Tempest in a Teapot by Amanda Cooper is the first book in the new “Teapot Collector” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, June 2014

Tucked away in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the charming town of Gracious Grove, where time moves slowly, gossip spreads quickly, and the scones are to die for.

When her fashionable Manhattan restaurant goes under, Sophie Taylor retreats to her grandmother’s cozy shop, Auntie Rose’s Victorian Teahouse, where serenity is steeped to perfection in one of her many antique teapots. The last thing Sophie expects is a bustling calendar of teahouse events, like her old friend Cissy Peterson’s upcoming bridal shower.

Not everyone is pleased with the bride-to-be’s choice of venue—like Cissy’s grandmother, who owns a competing establishment, La Belle Epoque, and has held a long-simmering grudge against Rose for stealing her beau sixty years ago. Tensions reach a boiling point when Cissy’s fiancé’s mother dies while sampling scones at La Belle Epoque. Now, to help her friend, Sophie will have to bag a killer before more of the guest list becomes a hit list.

I enjoyed this nicely developed whodunit that had me quickly turning the pages as I had to know who was doing what to whom. The pace was very comfortable and I love how each chapter flowed into one another. The author did a good job with the mystery keeping me guessing throughout most of this story with plenty of suspects and there were a few surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. Sophie is very likable and I love that she’s come back; more different from when she left several years ago…the hint of what was back then as opposed to what is now was a recurring theme throughout this light drama. Boasting a diverse cast of secondary characters, who I can’t wait to know more about, and good dialogue, I’m looking forward to the next book in this fresh new cozy series.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog