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jmkeefer's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
natmartinez08's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
deanapotter's review
A Dark and Stormy Tea will have you hooked from the get go.
A Dark and Stormy Tea is the 24th book in the A Tea Shop Mystery Series and will have you on your seat from the very first chapter. The weather is dreadful in Charleston, setting the tone for a very well plotted and written mystery. There was such a creepy sense to the story. Playing on the wonderful ghost stories of Charleston I definitely set the tone for the novel. This story could have easily been a Halloween release and it would’ve fit right in with the season.
Theodosia witnesses a murder without even realizing it and discovers A body while trying to take a shortcut to get out of the rain. Believing she knows the witness makes this one even harder. Theodosia does her best to try to keep out of things but yet when the mother of the deceased asked her to poke around with her reporter person friend to get some information that they may not know leads her to do what she does best. Well second best that is. She gets to the bottom of this mystery.
A Dark and Stormy Tea has everything you need for a well-rounded cozy mystery. The characters are charming and intriguing whether you are just meeting them or you have known them for quite a while. The atmosphere is amazing. You feel like you’re walking down the streets of Charleston as you’re reading the book. Theodosia makes me shake my head many times but she does what she does and she entertains me while she’s doing it. Although I may not make all the choices that she does, even when she warns not to do things she does get to the bottom of the mystery. You have to give her that. Oh my goodness, for the love of tea and scones, A Dark and Stormy Tea Will give you an afternoon or two, depending on how fast you read, of wonderful entertainment filled with delectable treats that you just want to eat right out of the pages.
A Dark and Stormy Tea is the 24th book in the A Tea Shop Mystery Series and will have you on your seat from the very first chapter. The weather is dreadful in Charleston, setting the tone for a very well plotted and written mystery. There was such a creepy sense to the story. Playing on the wonderful ghost stories of Charleston I definitely set the tone for the novel. This story could have easily been a Halloween release and it would’ve fit right in with the season.
Theodosia witnesses a murder without even realizing it and discovers A body while trying to take a shortcut to get out of the rain. Believing she knows the witness makes this one even harder. Theodosia does her best to try to keep out of things but yet when the mother of the deceased asked her to poke around with her reporter person friend to get some information that they may not know leads her to do what she does best. Well second best that is. She gets to the bottom of this mystery.
A Dark and Stormy Tea has everything you need for a well-rounded cozy mystery. The characters are charming and intriguing whether you are just meeting them or you have known them for quite a while. The atmosphere is amazing. You feel like you’re walking down the streets of Charleston as you’re reading the book. Theodosia makes me shake my head many times but she does what she does and she entertains me while she’s doing it. Although I may not make all the choices that she does, even when she warns not to do things she does get to the bottom of the mystery. You have to give her that. Oh my goodness, for the love of tea and scones, A Dark and Stormy Tea Will give you an afternoon or two, depending on how fast you read, of wonderful entertainment filled with delectable treats that you just want to eat right out of the pages.
danielle_nl's review
4.0
Another great cosy mystery by Laura Childs. After Theodosia stumbles on another murder, she vows to find the killer. A lot is going on in and around the tea shop. So many suspects and storylines! Loved reading 'who dunn it'.
katreader's review
4.0
A DARK AND STORMY TEA by Laura Childs
The Twenty-Fourth Tea Shop Mystery
Charleston, South Carolina is known for its spookiness and haunted locales, but when the fog rises it's a real human being who commences to killing. After a break of seven years it seems that Fogheel Jack is back. Walking to her shop one foggy evening Tea Shop Owner Theodosia Browning sees a strange tableau, and soon realizes she's seen Fogheel Jack himself-and his latest victim, the daughter of a friend. Theo's inquisitive nature leads her to investigate, and lands her squarely in a killer's sights.
Theodosia Browning has gone rogue! She deliberately questions a suspect, despite being directly told by police not to do so. Then she inserts herself in an active crime scene in order to snoop, again after being directly old to stay back. As a former police officer, I have great difficulty accepting this blatant disregard for police authority. Her actions could totally screw up an investigation. If I was Pete, her boyfriend and a detective, I'd be more apt to arrest her than date her!
Her actions do, however, move the story forward, adding plenty of thrills and keeping a heightened sense of urgency. Delightful descriptions of the tea shop and its events balance the fast paced action. Indeed, I enjoy my time at the Indigo Tea Shop just as much as reading the more high octane bits of the mystery. I can easily picture myself sipping one of Drayton's special brews and nibbling some Killer Cranberry scones and cashew chicken salad tea sandwiches, perhaps even donning a costume as I attend a themed tea.
A DARK AND STORMY TEA is an atmospheric thriller in a cozy world. Its heart racing thrills and scary chills are balanced by the comfort of good friends and food giving readers the best of both worlds.
