Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop Series #1)

interesting

I definitely learned more about different teas. The murder plot was better towards the end, I kept getting bored in the beginning.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Death by Darjeeling

Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs is a quaint book for a lazy afternoon and such. Unlike thriller books that ooze suspense, Death by Darjeeling has a much less extreme suspense, you CAN stop reading but you'd stop and think, 'hmmm, what happened next?'. Death by Darjeeling is also unlike regular murder stories by having subtle suspense, not a page-ripping pageturner. With a wicked plot and comforting characters, Death by Darjeeling is your bestfriend on any rainy day.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

These books are very charming and present lovely mystery stories. Hard core mystery fans may find these books lacking, but the books excell in giving the reader a pleasureable reading experience. This book is like a cup of tea, perfect for a bright sunny morning, so READ ON!!!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

enjoyable

a good read, moves along, holds interest.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Cozy Read

Laura Childs has a gift for making you feel like you are friends with the characters in her novels. The Tea Shop Mysteries make you feel the need to brew a pot of tea settle down with a scone and read. This story is full of twists that will leave you guessing right to the last chapter. It has a great surprise ending too!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fabulous read

Storyline keeps you involved. Characters are well crafted and the recipes are great.

My First cozy mystery, hopefully I'll gain more interest

Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, SC. She only has two employees, Drayton, her right hand man, and Haley, and it is a profitable business. Everything runs smoothly until they cater a tea for two hundred or so for the Annual Historic Homes Garden Party. As the guests are singing praises about the teas and blackberry scones being served, one prominent guest is being poisoned. Bethany, who is a friend of Haley's and helping with the tea party, screams as she discovers Hughes Barron slumped over. This draws a screeching halt to the tea and police are called.

Theodosia soon finds herself and Bethany among the list of persons of interest. Because word has gotten out that Hughes was poisoned, the locals are avoiding the Indigo Tea Shop and because Theodosia and Bethany are on the list of suspects, Theodosia starts doing her own investigating.

With garden shears being held to her neck, right at the carotid artery, her life is in grave danger. Has her sleuthing gone too far? You'll have to read the book to discover 'who dunnit' and if Theodosia survives.

This was my first cozy mystery and I had a hard time reading it, I'm not blaming the book or the author because it isn't my normal storyline to read, I was sick when I started it, and then I had to deal with an insurance company for several days on other issues. I will recommend this book because I did finish it and am on to the second one in the series.

really good

just bought it for my color nook and I love this book over half way thru and it is really the truth I grew up having back women in our home my entire life and they were not treated fairly always

Jessica Fletcher lives!

This is simple,readable, thoroughly enjoyable little novel. Read during a quiet evening and you'll find yourself snooping like our heroine. Reminds me of Angela Lansbury, only younger, but just as smart. I'm starting on book 2 tomorrow!

Great cozy mystery especially for tea lovers out there

What can I say but that I absolutely loved this book. Everything about it just got me so wrapped up in Theo's Indigo Tea Shop and the mystery itself was intriguing in its' own little way I had to read this from cover to cover. Everything about it was just so "cozy". I loved the different descriptions about tea, and being a tea lover myself am now in the look out for new teas to try. Aside from the wonderful tea descriptions and the desserts that went along with it, the mystery was a fun read. Nothing too flashy and sensational. However there were proper moments of suspense and intrigue which kept the reader going and more engrossed to keep reading some more.

I loved the characters in the book. The suspects were believable and each had a motive for murder. I liked Theo and her staff at the tea shop who supported her through her investigation. They were all likable characters (although I found Drayton to be a particular favorite as he was the actual tea connoisseur). As for the real murderer and the solving of the case, I thought I had guessed correctly but I was blindsided and it wasn't who I expected it to be. There were a couple of questions I would like to have answered but I figured they would wait until the next book or two to see what would happen to certain characters I'm curious about. Plot flow was good and interesting. Nothing distracting to take away from the main theme. Theo is a great strong character and her determination to solve this case and save the reputation of her business and friend makes her even more likeable and noble.

Overall a wonderful mystery cozy! this will definitely be a series I will continue reading. I recommend this for cozy mystery lovers and tea aficionados alike.

Love the Series!

