Lavender Blue Murder Hits The Spot

Lavender Blue Murder

By Laura Childs

Get ready mystery enthusiasts and amateur sleuths, because Laura Childs' latest Tea Shop Mystery starts off with a bang. It's a Lavender Blue Murder in the fields of the low country of South Carolina. When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley attend an invitation only English shooting party, with all the trappings, they had no idea that anyone other than the birds were in danger. When shots ring out too close for comfort, the partiers scatter and run for safety. Theodosia ends up wandering into a lavender field, where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death. Now there is a party full of suspects, but who among them has a motive that would drive a person to carry out such a dire act?

This expertly crafted plot is a challenging puzzler. Theodosia is put to the test as she looks for clues, talks with witnesses, and analyzes suspects. The reader is immersed in the adventure from beginning to end. The descriptions of settings are vivid and detailed. Characters are unique and so interesting. Those who are recurring in the series are fresh and daring, yet they feel familiar like a favorite earl grey tea that has been blended with unexpected highlights that complement, delight, and yet taste new. Oh and there are some skiillfully planted surprises in store.

There's more than one reason to read to the end. Not only do you want to find out if you have named the right suspect as the killer. You want to try the tantalizing recipes from the Indigo Tea Shop that are printed in full at the back, along with Tea Time Tips, and for tea connoisseurs there are also Tea Resources.

Laura Childs is such an adventurous and prolific writer. She’s growing three different mystery series, that all have crowds of ardent fans. And this author is not slowing down anytime soon. The Tea Shop, Scrapbook, and Cackleberry Club, all three Mystery Series are each well-established and artfully crafted. And as if that’s not enough, she also writes the Afton Tangler Thrillers, authored as Gerry Schmitt. So sit back with a cup of your favorite tea blend because you’re in for a tea-rrific time with this mystery. And hear more from the author herself when co-hosts Carl Lee and Wendy Kendall share A Novel Talk with Laura Childs. Then, visit her website to see her many other mysteries at http://www.laurachilds.com/