Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) [Hardcover]

Laura Childs (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Tea Shop Mystery | Publication Date: March 3, 2009

Delicious recipes, tea-time tips, opera, and murder-in a national bestselling mystery series that's "quickly become a favorite of readers."(Mystery Reader)

While riding her horse in a race through the South Carolina Lowcountry, Theodosia Browning finds her arch nemesis, Abby Davis, dead. What's more, the victim's brother is Theodosia's old flame. Who'd have guessed they'd be reunited through cold-blooded murder? Theodosia's investigation takes her from the Lowcountry thicket to the backstage maze of a darkened theater where a maestro of murder waits for the next cue. All proving that when it comes to high drama, Theodosia can give Verdi a run for his money.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.)
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From Booklist

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. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; First Edition edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425225992
• ISBN-13: 978-0425225998
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She's also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans' spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe's undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful amateur sleuth, March 7, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) (Hardcover)

The proprietor of the Charleston Tea Shop Theodosia Browning is having a great time competing in the Charleston Point-to-Point Race. All of a sudden her horse becomes riled and out of control. Theodosia Browning leaps off and does a controlled roll limiting her injuries. However, her sudden landing leads to the discovery of the body of TV reporter Abby Davis with a bullet wound in the victim's forehead.

The last time they met, Abby tried to bait Theo into a cat fight, but the storeowner refused to be play Abby's game. Detective Burt Tidewell shocks Theo, who has solved several homicides, when he tells her to investigate. Her former boyfriend, Abby's brother Jory, is back from New York and also asks Theo to make inquiries. When she goes to the old plantation what Abby and her husband Drew donated to a historical trust corporation, she finds the remains of a bride who vanished a hundred years ago. In the present she learns that several people benefited from Abby's death as the reporter made many enemies on her climb to the top.

Putting aside the coincidence of another corpse in Theo' path and the cop encouraging her to investigate, this is another delightful amateur sleuth in which readers obtain a taste of the South. The heroine is an easy going person but her demeanor hides her steel spine and independent heart. Theo does what she belies is right even when it may harm a relationship she cherishes. Besides a wonderful look at Charleston and surrounding Low Country, fans will relish drinking tea with Theo as she tries to solve the homicide of someone she disliked.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid read, April 2, 2009

By 

Holly Kincaid "Book addict" (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) (Hardcover)

I truly love cozy mysteries and have followed this series since it began. This is one of the better series out there and if you enjoy this type of book, I would definitely recommend you pick up the first one ("Death by Darjeeling") and get started since you are in for a treat.

This is the tenth book and, while not the best, is a solid book that continues the story of Theodosia Browning, the proprietor of The Indigo Tea Shop of Charleston. The book has the strong sense of place that Laura Childs typically delivers and I really enjoy that. The reader gets to experience the historical district of Charleston and a bit of the surrounding low country/culture since the action is not geographically limited to Charleston proper. The murder portion of this is also strong since it actually has plausability. Many times cozies stretch the imagination on the motive for the murder, but in this case it all makes sense once you reach the end. As far as the characters, I don't think this one was as strong as some of the others and I didn't feel that I learned any more about Drayton and Haley (employees/friends of Theodosia) -- I would have enjoyed that. In particular, Drayton is an intriquing character and I would have liked to have him further developed.

Overall, a good fast read that is a solid contribution to the Tea Shop Mysteries.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cozy tea mystery, April 15, 2009

By 

JerseyGirl "Bookworm" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) (Hardcover)

I have read all of Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries and her latest cozy mystery is an easy and fun read. The Tea Shop Mysteries take place in Charleston, South Carolina and the lead character, Theodosia, owns her own business, a tea shop in Charleston.

As well as being a successful small business owner, Theo is an amateur sleuth. In this venture, Theo is riding in the annual hunt club event and stumbles across a dead body.

Theo is pulled into helping to solve the mysterious murder by an old boyfriend who returns to Charleston.

This series is fun and light reading and includes recipes for tea as well.