The first in this series didn't grab me, but I thought I'd try another. The first few chapters were too slow for my liking, but after the mystery set in, it was ok. Not my favorite cozy series, but it will serve. ( )

Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina, is catering Tea by the Sea at this year's Isle of Palms Yacht Race. Theodosia is delighted to have this catering opportunity, as are two of her employees who add their talents to every aspect of the shop's successful business. Drayton Conneley, assistant and master tea blender, is always ready to challenge his creativity in creating a unique tea blend for the event. Haley Parker, baker extraordinaire, will add summer taste delights as well. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in every respect until firing an antique gun to signify the race winner instead triggered loss and chaos.

The charm of this cozy series is the uniquely crafted blend of cozy delights. The ingredients include:
• Female and male staff of varying ages naturally have diverse life/work experiences that enjoy camaraderie guided by Theodosia's appreciation for everyone's knowledge and talents.
• The more extensive staff of the tea shop allows a broader scope of offerings for locals and tourists through the pleasures of delectable seasonal menus, shopping, offerings of in-house special events, and reservations for catering available for public and private events.
• The mystery to unravel beginning during one event becomes more intriguing for exploring the suspect list of the cozy crime through waves of detours with various locations as possibilities where the reveal will take place.
Of equal importance to the ingredients is the kitchen and, in this case, the setting in historic Charleston. Indeed, for armchair travelers, the tour of Charleston through the tea shop activities and events is unlike any tour book. And the tea. The lovely joys of tea from around the world. There are delights from page to page, bringing awareness, sensory images of aroma and taste, and offering tips that make possibilities seem like opportunities. It is my favorite tea shop series.

Recipes and tips for a lovely tea at home are provided at the end of the cozy. ( )

Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop, and she also caters events. While catering a yacht race picnic, her friend Delaine points out Doe Belvedere, who recently wed Oliver Dixon. While this wouldn't be a big deal, there's the fact that Doe is only 25 and her groom is 66. Delaine states it must be because he's rich, but Theodosia says she probably loves him, too. An attractive man comes up to Theodosia and introduces himself as Giovanni Loard, an antique dealer and relative of Oliver's, and takes the tray holding tea sandwiches from her and offers to help, then offering them to people. Theodosia declares him charming, and watches as he eventually makes his way to Oliver's table. At that point, there appears to be an argument between Oliver and another older man who turns out to be Ford Cantrell. When the race is about to end, it is Oliver who must fire a gun into the air, declaring the winner. But when the gun misfires and Oliver is shot in the head, Theo wonders if it was intentional.

When she's asked by Cantrell's sister Lizbeth - who helped her get through her mother's untimely death when Theo was only eight - she can't refuse. But discovering that a long-standing feud between the Dixons and Cantrells might have something to do with it, she needs to work harder to try and discover who wanted Oliver dead. Was it his young widow? His two sons? Or someone else entirely? With little information coming forth from her friend Detective Tidwell, Theo might be in over her head, but something is brewing under the surface, and she needs to find out what it is...

This is the second book in the series, and I liked it as much as the first. Theo is an interesting woman; she's intelligent and strong, warm and caring, and believes that the truth is important, even if she needs to be the one to find it. She's perfectly content with her shop and her employees, and even her dog, Earl Grey. She's not chasing anything better, and having been in the corporate run, this is what she wants.

But when she's asked to help, she doesn't shy away from what might be sticky situations. Even when she's threatened, she stands her ground, and that makes her even more endearing. What it leads to is looking even deeper and perhaps putting herself in even more danger to get to find a killer. The plot is drawn nicely, and there are plenty of twists along the way, and enough suspects that lead us to think that it might be one when it's actually someone else. It's a delightful mystery that comes to an even more enticing conclusion, with the murderer of course being apprehended and the motive one that will never change over time. Recommended. ( )

Theo is doing a little poking around again...but this time it is the murder of a Charleston elite. This time she has a little bit of help from Drayton and Haley...but she also gets help from Burt Tidwell. Another page turner, I just couldn't put it down. ( )

A nicely written sequel to her first book. A cozy mystery with plenty of suspense, mystery and tea. Looking forward to reading more of this series. ( )