by Laura Childs
Part of Tea Shop Mystery, book 27
First published 2024
Theodosia Browning arrives at the Dark Fortunes movie set to read tea leaves for the cast. The lights dim, cameras roll, and sparks fly as the film's director dies in what appears to be an electrical mishap. Theodosia suspects murder. When her friend Delaine becomes the prime suspect, Theodosia launches her own investigation. The Hollywood crowd offers plenty of motives. The screenwriter uses drugs and thinks only of himself. The lead actress wants out of her contract. The replacement director shows no interest. The agent cannot be trusted. Theodosia juggles her tea shop duties, hosting themed events and developing her chocolate business while pursuing leads at Brittlebank Manor. Just as she closes in on answers, a Charleston Film Board member turns up dead. The killer will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. Theodosia and her tea sommelier Drayton find themselves in real danger during a risky surveillance operation.
Genres: suspense, mystery, thriller, cozy-mystery
Vibes: cozy, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Dark Fortunes, Brittlebank Manor, Charleston
304 pages · Hardcover · Berkley