Theodosia Browning is a busy woman. Who knew that running a cozy tearoom in Charleston, South Carolina would be so demanding? Between the customers who come in almost every day for some tea and treats to the tourists who stop in to the events they put on and the catering they do in town, Theo keeps herself moving. But when she was hurrying through St. Philip’s Graveyard, taking a shortcut in the storm, trying to get from the Heritage Society to her warm and cozy Indigo Tea Shop, she is stopped by what she sees.
It’s a man and a woman, but Theodosia can’t tell at first what is happening. The one lays the other down, and Theo notices a big knife. She shouts at them, and the man, the one holding the knife, stops and stares at her and then disappears into the storm. Theodosia goes over to where the woman is and sees that she is dead. Theodosia calls for the police and waits in the rain.
After the police show up and the crime scene investigators are getting to work, Theodosia and Detective Tidwell head to the tea shop. The detective asks if they can use that for a while while they are investigating the nearby graveyard, and Theodosia agrees. Her best friend and tea sommelier, Drayton, immediately start brewing tea and setting out snacks that their chef Haley has made.
When they get a minute, Theodosia tells Drayton all about what she had seen, and how she hadn’t recognized the man, but she did recognize the woman. It was Cara Chamberlain, the daughter of Lois, who ran the antiquarian bookshop just down the street. And the police think it’s the work of Fogheel Jack.
Seven years ago, there were 2 women who were murdered during a time when the fog had rolled in and limited visibility through the entire town for days. The women were strangled in a similar way, and then the killer disappeared. He was dubbed Fogheel Jack after an English serial killer with a similar style. If this latest killing is the work of Fogheel Jack, then Cara would be his second victim this time.
Lois asks Theodosia for help trying to figure out who might have killed her daughter, and Theo agrees. She finds out the name of Cara’s ex-boyfriend. She researches the history of Fogheel Jack. She looks into the real estate developer who is trying to buy Lois’s bookstore, even though her lease won’t run out for several years. She checks in with her friends on the police force and fields questions from friends and reporters who want to know what she’s found out.
But when another woman ends up dead, this time the investigative journalist from the local television station, Theodosia knows that this killer is no joke. And until the police figure out who Fogheel Jack is, no one in Charleston is safe, least of all the tea shop owner who is going around asking nosy questions. Will Theodosia help put an end to the legend of Fogheel Jack, or will she just be another name in his list of victims?
A Dark and Stormy Tea is book 24 in Laura Childs’s popular Tea Shop Mystery series. The coziness of the tea shop and the charming backdrop of Charleston help balance the murder and mayhem that seems to seek out Theodosia and her friends. Along with the crime-solving, this mystery features delicious sounding tea blends and baked goods and even includes some recipes at the end for the recipes from the story, like the Super Simple Banana Cake, Killer Cranberry Scones, Drayton’s Drunken Chicken, Carrot Bread, Crunchy English Toffee, and Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter. There are also resources for tea lovers, like websites to order teas, magazines, and ideas for throwing a themed tea party, like a Farmers Market Tea, Movie Tea, or Mystery Tea.
I really enjoyed A Dark and Stormy Tea. I like Theodosia and her friends, and I think it really does call out for a pot of tea and some tasty scones to settle in with to read this. Though I did think that the killer in this story was darker than usual, I loved the history that Childs brought into the story. The murder happens right at the start of the story, and the combination of a serial killer with a spooky Victorian background and the rain and fog that dominated the weather added a real sense of danger to this story. But it was really well balanced by the warmth of Theodosia, her shop, and her relationships (and her dog Earl Grey, of course). If you’re a cozy fan ready for a darker story than usual, then curl up with a warm blanket and A Dark and Stormy Tea for an excellent afternoon read.
Egalleys for A Dark and Stormy Night were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.
