Steeped in Evil

I have missed Laura Childs, and felt that her writing had become trite. The latest book in the Tea Shop Mysteries gave me many pleasurable moments as I am planning a trip to Charleston this year. I loved the talk of parties, neighborhoods, and South Carolinian life. I adore the mention of Haley's menus for the teas and afternoon meals and wish I could attend one of the events. I always feel that Theodosia has more of a relationship with Drayton, her partner, than her current boyfriend, Max. Drayton and Theo are always running off to solve a mystery. Reading this novel was an excellent remedy for the flu.

Steeped in Evil is the latest release from Laura Childs in the long-running Tea Shop Mysteries series, the 15th book in the series since the first one was published in 2001. So many long-running series, no matter the genre, tend to run their course well before the 15th book, but I find these books to still be as much fun to read as the very first one!

One of the things that I enjoy the most is the varied cast of characters. Theo, our female lead, is quirky and intelligent and very independent. She owns a tea shop in Charleston, a tea shop that I truly wish existed and existed near me! She runs it with the help of Drayton, an older man with a love of tea and of antiques. Haley works with her, younger than the others, and a whiz in the show more kitchen. Mrs. Dimple is an older woman who helps out occasionally and reminds me of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in appearance. There is an entire range of supporting characters, too, all with their own stories and quirky idiosyncrasies that add a lot of depth to the plot.

Aside from the villians in the novel, the only character I really couldn't get behind was Theo's boyfriend. I felt like he was demanding and condescending. He often seemed to try to control Theo and it rubbed me the wrong way almost every time he was involved. Fortunately, he was a rather minor character.

The tea shop has been the clear focus of all of the books in this series and that continues to be in this latest installment. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy a scene in which themed tea is held within the shop, complete with special teas and treats. The author creates scenes like this that are rich in both details and descriptions, and they will often leave the reader salivating! You can't help but learn a bit about tea with these books and, as a tea lover, I enjoy that. Although much of this book, takes place in a local winery, the beloved tea shop still remains the foundation of the series.

The mystery in this story was a good one, the murder of son of the winery's owner. There were lots of twists and turns and I never was quite sure "whodunit." There were hints and clues that lead to first one suspect and then another, keeping me guessing. Just when it seems as if everything is solved and settled, there are still some intriguing twists and turns that change everything.

Cozy mysteries are my guilty pleasure, especially those with some kind of theme to them... crafty things or food. This series has been one I have read from the very beginning because of my love of tea. Sometimes, however, the amateur sleuth in this genre can come off as bumbling rather than intelligent. Fortunately, that is definitely not the case in this book. Theo is smart and capable and fiercely independent. The other problem that sometimes occurs in this genre is the focus. Instead of the mystery at hand being the thrust of the plot, it almost gets forgotten with the majority of attention paid to the theme of the book. This is what kept me from giving a full 5 mugs to this book. As much as I love the tea shop theme, there was a little less balance in this book. It often felt like a little too much time was spent on the shop and its details than the mystery itself. It is a little thing, though, and not something that kept me from enjoying the book.

One fun part of the book comes after the story has ended. There is an entire section of recipes for the foods featured throughout the book. I tried several of them and loved them all, although my favorite has to be Drayton's Coconut Iced Tea. There is also a section on "Tea Time Tips," all sorts of inspiration for creating your own tea time. There is even one for a doggy tea time! The author also includes a "Tea Resources" section full of publications, plantations, websites and blogs, and much more.

Things to love about Steeped in Evil...

--Theo. I love her quirkiness and independent streak!
--The range of characters. Major or minor, they were all very different and interesting. This time there is also even a clairvoyant that plays a part in an unexpected way.
--The immersion into the world of tea. I love that the author always includes recipes for the delicious and tantalizing treats that she creates throughout the story.

Things I wanted more or less of...

--More focus on the mystery itself. I don't think it had to be an either/or kind of thing, less tea shop and more mystery. More mystery would have balanced out the wonderful and rich world of tea.

My recommendation: Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series. While I don't think it is strictly necessary to read the previous books in order to enjoy this one, I do think that it would greatly enhance the story. show less

I have read other books in this series (not necessarily in order) and am going back to read ones that I missed along the way. I still like this series, but this one just felt off a bit to me. They did do a "Downton Abbey" themed tea event which was a bit interesting, but normally Drayton does a bit of expounding on tea during the book and in this book this was absent. Drayton did do a tea blending class but other than knowing what ingredients he put out on the tables, no other information on tea blending was included.

