hannahrowan13 's review for:

Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher

4.0

mysterious

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This was an incredibly immersive and atmospheric gothic folktale. Perfect for autumn! I felt fully immersed the season of Autumn in mid 1800s Cornwall. There is some great autumn imagery in the book. The eeriness and gothic tone of the book reminded me of something from the mind of one of the Brontë sisters. You can tell that the author really did her research of the time period and setting of the novel, which only lended to how immersive the story is. I really enjoyed how I was immediately pulled into the story. The murder mystery aspect happens within the first few chapters, hooking the reader in for the long run. While some might find the book slow because of the mundane everyday “slice of life” elements, I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I loved hearing about Mina walking to and from work, her making pasties for the tearoom and her brother. It really put me in her shoes. I felt like I was involved in the character’s life, not just the exciting plot points of the story. *Mild Spoiler!* My only complaint is that at one point the solution to the main conflict felt a little too easy and convenient. The antagonists motivation behind the murders felt odd to me. It really didn’t make much sense till the end. But I guess a bloodthirsty monster doesn’t have much sense. Overall I really enjoyed this story and will definitely pick up more by this author! 

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!*