This book is the first book in the Book Tea Shop mysteries. I was interested in the story right away and it held my interest. I thought the mystery surrounding a Christmas gathering was a good premise and the holiday details were fun read about. I enjoyed the story and they mystery was a good one. I look forward to more in the series.

Callie has come back to her hometown to spend Christmas with her great-aunt Iphy and help out at her business, the Book Tea. While helping at a Christmas party with an Agatha Christie theme, a body is found in the conservatory. With suspects and motives multiplying like items on a child’s Christmas list, Callie jumps in to help.

Very good first entry into a series. I liked the characters, and the story moved along well. I recommend!

This is a 3.5 star review. I really enjoyed the premise of the mystery. Small Maine town during Christmas, A Tearoom based on Mystery Novels, A grand house with all the relatives gathered for the reading of a will and of course a murder. While I enjoyed the characters and the setting the mystery did not keep me engaged. I found the book to be slow moving, yet the solution to the mystery was rushed. Overall it was just an OK read.

This is a solid cozy mystery. I enjoyed the tea shop; however very little of it appears in the book.
I really loved the set-up at the end for the second book in the series. I'd just like to see more of the town, the house, and the tea shop in book two.
Overall, though, this is a perfect series for my cozy mystery readers!

My Thoughts:

This sounded like such a fun read with it being based around the holiday. The main character, Callie, was to help her aunt put on a holiday tea party for some people that her aunt knew as well as Callie when she was younger.

I really, really wanted to like the story but for me it sort of fell flat and felt more like I've read this one before. The main character wasn't very likeable to me and the deputy - well, I can't imagine anyone spilling all the information that he did to Callie. I don't know, but I just wasn't impressed and really wanted to get this book finished more than to read and enjoy it.

I usually enjoy these types of cozy Christmas mysteries, but not so much this time. This one got a meh rating of 3/5 stars.

In Peppermint Peril is the first in the A Tea and Read Mystery series by Joy Avon. Unfortunately, it felt more like a second or third book, where you are already supposed to know the characters and have an idea of their backstory. I actually had to check to make sure this was actually the first book because there wasn't much introduction to the main character before we jumped right into the story. Callie Aspen is home for the holidays for the first time in a very long time. She's helping her aunt with her tea shop, Book Tea, when they go to the big manor house, Haywood Hall, in the little town of Heart's Harbor, Maine, for a book themed tea party, which is interrupted by a murder. Callie hasn't been home in many years, but apparently she decides she's the best one to investigate this murder, even though there was absolutely no reason for her to do so.

I had so many questions with this book. Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the characters, so I didn't feel any connection to them. The writing wasn't the problem, I just didn't care for the story. For this reason, I won't be continuing with this series. I'm a huge fan of cozy mysteries, but this one just wasn't for me.

2.5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Joy Avon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After finishing this book, I had to check to make sure this is the first in this series. It is. I felt as though I was coming into the series in book two or three. I didn't feel character connections were well explained for a first book in a series.
Overall, this was an okay cozy mystery. A pleasant way to spend a few hours, but I don't think I will continue with the series. There weren't any characters that really grabbed me and took hold.

A fun, festive read, perfect for cozying up with on a winter's day. If you like well- paced mysteries, this is an ideal book.

Such a wonderful cozy for Christmastime. Callie has gone back home for the holiday’s to help her great aunt Iphy. Needless to say, while Callie is helping Iphy cater a will reading, which includes several of Callie’s old childhood friends, something terrible happens. Before the will can be read, there is a murder and a theft.

There are twists and turns to this story that you have your head spinning trying to find out who did it? Can Callie help figure out who did it before she herself becomes a casualty? The sheriff doesn’t really want her to meddle in the investigation, but also knows he can’t get anywhere without her help.

Welcome to Haywood Hall in Heart’s Harbor. Come for the small town atmosphere but stay for the people. A truly enjoyable story and a quick read that is perfect for this time of year.

A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

In Peppermint Peril is the first in the A Tea and Read Mystery series.

It started off on the wrong foot because it felt like I was coming into the series having missed a book or two. It read like there was the assumption that we already knew the main character and had the back story. After that, the story was just OK with me. I really didn't ever connect to any of the characters, or feel like I was on the edge of my seat to figure out who committed the crime or why. When all was said and done, I still hadn't connected to the characters enough to want to read the next in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I always enjoy books with a Christmas theme. This one did not disappoint. Highly recommended reading for anyone missing the excitement of the holiday season.

