Gretchen Rue

Steeped To Death follows the typical cozy mystery formula but includes enough twists to feel fresh and offer an enjoyable read.

Phoebe Winchester is moving back to Raven Ridge, Washington to take over the property her aunt Eudora bequeathed to her. She’s got the key to the mansion, a sealed letter from her aunt, and a lot of questions. In the letter, Eudora reassured Phoebe of her love and asked her to be open to exploring the town, the mansion, and the bookshop/tea shop before making any show more snap decisions about her future.

So here’s a basic cozy mystery trope - a woman out of a significant relationship goes back to a small town where she had been happy as a child. Rue adds a twist to this self-discovery journey that expands the quest Phoebe took to figure out her place in a post-divorce world. Phoebe quickly realizes that most people know more about her and Eudora than they’re willing to share. Everyone has their secrets, and Phoebe pieces everything in stages.

Another common trope is a murder mystery. Phoebe goes to the bookshop/tea shop that had been closed since her aunt’s death. She’s met at the door with the town busybody and an intimidating man who unsuccessfully tries to enter the store with her. Less than 24 hours later, the man’s body was found near the back entrance of the store.

A cozy mystery wouldn’t be complete without the mysterious and handsome stranger. It turns out that Phoebe’s childhood friend has grown up to become Rich, who is keeping secrets of his own.

It makes sense that the residents of a small-town would have heard stories about Eudora’s adored niece. Of course they’re curious about Phoebe’s future plans. But why does everyone appear to know more about Phoebe than she does? Who can she trust? And who - to quote Eudora - deserves a kick in the keister?

Cozy mysteries provide a unique challenge. On the one hand, readers want the usual tropes small town, murder, amateur detective, and a handsome stranger. On the other hand, the book needs to have a unique twist to stand out. Is this book a better choice than just some random cozy grabbed from a bargain bin?

Gretchen Rue succeeds in meeting the challenge in Steeped To Death. The pieces of a cozy mystery are here. The secrets within the mystery - particularly Eudora’s and Phoebe’s - stand out. It’s pretty easy to figure out who are the good guys and who are the evildoers, but the murder isn’t the primary solution of the story. By making Eudora’s secrets the main mystery, Rue deliberately unwraps one secret at a time to provide a delightful gift to the reader.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book. show less

Out of all the different sub-genres in the cozy mystery section, paranormal cozies are my favorite. And Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue, which is the first in a new series, was the perfect mixture of magic and mystery.

As an herbalist who makes her own tea blends, I fell in love with Eudora instantly… even though she’s already passed on. Eudora’s mansion is filled to the brim with artwork, dried flowers, loose leaf tea, and an orange marmalade cat named Bob. Eudora’s, and now show more Phoebe’s, mansion is my dream house!

Phoebe gets to know many of the town’s people very quickly, some for good reasons and a few for bad. She catches up with some childhood friends and makes some new ones, all while learning how to run her new bookshop and tea house business. Oh, and she starts finding clues that make her think that her aunt was a witch. Combine this with a murder and Phoebe needing to find out who did it and why, and it makes for the perfect cozy mystery.

Now that I’m done gushing… I want to add that the characters are very well developed and there’s the perfect amount that the reader isn’t overwhelmed. Rue also does a fantastic job with her descriptions of this quaint little town and the food and drink descriptions sound lovely, with recipes included at the end. I’m excited to learn more about the customers, since in this one we mainly get to read about Phoebe and the other store owners. And I’m thinking the next book in the series is going to be Halloween themed, which makes me even more excited.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of magic, you need to check out the Witches’ Brew Mysteries by Gretchen Rue. show less

I’m not usually a fan of books about witches but the magic in this book is so much fun. It’s a hoot. I love how Phoebe’s magic worked to help catch the culprit in this book. I enjoy how her magic sometimes just happens and is not the result of her conscious choice/actions. I assume as the books go on she will have more agency with her magic. I especially appreciate the magic in these books because it’s interesting and sometimes hilarious and, most importantly, the non-magical parts show more of the story take up more pages than the magical parts.

It was laugh out loud funny at times. It was touching at times. It was slightly suspenseful at times but this is a cozy and there is nothing in the story that is too scary.

