Melissa E. (Melissa1959) -
Helpful Score: 10
Not a bad book, but not a great book either. I didn't find the main characters (or any characters for that matter) very interesting. But this is the first in the series. Maybe they'll grow on me in future books. Yes, I do plan to read more. I just wish the characters had more depth. On the bright side: The plot was OK. There are plenty of red herrings thrown in. The tea shop setting is great. The added Charleston description is interesting. Earl Grey (Theodosia's dog) is a nice addition.
Courtney A. (aggielawyer) -
Helpful Score: 8
When I heard about the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it. I love the tea 'culture' and the thought of a mystery set around a tea shop in the south sounded so cozy. But while the idea was a wonderful one, the execution left much to be desired. When I read, I lose myself in the story and see the action in my head much like a movie. I was never able to do that with this book, and I think that is a first for me. There were several things that kept pulling me out of the action--the names of the characters were ridiculous (Theodosia Browning, Lleverete Dant, Samantha Rabathan, Delaine Dish, really?), the author included irrelevant details that felt like she was trying to show off her knowledge on various subjects, and brand names were thrown in everywhere--like how would the main character know that a man was wearing a Brooks Brothers suit unless she pulled open the collar of his jacket and looked at the label. I so wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I doubt I'll read any more in the series, which is a shame because the premise was so good.
Helpful Score: 7
Cute cozy mystery. Quick read. Quick and disappointing climax, but you don't really have to put much thought into this one to just sit back and enjoy it.
Helpful Score: 3
I love tea, and I love cozy mysteries - so I really wanted to love this book! But unfortunately, although I liked it, I didn't really love it. This is the first book in the Tea Shop series - probably one of the first books that Laura Childs wrote - and it shows. The storyline was a little wooden and didn't draw me in like most cozies. The main character was just a bit too perfect (she needs a few flaws to make her more human), and she was jumping to conclusions right and left throughout the book as she played amateur sleuth. There were plenty of red herrings and suspects, which was good. I'll keep reading this series and hoping that the characters develop and I learn to love them.
Helpful Score: 2
Very good! Likable characters,interesting plot,lots of great information about the South and teas! Some good recipes as well! No bad language,sex or violence.
Helpful Score: 2
First book in the series. As with all new series you need to get aquainted with the main characters and the area, so it went a bit slow for me as I tried to take it all in. An excellent read however and I am now ready to start reading each book in the series!
Helpful Score: 2
It was cute, but I had a hard time getting into it. Maybe her next one is better.
Helpful Score: 1
Fun, easy read as well as a learning experience about different kinds of teas. Good mystery too.
Helpful Score: 1
First book in the series.
Maybe not the most complicated plot ever, but great fun and interesting characters! Break out the tea and enjoy this one!
"It's tea for two or so at the annual historic homes garden party. And Theodosia, as event caterer,is busy serving steamed teas and blackberry scones while guests sing her praises. But the sweet smell of success turns to suspense when an esteemed guest is found dead--his hand clutching an empty teacup. All eyes are on Theo...who is now trying desperately to save her reputation and track down the real killer. If only she can make sense of it all--before someone else takes their last sip...
Includes delicious tea making tips."
Maybe not the most complicated plot ever, but great fun and interesting characters! Break out the tea and enjoy this one!
"It's tea for two or so at the annual historic homes garden party. And Theodosia, as event caterer,is busy serving steamed teas and blackberry scones while guests sing her praises. But the sweet smell of success turns to suspense when an esteemed guest is found dead--his hand clutching an empty teacup. All eyes are on Theo...who is now trying desperately to save her reputation and track down the real killer. If only she can make sense of it all--before someone else takes their last sip...
Includes delicious tea making tips."
Helpful Score: 1
A cute little mystery. The first chapters were overly full of descriptions and dragged on, but eventually she got the story going. Nothing too deep here, but a fun read. I plan to read the next in the series.
Helpful Score: 1
Great series! I love them all...and this is the beginning. Once you read the first one...you will need to read them all. An easy and entertaining read. I also like the scrapbooking series by Laura Childs.
Helpful Score: 1
I don't get it.
Her other series(scrapbooking) is great.
But this one...It took me 2 days to drag though the first chapter.
(I can read 2 books a day on a good day)
I even breezed though to a different chapter or 2..sigh it is just bogged down with discriptions.
