! Looking forward to reading "Lavender Blue Murder".
ReplyDeleteSuch a peaceful place setting. Surely nothing terrible could be happening here! Lavender/purple are my favorite colors, so you know I really love your cover! What an ironic place to find a dead body....
ReplyDeleteI continue to look forward to this series.
ReplyDelete