Review: Mr. Tea & The Traveling Teacup by Leslie Matthews Stansfield

Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup: A Madeline’s Teahouse Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (September 29, 2012)
Trade Paperback: 234 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0988194328
E-Book File Size: 355 KB
ASIN: B009HCX7HK

After the death of their mother, sisters Terry and Karen Sutter, turn their childhood home into a tea house. It’s a dream come true, but the dream begins to resemble a nightmare when teacups start crashing to the floor in the middle of the night. Could the tea house be haunted? There’s a list of possible ghostly candidates: the prior owner who is rumored to have left behind a buried treasure, two spinster neighbors who disappeared without a trace over forty years ago, or perhaps it is Terry and Karen’s own mother trying to communicate with them. Karen, the older sister, thinks running a haunted tea house might be fun, until the sisters come home one night to find the attic stairs covered in a trail of what appears to be blood. Is it a ghost or is it a warning? The tea house’s new mascot, a psychic macaw, may provide some unexpected clues, but the sisters will encounter many more surprises before they solve this mystery.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was a great debut and a fun read. 

All the characters are easy to identify with and they are an eclectic bunch. Karen and Terry have taken on a major endeavor but they are up to the task. What a wonderful tribute to their mother.  Aunt Rose and Uncle Harry are true gems watching over the girls and butting in every chance they get.  Detective Greg Mullins and his partner Tom are two hunks that add just the perfect amount of romantic tension. But there were two stars for me that both added humor. Mrs. Dinkle has a little problem everyone can hear but her and Mr. Tea, the macaw the could be psychic, has some terrific comments for anyone that come near or just enters the room. 

Coming home is always hard but these girls are welcomed with open arms. Their mother’s friends become some of their best customers. I love these senior characters.

The author has laid a nice foundation for future installments.  Will romance bloom? What will come out of Mr. Teas mouth next? Who will be the next victim? Are there still ghosts lurking about? I am not so patiently waiting for Stansfield’s next story. 

About This Author

LESLIE MATTHEWS STANSFIELD is the author of  Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup , the first book in the Madeline’s Teahouse series.  She is the author of a previous book on the town she lives in. She grew up in Delmar, New York, and credits her friends with developing her imagination. Leslie is a graduate of University of Hartford and recently received her  Masters’ degree from the University of Phoenix in Educational Leadership.  She is a math tutor in a public school as well as the Christian Education Director of her church.  She is currently working on her second book in the Madeline’s Teahouse series.  She has four children and eight grandchildren and lives in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”