Cozy Wednesday featuring Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @BerkleyMystery

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am thrilled to share my thoughts today about
Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs!

Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs

About Lemon Curd Killer

Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
25th in Series
Setting – South Carolina
Berkley (March 7, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593200926
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593200926
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B3HQFB3N

High tea and high fashion turn deadly in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.

As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

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 “submerged in a bowl of lemon curd”.

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 “tea” off in the process but her boyfriend Detective Pete Riley is not going to be happy she is getting mixed up in another murder.

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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.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:   Website –  Facebook 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound – PenguinRandomHouse – 

The Rest of the Series

Great Escapes Praise for Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs

Lemon Curd Killer is an excellent and challenging cozy mystery that is a find for tea drinkers. 5 stars!
~DIANE REVIEWS BOOKS

Lemon Curd Killer is a tangy treat with a fatal fashion show, a distraught daughter, scrumptious scones, tasty tea, a dapper Drayton, a worried detective, diaphanous fashions, and an inquisitive Theo.
~The Avid Reader

I highly recommend Lemon Curd Killer to not only loyal fans of the series, but also those of you who are new to the series! It’s got fun characters, a fabulous setting, a mysterious murder, and lots of delicious sounding food!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners

If you love fashion, food, and a fast-paced mystery, LEMON CURD KILLER is a fantastic read. With a focus on fashion LEMON CURD KILLER is a mystery both tart and sweet.
~Cozy Up With Kathy

I so look forward to new books in this series! Creates quite an enjoyable read as it all plays out keeping you guessing as each new clue is discovered. A great choice for cozy fans.
~Books A Plenty Book Reviews

 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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.”