WHEN does the story START?
I reposted my copy..I'll stick to he rother series..really bummed..I even am intrested in teas and all but not in this story.
Her other series(scrapbooking) is great.
But this one...It took me 2 days to drag though the first chapter.
(I can read 2 books a day on a good day)
I even breezed though to a different chapter or 2..sigh it is just bogged down with discriptions.
WHEN does the story START?
I reposted my copy..I'll stick to he rother series..really bummed..I even am intrested in teas and all but not in this story.
Helpful Score: 1
Fun tea time mystery. Get a good cup of herbal tea, a warm spot in your house and curl up with this Tea Shop Mystery. You'll love it.
Helpful Score: 1
An fun, easy Saturday morning read!
Helpful Score: 1
Pleasant "cozy" mystery. Sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy!
Helpful Score: 1
This was the first of the tea shop mysteries that I have read. It was very enjoyable and a very quick and easy read.
Helpful Score: 1
This was an interesting read and I never knew there were so many kinds of tea and they had so many ways to enjoy them. As an ice tea lover I hadn't known that tea came from so many different countries and could be sipped for calming you, for perking you up, for giving you energy as these are explained or woven into the story.
There is no romantic back story and the main character is introduced and given a back story but the other characters are given less detail and you know very little about the victim of the death by darjeeling tea. I would recommend it as a good mystery with lots of details before the one who did it is found out at the end. I never figured out the killer until I read it in the last chapter.
I would have liked more recipes for the muffins or pastries in the tea shop and the one recipe given is a tea recipe.
There is no romantic back story and the main character is introduced and given a back story but the other characters are given less detail and you know very little about the victim of the death by darjeeling tea. I would recommend it as a good mystery with lots of details before the one who did it is found out at the end. I never figured out the killer until I read it in the last chapter.
I would have liked more recipes for the muffins or pastries in the tea shop and the one recipe given is a tea recipe.
Helpful Score: 1
First in the series of Tea Shop Mysterys this was a light read. I was a little disappointed in it. I thought the plot was thin at best. There were alot a possiblities on who could have been the vililan and than bam the case was solved, story over. I felt cheated. I hope the other books in the series are better.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed mostly for the characters and the location. I'd read another in the series
Helpful Score: 1
A good, easy read. Theodosia is very likable as a character and amateur sleuth. The only downside is that all those descriptions of scrumptious cakes sold in the tea shop leads to too many cravings! Not to mention, the descriptions of other foods.
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Helpful Score: 1
#1 in Tea Shop Mystery Series. Enjoyed very much, waiting to see all of the characters develop as time goes on. Very good, didn't figure out answer until nearly the end.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent first novel in the Tea Shop Mysteries. Characters are witty, wacky and easy to love.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a quick, fun read. I will definitely read the others in the series.
Helpful Score: 1
First in the Tea Shop Mysteries series. A nice, cozy mystery with likeable characters, a good plot and plenty of laid back atmosphere. A winner!
This is the first of the tea shop mysteries, and it is mildly diverting. Unfortunately, it falls into my personal category of 'Why is she so dumb', because it was painfully obvious to me who the murderer was. It could be because I read so many mysteries, but honestly, it was really obvious.
Melissa P. (melissaenglish72) reviewed Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop, Bk 1) on + 42 more book reviews
First in a cozy mystery series. Good book. Made me want to curl up with a pot of tea in a wing chair with a blanket.
Stephanie S. (punkinema) -
A very likable Theodesia, owner of the Charleston, South Carolina tea shop, gets involved in sleuthing to save her shop and her employee, Bethany. The characters are well defined and I felt they were all my friends by the end of the book. I look forward to reading more of this series and her other series, Scrapbooking Mysteries.
Great mystery that includes recipes for tea and tea-making tips!
First in the Tea Shop series. Well, I was really late to this tea party, having read this first installment in 2016, now I believe there are 17 books in this series.
The Charleston South Carolina setting was wonderful, and I enjoyed the tea shop. However, I had a hard time relating to Theodosia Browning, our MC. She was way too prim and proper for my tastes, and acted like more of a middle-aged woman rather than a woman in her 30s. Still, the mystery was quick and amusing. I think I will try a few more in the series and hope that Theodosia relaxes a bit!
