Oolong dead

Theodosia Browning owns the delightful Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston's historic district. She also solves mysteries. This time the victim is Abby Davis, sister of Theo's former boyfriend Jory. Theo and Abby never got along, and a lot of other people in South Carolina's low country didn't care for the investigative reporter, either. When both Jory and police detective Burt Tidwell ask Theo to help solve Abby's murder, she reluctantly agrees. Theo looks for motives in the case and accidentally begins to get involved with Jory again. Needless to say, her current boyfriend, Parker Scully, is not pleased with either development. Theo's investigation leads to a dilapidated old mansion, a darkened theater, and a trip through the swamps, all as danger escalates. Childs includes great recipes from the Indigo Tea Shop as well as Tea Time Tips. Its oddly high body count aside, Charleston emerges in Childs' series as a beautiful old city imbued with culture and filled with uniquely warm characters.--Coon, Judy Copyright 2009 Booklist

At the start of Childs's soothing 10th Tea Shop mystery (after 2008's The Silver Needle Murder), Indigo Tea Shop proprietor Theodosia Browning and her horse, Captain Harley, encounter murder most unsavory during the annual Charleston Point-to-Point Race. Shortly after clearing a jump, they're spooked by encountering the corpse of Abby Davis, an evening TV news anchor, who's been shot through the forehead. In parallel with CPD Det. Burt Tidwell, Theodosia pursues her own investigation, prompted by attorney Jory Davis, the victim's brother and Theodosia's ex-boyfriend. Prime suspects include anchorman Webster Hall, who lost his job to Abby, and Abby's husband, who may have known she was having an affair. As usual, Childs's plot simmers slowly while Theodosia's dogged yet always elegant sleuthing is as satisfying as sipping a cup of jade oolong. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved