Gunpowder Green

In Laura Childs' Gunpowder Green, the second installment in the Tea Shop Cozy Mystery series, she brewed an interesting and sordid mystery from the ground up. It all started, when Theodosia Browning attended the annual Charleston yacht race to share her newest tea flavor from her shop. But it kicked off with a bang, when Oliver Dixon was shot in close proximity of his young bride. As a witness to hear the argument before it happened and then saw it from her own eyes, she became intrigued on why someone wanted him dead. As she prepared for her own mystery tea party, she dig up the dirt on Oliver's personal and private life as she received idle threats of her own. Later on, she concocted a plot to lure the murderer out with her friends and discovered the real culprit and how he done it and why... when it was nothing more than strictly business.

This was another great cozy mystery to read in a light setting or two. I love the tea shop theme and how each novel features a new flavor to brew and try at home. I do care for Theodosia and her friends at the shop and liked how Timothy turned his own cheek by helping her out. I thought Tidwell was okay and maybe warming on Theo. I loved the Charleston location and descriptive settings in each compelling scene. This would get you intrigued on the first page with drama, non-stop action, suspense and a great mystery from start to finish.

Will you be tempting to try Gunpowder Green today?

Keepsake Crimes

In Keepsake Crimes, Laura Childs introduced us to a new character in her new cozy series, in the first Scrapbooking Mystery series. Carmela Betrand owned a small craft shop in New Orleans, and specialized in the art and craft of scrapbooking. She used to live the high life, until her husband Shamus bolted from her and wanted to change careers. Until then, she made a niche store of her own and formed a circle of friends. During Mardi Gras season, someone was murdered during one of the float parade. People spread vicious rumors about it being her ex-husband and placing the blame on him. It was up to Carmela to clear his name and find out who was the culprit and why. The closer she'd gotten to the truth, the more perilous her life and her craft store would be from ruination. This series also included scrapbooking tips to do at home.

I liked Carmela and the central crafty focus of scrapbooking. New Orleans was a fantastic setting for any holiday season. For Mardi Gras, it made it even better. Seamus was an okay character for her ex, though his sister Glory was an interesting person as well with a love/hate series. I didn't like Ruby and Jack in my mind's eye. I became personally invested into Carmela and her scrapbooking friends in this new cozy series. I love the bonus touch of scrapbooking tips.

Ready to get crafty? Check out this cozy series today!

Death by Darjeeling

In Laura Childs's Death by Darjeeling, the first Tea Shop Mysteries cozy series, we were introduced to her and to how she came about owning the tea shop with such delightful tea blends. But Laura Childs also introduced us to her first culinary mystery, when someone died in her tea shop by drinking tea. There was a slew of characters that made for interested suspects and culprits. And the closer the truth Theo and her gang discovered the truth about the culprit, the more someone had threatened her life and her dog, Earl Grey's life came to be in the end with a shocking truth.


 This is a great culinary cozy featuring tea. We learn about tea blends and making tea with a bit of background history. Theodosia Browning was an interesting and amusing character for a captivating reading. I didn't like it on how her pet was endangered by the bad guys.  I liked how Theo and her gang helped her out, including Bethany and Haley, to pull their own weight.  What a fascinated read!

Got tea? Check out this cozy this weekend!

The Silver Needle Murder

If culinary cozies are your average cup of tea, this series is for you. Laura Childs introduced us to Theodosia Browning and her interesting array of characters in her tea shop series in Death by Darjeeling. In the ninth installment of the Tea Shop Mystery series, the Silver Needle Murder, when one of the judges was found dead at the local awards show, she was asked to fill in his shoes. For Theo, that was a tall order for her to fill. Along the way, while she ran her tea shop demands, things were daunting, when new revelations came out about the victim. The more deeper we watched her dig her heels in, the more threatening it had gotten for her. And a producer had his eyes on her, when we observed her romance blossom with Parker. And when her close friend ended up murdered, we would be amazed who's behind the act, when the world of  documentary film-making was more than a cutthroat business. This is a delightful cozy with tea recipes and tips.

This is another spectacular culinary tea cozy.  This shone a spotlight on the Hollywood side of things in a small town. There was an interesting love triangle here between Theo, Parker and Johnny. But jealousy could be a dangerous thing. Things do get personal for Theo. I began to care for her and concerned for her as well. I didn't care for Johnny, who only used Theo for his own vicious gains. I could see an intriguing love match between Parker and Theo.

Ready to shine like Hollywood stars? Grab a copy today!

Frill Kill

In Frill Kill, Carmela Bertrand gets entangled into a crime, when someone got murdered in the back alley, and she'd gotten attacked. Nonetheless, it helped her best friend's business bloom along with her own scrapbooking shop. Carmela and her friends tried to find out who framed one of Ava's employers, when they'd gotten invested in circus acts and fashion, along with a love triangle for Carmela, battling between her soon-to-be ex-husband, and a hasty news reporter. A great new cozy with great crafty ideas.