The Charleston South Carolina setting was wonderful, and I enjoyed the tea shop. However, I had a hard time relating to Theodosia Browning, our MC. She was way too prim and proper for my tastes, and acted like more of a middle-aged woman rather than a woman in her 30s. Still, the mystery was quick and amusing. I think I will try a few more in the series and hope that Theodosia relaxes a bit!
This is book #1 and the first of her books I've read. It is the perfect book for those rainy days. It's an entertaining read.
Charming characters, an intriguing mystery, and a cozy setting - just right for a rainy day read curled up with (what else) a cup of hot tea. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Not my favorite series but a quick and cozy read. Good for traveling
Great read
Good tea book mystery :)
This is an entertaining series set in Charleston, SC. The owner and employees of the Indigo Tea Shop manage to find themselves wrapped in mysteries that only they can solve. Easy reading but keeps the attention.
I thought the book was a delightful read. After reading Clancy's latest novel I was ready for a lighter read and this one perfectly fit the bill. I really got to know the characters. I am truly looking forward to reading other books in this series.
I really enjoyed this. Interesting learning about tea, fun mystery and wonderful characters.
Light mystery. Quick read with short chapters. Likeable characters.
I started this book but just couldn't finish it. The factual errors just started getting too annoying. For example, you can't go into anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction, by drinking tea brewed too strong. And if someone is unconscious from being hit on the head and is still breathing, a doctor (or anyone with minimal medical or first aid training) should know that CPR is the wrong thing to do. A mystery writer should have a clue; or at least do some research before writing about things she has no knowledge of. If she doesn't, her editor should have picked up on these types of blatant mistakes. Really.
Light weight mystery, good story line, Makes you picture the characters. Some surprising endings and delicious recipes.
I enjoy Tea Shop mysteries almost as much as I enjoy coffee shop mysterys - it's a tea total blast!
Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop, Bk 1) on + 885 more book reviews
Light mystery; enjoyable; quick read.
fun cozy... the heroine is a strong lady with much panace and passion. and I love mysteries set in the South...and I'ma tea addcit...fun and a quick read.
Though a bit heavy on the "tea descriptions," it was an OK read. I will try book #2 and see if the story line deepens a bit more or characters develop more fully. Otherwise, these may just be "fluff" readings.
First in the series. Strong female "detective" set in an unusual setting in the south amidst old wealth, antiques and a delightful tea shop. The reader will learn a lot about tea and the preparation.
This is a very bright start to a new to me series and I am looking forward to moving on with it. I really like the tea shop setting.
I got this book through paperbackswap.com. I had added it to my wish list, presumably after seeing this book or series on someone's recommended reading list. This is a "cozy" mystery so light reading. I thought the book was OK--certainly not great literature but then most cozies aren't (and don't pretend to be).
I've read a few of the reviews on Amazon and paperbackswap and tend to agree with those who say the characters seem under-developed. There were also a lot of characters in the book and I sometimes found myself thinking "Now, who is this person again?" It would have been helpful to have an alphabetical index of characters with a brief description of each.
The revelation of the killer was sudden--almost like the author was tired of writing and decided to wrap things up--and was a complete surprise (at least to me).
Although this book was just average, I have added the next book in the series to my paperbackswap wish list. Hopefully, that one will be better.
I've read a few of the reviews on Amazon and paperbackswap and tend to agree with those who say the characters seem under-developed. There were also a lot of characters in the book and I sometimes found myself thinking "Now, who is this person again?" It would have been helpful to have an alphabetical index of characters with a brief description of each.
The revelation of the killer was sudden--almost like the author was tired of writing and decided to wrap things up--and was a complete surprise (at least to me).
Although this book was just average, I have added the next book in the series to my paperbackswap wish list. Hopefully, that one will be better.
When a man is poisoned by tea, Theo is the prime suspect. Now she has to prove her innocence and track down the real killer-before someone else takes their last sip. Just the right blend of cozy fun and clever plotting. Tea lovers, mystery lovers, [this] is for you.
Discovered the series earlier this year and I've either read the entire series to the present year or I'm looking forward to finishing the books in the series I do have.
