Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

We are back at Daisy’s Tea Garden!!! This is my happy place. As always, this is a great read that mixes realistic family life with a murder investigation. Overall, this series makes me so happy. I highly recommend!

I always enjoy my visits to Daisy’s Tea Garden as the characters are starting to feel like family. As with most cozies, the emphasis seems to be more on the lives of the characters rather than the murder, which is fine, but there is still plenty of investigating. The mystery was easy to follow but a little slow in the middle. I do love the focus on pet shelters and adoption.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing visit to Daisy’s Tea Garden in Willow Creek! The author shares gorgeous word pictures of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the tea garden. The delicious offerings and events at Daisy’s Tea Garden reflect both elegance and comfort. The characters come alive; each of the primary characters are engaging and easy to become invested in. Sufficient backstory is provided so the new or returning reader can quickly feel at home. The mystery is admirably crafted, and I was very surprised at the real whodunit.

Daisy and Jonas have been seriously dating for some time. She and her son-in-law went to Rumple’s Statuary to find something special for Jonas’s birthday. The owner, Wilhelm Rumple, is described by her customers as odd, but he has the best selection of decorative statuary in the area. Daisy was happy with what she found and is looking forward to seeing Jonas’s reaction to it and to his surprise party.

While they were there, they witnessed an unpleasant exchange between a wealthy local businessman, Stanley King, and Rumple. Stanley said he needed more time to make this month’s payment. His son and future daughter-in-law are getting married, and he covered most of their costs. Rumple was not happy, and it didn’t sound like either man would budge when King left. Several days later, Daisy got a call about Four Paws Animal Shelter. Jonas volunteered there, as did Rumple. When the shelter opened that morning, Rumple was found murdered in one of the dog runs.

Since returning to Willow Creek, Daisy has been involved with several murder investigations, ones in which she, her family, or loved ones were suspects. She and Jonas knew Rumple, but certainly not well enough to feel driven to help solve his murder. She offered the detective only what she had heard the night she had been at Rumple’s Statuary. Everything changed, however, when she became a target.

Reading this novel is like visiting old friends. I like Daisy for many reasons, one being how important to her the Amish values of family and community are. She learned so much from her years of growing up with a close friend who is Amish. She values being an independent woman who does not rely on others to determine her self-worth and has done her best to raise her daughters likewise. I also like Aunt Iris, who has been an important person in Daisy’s life, and enjoy watching the changing, growing relationship Daisy has with her mother.

Rumple had many secrets, and he was not a nice man. The only thing in his favor is his love and concern for dogs. Several suspects are identified, and sorting through them would take time. I appreciate that whodunit isn’t discovered in the first couple days, but the police go through realistic processes and timing that many crimes entail. I was unable to solve the mystery on my own no matter how hard I tried. The real whodunit was quite a sad surprise. The end was very satisfactory with a huge, wonderful surprise, and no loose ends remained. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries that emphasize strong family and community ties, the Amish country setting, various kinds of teas and foods, and romance.

From a thankful heart: I received an advanced readers’ copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

My 4th in this series although it is the 8th instalment, Daisy Swanson runs a tea garden she co-owns with her aunt. Daisy moved back to her hometown of Willow Creek, Pennsylvania, after the death of her husband. Daisy makes a great amateur sleuth and she gets involved when she is out shopping with her son-in-law, Foster Cranshaw, looking for a present in Rumple’s Statuary, the cottage of Wilhelm Rumple. Wilhelm sells concrete statues and she wants one in the style of a golden retriever. He also sells collectibles made from porcelain, and others from Plymouth Foundry iron or bronze. Her boyfriend, Jonas, an ex-detective has recently adopted Felix, a golden retriever from the Four Paws Animal Shelter where he now volunteers and Felix is on a visit with his previous owner. When Daisy goes to see Serena Langston at the Animal Shelter to collect Felix and Jonas, she meets a new volunteer Hetta Armbruster and learns that Wilheim is also an unpaid worker there. The next day, someone is found dead at Four Paws; it's Wilhelm Rumple.

Danger lurks in this charming mix of mystery, delicious-sounding foodstuffs, and furry friends. Daisy has a good relationship with her boyfriend and ex-detective, Jonas and I enjoyed reading about their growing and improving togetherness. She is a great character as she is personable as well as being compassionate and level-headed and her family is one of her main focuses. Engrossing and endearing, I am already looking forward to the next in this series and who knows, maybe I will find the time to read the ones I've missed.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Daisy Swanson has arrived at Rumple’s Statuary to find the perfect birthday gift for the man in her life. Jonas loves his golden retriever Felix and Daisy thinks he would love a statue version of the canine as well. While there she finds that Wilhelm Rumple has some very unique merchandise to sell in and around his unique little cottage. Some of it is quite pricey. She also hears him have a bit of an argument with a local pet supplement company’s CEO. Daisy couldn’t hear all the details by money was definitely mentioned. She quickly finds the exact statue she wants and leaves very happy with her purchase.

