It's been a while since I read a book in this series, but I do love the genteel Southern environment and the setting of a tea shop. Theo and Drayton get invited to a Rat Tea event which is something that's a southern tradition. At the event an important man. Theo gets involved in investigating. There were a lot of twists and turns though I guessed the killer by the last 1/3 of the book. I look forward to future books in the series.

A very enjoyable outing in the tea shop series with plenty of action and a cast of unique characters. Well paced and a perfect Sunday afternoon cozy read complete with recipes and the now familiar covers.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I usually really like this series but it's getting a little predictable. Like almost every time Theo and her dog go running she will be attacked in some way, which seems like almost every book. It seemed like this book came to a very abrupt end and I'm still not sure exactly why the killer did the killing. I might have to go back and read the ending again since I'm still confused. I don't think this is one of the best additions to the series but it isn't the worst either.

I really enjoy the different types of tea parties they offer in her shop and I like the fact that Theo hasn't just stuck with one boyfriend throughout the series like a lot of other series do. It seems more like real life with a main character who actually has issues in some relationships and is still looking for someone to share her life with.

This is a nice addition to the lovely Theodosia Browning Indigo Tea Shop series. I'm a long-time fan, and it's always fun to read about Theo's latest adventure. Theo, Drayton, and Haley feel like family after so many years. One of the things I enjoy most about the series is the interesting information about Charleston and about teas. The Rat Tea is an intriguing example. There are several twists within the plot that should keep book discussions lively. I look forward to the next adventure for the Indigo Tea Shop's Three Musketeers. Thanks to Berkeley Prime Crime and NetGalley for access to the eARC!

Every time I read a book from this author, I fall in love with her writing. She has a way of writing mysteries that are entertaining, intriguing and keep readers glued to their seat . The latest from her is one of her best and I loved how it kept my attention throughout the twists and turns.

I love tea shops and when I'm there I feel so relaxed. The atmosphere is soothing and there are always wonderful teas and foods to entice you. I'm not sure I would be excited to attend a "Rat Tea Party" though. Just the thought of a rat makes me want to jump on a chair and scream. The main character owns a tea shop and with the well defined descriptions of the food, I would love to go there to sample the exquisite menu.

As guests settle down for an adventure at the "Rat Tea Party" hosted by Doreen Briggs a sudden burst of flames shoots up from the centerpiece. What would you do if you saw something on fire? The first instinct Theo has is to throw the tea on the flame. Things start to settle down until a coughing and choking sound comes from one of the guests. It looks like someone has taken their last drop of tea. Who poisoned the guest and why?

Theo and Drayton are coerced into looking into the death of the poisoned victim and boy does the action start to take off. The author cleverly gives us several suspects which I paid special attention to. I was determined to figure out who the killer was. I won't say whether I guessed right, but I will tell readers to keep on their toes. The story is fast paced and the twists leave reasonable doubts as to the true killer. Don't miss another outstanding book by this author.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tour and Netgalley. The review is my own opinion.

I love this series! This book not only kept me on the edge of my seat but had me falling into the story line with Theodosia. I really loved the ending with its twists and turns. Kept me guessing till the end.

I love the Tea Shop mysteries and look forward to the newest one every spring. This one didn't disappoint, either!

I think this is one of my favorites of the Tea Shop series so far! I really enjoyed this one. The mystery itself was great. I didn't figure out who the killer was until very close to the end where it was revealed. Plus, this time around we had a new method and a new way of delivering that method. Sometimes having the victim shot or stabbed gets a little old, so this one was a refreshing change.

I absolutely love the characters in this series. Reading about Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley is like visiting with old friends. Their characters are so well-rounded, developed, and complex. It's a pleasure visiting them in each book and getting to know them just that little bit more. It's a pleasure to see how their relationships with each other and with others in the community grow and develop.

I love all the descriptions of Charleston. I've never been there but with as many of these books I've read, I feel like I have. I can easily visualize all the alleys and cemeteries and old mansions that are there. I feel like if I ever make it down there to visit, I'm going to feel right at home! It takes a skilled author to do that without boring the reader with the descriptions. Ms. Childs' does this excellently.

The pace of these books has always been good and this one is no exception. It was never boring and kept moving along at a good clip, but yet not too fast that you couldn't keep up.

