Member Reviews

This book is one of the best cozy mystery novels I've read in recent years and my first Amish cozy mystery. It did not disappoint and even though this work is #9 in a series, I had no issue whatsoever reading it as a stand-alone. Endearing and complex characters, enchanting settings, and some yummy recipes included at the end. It's a quick and easy lighthearted read and I look forward to reading all of the books in the series.

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Been sick, so this book and others kept me entertained during recovery. A visit to Daisy charming shop is always an adventure, set in Amish Country PA, filled with warm and relatable characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing. An enjoyable addition to the series.

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I thought it was interesting to read about the murder of a recent friend murder and how Daisy Swanson tries to help Detective Zeke and Morris with the case and solve the murder of her friend Lydia, in the midst of planning her wedding with Jonas and Alice and wonderland tea party event. at the end, the murderer happens to try to kill someone who works at Farm barn and It happens to be someone who tries to be involved with April. The book leaves you on a cliffhanger ending when Daisy and Daisy's wedding plans and what happens with her daughter Jazzi's college plans and I feel it needs a sequel to end the series. This leaves you kind of hanging in your seats at the end of the book it needs more details about who Iris chooses as her boyfriend and Daisy and Jonas's wedding .

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Murder with Earl Grey Tea is the ninth installment in the Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. This is a sweet heartwarming series set in small town Pennsylvania in Amish country. Daisy is a protagnist anyone would be lucky to call their friend. She is kind and thoughtful to others and loyal to her family. In this next in series she has a lot on her plate planning her wedding, a tea party at her tea shop and a big event for her parents anniversery. Her daughters are moving on with their lives and Daisy is having seperation anxiety as she says goodbye to Vi and her youngest daughter is to begin college soon.

Daisy finds a friend who had been murdered and more then ever before she is greatly disturbed as it occured when they were to meet up to hike together. Her friend Lydia had something on her mind and Daisy is concerned it led to her murder. The author delved into how Daisy is affected mentally and how investigating is stressful for her considering all she has going on in her life. However Daisy loved her friend and suspects foul play with her husband and others . She decides to investigate and solve her friends murder. Daisy is talented at building clues amid red herrings with the help of her firends and community.

This is a wonderful addtiion to the series. Daisy and Jonas willl soon be married and their relationship is stronger then ever. Daisy is facing moving on from being a Mother as she plans her future. The sleuth was well plotted to conclusion and kept me guessing. The Amish community is a large part of this series as Daisy has friends both Amish and English. Its nice to read about the close relationships she maintains with her Amish friends and how important they are to her. This is a endearing series that I highly recommend.

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I love hanging out with Daisy, Jonas and the wonderful folks of the Amish Country in Pennsylvania. It’s been great watching Daisy’s family grow through this awesome series. I love that the characters are both Amish and English. It is so much fun attending all the special events at Daisy Tea Garden. I would love to have a houseful of furniture built or refurbished by Jonas. I so enjoyed this story and can’t wait to hang out with these wonderful folks again. Be sure to try some of the delicious recipes that are included. I received an ARC of this book, but my opinion is my own.

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Murder with Earl Grey Tea is the ninth installment in the Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series set in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania and featuring tea shop owner, Daisy Swanson. Daisy is looking forward to the arrival of Spring, working on plans for her parent's anniversary dinner, organizing her over the top Alice in Wonderland Tea party and setting a date for her wedding to Jonas Groft. That's on top of helping her daughters as Jazzi searches for colleges and Vi moves out of the garage apartment and into her new home.

Daisy and her Aunt Iris have arranged for Lydia Aldenkamp of The Farm Barn to host her parent's anniversary party. Daisy has grown quite close to Lydia, who left her Amish community during rumspringa when she met her now husband Neil. The couple seems happy running the business and raising their young daughter Frannie. Fortunately for Lydia she's also remained close to her twin sister Leah and can rely on her for babysitting.

Daisy plans to meet up with Lydia for an early morning hike and she brings along Jonas' dog Felix. When Lydia doesn't answer the door and Felix takes off down the hiking trail, Daisy has a bad feeling and following after the dog she discovers Lydia's body, showing obvious signs of tire tracks . Was Lydia the victim of a hit and run or cold blooded murder?

Despite not wanting to get involved in another investigation, Daisy finds herself being drawn in by Detective Zeke Willet as an intermediary between the English and the Amish. Things might not have been so rosy between Lydia and Neil, but there also might have been something going on between Lydia and her twin.

A well rounded storyline, featuring a returning cast of characters. The author once again does a good job including a mystery into the backdrop of Daisy's everchanging family dynamics. While the book can read as a stand alone I'd recommend picking up the series from the start to get a better understanding of the cast as well as the relationships between the Amish and English.

