Scones & Bones (Tea Shop Series #12)

Fabulos storytelling

Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning left a high powered job to become a storekeeper in Charleston, South Carolina and has never looked back with regret. Her two employees Drayton Conneley the master tea blender and Helen Parker the fabulous chef and baker are loyal as the trio is close to one another with all three making business decisions.

Drayton persuades Theo to accompany him to the Heritage Society's "Pirates and Plunder" gala where all sorts of valuable pirate memorabilia and art are on display including a skull turned into a cup with a lucrative diamond implanted into it: allegedly the skull is that of Blackbeard. A scream interrupts the party so Theo heads to the source of the hysterical cry. She finds Heritage House intern Rob Commers dead, office manager Camilla Hodges who worked many riles in this the event is injured and the skull gone. The Director Timothy Neville fears the reaction of the board including firing him as a scapegoat. He asks Theo, known for solving homicide mysteries, to investigate. She agrees and drags a reluctant Drayton into her inquiry in which clues lead to unusual places.

Scones & Bones is a delightful amateur sleuth that draws the reader into the mystery as Laura Childs showcases her talent by bringing to her fans characters that seem real in odd scenarios. Even with Neville fearing unemployment and stressed by the murder and theft, his turning to Theo instead of hiring a professional detective comes across as genuine. As always in this warm and charming long running series (see Oolong Tea and The Teaberry Strangler), Charleston comes alive with a fresh look back at the role of pirates in the history of the city and state. Tea time with Theo is terrific.

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Tea Shop only gets better

Drayton Conneley, master tea blender for the Indigo Tea Shop, escorts its owner, Theodosia Browning, to the Heritage Society's Pirates and Plunder Party and in doing so, exposes Theo to the exploits of a murderer searching for Blackbeard's buried treasure. When murder threatens her friends, Theodosia and Drayton learn the mysteries of Blackbeard's Skull Cup following the clues and legends of old, while at the same time preparing for the Food & Wine Festival activities in Charleston. We've all heard Wine & Cheese, well, the Indigo Tea Shop is serving Tea & Cheese pairing different teas with exotic cheeses. But that's not all that brews up before the end of the book. A fun read bringing old friends (this is the 12th installment of the Tea Shop Mysteries) back to us with new and interesting revelations.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Delightful Cozy Read

Reading a new Tea Shop Mystery is like visiting with old friends. Even though this is the 12th installment in the series, it is a stand alone book. New readers will be able to keep pace with the unique cast of characters without feeling lost. Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, is talked into attending the Heritage Society's 'Pirates and Plunder' party by Drayton Conneley, master tea blender for the shop and Heritage Society booster. One of the main attractions of the gala is an antique skull drinking cup set with a huge diamond. It's alleged to be the actual skull of Blackbeard. The party takes a horrible turn when the skull is stolen, the society's office manager is injured, and a history intern is killed. Theodosia can't help but get involved to find the skull and bring the killer to justice. Along the way she is also busy hosting a housewarming party to show off her new carriage house, participating in the Charleston Food and Wine Festival by sponsoring a tea and cheese tasting, having tingling feelings for the handsome new PR Director of the Gibbes Museum of Art, and of course, running her tea shop. Author Laura Childs blends pirates, secret societies, buried treasures, mystery, murder, and mayhem with a touch of humor. Just when you think you have figured out who the killer is, a new twist introduces another possible suspect and another clue as to why the skull was taken. This is a fast pace, enjoyable read from beginning to end. You don't have to be a tea drinker to enjoy this delightful cozy mystery. But if you do enjoy tea, Drayton may just tempt you with a new flavor or two. Though I'm a huge coffee drinker, Theodosia and the gang at the Indigo Tea Shop have lead me to try some wonderful new tea blends and even collect a tea pot or two. As an added bonus to SCONES & BONES, readers will find delicious recipes (such as Lemon Chess Pie), tea time tips and tea resources in the back of the book. There is also a preview of Laura Childs' next Scapbooking Mystery, SKELTON LETTERS, coming in October from Berkley Prime Crime

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable Read

I'm a fan of Laura Childs and especially the series featuring Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning who always manages to find herself in the middle of a murder investigation. In this latest book in the series Theodosia and her right-hand man, master tea blender Drayton Conneley, attend the heritage society's "Pirates and Plunder" party featuring all kinds of historical pirate memorabilia but at center stage is a diamond encrusted cup made from a human skull, believed to be that of Blackbeard himself. When the cup is stolen and a guest is murdered in the process, Theodosia finds herself once again on the trail of a killer, putting herself and her friends at risk of becoming his or her next victim.

The story includes interesting pirate folklore and introduces Max Scofield, a new love interest for Theodosia that may force her to choose between him and current boyfriend Parker Scully.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher but the opinion of it is my own and was not solicited nor required. If I didn't like the book I would say so.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Quite Possibly The Best "Tea Shop Mystery"

Awesome book! Probably the best in the series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Expectations were exceeded on all counts.

Laura Childs is one of my favorite authors. I am partial to the Tea Shop Series and have read them all as well as recommended them to family members and friends. She blends mystery with a delightful life and involvement with her tea shop and friends. I feel I know them all and wish there were such a shop so I could drop in for tea time. It is so nice that she includes recipes in the book. Wonderful and relaxing to read. I am always eager to read the next one.

Delightful Culinary Cozy Mystery Romp!

It is always a delight to visit the wonderful world of Theodosia Browing and her Indigo Tea Shoppe in Charleston. Scones and Bones is the twelfth Tea Shoppe Mystery in this wonderful culinary cozy series by Laura Childs. Our heroine, Theodosia always stumbles onto a mystery and this time there are pirates, buried treasures, ancient skull cups and secret societies thrown into the mix. Of course, Indigo Tea Shoppe's resident tea expert Drayton Conneley is beside Theo throughout her adventures. The other characters who fill out Theo's circle are the tea shoppe's chef/baker Haley, Detective Tidwell and her very crazy demanding friend Delaine Dish and her sister Nadine. Besides the pirate murder mystery there is romance as Theo adds a new man into the mix. Our heroine is torn between old love Parker Scully, who is not being very attentive, and new man Max Scofield who is the museum's Public Relations Director. This is a wonderfully fun romp through Charleston and the surrounding countryside. Each Tea Shoppe Mystery convinces me more and more to visit Charleston as soon as I can! You need not have read the entire series as this book can easily be a stand alone.

As always, Ms. Childs has included some intriguing recipes at the end of the book. I cannot wait to try out the Lemon Scones as well as the Tomato and Basil Dip. She also includes Tea Time Tips and Tea Resources. There is also a preview of Laura Childs' next Scapbooking Mystery, Skeleton Letters at the very end.

I highly recommend Scones and Bones as well as all of Laura Childs books in the Tea Shoppe Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. I am looking forward to Theodosia's next Tea Shoppe Mystery, The Agony of the Leaves.

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