This is a great installment in the Tea Shop Mystery series and I highly recommend it! Pick it up and enjoy! If you've never read the series, you don't have to know the back story to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend the rest of the series as well!

** I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions expressed are my own. **

Laura Childs' latest Tea Shop Mystery is Pekoe Most Poison. Lead character, Theodosia, gets wrapped up in another murder after attending a tea party. The supporting characters/suspects are a bit out there. The book was good but not quite great. I did enjoy the mystery and especially the time spent in Theo's tea shop. This book easily stands on its own which is always nice when a series is ongoing. Overall this is a book worth reading especially if you are a tea fan.

This book follows Theodosia as she is off to a Rat Tea event when they arrive they witness a fire and death and Theo is determined to find out who killed Doreen's husband Beau and why. Theo is stunned that no one is warning her against investigating the death. Who had it out for Beau and why? Was it his wife or someone else? Or was it his business partner Reggie Huston whose been accused of embezzling money? Doesn't help that Reggie or Big Reggie how he is referred at the spa has a quick temper and loves to bilk the spa loosing money. Could it be Robert Steele who Beau invested money with and can't seem to reclaim the money he spent which was his wifes money. Another thing Theo gets added to her life of things retrieve because well seven hundred thousand is a size able amount of money. It could always be their neighbors who are trying to buy Beau and Doreen's house to expand their inn, is it enough to kill over? Or is it someone else for another reason?

I enjoyed spending time with Theo, Drayton and those involved with the Rat Tea event. I haven't read any of Laura Child's other books but will definitely look for them as it was wonderful being brought into this series where tea is the star along with some murder on the side. Everything I have read by Ms. Child's proves to be a masterpiece. Can't wait to see where this series goes next!

Tea events and glamorous spa openings, that is living the high life, is it not?
We get a look at the elite lifestyle and how it may not be all it looks from the outside.

Laura Childs is a master of description. I could clearly see the transformation of Theodosia's teashop for the candle light event. Warning - do not read this book while hungry. The descriptions of each tea and delectable food item will make your mouth water.

Remember that any one person's opinion or observation may not show the full picture and should not be taken as factual. When it seems clear to Theodosia who is behind the murder, she may be believing what she was lead to believe. After all, she is only human. Can she remedy this before its too late?

Even if you are not a tea affictionato, you will find this another tasty cozy mystery in Laura Child's long running series.

Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs is the eighteenth book in A Tea Shop Mystery series. Theodosia Browning and Drayton Conneley have been invited to a “Rat Tea” by Doreen Briggs. It gives Theo her first glimpse of Calhoun Mansion owned by Doreen and her husband, Beau (well, technically Doreen). Theo is shocked when the door is opened by a man with a rat head on his head and in a blue velvet Edwardian outfit. Doreen went all out for her Rat Tea (the history of this tradition is in the book). Things are progressing smoothly until one of the servers gets too close to a candle at the head table. The centerpiece catches fire, and quick thinking Theo flings tea on the fire. A short time later, Beau Briggs starts coughing, choking and clutching at his throat after drinking his orange pekoe tea. It is soon obvious that Beau was poisoned. After giving her statement to Detective Pete Riley (his boss, Burt Tidwell is away at a conference), Theo heads back to the Indigo Tea Shop. Theo is happy to leave this investigation with the police until she gets a call from Drayton. Drayton, in turn, received a frantic call from Doreen. She is extremely distraught and wants Beau’s death looked into by Drayton and Theo. If Drayton does not get Theo to agree, he will lose the grant money promised to the Heritage Society (which they desperately need) by Doreen (she wants a little quid pro quo). Theo admits (to herself) that she is curious, and agrees to investigate Beau’s death. It does not take long for Theo to be sorry she ever agreed to help the distressed widow. Will Theo find the culprit or end up the killer’s next victim?

Pekoe Most Poison was just a delight to read. I found the book to be well-crafted, easy to read, and contain engaging characters. It was lovely to revisit the Indigo Tea Shop, Theo, Drayton, and friends. I started reading Pekoe Most Poison and quickly found myself engrossed in the story. This is the type of cozy mystery that I love. The mystery was complex with twists and turns (and misdirection). If a reader pays close attention, they will be able to solve the mystery before the killer is revealed. I liked the new romantic interest for Theo. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in future books (for which I hope there are many). I give Pekoe Most Poison 5 out of 5 stars. I wish more authors created cozy mysteries like Pekoe Most Poison (and the other books in this series). I think that Pekoe Most Poison could be read alone, but I believe it would be helpful to read the earlier books in A Tea Shop Mystery. Reading Death by Darjeeling will give you background information on Theodosia, the Indigo Tea Shop, and the other supporting players (Drayton, Hayley, Burt Tidwell). At the end of the book are recipes, tea tips, and resources. The only downfall to Pekoe Most Poison is we must wait a year for another A Tea Shop Mystery.

