With amber leaves etched against a cerulean blue sky, it’s a glorious day here at Creekmore Plantation. Drayton, my tea sommelier, and I have been invited to participate in a bird hunt. And because our hosts are rabid anglophiles, the hunt is styled in the manner of an ultra-fancy English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.

Just as Drayton and I flush a covey of quail from behind a bush, we hear gunshots exploding in the distance like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers. Then another shot – a sharp pop, like a pistol – that sounds way too close for comfort.

You know me – I’m gifted with the curiosity gene – so I have to rush off to see what that’s all about. Bad idea. Because when I wander into the neighbor’s lavender field, I discover Reginald Doyle, our host, crumpled on the ground and bleeding to death.

I summon as much help as I possibly can and call 911, but by the time first responders arrive, it’s simply too late for Reginald. He’s succumbed to his gunshot wounds. Disheartened, we all troop back to the Doyle’s plantation home where we’re questioned by the local sheriff and his deputies.

Once I’ve told my strange story, I’m ready to leave, but Drayton and Meredith (the grieving wife of the deceased) talk me into staying the night. I’m not happy, but I make the best of it and stay for Meredith’s sake. Then – it has to be around two in the morning – I wake up and smell smoke. I’m foggy at first because I’ve been asleep for a few hours, but it is indeed smoke swirling around in my room and the manor house is most definitely on fire!

Now I’m running down the hallway, rattling doors, trying to wake everyone up and get them outside. As we stand there, watching a tornado of flames consume the house and lick the dark sky, the firemen come roaring in and the investigating sheriff rushes back as well.

Time to ponder the strange events of the day. A murder and a fire? To me it feels like way too much of a coincidence. Obviously, someone wanted Reginald dead and out of the way. But did they then torch the house to destroy some sort of evidence? Drayton and Meredith think it’s all very strange as well, which is why they’re pleading with me to help investigate.

But where do I start? Could it be the surly caretaker Jack Grimes? Or Reginald’s business partner Guy Thorne? Then there’s the neighboring land owner Carl Clewis as well as the so-called “lavender lady” Susan Monday. Of course, Reginald’s son Alex or even Meredith herself could possibly be the culprit.

I know that once whispers start and fingers are pointed, major secrets will probably be revealed. And all the while I’ve got a tea shop to run, and I might have just made a huge mistake by inviting a prime suspect to attend my upscale Lavender Lady Tea.

Kindly keep your fingers crossed for me!

Love,

Theodosia

Lavender Blue Murder is the 21st book in the “Tea Shop” cozy mystery series, released March 3, 2020.

Tea-Maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.

But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor’s lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.

His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.

As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald’s daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she’s made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.

Includes Delicious Recipes And Tea Time Tips!

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About the author
Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has a new Chinese Shar-Pei puppy.

To learn more about Laura, visit her website at laurachilds.com.

All comments are welcomed.