High tea and misdemeanors

Laura Childs

Book - 2025

"When a wedding is tragically averted by the death of the bride, Theodosia is determined to prove that it was murder in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series. Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping the bride and groom. He will pull through, but his beloved is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder"--

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Subjects
Genres
Detective and mystery fiction
Novels
Published
New York : Berkley Prime Crime 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Laura Childs (author)
Physical Description
312 pages ; 21 cm
ISBN
9780593815441
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

After 28 hair-raising adventures, one would expect Theodosia Browning to have developed a sense of caution. One would be wrong. The latest case for Charleston's Indigo Tea Shop owner and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, is close to home. While they're catering a wedding high tea at Foxtail Flower farm for Jamie and Bettina, who's the niece of Theodosia's ditzy friend Delaine Dish, Theodosia notices maid of honor Celeste slinking toward the greenhouse housing the reception and sends Jamie after her. He arrives just in time for the greenhouse to collapse on both of them. Theodosia and Drayton work frantically to rescue the pair. Jamie is pulled out with some nasty injuries; Celeste does not survive. Theodosia calls her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, because she suspects that the greenhouse was tampered with, making this a case of murder. Dragging Pete along on a search for clues, she comes upon a trail camera she thinks might be helpful. The search is especially tempting to Theodosia for at least two reasons: They can't be sure who the killer's intended target was, and the family and her friends are urging her on. A skull added to Jamie's hospital lunch tray broadly suggests that he's in the killer's sights. Digging around, Theodosia unearths previous engagements for both Jamie and Bettina along with several people who hate Jamie for other reasons. Her sleuthing riles the killer, who's still active enough to put her in danger. A convoluted mystery that includes everything you always wanted to know about tea and putting on a tea party. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.