Lemon Curd Killer (Tea Shop, Bk 25)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
Dollycas's Thoughts
Who knew Charleston Fashion Week could be so deadly?
Theodosia Browning finds another body. This one during the elegant Limón Tea. This was the first event to kick off the weeklong event and before the last cup of tea and lemon scone can even be served the creative director of Lemon Squeeze Couture is found dead in a walk-in cooler with her face âsubmerged in a bowl of lemon curdâ.
It isn't long before the woman's daughter begs Theo to find her mother's killer. With all the fashion shows and tea events planned for the rest of the week, Theo and tea sommelier, Drayton will be rubbing shoulders with plenty of suspects so she agrees to do her best. Theo didn't realize where her investigation would take her or who she would âteaâ off in the process but her boyfriend Detective Pete Riley is not going to be happy she is getting mixed up in another murder.
Ms. Childs has created such great characters for this series and even in this 25th book in the series they continue to surprise us, engage us, and make us root for them from the first page to the last. Theodosia Browning is a terrific amateur sleuth with a keen mind and strong instincts. Her friend and tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, tags along with her, even when he doesn't really want to, as she follows clue after clue. He is also a great sounding board. Hayley bakes up a storm and does her best to stay out of the action but sometimes she slams in at just the right time. Riley loves Theo and knows he can't change her but he is scared one of these days he could lose her.
The author also introduces a quirky crew of fashionistas, managers, and directors in this story including a pair of sisters that appear to be in over their heads even before one of them ends up dead. The remaining characters make up the suspect list for an extra twisty mystery. It was really hard to pin the guilty party down for both Theo and this reader. The author did an excellent job of distraction with some nicely placed red herrings. I fell for every one of them and was surprised when the actual Lemon Curd Killer was revealed. The way the scene played out was intense and suspenseful and I enjoyed it very much.
I do love the way Ms. Child sets a scene. From The Orchard Inn where the Limón Tea takes place to Theo's Indigo Tea Shop, to the Featherbed House B&B, and every place in between her descriptions made it so easy to visualize everything. From the tea and treats being served to the china they were served in and on and the silverware used to partake in the delectable delights readers are right there. The only thing better would be if we could jump into the pages and taste everything ourselves. For now, we are provided with several recipes so we can make them on our own. Killer Lemon Cream Scones, Haley's Lemon Bars, and Yummy Butterscotch Brownies to just name a few. Just reading them makes my mouth water.
Lemon Curd Killer is a superb addition to this series. Remarkable characters, and a masterful mystery, set in beautiful places all come together to make this book A Perfect Escape.
Don't be put off because this is long-running series. You can read this book all on its own and go back to read earlier stories if you wish. The next book in the series Honey Drop Dead will be released on August 8, 2023. I can't wait to return to Charleston to see what Theodosia gets into next.
Who knew Charleston Fashion Week could be so deadly?
Theodosia Browning finds another body. This one during the elegant Limón Tea. This was the first event to kick off the weeklong event and before the last cup of tea and lemon scone can even be served the creative director of Lemon Squeeze Couture is found dead in a walk-in cooler with her face âsubmerged in a bowl of lemon curdâ.
It isn't long before the woman's daughter begs Theo to find her mother's killer. With all the fashion shows and tea events planned for the rest of the week, Theo and tea sommelier, Drayton will be rubbing shoulders with plenty of suspects so she agrees to do her best. Theo didn't realize where her investigation would take her or who she would âteaâ off in the process but her boyfriend Detective Pete Riley is not going to be happy she is getting mixed up in another murder.
Ms. Childs has created such great characters for this series and even in this 25th book in the series they continue to surprise us, engage us, and make us root for them from the first page to the last. Theodosia Browning is a terrific amateur sleuth with a keen mind and strong instincts. Her friend and tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, tags along with her, even when he doesn't really want to, as she follows clue after clue. He is also a great sounding board. Hayley bakes up a storm and does her best to stay out of the action but sometimes she slams in at just the right time. Riley loves Theo and knows he can't change her but he is scared one of these days he could lose her.
The author also introduces a quirky crew of fashionistas, managers, and directors in this story including a pair of sisters that appear to be in over their heads even before one of them ends up dead. The remaining characters make up the suspect list for an extra twisty mystery. It was really hard to pin the guilty party down for both Theo and this reader. The author did an excellent job of distraction with some nicely placed red herrings. I fell for every one of them and was surprised when the actual Lemon Curd Killer was revealed. The way the scene played out was intense and suspenseful and I enjoyed it very much.
I do love the way Ms. Child sets a scene. From The Orchard Inn where the Limón Tea takes place to Theo's Indigo Tea Shop, to the Featherbed House B&B, and every place in between her descriptions made it so easy to visualize everything. From the tea and treats being served to the china they were served in and on and the silverware used to partake in the delectable delights readers are right there. The only thing better would be if we could jump into the pages and taste everything ourselves. For now, we are provided with several recipes so we can make them on our own. Killer Lemon Cream Scones, Haley's Lemon Bars, and Yummy Butterscotch Brownies to just name a few. Just reading them makes my mouth water.
Lemon Curd Killer is a superb addition to this series. Remarkable characters, and a masterful mystery, set in beautiful places all come together to make this book A Perfect Escape.
Don't be put off because this is long-running series. You can read this book all on its own and go back to read earlier stories if you wish. The next book in the series Honey Drop Dead will be released on August 8, 2023. I can't wait to return to Charleston to see what Theodosia gets into next.
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