Customer Reviews

The Teaberry Strangler (A Tea Shop Mystery)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read all the books in this series, and I read for one reason alone -- atmosphere. Childs is VERY good at this. I can't tell you how many cozies I've read that have a fabulous setting in a wonderful era or at the perfect time of year, and other than being told once or twice, "It was October in Vermont..." the book could just as easily have been set in February in Flint, Michigan, circa 1979. Not so with Childs. Some (many) would even say she overdoes the atmosphere, but that's fine with me. I object, by the way, to the fashionista aspects of the story -- antiques are fine, "Coco Chanel" blouses are a bit grating. Characters? Eh, okay, I guess. Theo and Haley are cool, Drayton and Tidwell are better. So, for atmosphere, this book gets five stars; character development gets 3.5 or even 4 stars. But... Here's where it gets bad. Plotting. As noted by others, Childs' plotting is almost unimaginably bad, juvenille on a scale that my vocabulary finds difficult to detail. She uncovers zero clues, zero clues are presented to us, and the grand climaxes are so far out of left field as to simply not be believed. Felonious motives and solutions to the crimes are flat out invented in the last two pages. And sometimes, Childs simply loses her mind. In the last of her tea shop books (not this one), Theo restrains the killer by (I am NOT making this up) squirting a tube of glue into said killer's hair after said killer has been knocked to the ground. The glue firmly secures the bad guy/girl to the ground until the cops show up. What more can be said?

"The Teaberry Strangler" is the eleventh installment in Laura Child's Tea Shop Mystery series. I have read each and every one and have largely enjoyed the series. The novels are set in Charleston, South Carolina and truly meet the definition of "cozy" - a beautiful sense of place, interesting characters and a little intrigue thrown in.

Unfortunately, I think this is one of the weaker books in the series. The wonderful descriptions of Charleston (and its society gatherings) are included but the mystery itself is insubstantial. The murder takes place, Theodosia (our main character) lines up a cast of suspects with flimsy motives and then the reader is left hanging since there are no clues as to who actually did it. The murderer is revealed in the final pages and it is totally "sprung" on the reader since new information is given. The mystery definitely feels like an afterthought in this book. I also thought the character development was fairly non-existent as well. Not much has changed in any of the character's lives and Drayton and Hayley continue to exist in order to give Theodosia someone to talk to. To add freshness to a long series, I would love to see a future mystery written focused more on one of those two characters, particularly Drayton (lots of unrealized potential here).

To sum it up - if I were picking up the book as a first time reader, it would rate a 3-star. Since I have come to love the books as a whole and there is some halo effect going on, I would rate it a 4-star for me. Settled on 4 stars with some reservations .....

I've been reading the Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries since she began writing them more than 10 years ago, and while this remains one of my favorite series, I got the feeling with this book that Laura Childs is starting to get bored of Theodosia and her friends in Charleston. The first chapter, the plot becomes a bit thin when Theodosia, walking in a dark alley at night witnesses a murder, and it all seems a bit surreal and not completely believable. The dialog between Drayton and Haley this time around is a bit strained, the wacky women who are owners of the perfumerie just aren't well developed, and there are a lot of lose ends surrounding the characters that hang out in the map shop. Also, the whole situation with the archeological dig in the backyard of Theodosia's new home seems but a mere distraction, and doesn't really tie in well at all with the murder. I felt with this book that the end is near unless Childs can breath some new and compelling life into these stories. I'm sad to see the series take this turn, but other authors I read have gone through the same thing, and perhaps its time to focus on other stories. Childs' Cackleberry Club mysteries are hilarious and I look forward to reading more about Suzanne, Petra and Toni in the future. Maybe Childs is just spreading herself too thin across all these series?

First let me say that I love the tea shop series. I love all the characters and the setting. However, it has just occurred to me after reading this last installment that often when Theodosia is solving a "mystery" she really hasn't got a clue who the actual killer is until she is attacked at the end of the book because she's been asking questions and the murderer is fearful of exposure. Sometimes I get the impression that Theo is as surprised as the rest of us with the outcome. This, some readers might find frustrating because a traditional detective story is supposed to give the reader the clues needed to try to solve the mystery. This doesn't particularly bother me since the well-written charm of the series, for me, supercedes the need to figure out the ending.

I stumbled upon this book so I had not read any of the previous ones. The good--wonderful descriptions of food and the shop. It was indeed "cozy." However as a novel, the characters were over-the-top and the plot was thin. With 20 pages left in the book, it was time to return it so I didn't bother finishing. At that point I just didn't care.

When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning conceived the idea of a back alley crawl to draw tourists into the area, she never imagined her best friend would be murdered at the end of the evening. Antiquarian Map Shop owner Daria Shand was strangled in the alley before Theodosia's eyes. To make matters worse, detective Burt Tidwell suggested that the killer was really after Theodosia.

Grieving the loss of her friend, Theodosia decided not to get involved with the investigation. When her Aunt Libby insisted she help track down the killer at the request of Daria's mother, Theodosia reluctantly decided to at least ask a few questions. Her only clue was the scent of mint that was in the air when she approached her friend's body.

A side story to the main mystery concerns a cottage that Theodosia is purchasing. A human bone was found just off the terrace behind the cottage, and she couldn't take possession of her new home until the Historical Society finished digging up her back yard.

The Teaberry Strangler is the 11th in the Tea Shop Mysteries series. A number of characters return in this novel, and a few new characters are introduced.

Avid Indigo Tea Shop fans will find this latest offering interesting, although it isn't as much of a mystery as I would have expected. The story reads more like a period-piece set in another time with great detail providing perfect atmosphere for the Charleston-based mystery.

The author provides plenty of information about teas and gourmet items offered at the tea shop as well as details about the perfumes from the Jardin Perfumerie down the street. Fans of this series will be please to know that the next installment, Scones & Bones, is on its way.

The Teaberry Strangler (A Tea Shop Mystery)

The Teaberry Strangler was the best one yet! I couldn't put this one down, and of course, had to brew a pot of tea while reading. Reading about Haley's goodies made me start baking this week, too. I can't wait to try the butterscotch scones with almond devonshire cream! I really couldn't figure out who was the murderer - a lot of twists and side plots, made the book that much more entertaining. I can hardly wait until the next one, Bones and Scones, and wish Laura Childs would just write Teashop Mysteries. I feel like her characters have become my friends. After I read her books, I always want to return to Charleston. I frequent a tea shop here in Columbus, and as much as I enjoy the owner, tea and sandwiches, it's just not the same as Theodosia's shop. Laura Childs, I'm anxiously awaiting the next one! Keep them coming!

I believe Laura Childs is a great mystery writer. The characters are not complicated

and full of angst. I look forward to each and every Tea Shop Mystery she writes. I

have them all. All the characters are like family and I can't wait to see what they

are all up to in the next book.

P.L.Allen

I brewed a pot of Earl Gray, grabbed my cat Cohiba, positioned myself on my cained chaise lounge and settled in to be reunited with the gang at the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia introduced us to some new people in the Historic District and they brought us an intriguing set of problems and another murder for Theo to solve. Twists and turns revealed to us the unexpected killer and once again it was an afternoon well spent reading about the denizens of Charleston.

The book that I had ordered arrived before the expected date. The book arrived in excellent condition, just as the discription stated prior to my purchase. I would definately purchase another book from this company.