The Twenty-Fourth Tea Shop Mystery
Charleston, South Carolina is known for its spookiness and haunted locales, but when the fog rises it's a real human being who commences to killing. After a break of seven years it seems that Fogheel Jack is back. Walking to her shop one foggy evening Tea Shop Owner Theodosia Browning sees a strange tableau, and soon realizes she's seen Fogheel Jack himself-and his latest victim, the daughter of a friend. Theo's inquisitive nature leads her to investigate, and lands her squarely in a killer's sights.
Theodosia Browning has gone rogue! She deliberately questions a suspect, despite being directly told by police not to do so. Then she inserts herself in an active crime scene in order to snoop, again after being directly old to stay back. As a former police officer, I have great difficulty accepting this blatant disregard for police authority. Her actions could totally screw up an investigation. If I was Pete, her boyfriend and a detective, I'd be more apt to arrest her than date her!
Her actions do, however, move the story forward, adding plenty of thrills and keeping a heightened sense of urgency. Delightful descriptions of the tea shop and its events balance the fast paced action. Indeed, I enjoy my time at the Indigo Tea Shop just as much as reading the more high octane bits of the mystery. I can easily picture myself sipping one of Drayton's special brews and nibbling some Killer Cranberry scones and cashew chicken salad tea sandwiches, perhaps even donning a costume as I attend a themed tea.
A DARK AND STORMY TEA is an atmospheric thriller in a cozy world. Its heart racing thrills and scary chills are balanced by the comfort of good friends and food giving readers the best of both worlds.
thisandthatwithkaren's review
5.0
“A Dark and Stormy Tea” is the 24th instalment in the A Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs. I absolutely love this series! I have said this before and I will say it again everything about this series enthrals me! The story had me wrapped up in the goings on of protagonist Theo, the Indigo Tea Shop, Drayton, and Haley once again, it was like visiting old friends.
A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation
As for the mystery itself I found it suspenseful, intriguing, and well thought out.
Make sure you have a hot cup of tea and a snack when reading as I’m always hungry when I hear Haley’s menus! Good thing there are recipes from the tea shop at the end of the book.
If you are looking for a light, fun read then this series fits the bill.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and Berkley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation
As for the mystery itself I found it suspenseful, intriguing, and well thought out.
Make sure you have a hot cup of tea and a snack when reading as I’m always hungry when I hear Haley’s menus! Good thing there are recipes from the tea shop at the end of the book.
If you are looking for a light, fun read then this series fits the bill.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and Berkley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
rosemariew's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
A Dark and Stormy Tea is the 24th Tea Shop shopfront cozy mystery by Laura Childs. Released 9th Aug 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
The author is experienced and prolific, with several ongoing cozy series, this one set in a tea shop. There's a Victorian London vibe about the modern version of long ago serial killers, attributed to a shadowy Springheel Jack copycat the media are calling Fogheel Jack. The premise is fairly outrageous from the start, and readers shouldn't expect realism in this read. The secondary characters also felt a bit two dimensional at times and I felt that some were simply written in to provide plot points and move the scenes along.
The plot resolution was a little heavily foreshadowed, but all in all the denouement was well constructed and written. The language is fairly clean (PG rated) and there's no on-page blood or gore. I would recommend it to fans of amateur sleuth small town cozies. There were a few plot twists which challenged my suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's an engaging and fun book. The next (25th!) book in the series is due out first quarter 2023.
This would make a good choice for a vacation binge read, especially for fans of shopfront cozies with a surprising number of recipes in the back. The author has also included a generous resources and links list of tea suppliers and informational pages as well as a teaser for the next book in the series, Lemon Curd Killer.
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Dark and Stormy Tea is the 24th Tea Shop shopfront cozy mystery by Laura Childs. Released 9th Aug 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
The author is experienced and prolific, with several ongoing cozy series, this one set in a tea shop. There's a Victorian London vibe about the modern version of long ago serial killers, attributed to a shadowy Springheel Jack copycat the media are calling Fogheel Jack. The premise is fairly outrageous from the start, and readers shouldn't expect realism in this read. The secondary characters also felt a bit two dimensional at times and I felt that some were simply written in to provide plot points and move the scenes along.
The plot resolution was a little heavily foreshadowed, but all in all the denouement was well constructed and written. The language is fairly clean (PG rated) and there's no on-page blood or gore. I would recommend it to fans of amateur sleuth small town cozies. There were a few plot twists which challenged my suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's an engaging and fun book. The next (25th!) book in the series is due out first quarter 2023.
This would make a good choice for a vacation binge read, especially for fans of shopfront cozies with a surprising number of recipes in the back. The author has also included a generous resources and links list of tea suppliers and informational pages as well as a teaser for the next book in the series, Lemon Curd Killer.
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
debmed's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
victorial's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0