I received an advanced copy of Murder with Earl Grey Tea from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. While not required to write a review, I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

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Loved this story!
Daisy and her aunt are all excited about their Alice in Wonderland tea party. Her and Jonas are eagerly trying to find a date to get married, and her girls are finding their futures. With everything going in such a happy direction, its hard to imagine that she gets involved in another murder. This time of her friend, Lydia. As determined as Daisy is to stay out of the investigation, she needs to help find who would want her dear friend dead.
Great characters, love the plots, and finally a wedding date !
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This book does something I've never noticed being done in other cozy mysteries I've read, it addresses the emotional and psychological impact of an amateur sleuth undertaking a murder investigation. In this case, add in the turmoil of not just finding a body but it being a friend who you very well could have been with at the time of the murder. Daisy Swanson isn't new to looking into murders but the combination of events left her feeling cold inside. All the tea in the world couldn't erase the horror from her mind, even as former detective boyfriend Jonas and her family and friends circle about her.

Quite frankly, given how slowly the story developed for me, I didn't expect to ultimately enjoy the book as much as I did. Heck, I started and stopped several times, starting and finishing other books in-between before I finally knuckled down and restarted and read the entire book. Once the murder had happened, however, things began to pick up pace and the depth of the book emerged. In other words, give this book a chance. It has thought provoking ingredients and the supporting cast was likable. True, sorting out the differences between the non-Amish, like Daisy, not to mention the difference between the stricter, more traditional Amish and those with fewer restrictions can be puzzling. That said, all are human whether we agree with their beliefs or not.

As for the murder, even aside from Daisy's involvement and close call, it's an intriguing one. Let's just say, I had two what I thought were strong suspects. Neither one was guilty. In other words, it kept me guessing until the end. In the process, Daisy is busy doing what a friend called fixing broken wings, even her own. Lots of changes going on in her life, comings and goings, and trying to find the time to finalize plans for her wedding to Jonas. She's finding little time for self-care but working on it will preparing herself for daughter Jazzi eventually heading off to college....all while trying to help find a murderer.

Bottom line, I enjoyed the book and will be looking forward to the next installment. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks- #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to hang out at Daisy's Tea Garden in Amish territory. It's fascinating to learn more about not just the Amish but how even they differ in belief and acceptance/interaction with the outside world.

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Things I love about this series include the friendships and learning about other cultures, particularly the Amish. Daisy and her aunt run a tea shop and the special events are truly special and spectacular.
However they never seem to happen without something extra gong on in Daisy's life.
She has earned the respect of several law enforcement officers and detectives and may have even turned a few into tea drinkers!
This case is sad as it involves the death of a young mother but it is handled tastefully and gently.
Daisy is adjusting to her own daughters growing and leaving home and looking forward to her own wedding. You can read it as a stand alone but I know you will enjoy the series read in order and get to better know the characters.

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This is a fun cozy mystery series, but as I have said with other books, the mystery often takes a back seat to the relationships and events in the main characters' lives. I have come to really enjoy Daisy's family and her staff at her Tea Garden. How she deals with her two children and their real life problems (adoption, pregnancy, new home, marriage, etc.), as well as her own growing relationship with her new fiance, makes these characters come to life and the reader is left wanting to know more. In this story, Daisy is planning on going for an early morning hike with her friend, but when she goes to meet her, Daisy finds her murdered. This time, she swears she is not going to get involved in helping the police solve the murder, but slowly events pull her back into the investigation. The story also includes Daisy helping out the widower with a wedding reception at the Farm Barn, as well as planning her own Alice in Wonderland Tea party. I loved the details of both parties, and of course there are great recipes at the end of the story for the reader to try out. Twists and turns help keep the mystery part of the story, till Daisy finally helps nail the culprit. I can't wait to see what happens next! Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this story and all opinions are strictly my own.

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cozy-mystery, Pennsylvania, pets, relationships, twins, sisters, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, lawyers, small-business, small-town, family, family-dynamics, family-drama, friendship, ex-cop, woodworker, pet-dog, PTSD, Amish, suspense, recipes *****

Daisy is an Englisher in an Amish neighborhood, has many friends, both Amish and Englisher, an ex-cop/woodworker for a boyfriend, and operates a tea shop in their small town.
Although Daisy has done sleuthing on a murder case before, this time she finds the bloody body of a friend and it is devastating to her. All this plus planning her wedding and helping her friends' families, both Amish and Englisher.
Good sleuthing with interesting twists and red herrings. Nice addition to a fine series.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you.

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This is exactly what you want from a cozy mystery read, pure fun with a dash a silly. This was just a cute, fun little read.