Meet Theodosia Browning, owner of Charleston's beloved Indigo Tea Shop. Theo enjoys the full-bodied flabor of a town steeped in history--and mystery...Death by Darjeeling is a mystery about an esteemed guest who is found dead during an annual historic homes garden party. First in the series of Tea Shop Mysteries. Fun book and an easy read that will keep you guessing "who did it" until the very end. I will certainly read the next 3 in the series.
A pleasant first mystery in the tea shop series. Sympathetic characters, and it really makes you want to visit Charleston!
This is the first of the Tea Shop Mystery series. It is very good...kept me trying to figure out who did the killing...a real page turner...I would highly recomend it.
Nice cozy with a lot of local color and info on tea.
If you enjoy tea and love "cozy" mysteries, then this book will be right up your alley. First in series.
1st in the teashop mysteries. Very genteel, very refined, except for a couple of murders. Recommended.
First in a new mystery series set in a tea shop in Charleston. Clever herorine and cute recipes.
First book in my favorite series -- it makes me want to move to Charleston! Very thought-provoking mysteries, and really interesting characters.
This mystery wasn't as fast paced as others but it was a good book.
A pretty good cozy mystery. I figured it out about 2/3 of the way through, but it was a good read. I'll definitely read the next in the series.
1st in the Tea Shop Mystery Series- a good story.
If you like painfully predictable mysteries, this is a book for you. The characters are likeable enough, but mostly because they are stereotypical murder mystery characters. There was very little in this book that struck me as original. However, as an admitted tea snob and the director of a local Ladies' Tea Guild, i must confess that i found myself interested in the book simply to read the tea elements of the story.
Good one!!
I love tea and combining that with my other love mysteries is absolutely fabulous. Theodosia Browning the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston,SC loves a good mystery, but this time murder is involved and she feels that unless the guilty party is caught quickly her business could be in trouble. Especially since the victim was killed by poisoning while drinking a cup of her tea.
This is the first of the "Tea Shop Mysteries". I plan to read them all. This centers around the Indigo Tea shop in Charleston SC owned by Theodosia Browning. From Fantastic Fiction:
"Mystery and suspense are brewing when Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning caters an elegant garden party in historic Charleston-and one of the guests turns up dead!"
The Series in order is as follows:
Death by Darjeeling (2001)
Gunpowder Green (2002)
Shades of Earl Grey (2003)
English Breakfast Murder (2003)
The Jasmine Moon Murder (2004)
Chamomile Mourning (2005)
Blood Orange Brewing (4/06)
"Mystery and suspense are brewing when Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning caters an elegant garden party in historic Charleston-and one of the guests turns up dead!"
The Series in order is as follows:
Death by Darjeeling (2001)
Gunpowder Green (2002)
Shades of Earl Grey (2003)
English Breakfast Murder (2003)
The Jasmine Moon Murder (2004)
Chamomile Mourning (2005)
Blood Orange Brewing (4/06)
I really enjoyed this little mystery. It was like taking a trip down South to historic Charleston, NC.
Wonderful new series by Laura Childs. If you love mysteries and tea- must read. Has wonderful information on teas along with a great pace mystery.
Really enjoyed the tea books and their history of Charleston. Light reading, but entertaining.
A wonderful book with with well thought out characters. A very enjoyable book. I can't wait to finish the series.
This was a quick little read for those who love a good mystery. I loved the tea shop idea. Nothing better on a cold winter day to curl up with a hot cup of tea and read!
1st book in the Theodosia Browning series
Yvette Irene S. (yvetteirene) reviewed Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop, Bk 1) on + 30 more book reviews
Sweet setting, good historical view of Charleston. Found the book a bit slow going. Good story, and no real violence, just a good "girl's mystery". Kind of was like a younger-woman "Murder She Wrote" style. Again, just a little slow moving for me. Two and a Half stars (I can't change the star rating for some reason!).
Not for me. Didn't enjoy as much as childs' scrapbooking series...
A tea shop mystery. Very good.
A good cozy mystery. Perfect for a summer afternoon read with a cup or tea or glass of iced tea.
Death by Darjeeling is the first title in a new series called A Tea Shop Mystery. Great reading for both mystery lovers and tea lovers. It even includes a recipe and tips for making tea.
As a tea drinker, I was taken by the title and gave the book a try...I really enjoyed it and I will be reading the next one.
This book has a personal autograph inside the front cover. Haven't read it, but heard it was good.
Cute Cozy