This was my first foray into Laura Child's Mysteries, and I fell in love!! The books are an easy read, the central characters are all well described and are fully vested throughout each story. Theodosia, Drayton, & Haley are all wonderful characters, and as you read each book in succession, you see the deepening friendship and commradre that they develop. A wonderful satisfying series. I enjoyed every book! I also appreciate the fact that there was suspense without having to have violence. There are enough details given to each story to portray suspense and the 'dread' that comes with each murder...but nothing truly violent. I appreciate that. Also, as a tea lover, this book really is outstanding!! I've been trying all kinds of new teas and recipes since reading the series!! Now I look forward to the Scrap-booking series. Enjoy!

one cute cozy!

Theodisia and staff at the Indigo tea shop are great! they seem to work well with each other and are believable. the mystery is good with a few twists and turns. this is not a 'heavy' book. i can't wait to read the next one in the series!

I liked it!

I read this book and throughly enjoyed it. I also read the other reviews here both for and against this book and the author. As the saying goes 'you can't please all the people all the time'. If a reader is looking for a heavy read she may not like the books in the Tea Shop Mystery Series but for a good summer reading this book does fine. I am looking forward to reading Ms. Childs other books in this series.

I'm glad I don't work for Theodosia too!

I had to stop this book in the middle and go back to it because the central character reminded me too much of a boss I used to have: she talked a lot about how valuable I was to her and how much she depended on me, but I always got the feeling that deep down she didn't like me very much, especially if my humanity showed. I felt great sympathy for Bethany when Theodosia treated her so coldly. (What a name! Theodosia? Where did THAT one come from?) I love tea and mysteries, but this was just too condescending for my taste. I did not care about the characters at all, and had to force myself to finish the book. If all of the shop owners in Charleston are as snobbish as this one, I hope I never have to go there.

Umm..

As I have been to the glorious and beautiful city of Charelsotn several times (and was doing a very good job of missing it when I bought this book), I loved hearing about various locations in the city that I have vistied. I give Ms.Childs the credit of dicribing Charleston accuratley and to it's full and utter beauty. This story, however, lacked suspense and was terribly predictable. The characters were cheesy and boring; the author seemed to concentrate too much on their emotions and not getting to the point. I guessed who the murder was from the beginning, and as I was only in suspense in one area of the book, it was very difficult for me to complete. I didn't feel the suspenseful electricty that I recieve while reading a Mary Higgins Clark novel. Sigh. I think the only reason this text recieved permission for publishment was becasue of the author's tremendous talent for discribing things. Please, readers, don't waste your time and money on this book; it is a waste of time.

Delightful for mystery/tea lovers everywhere...

Ms. Childs creates interesting and fun characters that I enjoyed following through the tale. I am a tea drinker, and her details on the tea shop and the city of Charleston do her immense credit. I highly recommend this entertaining story!

I love this series!!

I love the series, and can't wait for the next book out. I like her characters, and love the ideas of the tea shop. My dream is to have my own tea shop, and I would like to have her (Theo) and her employees with me!! I also started a scrapbook club with my friends and started reading Laura Childs' scrapbook series, and love her style.

Lover of the South

If you love reading about the South. You will love this book. I read the book before I went to Charleston and it made the city that much more interesting. It gave the city a personification. I loved all the characters and am looking forward to my next endeavor with Theodosia.

I'm glad I don't work for Theodosia Browning

Our heroine is a bit too perfect (as is her dog and her Aunt Libby). I disliked her in the first chapter which read like a resume. She talks to her employees like some people talk to their children. Its a shame because some of the them are endearing and actually believable. I had a hard time believing that Bethany could be a serious suspect and that the tea shop business could suffer so much from the accusations which were Miss Browning's original reasons for investigating the murder. I appreciate the author's knowledge of tea, wine, pasta and history, but she needs to slip us this information more subtly. The descriptions of Charleston both present and past are delightful. I'm inspired to learn more about tea, but I'm afraid I don't want to learn it from Theodosia Browning.

A relaxing read for tea and mystery lovers alike!

This is a terrific mystery set around the central theme of a tea shop. Author Laura Childs' writing draws a beautiful picture of just how a tea shop in the south should look and feel. Her characters are engaging and the mystery to be solved makes quite a page-turner! Very similar to Mary Higgins Clark's style of writing. I like to think of it as fluffy--a comfortable book to read when you want to escape a bit from your life. Be sure to have a hot cup of tea handy!