Peach Tea Smash (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
28th in Series
Setting – South Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (August 6, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Murder at an Alice in Wonderland–themed event threatens to send Theodosia Browning through the looking glass in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

During the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill, Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

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Excerpt

Masked figures slipped down twisty paths as a neon orange Cheshire cat peered down from its perch high atop a crumbling stone wall. The Red Queen cackled as she held court on a candlelit patio overflowing with guests dressed in tuxedos and cocktail dresses. Over on a patch of manicured lawn, excited shrieks rose up as bets were placed on a do-or-die croquet match.

It was the Mad Hatter Masquerade, an autumn fundraiser for the Charleston Opera Society, and what Theodosia Browning decided was a voyage into crazy town. As the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop on Charleston’s famed Church Street, Theodosia was used to staging exciting events. A Firefly Tea at an old plantation, a Murder Mystery Tea in a haunted house . . . even a Honeybee Tea in Petigru Park. But the Opera Society’s masquerade party at the old Pendleton Grist Mill near the City Marina was the most unconventional venue she’d ever seen. The Grist Mill’s twisty walkways, jagged walls, and flaming torches brought to mind the ancient battlements of a ruined Scottish castle. Sprinkle in strolling musicians, fire eaters, dancing fairies, a dozen or so Alice in Wonderland characters, two bars, and three hors d’oeuvres stations and you had yourself a first-class high society soiree.

Gathering up her ankle-skimming black silk skirt, Theodosia turned to Drayton Conneley, her tea sommelier, peered through the eye slits of her peacock-feathered mask, and said, “Can you believe this party?” She was practically agog at the revelers and entertainers streaming past them.

Drayton, who was decked out in a tuxedo and white half-mask reminiscent of The Phantom of the Opera, said, “It’s really quite magnificent. The Friends of the Opera have truly outdone themselves this time.” He took a sip of his peach tea smash and nodded to himself as if to punctuate his words.

“Aren’t you glad we helped with the appetizers?”

“I’m just tickled we got invited.”

Theodosia laughed a rich, tinkling laugh that crinkled her startling blue eyes and caused her mass of auburn hair to shimmer in the candlelight. She’d never consider herself Charleston high society, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t party her head off. After all, she was still mid-thirties, unmarried . . . well, okay, she was in a relationship . . . but did love a big-time gala. A girl had to slip into her dancing shoes once in a while, right?

Drayton, on the other hand, was sixty-something, well-heeled, and accustomed to rubbing elbows with Charleston money. He served on the board of directors at the Heritage Society, did stints on the boards of the Dock Theatre and Carstead Folk Museum, and, at last count, owned three tuxedos. While Theodosia came from a hustle-bustle marketing background, Drayton had cut his teeth at the tea auctions in Amsterdam and taught culinary classes at the prestigious Johnson & Wales University. Theodosia may be the clever entrepreneur bubbling with new ideas, but Drayton has been around.

A White Rabbit dressed in tie and tails skittered past them followed by a fairy dancer in a long, diaphanous gown. As the fairy ran by, she thrust a crown of flowers with trailing pink ribbons into Theodosia’s hands.

“Tea roses and freesia,” Drayton said as Theodosia placed the floral crown atop her head and scrunched it down over curly locks that were suddenly reacting adversely to the evening’s high-test humidity. “With all those flowers in your hair and your long dress, you look as if you just stepped out of a Renaissance tapestry.”

He’d barely uttered his words when a short fellow wearing a floppy blue suit and an enormous mouse head ran up to them.

“It’s the Dormouse,” Theodosia exclaimed. “Which means Alice must be dancing around this wonderland as well.”

The Dormouse shoved a silver scepter into Drayton’s hands and then scampered away.

“I’ll say this,” Drayton said, giving the scepter a playful twirl. “This certainly is an immersive experience. I mean look at this place. Who’d have thought you could turn a historic old grist mill into such a magical, slightly secretive setting?”

“I know,” Theodosia said. “The twisty paths, the crumbling walls with curls of ivy, the fact that every time you step around an old stone pillar or column, another weird tableau presents itself.”

“Speaking of which, shall we help ourselves to another peach tea smash?”

“I’m so glad you allowed them to use your signature drink recipe,” Theodosia said.

“White tea, peach slices, and fine old bourbon,” Drayton said. “You can never go wrong with that.”

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life, she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

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