The Good:
    This was a fun book with a complex mystery reminiscent of a classic Agatha Christie tale. As an avid Christie fan this plot involving a surprise reading of a will, a murder in a house full of suspects and complex twists and turns was a joy to read. Callie Aspen is a strong female lead and her mystery-solving skills are realistic throughout the story. I did not solve the mystery before she did, but there were enough hints throughout that once revealed it didn't seem unrealistic. The ending was set up perfectly to make me not want to leave these characters and this story. It lends itself nicely to readers wanting to continue reading the series.

The Bad:
    I would have liked a bit more descriptions of the town and other community aspects of the settings. Usually a first in a cozy mystery series spends a decent amount of pages throughout the book describing the quaintness of the town or setting. Although there were descriptions and scene-setting, especially around the ice skating rink and the house, but for a first in a series titled 'A Tea and Read Mystery' I would have liked to see more about the tea house and that side of the operations. 

The Bottom Line:
    A promising start to a series that I look forward to continuing.

The motive for murder wasn't clear at first. The picture became more clear as the clues were revealed. Subplots of family troubles were woven throughout. The story enfolded and slowly took hold of me. It took several chapters before I was vested in the story.

The climax was like a classic "Murder She Wrote" luring the killer out. Nicely done. The wrap up has a heart warming element that ties up a significant subplot that played into the motive. I appreciated that.

Callie is barely introduced in the story when a whole bunch of other characters are coming into play and it was a bit confusing of a start. Other than the daughter Amber and the elderly widow Dorothea Finster, the characters were a little lack-luster. A lot of potential with this series and I found it a pleasant book to pickup when you want a distraction.

Rating: Good - A fun read with an entertaining story.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

In Peppermint Peril, the first book in the Tea and Read Mysteries series, by Joy Avon is a Christmas themed cozy mystery. I chose to read this book because, well, I like Christmas themed stories, I like peppermint, I like cozy mysteries and finally, I like starting at the beginning of a series.

In Peppermint Peril begins with Callie Aspen returning to Heart’s Harbor, where, as she was growing up, she spent the holidays. We learn that college and then Callie’s job as a tour guide for Travel the Past, an agency specializing in trips to historic venues, are what has kept Callie away. This year however, Callie is back in Heart’s Harbor with her Great Aunt Iphy (Iphigeneia), helping Iphy with a catering job at Haywood Hall. Haywood Hall is a majestic property, with historical site possibilities. Dorothea Finster, the matriarch has invited a select group to attend this event with the intent of disclosing the contents of her updated will. As the event unfolds, a number of things happen…first, the engagement ring that was to be in the box on the cake table is gone and second, a scream occurs and not surprisingly, a dead body is found!

With a mystery or two at hand, Callie feels the need to unofficially help the police, as she knows the community and people more than Deputy Falk. Well, having an amateur sleuth involved surely will make this investigation go smoothly ☺ (I say, tongue in cheek). What transpires is a pleasant read with a bit of mystery… and of course, a bit of romance.

I found Callie quite methodical in her whittling down of the suspects. In due time, both mysteries (missing ring and the murder) were solved. I also loved Callie’s dog – Daisy, the Boston Terrier. She was quite the character. Stealing the show at times ☺.

When determining how I would rate the book, I found that the mystery was done well enough but I frankly found the characters blasé. I also felt there was no warmth with the characters and their interactions with each other. All in all, it was an enjoyable read in that it kept me occupied for the entire read. However, I did find the story a bit flat, nothing to make me really want to continue on in the series ☹. We shall see.

I must say though, I really loved the cover art. Certainly depicted many of the things I love about the holiday season (namely peppermint sticks).

Callie Aspen has returned to the place where she would visit her aunt in Heart’s Harbor Maine. There she and her beloved Boston Terrier are in for an experience that she never thought could or would happen. It is Christmas time at the Book Tea where Callie is helping with preparations for the special tea party at Haywood Hall. The party is going to be held for the cities oldest resident who is planning to discuss her will. Rich, lonely, and all by herself, Dorothea Finster has invited her estranged family, the towns elite, and her old friends to join in the festivities. There will be people there that will be many people that show up. Including Sheila, who decides that this is just the opportunity to reveal the engagement of her daughter to a young man who her daughter isn’t really sure she is in love with. So now the book turns into the game of clue. There is a dead body in the conservatory, the engagement ring is missing, and the will needs to be read. Can Callie find the ring, the will, and the killer? You need to read the book and find out because Joy Avon does an amazing job of keeping the suspense flowing throughout the book. The characters resemble real people which makes you feel as though you are right there with them.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review

I was a little bummed with this book. I normally love any kind of cozy mystery that involves cute animals and reading. Sadly this book just didn’t hit it off for me. It is kind of hard for me to put my finger on what exactly I didn’t like.