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: I love this series. But that being said, you really need to read them from the beginning in order to understand the relationships with the characters, especially Daisy and all her friends and family. Set in Pennsylvania Dutch country, there is a lot of Amish influence. And the author proves that she knows her background in both the country, the practices, the lives of the Amish and the “English” who live around them.

In this one, Daisy is planning a big anniversary dinner for her parents to be held at her friend Lydia’s restaurant, the Farm Barn. Lydia was born Amish, but left the order to marry her non-Amish husband Neil. Lydia’s parents shun her, but not her twin sister Leah who still talks with her. One day, Daisy sees the two sisters arguing, and later that day, Neil shows up at Daisy’s to hand her a revised bill for the anniversary dinner – a much higher one. She can’t cancel at this late date so she agrees. During the dinner, she sees Lydia and Neil arguing. The next day, Daisy is supposed to meet Lydia for their regular morning walk. What she finds, though is Lydia’s dead body.

And thus begins the mystery of who killed Lydia, Daisy’s friend. There are a lot of suspects and a lot of clues, some of them obscure, but they’re there. And there are several good recipes at the end of the story such as Apple Cider Pork Loin, Cider Sauce, Cabbage Walnut Salad, and Corn Cake.

Recommended (but read the other books in the series first!)

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: 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”

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Time spent with Daisy and the Tea Garden is always fun and exciting! Loaded with suspense. Lots of twists and turns make for a great whodunit. You'll be surprised at the ending! I didn't see this one being the guilty party. Thanks#netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

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Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and all her books. She has several different series. I enjoyed each 1

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Daisy Swanson owns a Tea Garden with her aunt Iris in Pennsylvania’s Amish country, When one of Daisy's friends is killed in a hit and run, the victims husband begs her to help find his wife's murderer. Daisy is busy planning her wedding, an Alice and Wonderland event at her tea garden. and helping her daughter get settled into her new home; but she also wants justice for her friend. There is lots of suspense, plenty of red herrings. and a little humor with Aunt Iris and her two suitors, I was very surprised by who the murderer turned out to be. This was a wonderful addition to this delightful series!

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Amish/English Culinary Cozy
Ms. Smith’s Daisy’s Tea Garden is a wonderful series, one that shows the differences and similarities between two very different cultures.
Daisy runs a tearoom next to an Amish community and has no problem interacting with them respectfully. She’s engaged to an ex-detective from a big city, who in his need to keep her safe, works with her to help her solve the murder of a dear friend.
The author’s descriptions of people and places are engaging, as is the interaction between her characters. I highly recommend...comes with recipes too...win-win.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my opinion freely.

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Daisy is off to meet her friend Lydia for an early morning hike, only to find the woman’s body on the trail. Who would do such a thing to the kind woman? A former Amish woman who left when she met her Englischer husband, she had no enemies that anyone can tell of. But there were are a few suspects on Daisy’s radar, she just can’t find the proof to turn anyone over to the police.

While Daisy was lucky to not be there at the time of the murder, because she could have been hurt too, will her luck hold out? Or will the killer finally silence Daisy once and for all?

This is a great series. I love the weaving in of Englischers and Amish in the Pennsylvania Dutch setting. Having roots in the Amish community from an early age makes the connection to the Amish much more realistic and makes for some great mysteries. If you have not yet read a book in this series, you are missing out! Grab a mug of tea, find a cozy spot and get lost the story. Each reads fine as a stand alone, but you’ll want to read them all!

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Once again, the author has written a story that draws the reader into the lives of her characters. I love how the story lends itself to previous books, but is independent enough to stand alone. This book makes you want to head over to Daisy's Tea Garden to catch up on the latest gossip going around and to enjoy the newest recipes the Tea Garden has to offer. Although I'm more of a coffee drinker than tea, I can certainly see myself sitting back and enjoying the teas, snacks, and ambiance of the establishment.

Just like always, Daisy has been drawn into a murder but this time the victim is a personal friend and she feels a strong desire to solve the murder to bring the killer to justice. Plenty of twists and turns in the story line to keep you on your toes.

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Even though spring in Lancaster County is still a bit far off, Daisy Swanson has much to look forward to: setting a date with her fiancé Jonas, a whimsical Alice in Wonderland tea event, and an anniversary celebration for her parents at a farm-to-table restaurant in Willow Creek.
But a grim discovery turns her thoughts to the troubled present. Meeting up for a hike with her friend, Daisy and her fiancé’s dog Felix find the woman dead on a trail, a victim of an apparent hit and run. The tire tracks clearly indicate this was no accident, and now Daisy must follow a twisted trail of clues to uncover what drove someone to murder
I love all the covers on this series! It was fun, fast and overall a great read.
#MurderwithEarlGreyTea #NetGalley

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