Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific start to the series. After her husband died, Daisy and her two daughters moved home to Willow Creek, a community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Amish country. She and her Aunt Iris started Daisy's Tea Garden, a tea shop that serves soups, scones, and tea to locals and tourists. Things are going well for Daisy: the shop is thriving, and her daughters Violet and Jazzi are settled, with Violet recently off to college. She's a little worried about Iris, who is dating wealthy and not-quite-divorced men's shop owner Harvey Fitz. Then Harvey is found murdered in the tea shop's garden, and Iris is at the top of Detective Rappaport's suspect list.
I enjoyed seeing Daisy get involved in attempting to clear Iris's name. Her work is cut out for her, as the detective indicates that he believes Iris is the killer. She has plenty of suspects to choose from, whether it's Harvey's soon-to-be-ex, his possibly disinherited children, or one of several business rivals. The mystery was well done, as it kept me guessing who did it until the end. The final confrontation was intense, with Iris and Daisy surprised by the killer. The takedown was fantastic - I loved how Iris and Daisy kept their wits about them and saved themselves with a little bit of outside help.
I enjoyed the variety of characters. Daisy's family love each other but have their own personalities. Iris and Daisy's mother, Rose, are sisters who don't always get along. Rose can be a bit judgmental, which puts her at odds sometimes with others. Iris is sweet and well-liked by the guests at the tea shop but shows a feisty side when she gets riled up. I liked Daisy's daughters, Violet and Jazzi. Violet is away at college though we see some of her at the end. Jazzi is involved in a secondary storyline as she expresses her desire to find her birth mother. I liked how Daisy handled this issue.
Outside the family, we meet the tea garden employees, other business owners, and two intriguing men. I enjoyed the various employees who have unique personalities and stories of their own. I enjoyed Tessa, one of Daisy's friends and baking assistant. Tessa is also an artist, and I liked the scene of her gallery show and getting to know that side of her. Her new employee, Foster, is an interesting young man. I loved how easily he fit in and seeing his ideas for the tea shop.
There is a hint of romance running through the book. Cade, one of Daisy's high school classmates, appears to be interested in her. He's a nice guy, though he tends to be cautious. His warnings against investigating irritate Daisy though it doesn't stop her from going out with him. Jonas is new to Willow Creek. A former police detective, now a furniture maker and store owner, is often on the spot when Daisy runs into trouble. He is sweet and attentive, and I loved how he helped Daisy, Iris, and Jazzi. Daisy is a little surprised by the feelings he sparks in her. I look forward to future books and seeing what happens with both men.
The descriptions of the tea shop, the teas, and the food made me feel like I was there. As a tea drinker myself, I would love to pop in at Daisy's and enjoy a cuppa and a lemon tea cake or cinnamon scone.
I enjoyed seeing Daisy get involved in attempting to clear Iris's name. Her work is cut out for her, as the detective indicates that he believes Iris is the killer. She has plenty of suspects to choose from, whether it's Harvey's soon-to-be-ex, his possibly disinherited children, or one of several business rivals. The mystery was well done, as it kept me guessing who did it until the end. The final confrontation was intense, with Iris and Daisy surprised by the killer. The takedown was fantastic - I loved how Iris and Daisy kept their wits about them and saved themselves with a little bit of outside help.
I enjoyed the variety of characters. Daisy's family love each other but have their own personalities. Iris and Daisy's mother, Rose, are sisters who don't always get along. Rose can be a bit judgmental, which puts her at odds sometimes with others. Iris is sweet and well-liked by the guests at the tea shop but shows a feisty side when she gets riled up. I liked Daisy's daughters, Violet and Jazzi. Violet is away at college though we see some of her at the end. Jazzi is involved in a secondary storyline as she expresses her desire to find her birth mother. I liked how Daisy handled this issue.
Outside the family, we meet the tea garden employees, other business owners, and two intriguing men. I enjoyed the various employees who have unique personalities and stories of their own. I enjoyed Tessa, one of Daisy's friends and baking assistant. Tessa is also an artist, and I liked the scene of her gallery show and getting to know that side of her. Her new employee, Foster, is an interesting young man. I loved how easily he fit in and seeing his ideas for the tea shop.
There is a hint of romance running through the book. Cade, one of Daisy's high school classmates, appears to be interested in her. He's a nice guy, though he tends to be cautious. His warnings against investigating irritate Daisy though it doesn't stop her from going out with him. Jonas is new to Willow Creek. A former police detective, now a furniture maker and store owner, is often on the spot when Daisy runs into trouble. He is sweet and attentive, and I loved how he helped Daisy, Iris, and Jazzi. Daisy is a little surprised by the feelings he sparks in her. I look forward to future books and seeing what happens with both men.
The descriptions of the tea shop, the teas, and the food made me feel like I was there. As a tea drinker myself, I would love to pop in at Daisy's and enjoy a cuppa and a lemon tea cake or cinnamon scone.
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
This was a very good mystery for a first book in this series. I enjoyed the characters and the idea of the tea shop. Good cozy and fun read.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is the debut of the Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series set in the small town of Willow Creek, PA featuring Daisy Swanson and her Aunt Iris. Recently widowed, Daisy returns to her hometown and together with her aunt purchases and old Victorian home, that they turn into a tea garden.
With one daughter off to college and the other acting in typical moody teenager fashion, Daisy has her hands full with running the tea shop and doing her best to support her aunt's relationship with the married (albeit separated) wealthy Harvey Fitz. Business was booming at the tea garden until Harvey is discovered dead on the outside patio.