PEKOE MOST POISON by Laura Childs
The 18th Tea Shop Mystery

When Theodosia and Drayton are invited to a posh tea event, they enjoy the teas and the food, happy to be served instead of serving. A pleasant afternoon turns tragic with series of events that start with a minor fire and end with the death of their histrionic host's husband. Theo suspects murder and is soon proven correct. Now, in order to help the historical society, Theodosia will look into the murder on behalf of the new widow.

Theodosia and the gang are at it again in this, the eighteenth tea shop mystery. This time Drayton, instead of trying to hold her back, is the one who encourages Theo to once again get involved in a murder investigation. Noticeably absent from the investigation was Detective Tidwell, and while I missed his noshing at the Indigo Tea Shop I was pleased to meet Detective Pete Riley; a smart, open minded detective and a new love interest for Theo all in one!

Childs introduces a unique Charleston tradition in PEKOE MOST POISON, the modern version of a rat tea complete with liveried servers wearing rat masks. The servers aren't the only ones wearing masks, albeit they are the only ones to literally do so. Masks here include public personas, both over and under played, underlying motives, and serve to hide the truth.

Laura Childs has once again provided an intriguing mystery in a delightful setting. Surrounded by one of my favorite subjects, tea, she infuses the right amount of history, food, and fun.

Recipes and Tea Time Tips included.

Book 18, how does she do it? I found this one to be very pleasing! A touch of history with the mystery and a deviously delightful. Drama, high tea and mystery, themed tea parties and a touch of class. I loved how this one played out! I also loved how the book paired beautifully with my new spring tea cup and matching napkin rings!

I found myself quickly turning the pages as I became absorbed in this murder mystery, and in an opulent setting, can you imagine sitting at a table being served by a rat? We are attending a “Rat Tea”, doesn’t that sound exciting? Now if I were having a tea I would not invite Theodosia Browning to attend, why you ask, well death seems to follow this young woman around, and this tea is no exception.
Our girl owns a teashop named Indigo, and the word descriptions of the food and tea are amazing, and I sure would love to go there, and some of the recipes are shared at the end of the book.
This story is going to keep you on your toes and keep your mind guessing and guessing, and just when you think you have it, nope, or maybe you do. Another great sleuthing mystery about to unfold, and you are going to have a front seat to the action.
I received this book through Great Escapes Book Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.

I had the pleasure of being able to read an early copy of PEKOE MOST POISON, the eighteenth book in the Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs! For some unexplained reason, that I seriously need to remedy, this is the first book of this series that I’ve read…and I found I’ve been missing out! The good news is I won’t be short of pleasurable reading for a long time while I catch up.

Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Her very good friend, sixty-plus-year-old Drayton Conneley, is her tea sommelier and sidekick. They make a great team and I enjoyed their friendly banter and the way they interacted and cared for each other. Drayton invites Theodosia to attend a ‘Rat Tea’ at the Calhoun Mansion. I found the historical tidbits the author includes on why Charleston society holds Rat Teas, complete with the waitstaff wearing rat costumes, to be intriguing and a bit creepy. She gives the reader a glimpse into a genteel tea party…until the story starts off with a bang and the host drops dead right in front of Theodosia, murdered by poison. The plot continues at a fast pace and I was kept both entertained and guessing as clues were placed throughout the story.

Drayton is ‘blackmailed’ by the widow, who threatens to withhold a large financial grant for his Heritage Society, unless he convinces Theodosia to find the real killer. Theodosia is miffed about the widow using ‘blackmail’ but realizes that she is inherently curious and would be asking questions anyway. I liked that the protagonist is a fix it type of person. When anyone has a problem, they come to her for help in finding resolutions to their sticky issues. She provides assistance from the generosity of her heart and not for financial gain. Theodosia is a very caring person yet manages to retain a sassy attitude. I chuckled out loud as she calls a disagreeable publicist the “Wicked Witch of the West on a nuclear-powered broomstick”! Laura paints vivid pictures using words to describe people and scenes, making the reader feel like they are right there.

