Theodosia has another crime to solve and involves all of her staff at the tearoom to help. Young women are being strangled with wire and the thing they have in common is being close to solving the murders. Add in a developer who wants to build condos in the quaint town. Too many suspects abound. Will they solve the mystery? At the end are various recipes to create a perfect afternoon tea.

One of the best series set n Charleston I loved the story and the characters always draw me in. This book could be read without reading the twenty something books that came before it but I would start from the beginning

A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Child’s is a somewhat chilling mystery wrapped in the delights of teas and tea rooms. Charleston becomes almost another character in the story with its unique neighborhoods and geography. The reader is gifted with resources for tea and recipes along with a clever mystery,

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I loved the characters in this book as well as the story’s plot. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

This is the first book I read in Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mystery series. It sure won’t be the last! I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. The authors description of the Charleston area made me feel as if I was right there. A very good, cozy mystery that I highly recommend.

In a Dark and Stormy Tea, a possible serial killer is on the loose. Our tea shop owner turned amateur detective, Theodosia, is on the case. Her sidekicks, Drayton and Haley, return as well to help her solve the case.

I love that Theo owns a tea shop in Charleston and her dog is named Earl Grey. It’s the perfect setting for a slightly spooky (hello Charleston ghosts?) but still fun story.

These books follow a predictable formula with a fun and quirky cast of characters and I love them so much.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, I highly recommend.

My favourite thing about this series is all the lovely descriptions of the tea parties that are thrown. Some spooky and atmospheric happening in A Dark and Story Tea as Theodosia is on case when a possible serial killer is on the loose!

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

A Dark and Stormy Tea is a solid cozy mystery. It maintains the charm of a cozy but also delves into some popular elements of crime fiction such as podcasts and serial killers. I think a plus or a minus could be that the main character Theodosia never changes or grows but whether the character's consistency is a positive or negative truly depends on the tastes of the reader. My personal favorite aspect of this series is the tea themed events, I look forward to them in each book. Finally, as a librarian I am always aware of themes in a book and although this one is not Halloween themed it is spooky enough to recommend for that creepy time of year with a serial killer on the loose.

Theodosia is on her way back to the tea shop and minding her own business when she has an encounter with a serial killer. Even worse she personally knows the victim. Although she is warned off the investigation, Theodosia fears she will be the killer's next victim. The mystery was strong, and Theodosia is strong lead character. The series shows no sign of slowing down!

A DARK AND STORMY TEA by Laura Childs
The Twenty-Fourth Tea Shop Mystery

Charleston, South Carolina is known for its spookiness and haunted locales, but when the fog rises it's a real human being who commences to killing. After a break of seven years it seems that Fogheel Jack is back. Walking to her shop one foggy evening Tea Shop Owner Theodosia Browning sees a strange tableau, and soon realizes she's seen Fogheel Jack himself-and his latest victim, the daughter of a friend. Theo's inquisitive nature leads her to investigate, and lands her squarely in a killer's sights.

Theodosia Browning has gone rogue! She deliberately questions a suspect, despite being directly told by police not to do so. Then she inserts herself in an active crime scene in order to snoop, again after being directly old to stay back. As a former police officer, I have great difficulty accepting this blatant disregard for police authority. Her actions could totally screw up an investigation. If I was Pete, her boyfriend and a detective, I'd be more apt to arrest her than date her!

Her actions do, however, move the story forward, adding plenty of thrills and keeping a heightened sense of urgency. Delightful descriptions of the tea shop and its events balance the fast paced action. Indeed, I enjoy my time at the Indigo Tea Shop just as much as reading the more high octane bits of the mystery. I can easily picture myself sipping one of Drayton's special brews and nibbling some Killer Cranberry scones and cashew chicken salad tea sandwiches, perhaps even donning a costume as I attend a themed tea.

A DARK AND STORMY TEA is an atmospheric thriller in a cozy world. Its heart racing thrills and scary chills are balanced by the comfort of good friends and food giving readers the best of both worlds.

Theodosia owns a tea shop, aided and abetted by Drayton, her tea master, and Haley, her chef in charge of all that’s edible. Between regular customers, special tea parties, catered events, her own line of lotions and potions, gift baskets, and wreaths decorated with mismatched tea cups, Theo doesn’t have a moment to spare during the workday. Evenings are for Earl Grey, her trusty dog, and Riley, her trusted boyfriend.

And because she’s late and Drayton’s waiting, and because it is raining cold sharp drops, and because she’s always rushed, Theo takes a shortcut through the Gateway Walk that runs past the cemetery, despite warnings for women alone to be careful after a recent murder. And because she’s Theo, she spots the killer as he puts his most recent victim on a gravestone. And recognizes her.

