by Laura Childs
Part of Tea Shop Mystery, book 24
First published 2022
Theodosia Browning runs the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, but tonight she faces something far worse than bad weather. Walking past St. Philips Graveyard during a storm, she witnesses two figures in what looks like an embrace. The rain clears from her eyes just in time to see a hooded killer slip away into the fog. The victim turns out to be the daughter of Lois, who owns the bookshop next door. Police suspect a serial killer is hunting through Charleston's back streets. Lois pleads with Theodosia to help find her daughter's murderer. Detective Pete Riley, Theodosia's boyfriend, warns her to stay away from the case. Drayton, her tea sommelier, echoes his concerns. Theodosia ignores them both and starts her own investigation. She discovers multiple suspects, including the victim's boyfriend, a shady real estate developer, a private security officer, an incompetent reporter, and even her own neighbor who writes true crime books. Each person had reasons to want the young woman dead. Theodosia must sort through lies and alibis to catch a killer before another victim falls.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Charleston, St. Philips Graveyard
320 pages · Hardcover · Berkley