It felt like it took a little bit too long to set up the murder. Not saying it should happen super fast, but it felt like this was a little bit too long of a wait for finding the body. I enjoyed the clues leading up to finding the body, but… I didn’t know. It just fell a little flat.

I also wasn’t totally in love with any of the characters. I didn’t hate anyone, but I also didn’t super love anyone. That made it a little bit harder for me to feel totally invested in what was going on with everything.

I never really felt totally hooked by the plot. I enjoyed the idea of the will reading and tea party, etc. It just never fully pulled me in. I was left feeling kinda MEH about the over all plot and I struggled to finish such a short book.

This was not a terrible first book. Just a few hiccups here and there. Hopefully book two has a little bit better flow. I don’t know if I would read another book in the series though unless I knew for sure that the pacing is a little bit quicker.

This was a fun beginning to a cozy mystery series. Callie is up in Maine visiting her Great Aunt Iphy and helping out at Iphy's tearoom The Book Tea. I loved the concept of The Book Tea where Iphy hides little hints to various stories in her treats. One of the biggest negatives for me about this book is that basically no time is spent there and instead the setting is Haywood Hall - a mansion in town and home of Dorothea Finster. Callie is there catering a tea for The Book Tea and not only has to come face to face with her a former love interest but his wife her former friend Sheila. While getting used to the awkwardness there is the discovery of a missing ring quickly followed by the discovery of a dead body. I liked Callie and Iphy and enjoyed the investigation as well as getting to know Heart's Harbor, Maine. However, there was a bit of a chaotic feel to the book. It's definitely one of those books that hits the ground running which is great however, I never really felt like I knew the characters or everything that was going on. That said, I think this series has a lot of potential and I'm hoping that second book is a little more grounded.

Belvoed fans of Lorna Barret will feel right at home with this cozy read. It's that magical time of year, where snow is in the air and peppermint scents are all around. Callie Aspen returns home to help her aunt with preparations at her vintage tearoom. Everything is served nice and hot, alongside a bookish clue to entice the guests.

This isn't the festive affair that they all imagined, because everyone in town wants to come to this party, even though they all don't get along very well. Trying to serve all the guests at the same time, and keep everyone happy? Well, that would make the perfect cup of tea!

Even though this story takes place around Christmas, reading it when it was 80 degrees out was fun. The essence of the Christmas theme is the Christmas Spirit of forgiveness and caring. In Peppermint Peril is the first book in the Book Tea Shop Mystery series. Callie Aspen comes home for the holidays to visit her Great Aunt Iphy, who runs a tea shop catering to book themed events and parties. In this story, Iphy and Callie prepare food for an event at Haywood Hall. Dorothea Finster, 93 year old owner of the hall and the town's oldest resident, has an announcement about her will that she wants to make. She invites many to the event, including those that are hoping she will be leaving something to them in her will. Unfortunately, a murder interrupts the evening before she can make her announcement. Callie finds herself investigating to help Dorothea and childhood friends discover a murderer.

I love the idea of this book series. Bookish teas and events would be something I would love to be invited to. I loved the characters of Iphy and Callie. Aunt Iphy makes constant book references and decorates her baked goods with bookish clues. Callie is smart and intuitive. She is also persistent and doesn't give up even when the local detective and the killer try to get her to back off. The secondary characters also play an important role in the story, especially, Dorothea Finster, She just wants to do what is right for her family and the preservation of her ancestral home. Throw in a theft of an heirloom ring with the murder and there are a couple of mysteries to solve. The main mystery is an Agatha Christie type of locked room mystery, so it was fun to try and figure out who the culprit was. The motive was a well used one, but the twist was well written. There were several red herrings and the final reveal was a fun stake-out with Callie playing the bait. I am looking forward to seeing where Callie's and Falk's relationship will go in future books. Throw in a couple of boys who have lost their father and the cuteness is there as well as some feelings of sympathy and empathy. This is a great start to a new series. FYI: Joy Avon is a pseudonym for Vivian Conroy who has written other cozy series. An enjoyable book and one that definitely has me reading more in this series.