Although the easy answer is, serial killer, there are other suspects. Theo’s mysterious neighbor says he’s writing a book and looking for an exciting ending. A pushing the limit of legal real estate developer can’t be left off the list, nor the victim’s boyfriend, a possible arsonist, or even the reporter who wants to be the first with a scoop.

Theo can never resist asking questions and providing Detective Tidwell with answers to go with his tea and scones. Her boyfriend, Riley, a detective, is none too happy with her involvement, especially after she witnessed that scene in the cemetery. Will she be able to do it again or will the killer fool them all?

To top off a good mystery, characters who are familiar friends by this, the twenty-fourth book in the series, there are recipes—English tea biscuits, crab rolls with aioli, cioppino (bass, shrimp, scallops in a tomatoey chicken stock, banana cake, smoked salmon tea sandwiches with lemon butter, cranberry scones (maybe with lemon butter too?), cinnamon coffee cake, Drayton’s drunken chicken, carrot bread, blueberry scones, mango-tomato salsa on crostini, baked salmon with lemon sauce, English pea salad, and English toffee. Childs includes tea time tips for planning an afternoon tea of your own. Suggestions are for aa Farmer’s Market tea, Bridal Shower, Movie Trivia, Kids Tea Party, Mystery Tea, or a Passage to India. Find a list of tea resources for napkin folding and everything else tea plus a list of websites for tea retailers.

Look for book twenty-five, The Lemon Curd Killer, in March 2023 (excerpt at the back of this book), and the seventeenth scrapbooking mystery, Cadmium Red Dead, coming soon, no release date announced. There are also nine books in the Cackleberry Club series plus two thrillers written under the name Gerry Schmitt.

Laura Childs continues her Tea Shop mysteries in A Dark and Stormy Tea. Theodosia Browning is taking a short cut through the grave yard on a dark and stormy night when she observes a murder but not much of the murderer. Other deaths follow. Police think it is a serial killer who ikilled before. Charleston is nervous; there are a lot of suspects with a mountain of motive. The first victim is the daughter of Antiquarian Books. Her mother is being pressured to give up the lease so a landowner can build condos. Theodosia decides to poke her nose into the case. What could go wrong? Lots. This cozy is highly recommended.

The review of A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs is in the September 2022 issue of Gumshoe Review and is exclusive to them until October 1st. You may read the review at the following link <http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6981>

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Inclement weather and a potential serial killer on the loose make A Dark and Stormy Tea a slightly darker than usual read in this twenty-fourth entry in the charming Tea Shop Mystery series. Murder in a graveyard sets the stage, and a heavy eeriness drapes protagonist Theodosia as the body count rises and the suspect list grows.

When Theodosia witnesses a stabbing in a graveyard on her way home from work, she cannot help but be thrown into the investigation, especially when the victim’s mother, who is a friend, asks her to look into things. Theo has suspects in mind but the proof she needs is hard to come by. With information from her detective boyfriend Pete and with tea sommelier Drayton by her side, she does all she can, even if that sometimes means putting herself in peril, to unmask a killer.

I have been a fan of the Tea Shop mysteries from the first book’s publication. The Charleston setting, this time ominously gloomy, is a character itself. I do so wish that the Indigo Tea Shop was a real place I could patronize. Oh, the descriptions of the food, décor, and themed teas capture my imagination and my taste buds! Is there anything better than sitting down by a cozy fire with a cuppa and scone?

After twenty-four books, the recurring characters in this series have become like old friends. Drayton is one of my favorite characters in literature. I just love his Southern gentleman, Luddite ways. Plus, I always learn fabulous tea tidbits from him. Theodosia is smart, observant, and nosy…all traits that make her a successful amateur sleuth. It does seem as the series goes on that she skirts the law more and more, and she sometimes comes across as too bold and accusatory. Perhaps my memory is faulty, but she used to seem much more genteel with manners. I do continue to feel quite loyal to all of the characters, even Detective Tidwell and the horrible Delaine. The characters central to this mystery are dislikable but fitting for the story. I am curious about Theo’s new neighbor Nick and hope to see more of him in future installments.

The threat that a serial killer has returned and the new murders, along with the weather, give A Dark and Stormy Tea a more serious, dangerous vibe. It is, however, still very much a cozy mystery. There are several suspects to consider, but the clues are pretty subtle. I picked out whodunit early on, but it took me a while to work out their motive. As always, I enjoyed investigating alongside Theo.
A Dark and Stormy Tea is a worthy addition to an entertaining long-running series. I look forward to Theodosia and crew’s next adventure. It can be read as a standalone, but I encourage any cozy mystery fan to read this delightful series. Highly recommended!

