Monday, March 2, 2020

Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs: Review & Giveaway!


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.
The men of Downton Abbey go commando
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!
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.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
A Tea Shop Mystery
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.
Tea Is Served Tea Pot Old Fashioned Maid Serving Girl by Graphique

Author Links


Old fashioned shops
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?
Lavender tea party.

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&NKoboGoogle 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
Afternoon Tea, 1886. Chromolithograph after Kate Greenaway. If you're looking for finger sandwiches, dainty desserts and formality, afternoon tea is your cup.
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
Old Fashioned Tips: Vintage Afternoon Tea Recipes
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 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
You are never too old to have FUN!!!  I need to get this for my mom and she needs to be surrounded by grandbabies!  ;)

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8 comments:

  1. Sounds 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

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  2. I 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.
    browninggloria@hotmail.com

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  3. Thank you for your review on "Lavender Blue Murder" by Laura Childs and for being part of the book tour.

    Love 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

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  4. Thanks so very much for your fabulous review of Lavender Blue Murder and I encourage everyone to enter the Raffle Copter! Laura Childs

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  5. I love everything about this series! Looking forward to reading "Lavender Blue Murder".

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  6. Such 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....

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  7. I continue to look forward to this series.

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