Indigo Tea Shop serves all sorts of delectable treats and tea. Fortunately, Laura Childs includes many recipes and tea party tips at the back of the book. I made her recipe for Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies. While I’ve eaten these cookies numerous times before, I have never made them myself! They are much easier to make than I thought and the author's directions were easy to follow. This recipe is definitely a keeper in my household!

After attending a rat-themed tea party and watching the host drop dead before her eyes, Theo is urged to investigate the murder by her business partner who is hoping to gain a donation from the widow to keep his charitable foundation afloat. Not sure if she can even rule out the widow, Theo’s list of suspects seems to grow exponentially as the investigation continues.

I really enjoy the main characters in this series, and Theo seems to have a better head on her shoulders than a lot of amateur sleuths. She’s logical, intelligent, and not likely to needlessly put herself or those she cares about in harm’s way. The mystery also kept me guessing – I didn’t figure out who did it before Theo did.

I haven’t read all 18 books in this series, but I have enjoyed the ones I’ve read, and this entry was no exception. Long time fans are sure to love this one. Even if you are new to the series you can jump right in and enjoy this story – it’s easy enough to pick up on the relationships between the main characters fairly quickly.

I have very strong feelings about tea. It's a long story, but I'm an adult now and I don't have to drink it and no one can make me. My husband and children love the stuff, but I won't touch it. My feelings about tea didn't stop me from absolutely loving Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs. The yummy descriptions are almost enough to convince me I'd enjoy visiting Theodosia's tea shop. If nothing else, I'm sure I'd enjoy the scones!

It was the idea of a "Rat Tea" that made me want to pick up this book. Elegantly dressed servers in rat heads staff the event, which is a recreation of the parties originally held to bring attention to the need for public sanitation in early twentieth-century Charleston. It's an odd enough experience for Theodosia and her friend, Drayton, even before a centerpiece bursts into flames and one of the gentlemen seated at her tables dramatically goes into convulsions and dies.

There's a lot of great detail in this book and I think the mystery was deeper and more complex than a lot of the other cozies I've been reading lately. The characters were three-dimensional people with developed relationships and possible motives. I'll be looking for the earlier books in the series so that I can get caught up.

This was a delightful cozy mystery! Laura Childs was one of the first cozy mystery writers I discovered when I first started reading cozy mysteries -around 15 years or so ago - and her mystery game has only gotten stronger. I loved seeing Theo and Drayton getting involved in the investigation and it was super fun to watch the mystery unravel. It's always fun when it starts out looking like there couldn't possibly any suspects and then things quickly became more complex than they originally seemed.

While a good mystery is always the fundamental thing in a mystery, Childs manages to make the setting of Charleston, South Carolina itself and Theo's tea shop just as enjoyable. Charleston is a beautiful city with a fascinating and diverse history and I really enjoyed seeing little tidbits of this pop up throughout the book. As well I really enjoyed seeing the inside of the tea shop and my mouth absolutely watered with all the mentions of Haley's yummy sounding creations. Luckily there are tons of recipes and tips on tea at the back of the book. This is a fantastic read for a rainy day - just make sure you have a big steaming cup of tea and a tasty scone.

Rec'd ARC from Netgalley -- thank you!

My first tea shop mystery, but I don't think I will be continuing this series. Delectable descriptions of food and drinks, but the mystery wasn't too engaging to me. I did like the main characters - Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley - and I liked a particular scene where Theodosia is looking around her home and thinking how much she loves it and how content she is there.

"When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health. But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat."--From the Publisher.

The 18th entry in this popular series doesn't vary from its tried and true formula. Theodosia and Drayton are dragged into a murder investigation when the widow coerces them with the promise of a grant to the Historical Society as incentive for the duo to investigate her husband's death. There is no dearth of suspects, and the reveal at the end is a surprise (almost of out left field).

To truly enjoy the book, one must accept the usual cozy tropes--busybody knows more than the police, police often share information with busybody, busybody runs her own investigation and is constantly confronting suspects.

Despite this, Theodosia is an intelligent busybody and her gang of supporting characters are fun to read about as are the tidbits about historic Charleston, South Carolina. Fans of the series will be glad to see Theodosia with a potential new love interest.

Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.