A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs

A Dark and Stormy Tea
by Laura Childs

ISBN-13: 9780593200896
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: August 9th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It was a dark and stormy night, but that was the least of Theodosia Browning's troubles. As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog. In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim--it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.

Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, and the sage words of Drayton, her tea sommelier, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. And quickly discovers that suspects abound with the dead girl's boyfriend, nefarious real estate developer, private-security man, bumbling reporter, and her own neighbor who is writing a true-crime book.


My Review:
A Dark and Stormy Tea is a cozy mystery. While there were potential clues and both the police and Theodosia actively investigated, it's not a puzzle mystery. You get some motives and that's about it. If you guessed whodunit before Theo's attacked at the end, it's a wild guess as there were no concrete clues that could narrow down suspects. Theo's so annoying in this story. She just did whatever she wanted to, sensible or legal or not. There's a killer strangling women who are out alone on dark, foggy nights? Why, that's the perfect time for her to go out alone, right? Repeatedly. Her boyfriend asked her to be careful and the head detective asked her not to do a certain thing. She nodded but went ahead and smugly did it as if she got a kick out of defying them. Of course, she also felt totally justified in snooping through other people's private property.

There was no bad language and no sex. It's the 24th book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous ones.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.