A couple of days later Wilhelm Rumple is found dead behind the Four Paws Animal Shelter where he volunteers. Daisy worries because Jonas volunteers there too. Was it an isolated incident? Could the argument she overheard have escalated to murder? Are others in danger? Daisy is determined to find out who Rumple tea-d off enough to want him dead.

Family is a key theme throughout the stories in this series and in this installment we see there may be plenty of changes to shake up Daisy’s world. The characters are growing in natural ways so all the changes make sense. I really enjoy the way the author blends these regular family occurrences, both Englisch and Amish, with the mystery. Her characters are strong and well-developed and come across as caring and genuine. It is a pleasure to sneak into their world.

Wilhelm was an interesting character and cleverly written. Foster thought he looked like a troll. “A stumpy little man with unusual features.” He had brown hair that was “curly, fuzzy, and stuck out around his head”, which made his ears stick out more. Dressed in red overalls and bare feet, he was a unique man that had much more going on than met the eye. Daisy would have to dig deep to learn all his secrets.

And dig she did. She was very caught up in the mystery of his death and I had a great time trying to follow all the clues with her. This one was a real puzzle to piece together. There were several suspects and the author served up plenty of twists with all the Darjeeling tea, both hot and iced. I was still spinning my wheels when the actual killer was revealed and you could have knocked me over with a tea leaf.

Murder with Darjeeling Tea was so well-plotted and written. The characters came alive off the pages and kept me totally entertained and surprised. While the mystery was all buttoned up by the end of the story Daisy has some exciting times ahead and I truly can’t wait for my next visit to Willow Creek.

Note: Each book can be read on its own but to really get to know these characters the series is best read in order.

Another book in the Daisy Tea Shop Series. It helps to have read some of the previous books to this cozy mystery series because if you haven’t, it’s a bit difficult to figure out how all the characters relate to one another.

Daisy is in the middle of another cozy mystery. If you like older women as the central character in the story, then you will definitely enjoy the sleuthing skills of Daisy. This story kept me guessing as to who the guilty party was.

Thank you to #netgalley an #kensingtonbooks for allowing me to read the eARC of this cozy mystery. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Murder With Darjeeling Tea by Karen Rose Smith is another of the vastly popular Daisy's Tea Room Mysteries. Not only is this a murder mystery but it is the story of a family, with all its ups and downs and relationships. Dairy is a widow with a natural daughter, Viv, who got pregnant before she was married. She and the baby's daddy, Foster, had married and had some tough times when Viv had to deal with a serious bout of post partum depression. All had worked out and they were on a good path now. Then there was Jazzi, whom she had adopted, but now was hers in every way. She was currently filling out college applications, after having successfully found her birth mother and, not without difficulties, established a relationship. The, there was Jonas, an ex-police detective and her love. They were happy together and individually assessing where this relationship was going. And Daisy's aunt and partner, Iris, who is just getting over a broken relationship. There is far more of this part of the story, than the murder.

Smith makes these people all so relatable and Daisy so easy to talk to that she is able to get information from people that the police are never able to get. It's all in the conversations. This time, the whole thing revolves around a dog rescue and the brother and sister who own it. Jonas volunteers there and got his own dog, Felix, there, so he is less than thrilled when a volunteer is killed there one night. During the investigation, Daisy learned secrets she didn't really want to know. She did make some new friends, though, and that always made her happy. Even with the murder, it is a heart-warming story, so much about the good things, and not the bad.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder With Darjeeling Tea by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #karenrosesmith #murderwithdarjeelingtea

Daisy is involved in another mystery while birthday shopping for Jonas. She meets an eccentric man who is a fellow shopkeeper but unfortunately he ends up dead. Daisy starts investigating and founds many clues that leads to the killer. Once again Karen has created a likable character, strong supporting characters and a quaint small town setting. I love reading this series and would recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. Daisy owns a tea shop in a small town in Pennsylvania. I loved that Daisy was older and had kids and a grandkid. I loved that the book kept me hooked from the beginning. This is the 8th book in the Daisy's tea garden mystery series and my first. I'm hoping to read the rest of the series. This is a perfect book for a cozy mystery lover. I had no idea who was the murderer and I loved following the clues with Daisy.

I always thoroughly enjoy this series and I'm always glad to catch up with the characters.
The solid mystery is well plotted and kept me guessing, the characters are fleshed out and always like them.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

All Daisy wanted to do was buy a statue for Jona's birthday but noooooo. Wilhelm Rumple was a cranky and difficult man who owned the Statuary until someone murders him at the animal shelter- where Jonas is a volunteer. Daisy knows he has some valuable stuff in his house but she didn't know (although she's not surprised) that others didn't like him but who would murder him? It's always fun to spend time with Daisy, her family, and her community- a place where others usually (well, except the murderers) respect one another. Daisy's daughters Jazzy and Violet are both about to have big life changes and this has shaken her a bit as she contemplates what it's going to be like without them around the house. The girls, her aunt, her friends- all great characters. AND there are recipes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoy this series but if you haven't read it before, know that this latest will be fine as a standalone.