By and large, I liked this book. The characters were engaging. The dialogue was crisp. And the plot development was pretty good. I thought the identity of the killer was "telegraphed" a bit. But the book was enjoyable.

My main beef with the book was that it was a bit formulaic. Let's look at the formula for a "cozy mystery". Protagonist lives in small, picturesque town. Check. Protagonist runs a tea shop, library, or bookstore. Check. Protagonist has a dog or cat. Check. Protagonist's boyfriend/husband is a member of the local police force. Check. I would really like to see some of these authors step out into some fresh territory.

My second beef was that some of the actions of the main character were a bit hard to believe. For example, there is a serial killer on the loose. One of her employees has been attacked because she was wearing the protagonist's coat. So, we suspect that the killer is tracking and going after the detective because she is getting too close. So, after the funeral of one of the killer's victims, our main character goes out for a jog late at night. And where does she jog? Down a dark alley, lit only by gas lamps, that is so narrow that a car can't pass? Yeah. Right. Is she really that dumb?

At the end, she is assaulted by the killer, drugged, dragged to a nearby location and told she will be killed by the serial killer. Then, she has a revelation and realizes that this guy is the serial killer. Really? She's pretty quick on the uptake.

But, these minor issues aside, I found the book to be a reasonably good read.

Theodosia Browning owns the delightfully successful Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston. Her beloved city is steeped in history and she makes the most of it. Currently chilled by the unseasonably cold weather and what seems like constant rain, Theo takes a shortcut to her tea shop down a hidden path. Suddenly, a hooded figure looms ahead in the fog. She shouts, but no one is within hearing distance. The assailant is armed with a knife but quickly flees. Heart racing, Theodosia sees is a body laying in a puddle of water mixing with blood. To make matters worse, she knows the woman that was killed.

Quickly calling for the police and ambulance, Theodosia realizes she could have easily been brutally attacked or even worse in the darkened alley. Surrounded by flashing lights and fear, she asks the first responders to call her boyfriend, Officer Pete Riley. The first thing that comes to mind is the dangerous killer, Fogheel Jack whose reign of terror seemed to have stopped seven years ago. Could he be back terrorizing Charleston once again?

This fast-paced cozy mystery is delightfully full of red herrings that twist and turn in the stormy nights. Theodosia is told to keep out of the way of the investigation, but she has a vested interest in this case. The young woman that died was the daughter of one of her close friends. Theodosia cannot sit back drinking some of her delightful teas while a killer was on the loose. She is asking questions and poking her nose into secrets that may reveal the murderer. But will she be able to get out of alive?

There is only one thing I like better than a cozy mystery. That would be a cozy mystery with engaging characters, a solid plotline and a surprise killer revealed in the last chapters. A Dark and Stormy Tea meets and exceeds all of my expectations. After reading the last page, be sure to check out the recipes, Laura Child’s Tea Time Tips as well as resources all about tea. I did not know that a plethora of tea is grown right here in the United States.

I have read books by New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, but none in the Tea Shop Mysteries Series. I can’t wait to read the previous 22 books in the series.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2022 Laura Hartman

I was able to guess who the killer was quite early in the novel but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. Laura Childs did a great job of making me second guess my assumption.

Looking forward to reading the next installment in the Tea Shop Mystery series "Lemon Curd Killer".

A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs will make you want to snuggle under a nice blanket with a pot of tea and a mug so you can keep it filled up.

Can Theodosia figure out who this Fogheel Jack really is?

Theodosia Browning
Theodosia Browning, aka Theo, is the owner of The Indigo Tea Shop and the girlfriend of Detective Pete Riley. It's been raining in Charleston, South Carolina, and poor Theo found the second victim of a new string of killings. She decided to look at the cold cases from the first two killings from seven years ago, but it wasn't leading anywhere. I love Theo as she is an awesome character that is really trying for her friends and herself to figure out the killer. Theo is someone I wouldn't mind being friends with in real life.

The Indigo Tea Shop
Theodosia's friends and employees are Drayton Conneley, and Haley. Drayton Conneley is their resident tea maker extraordinaire. Some of the combinations he comes up with make me want to drink them. While some of them I'm not sure about as I am not a big fan of green tea, but I could warm up to the idea if Drayton would make one for me. Haley is the chef of the trio, and her food sounds so great. Look out, I might have to convince my mom to let me make some of these recipes one day.