Detective Morris Rappaport is quick to target Aunt Iris as the prime suspect, despite Harvey's volatile relationship with his soon to be ex wife Monica and their two children. Determined to clear Iris' name, Daisy sets out with the help of furniture store owner and retired police detective Jonas Groft to catch the killer.
Fans of Karen Rose Smith will love this new series. The author has such a way with storytelling that the reader will feel as though they are in the midst of the tea garden; smelling the delicious teas as they steep and the tasty, homemade cakes and scones. A fast paced plot with well developed and fun characters, plenty of suspects and just the right touch of romance. The author also does a great job handling the topic of adoption and the search for biological parents.
With one daughter off to college and the other acting in typical moody teenager fashion, Daisy has her hands full with running the tea shop and doing her best to support her aunt's relationship with the married (albeit separated) wealthy Harvey Fitz. Business was booming at the tea garden until Harvey is discovered dead on the outside patio.
Detective Morris Rappaport is quick to target Aunt Iris as the prime suspect, despite Harvey's volatile relationship with his soon to be ex wife Monica and their two children. Determined to clear Iris' name, Daisy sets out with the help of furniture store owner and retired police detective Jonas Groft to catch the killer.
Fans of Karen Rose Smith will love this new series. The author has such a way with storytelling that the reader will feel as though they are in the midst of the tea garden; smelling the delicious teas as they steep and the tasty, homemade cakes and scones. A fast paced plot with well developed and fun characters, plenty of suspects and just the right touch of romance. The author also does a great job handling the topic of adoption and the search for biological parents.
Kristina A. reviewed Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (Daisy's Tea Garden, Bk 1) on + 1528 more book reviews
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith is the first book in A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. Daisy Swanson co-owns Daisy's Tea Garden (housed in a beautiful old Victorian) with her aunt, Iris Albright in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania. Iris has been dating Harvey Fisk who is working to obtain a divorce from his wife, Monica. At a party honoring the 25th anniversary of Harvey's store, Men's Trends at Daisy's Tea Garden, Monica storms in and accuses Harvey of hiding assets (talk about a party pooper). Iris leaves to meet Harvey for a date and Daisy hears a scream. Harvey is dead in their herb garden from blunt force trauma and one of their statues is missing. Detective Rappaport is on the case, and he has decided Iris is the culprit. Daisy with the help of former detective, Jonas Groft query the various suspects. It turns out that Harvey had recently changed his will which angered his children. Could one of them have murdered Harvey? Daisy is worried about her youngest daughter, Jazzi. She has been acting out lately, and Daisy discovers that Jazzi wants to locate her biological mother. Daisy knows she needs to support Jazzi's decision and help her in any way she can. Business is booming at the tea garden courtesy of Harvey's murder and Daisy brings on additional staff. Daisy follows the clues in the hopes of catching the real killer and removing Aunt Iris from the suspect list. Who murdered Harvey?
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is nicely written and has a good pace. The author sets the stage in this book for the series. She establishes the characters, Daisy's Tea Garden, and the town. I found the characters to be congenial and relatable (except for Detective Rappaport). Daisy is a smart, strong and caring woman who loves her family and is striving to make a success of her new business. She is a widow with two daughters (one biological and one adopted). Thanks to Karen Rose Smith's description, I can picture Daisy's Tea Garden in my head. She provides sumptuous descriptions of the tea and food served at the tea garden (recipes at the end of the book). I was not a fan of cantankerous Detective Rappaport, but their does need to be one disagreeable character (someone who readers love to hate). He was like a dog with a bone. He gets a hold of an idea and does not let go. The mystery was appealing with several suspects and misdirection. The investigation mostly consisted of questioning (I wish there had been more action). The murder was not the prominent part of the story. The mystery can be solved before the reveal if pay careful attention to the clues. More time is devoted to the tea garden, Daisy's family, food descriptions, tea, talking, cats and flirting. There are two possible romantic partners for Daisy. I am sincerely hoping that this will not result in a love triangle in future books in the series. Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is a lovely cozy mystery, and I will be reading the next book in A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. Fans of Karen Rose Smith and A Caprice De Luca Mystery series will be entertained by Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes.
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is nicely written and has a good pace. The author sets the stage in this book for the series. She establishes the characters, Daisy's Tea Garden, and the town. I found the characters to be congenial and relatable (except for Detective Rappaport). Daisy is a smart, strong and caring woman who loves her family and is striving to make a success of her new business. She is a widow with two daughters (one biological and one adopted). Thanks to Karen Rose Smith's description, I can picture Daisy's Tea Garden in my head. She provides sumptuous descriptions of the tea and food served at the tea garden (recipes at the end of the book). I was not a fan of cantankerous Detective Rappaport, but their does need to be one disagreeable character (someone who readers love to hate). He was like a dog with a bone. He gets a hold of an idea and does not let go. The mystery was appealing with several suspects and misdirection. The investigation mostly consisted of questioning (I wish there had been more action). The murder was not the prominent part of the story. The mystery can be solved before the reveal if pay careful attention to the clues. More time is devoted to the tea garden, Daisy's family, food descriptions, tea, talking, cats and flirting. There are two possible romantic partners for Daisy. I am sincerely hoping that this will not result in a love triangle in future books in the series. Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is a lovely cozy mystery, and I will be reading the next book in A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. Fans of Karen Rose Smith and A Caprice De Luca Mystery series will be entertained by Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes.