Once again, there is a murder. This time the son of a winery owner who was stuffed into a wine barrel (how was never explained)--and not just any wine barrel, but the barrel that was to be sampled at the winery's event. show more

For a change, Drayton is the one encouraging Theodosia to get involved in solving the murder. I have to wonder if Max is on his way out as Theo's love interest since he seems to be so against Theo's investigating. I actually suspected the character who turned out to be the perpetrator (which is rare for me) but I couldn't have given you any clues that were scattered in the story to support my suspicion. show less

Theodosia and Drayton are in an adjoining county for a wine tasting when the body of the winery owner's son is found inside a barrel of wine. The sheriff of that county does not seem that interested in the investigation or that capable so Drayton's friends ask Theodosia to poke around. This mystery was just "okay." Although Tidwell does make an appearance, it is more like a cameo, and I really missed the interaction with him on this one. Most of the investigation is conducted in Charleston although a small part of the action takes place at Knighthall Plantation or between it and Charleston. Not the best in this series, but still okay. I hope the next installment returns Theodosia to Charleston so she is getting in the way of Detective show more Tidwell. show less

Just because Theodosia and Drayton run the Indigo Tea Shoppe, that doesn't stop them from enjoying other beverages even when murder is involved. Visiting a friend's winery, Theo and Drayton are present when a body tumbles out of a wine cask and because of Theo's special talents at uncovering answers, she sets out to expose the villian and help her friends.

Reading a tea shoppe mystery is like visiting some of your favorite friends while enjoying your preferred activity. I keep wishing that there was a real Indigo Tea Shoppe in Charleston. I'd be there in a heartbeat just to meet these characters.

I have never read any of Laura Childs novels, but when I saw this one available at the First To Read program, I jumped at the chance to read it. This is a cozy mystery set in Charleston, SC, featuring Theodosia Browning as the ‘solver of mysteries’. The book opens with a murder in the very first chapter, at a wine tasting! There is a cast of characters that will keep you guessing until the end. Every time I met a new character, my thought was ‘he did it!’. Then ‘no, he seems like a really nice guy. it couldn’t have been him!’.

I hadn’t realized this was one of a series of books, so I didn’t realize that some of these characters were recurring. I would never have suspected them had I known! (Sorry, Drayton!) Being part show more of a series, there were references to what I assume were past stories. The book mentioned that Theodosia’s best friend’s fiance was murdered on her wedding day, and later mentions that her friend Amy’s husband was murdered a few years ago. Makes me think being a friend of Theodosia is dangerous!

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the detailed descriptions of the architecture, decorating and food. Theodosia owns a tea shop and employs an excellent baker. I could smell the teas and taste the tea sandwiches and baked goods! And even though she does not readily share her recipes, you will find many at the end of the book! Time to start baking!

This book kept me guessing the entire time and was a quick, fun read. If you enjoy whodunit type mysteries, you will enjoy this book!

I received and electronic copy of this book through the Penguin First To Read program in return for an honest review. show less

Steeped In Evil is the fifteenth book in the A Tea Shop Mystery series.

I so enjoy stopping in to visit with Theodosia, Drayton and Haly at the Indigo Tea Shop and this was another enjoyable visit.

Drayton has asked Theo to join him at a wine tasting party at new boutique style winery, the Knighthall Winery. As everyone is gathered for the unveiling, the body of Drew Knight, the son of Jordan Knight owner of the winery, is found inside the barrel. Having heard of Theodosia's knack for solving murders, he asks Drayton if Theodosia would find out who had killed his son.

In the beginning of her investigation she zeros in on Pandora, Drew's stepmother, but she also finds out that Pandora has had dealings with Alex Burgoyne who maybe something show more short of an honest liquor distributor. In addition there is a Japanese importer who would like to take the wine being produced and import it to Japan. Also in the picture is Carl Van Deusen, a waiter who was working at the wine tasting. Van Deusen had been driving Drew's car and had been know to provide drugs in the past to Drew. Theo and Drayton now need to sort thru their findings who reasons and opportunity to want Drew dead.

Delaine Dish is back with her wonderful sense of humor and of Haly, chef and baker, is back to provide wonder meals at the Indigo Tea Shop.

Tea related links and recipes are included in the book.

Looking forward, as always, to the next book. show less