Publication date: March 5, 2024

Summary

Indigo Tea Shop has been hired to cater the craft services table for a movie filming in Charleston, South Carolina. When the movie director asks Theo to step into a bit part to add authenticity to the reading of the tea leaves, she reluctantly agrees. However, just as the scene begins, lights start flickering, and the director is murdered. Theo’s friend, Delaine, fears she may be a suspect because she had a public argument with the  director the week before the murder so she asks for Theo’s help finding the killer.

My Thoughts

This is the 27th book in this series, but the first I have read. Though it works as a standalone book, my appreciation for it may have been affected by the fact that I was unfamiliar with the series. 

The mystery was good, though the ending was much too abrupt. Theo catches the killer and then the story ends. There was no final explanation to help readers put all the pieces together. It remains unclear why certain attacks took place and why some suspects acted the way they did. 

I didn’t care for Theo. At least in this book, she seemingly has no personality. That’s where I think meeting her in other books might have helped give me a clearer picture of who she was. I do know she runs a successful business and enjoys taking risks. 

Unfortunately, her risk-taking is one of the things I liked least about her. She was brutally attacked and didn’t bother to let the police know. She never seemed to make the intelligent choice if there was a foolhardy option available. I don’t admire that in characters.

Some of the side characters were more appealing to me. Drayton was full of personality, and Miss Dimple seemed charming. I also love Earl Grey, the dog.

The parts of the book I really enjoyed were the descriptions of the tea parties, the food, and the locations. At the end of the book there is an excellent collection of recipes, tea party suggestions, scone topping ideas, and resources for tea and Charleston.

This book didn’t work for me, but I know that many people love this series. If you find it exciting when characters put their lives on the line to solve a case, and if you are more interested in the action of the mystery rather than putting together all the pieces of the puzzle, this book might be a better fit for you.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating 2/5

About the Author

Laura Childs is the author of 4 mystery series. To learn more about her, check out her website.