I love this town and its inhabitants, human and cat. I love how so many people knew about Phoebe’s and/or her aunt’s powers and just accept a witch, witches, in their midst. I love the store with its books and teas and food and I love the bakery next door and so much about the town. I adore Phoebe’s house and want much mor of it in future books. There are so many great recurring characters. The mystery is excellent too but it was the least important thing for me about the story, even though I enjoyed it.

The teas in this third book sounded particularly delicious. There are several recipes included at the end. The teas appeal to me more than the food. The savory food is too NOT vegan for me to get hungry, for which I am grateful. The sweet stuff does appeal because I can veganize it in my mind without any effort.

The Acknowledgments section is lovely I love how she says she wrote about what she knows and how her biggest passions in life are books, tea, bird watching and cat rescue and how she got all of these into this book.

I might not have read this series if not for Laura (and Margie gets some credit too) and I’m grateful because now I have a new favorite just for fun series. I only wish there were already more books out. I don’t think I will get tired of them. These first three books were prefect comfort reads for me. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to read the fourth book soon. I will keep reading this series as long as there are new books in it.

Note to self: The author’s home town was my mother’s home town too. show less

What a fun book! I don't think I've read a cozy since Annette Blair's Vintage Magic series and Karen Olsen's Tattoo Shop series, but this was a great reintroduction to the genre. This one caught my eye with its combination of bookstore, tea shop, and magic. It is set in a small town in Washington with quirky residents and interesting shops. As the first book in the series, the introduction of the characters, setting, and situations was done smoothly without feeling like the first few show more chapters were an infodump.

Newly divorced Phoebe has just inherited most of her Aunt Eudora's estate, from her home (and cat!) to her thriving business. Phoebe has fond memories of summers spent with her aunt, hanging out in the bookstore, and learning to mix tea varieties. She's not sure how she'll do now that it's hers, but she's looking forward to the new start. I loved Phoebe's memories of her aunt and the adventurous life she led. I enjoyed seeing Phoebe explore her new surroundings and her puzzlement at some of the things she learned. Not the least was the realization that her aunt's reputation as a witch may have been more literal than the New Age hippy variety that Phoebe initially believed.

Her first encounters with some of her neighbors set the tone for the book. First up is Dierdre, who claims to be a good friend of Eudora's but was warned against by Eudora herself in a letter to Phoebe. After first trying to suck up to Phoebe and offering to buy the properties, she quickly turns angry and insulting when Phoebe firmly refuses those offers. Dierdre doesn't give up and shows up later, accompanied by a big brute of a man, still trying to bully Phoebe into selling. Phoebe later meets the man renting the apartment above the store in a scene that made me laugh out loud. You can see an immediate connection between them, one that is explained when it turns out he is her old childhood friend, Ricky (now Rich). Some flickers of attraction also bode well as a romantic touch. She also meets Amy, who owns the bakery next door, and becomes an instant friend.

Matters become complicated when Phoebe receives a call from the police about a dead body outside the back door of her store. She's disturbed to identify the body as the man who had been with Dierdre and wonders why he'd been behind her store. Does it have something to do with Dierdre's desire to buy the properties? She's determined to do what she can to find out.

This is where some of the magic comes in. Phoebe uses some of her aunt's Truth Be Told tea in a batch of scones, hoping that someone will let something slip after eating one. The first taker is Dierdre, of all people, and the next scene is hilarious. Phoebe decides that maybe she'd best hold off on trying anything else until she's more comfortable with what she can do. Other happenings soon convince Phoebe that Eudora wasn't the only witch in the family. The realization is startling, to say the least, and sends Phoebe looking for answers. Her conversation with Honey at the New Age store was eye-opening and stirred up more questions.

As Phoebe delves more into Eudora's life, she becomes more convinced that she is exactly where she's meant to be. But the questions surrounding the murder stir doubts about whether she can trust her judgment. When she discovers Eudora's long-held secret, she has to decide who she can trust. The final confrontation comes quickly after this discovery. I was on the edge of my seat as Phoebe faced the killer. The resolution was intense, with a unique method of foiling the killer's intentions. The book concludes with a sweet scene between Phoebe and Rick and a hopeful feeling for the future.

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