The Mystery
Theodosia Browning was taking a shortcut back to her tea shop, to fill in Drayton Conneley on what they needed to do for a tea event that they were asked to cater, and she accidentally stumbled upon a murder happening. The victim happens to be a friend of Theo's so she was enlisted to solve the mystery. Theo doesn't take this lightly, as she's not only doing it for her friend but for her own piece of mind. Especially since she wants to be comfortable in her town of Charleston again. I so totally fell for a red herring I thought it was another guy as my mind didn't think to look anywhere else as he seemed perfect.

Five Stars
A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs is a great read on any day. The whole time I was reading this book, I was trying to figure out who killed the victim, but I also wanted to eat the food Haley was preparing. It all sounded so yummy.

Speaking of that, don't forget to look at the back of the book for those recipes and how to host your own tea party with tips from the author herself! The recipes include English Tea Biscuits, Crab Rolls with Aioli, Haley's Cioppino, Super Simple Banana Cake, Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches, Killer Cranberry Scones, Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Drayton's Drunken Chicken, Carrot Bread, Blueberry Scones, Mango-Tomato Salsa on Crostini, Baked Salmon with Lemon Sauce, Favorite English Pea Salad, and Crunchy English Toffee.

I am giving A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs five stars and recommending it to everyone. Trust me, with this book series, you don't have to have read the first few books to get what is happening.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Theodosia Browning owner of the Indigo Tea Shop usually has no qualms about walking home after she closes the shop, but this dark and stormy night feels different. In fact, when she walks by the St. Philips Graveyard she sees something in the fog. Two people hugging, no that’s not right. When a dark hooded figure creeps away she realizes she just witnessed a murder. Calling the police she sees that the victim is the daughter of her friend, Lois who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.

When Lois asks Theodosia for help, how can she refuse? Her boyfriend Detective Pete Riley thinks the murder is the work of a serial killer and wants Theodosia to leave the investigation to him, afraid she will be the next victim but she already has a list of suspects to interview. She promises to be careful but that doesn’t ease Riley’s mind one bit.

Seeing that cover I knew this story was going to be different. Dark and stormy nights and some days throughout this mystery give the whole story an eerie feeling and darn if that Theodosia doesn’t keep going out at night when there is a killer on the loose, a killer that may be as close as her neighbor next door. She’s a risk taker and she is a dynamic protagonist with a lot of layers. When she teams up with her friend and tea sommelier, Drayton they are unstoppable. No matter if they are brainstorming special tea events or trying to steep out a killer they can’t be beat. Throw in Haley with her culinary masterpieces and Mrs. Dimple putting in her 2 cents, along with local law enforcement, Pete, and Detective Tidwell you have a wonderful cast of core characters.

So much happens within these pages. The mystery Ms. Childs enveloped her characters in was spooky from the beginning due to the weather. The rain and the fog were ever present and almost characters on their own. Theo had a lot of theories but all the clues did not fall in place for her until she was in a dangerous predicament and could have been breathing her last breath. I did have the killer on my personal suspect list but I would have been right there next to Theodosia because I couldn’t figure out a motive. Let me tell you though I was sitting right on the edge of my seat during the wild and exciting showdown.

The icing on the teacakes of every book in this series is the description of foods and teas. The author also shares recipes of a few at the back of the book so we can try them in our own homes. In this book, you will find recipes like Haley’s Cioppino, Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches, Killer Cranberry Scones, and more.

A Dark and Stormy Tea is a marvelous cozy read with a thrilling ending. I loved every minute of it. I escaped right into this story and it held my full attention until the final page. I need more Theodosia and her friends as soon as possible so I am excited about Lemon Curd Killer which is slated to be released on March 7, 2023.

You will find A Dark and Stormy Tea on my Best Reads List of 2022 and recommend you get your own copy of this book today!

A Dark and Stormy Tea is the 24th Tea Shop shopfront cozy mystery by Laura Childs. Released 9th Aug 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is experienced and prolific, with several ongoing cozy series, this one set in a tea shop. There's a Victorian London vibe about the modern version of long ago serial killers, attributed to a shadowy Springheel Jack copycat the media are calling Fogheel Jack. The premise is fairly outrageous from the start, and readers shouldn't expect realism in this read. The secondary characters also felt a bit two dimensional at times and I felt that some were simply written in to provide plot points and move the scenes along.

The plot resolution was a little heavily foreshadowed, but all in all the denouement was well constructed and written. The language is fairly clean (PG rated) and there's no on-page blood or gore. I would recommend it to fans of amateur sleuth small town cozies. There were a few plot twists which challenged my suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's an engaging and fun book. The next (25th!) book in the series is due out first quarter 2023.

This would make a good choice for a vacation binge read, especially for fans of shopfront cozies with a surprising number of recipes in the back. The author has also included a generous resources and links list of tea suppliers and informational pages as well as a teaser for the next book in the series, Lemon Curd Killer.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.