The Avid Reader: Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs: Review & Giveaway!

Twisted Tea Christmas

About Twisted Tea Christmas

Twisted Tea Christmas (A Tea Shop Mystery)

An attack on the host of a fancy tea party sends Theodosia Browning looking for answers in the latest entry in the New York Times bestselling series.
Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are catering a Victorian Christmas party at a swanky mansion in downtown Charleston. Drucilla Heyward, the hostess, is one of the wealthiest women in town.
As the champagne flows and the tea steeps, Drucilla is so pleased with the reception by her partygoers that she reveals her secret plan to Theodosia. The Grande Dame has brought the cream of Charleston society together to reveal that she is planning to give her wealth away to various charitable organizations. However, before she can make the announcement, Theodosia finds her crumpled unconscious in the hallway. It looks like the excitement has gotten to the elderly woman--except that there is a syringe sticking out of her neck.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

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

My Thoughts

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs has Theodosia Browning and Drayton Conneley catering a swanky event for society mavin Miss Drucilla Heyward. Unfortunately, they end up witnessing the demise of society Grand Dame. Theodosia cannot get the image of the dead woman out of her mind and begins to do a little snooping around. It seems that someone is not happy with her prowling. Theodosia will need to keep her wits about her if she is going to survive to celebrate Christmas with her friends.

Twisted Tea Christmas is the first holiday themed A Tea Shop Mystery. Laura Childs brought the Christmas atmosphere in this story. I loved the themed tea events that included a nutcracker tea and a Victorian illumination tea. A Tea Shop Mysteries are what got me hooked on cozy mysteries. I always love visiting Charleston, South Carolina to check in on Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley. Theodosia is a strong, smart female character. She owns the charming Indigo Tea Shop where Drayton serves tasty teas and Haley whips up delectable delights. I thought Twisted Tea Christmas was well-written with developed, relatable characters. The author captured the setting of Charleston. I enjoyed the local flavor. The mystery was well-plotted. There are multiple suspects in this whodunit. I enjoyed following the clues to solve the mystery. There are twists and turns that keep the mystery entertaining. I loved the reveal which had me laughing. I was sorry for Twisted Tea Christmas to end. Twisted Tea Christmas can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I do recommend reading all of the books in this charming Southern cozy mystery series. There are yummy recipes at the end along with tea time tips from the author. Twisted Tea Christmas provides a jolly good time with tasty teas, a dead Grand Dame, a pilfered painting, a surplus of pooches, and a resolute tea shop sleuth.

Twisted Tea Christmas is available from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and IndieBound. You can find the other A Tea Shop Mysteries here. You can follow Laura Childs on Amazon to receive updates on her latest releases. Time for the giveaway! Would you like to win a print copy of Twisted Tea Christmas? You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below (sorry, but US Only). Leave a comment for an extra entry. Good Luck! Thank you for stopping by today. I hope I have helped you to find a new book and/or author. Laura Childs is the author that got me hooked on cozy mysteries. Next time I am featuring The Butler by Danielle Steel. I hope that you have a jolly day. Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!