Daisy Swanson enlists the help of her son-in-law when she goes shopping for an animal statue to give to her boyfriend, Jonas, as a birthday present. They have heard good things about Rumple's Statuary from visitors to Daisy's tea room and that leads them to Mr. Rumple's quaint cottage where he runs his business. At first glance he appears to be the real life version of a garden gnome. He's pleasant enough and Daisy finds the perfect statue of a Labrador dog for Jonas. As they chatted about what she had in mind, Mr. Rumple invited them into his house and showed them his very expensive collection of animal themed items housed in a very secure safe, not what one would expect to find in this setting. Not long after their encounter Mr. Rumple is found murdered behind the animal shelter. As the investigation progresses it turns out that he wasn't much liked and the list of suspects is very long. He had lots of secrets. Daisy wants to stay out of it but one thing leads to another and she finds herself involved if only to make sure she isn't on the killers' list of victims.
Visiting the area around Lancaster, PA is always a treat in this series. Daisy, her family and friends are people I would like to call friends. The blending of the communities of Amish and Englishers is well done and the mysteries always have me guessing wrong. If you love animals and animal rescue this will please you, too. It's not necessary to have read the whole series nor to read them in order as each works as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyable read. Well written, engaging, and believable. Karen Smith's descriptions of the Susquehanna valley are excellent. I'm from central PA & have visited the area she writes about. The mystery begins with the question, "who killed Wilhelm Rumple?" Daisy Swanson had just met the man before his murder at the Four Paws Rescue Shelter where her boyfriend volunteers. Rumple didn't like people and wasn't liked in return. The cops can't find the weapon, the motive, or the killer. Enter Daisy and her small town community. I loved the character interactions and the accessory family and friends stories. This is the first book I have read of this series. A good standalone story but I'm looking forward to reading more books in the Tea Garden series. Thank you Netgalley & Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Great little mystery. Really enjoyed it.

Daisy is looking for the perfect birthday gift for Jonas, and decides to investigate the local statuary store. There, she finds the perfect dog statue for him, but while there, overhears an altercation between the owner Wilhelm and Stanley King. When Wilhelm's body is found a short time later, she advises the police about the argument. But then as she learns more about Wilhelm, she wonders if there are others who had problems with this man. Once again, despite all her good intentions, she finds herself drawn into another murder mystery, one that threatens her own life. I really enjoy this series because the main characters have become very real to me. I love the way Daisy and her family interact with each other and the townspeople. It's rare in today's world to find spontaneous respect and courtesy to family, friends and even strangers and this series helps create that through its characters and story...despite also being a murder mystery. I enjoy how the relationship between Daisy and Jonas has been progressing, and how he makes sure to include her whole family in his relationship with Daisy. I am looking forward to the next story in this series. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book and all opinions are strictly my own.

Daisy is planning a surprise party for Jonas' birthday and is looking for a statue for his porch. After buying the statue, the guy who sold it to her ends up dead. Daisy tries to stay out of the mix, but is drawn in by connections in the community. Great story, good plot that leaves you guessing until the end. I can't wait to see where this series goes next. I received a copy of this book from net galley in return for an honest review.

The characters in this series have become old friends by now, and I thoroughly enjoyed this
installment. Thanks for the opportunity to preview the title!

Daisy Swanson visits Rumple’s Statuary shopping for a birthday present for Jonas. Soon after her shopping trip, the owner, Wilhelm Rumple is murdered. His body is found at Four Paws Animal Shelter where he volunteers nights.

Daisy discovers that Mr Rumple lead a life that very few knew about and nobody wants to discuss it. She needs to get someone to talk if she's going to solve this murder.

Thoughts: This is the eighth installment in the Daisy’s Tea Garden cozy mystery series and it still entertains. You don’t have to have read the others in the series to get what’s going on, but it definitely helps in understanding the relationships of the people involved. The story takes place in Amish country, Pennsylvania and is true to the area with horses and buggies mingling with bikes and cars. The author does an excellent job of showing the differences between the Englishers (non-Amish) and the Amish even when mingling in the same community.

In this one, Daisy is struggling with the upcoming empty-next syndrome as her daughter Violet prepares to leave for college and her older daughter and family look into moving away from the apartment above Daisy’s garage. And then there’s Daisy’s relationship with her boyfriend Jonas and where that’s going. And Aunt Iris and her beaus. There is a lot going on in town beyond the murder. And as always, Daisy is right in the middle of it.

Daisy is looking for a statue of a Labrador dog for Jonas for his birthday—one that matches his own dog. The man she goes to, Rumple, is a strange little man, but she finds what she wants at his statuary. While she’s looking, he shows her expensive small statues in a safe so when he ends up dead a few days later, she wonders if it has anything to do with what he deals in.

Which it does…in a way. But not in the way she thinks. Suspects start adding up, but there’s no motive until she discovers it and breaks the case wide open—unfortunately for her as it puts her in the murderer’s crosshairs.

Recommendations: If you’ve read the other Tea Garden book, definitely pick this one up – especially for the surprise at the end! And if nothing else, the great recipes included in the books. If you haven’t read any of them, you’re missing a great series!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for providing this ARC. Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”