Spotlight: Pekoe Most Poison

Note:  Whether you’re a long-time reader of the Indigo Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs or a newcomer to the series, Pekoe Most Poison is an excellent read. I’ll post my review tomorrow, along with a chance to win one of two print copies.

Pekoe Most Poison
By Laura Childs
Indigo Tea Shop #18
Berkley, 2017


Summary

In the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, Theodosia Browning attends a “Rat Tea,” where the mice will play…at murder.

When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health.

But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat.

The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse…

INCLUDES RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS


Guest Post by Laura Childs

Hi, it is wonderful to be here at A Blue Million Books today to talk about Pekoe Most Poison, the eighteenth book in the Tea Shop Mystery series. It is always great fun for me (and I hope for you) to visit the Indigo Tea Shop and see what’s going on in the lives of Theodosia, Drayton, Haley, their friends and, perhaps, some not so friendly folks.

On a gorgeous Charleston day, Theodosia and Drayton are invited to a social event billed as a “rat tea” a throwback to the days when society matrons held elaborate teas to heighten the awareness of the overwhelming need to read the city of pesky vermin. Still, Theodosia is more than a little startled when she and Drayton arrive at the home of socially prominent Doreen “Dolly” Briggs and the door is opened by someone dressed quite formally in blue velvet waistcoat and shiny black boots and wearing a white velvet rat head. It takes a moment or so to get used to the fact that all the servers are wearing rat heads above their fancy dress outfits.

Still the company is grand and the conversation flows merrily until Dolly’s husband, Beau, collapses to the floor and, after a bit of lurching and gulping, dies right before everyone’s eyes.

Theodosia has developed quite a reputation as an amateur sleuth and Drayton is more than Theodosia’s sommelier. They are close and true friends of long standing, so when Dolly Briggs wants Theodosia to investigate Beau’s murder, she knows just how to make that happen. Dolly offers a generous donation to Drayton’s beloved Heritage Society with the proviso that he coax Theodosia into trying to solve Beau’s murder.

Reluctantly, Theodosia agrees but no one is sure how the new detective on the case, Pete Riley, a handsome man with remarkable blue eyes, is going to react to Theodosia’s snooping.

I’m happy to say that the plot moves at a thriller pace making Pekoe Most Poison a suspenseful guilty pleasure.

Much love,
Laura Childs

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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.

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Review: Home to Paradise

Home to Paradise
By Barbara Cameron
Coming Home, #3
Abingdon Press, 2017


Summary

Rose Anna Zook has watched her two older sisters marry two Stoltzfus men and has always thought she and John, the third Stoltzfus brother, would marry, make a home together, and have children. But John has other ideas. He’s enjoying his Rumschpringe in the Englisch world a little too much and isn’t interested in returning to the Amish community—especially to marry.

Rose Anna is determined to bring her man back into the Amish fold. John is equally determined to live his life free and unencumbered. Who will win this battle of wills? Will love prevail?

Learn more and purchase a copy.


My thoughts

Barbara Cameron has an enjoyable writing style and the ability to craft an entertaining story. Home to Paradise is a sweet Amish story about family, predictable at times, but with a few surprises along the way. It is book #3 in a series involving romantic relationships between three brothers and three sisters, but can stand alone. Characters from the series appear, even a few characters from earlier series.

John and his two brothers had left the Amish faith during their rumschpringe, the previous two books telling their respective stories. John, having escaped an emotionally abusive relationship with his dad, finds himself not quite belonging in either world. Rose Anna longs for his return to the faith and to her also, even to the extent of plotting a method to accomplish this. John and Rose Anna have a sweet chemistry and are appealing characters, especially with their giving attitudes toward others.

Several themes added a depth that I enjoyed – the local women’s shelter, quilting classes, domestic abuse, and PTSD. Then there’s the overarching theme of not only waiting on God’s timing, but trusting in God’s timing.

I enjoyed Home to Paradise very much and definitely want to read the other books in the Coming Home series. Recommended.

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Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her books have been nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award from RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love chapter. Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

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Review: Door to Freedom

Door to Freedom
By Jana Kelley
Sequel to Side by Side
New Hope, 2017


Summary

It's rough and it's smooth. It's dark and it's light. It's a masterpiece. It's us. Here in Sudan. We are scared of it and drawn to it. There is an open door, and there is much opposition.

In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia, who is raising her family in a Muslim country, has learned to boldly share her faith. Rania, the daughter of a wealthy Sudanese Arab, seeks to find the reason for her sister's sudden disappearance. Mia holds some of the answers, but both women quickly discover they must each walk through their own doors to freedom, the freedom that only comes when you trust God's sovereignty more than manmade security.

Part of New Hope Publishers' line of contemporary missional fiction, Door to Freedom, the sequel to Side by Side, opens the reader's eyes to modern-day persecution and the life of Muslims in Sudan. Based on real-life events, Door to Freedom also reveals some of the struggles that Christians face when living under Islamic law. The reader will be inspired to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith as well as for the salvation of the persecutors.

Learn more and purchase a copy.


My thoughts

Door to Freedom is a thought provoking and eye-opening book, even convicting. It’s written in a style appropriate for YA readers, yet its themes are serious. Door to Freedom takes up where Side by Side ended, and is drawn from Jana Kelley’s personal experiences while living in Islamic Sudan and the Middle East, making it extremely relevant.

Michael and Mia live in Sudan, where Michael works for a humanitarian organization and Mia is a stay-at-home mom. The feel of Sudan is vividly conveyed – the dirt, oppressive heat, food – and insight is given into the Islamic culture. I especially enjoyed the scenes with 16-year-old Rania, whose sister became a Christian in Side by Side – and the way Islam’s strict legalism and intolerance is contrasted with Rania’s spiritual journey. It was also great to see the deepening of Mia and Michael’s faith and the eagerness to share their beliefs.

The strength of Door to Freedom is the glimpse it gives us of religious realities for Muslim and Christian faiths alike – and the resulting challenge to the reader’s personal faith. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Door to Freedom gives new meaning to the command of Jesus that we “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” In spite of changes taking place in America, being a Christian is still relatively comfortable. But how many of us, especially those who don’t find sharing our faith easy here at home, could do so under the very real threat of persecution?

Door to Freedom has given me an even stronger burden to pray for Christians and seekers in the Muslim world. When asked in an interview about the effect of her story on readers, Jana writes: “I hope that when my readers turn the final page of my book, they will not be so scared of Muslims. I hope they will find a spark of love for the lost and a desire to pray for and reach out to those who don’t know the truth. Then, I hope they will act on that spark!”

Recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/JKelley

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Author of the captivating novel Side by Side, Jana Kelley is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. Jana returned to Texas to attend East Texas Baptist University. She and her husband married a month after she graduated, and by their second anniversary, they were living in a remote African town. After 13 years living in Africa and the Middle East, Jana, her husband, and their three boys moved to Southeast Asia where they currently live.

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Review (+ Tour GIVEAWAY): Murder on the Moor

Murder on the Moor
By Julianna Deering
Drew Farthering #5
Bethany House, 2017


Summary

At the urgent request of an old school friend, Drew and Madeline Farthering come to Bloodworth Park Lodge in the midst of the Yorkshire moors, a place as moody and mysterious as a Bronte hero. There have been several worrisome incidents around those lonesome rolling hills – property desecrated, fires started, sheep and cattle scattered. Worst of all, the vicar has been found dead on the steps of the church, a crime for which Drew can discern no motive at all.

Few in the town of Bunting’s Nest seem like suspects, and Drew can’t keep his suspicions from falling on his friend’s new bride. Do her affections lie more with her husband’s money and estate, while her romantic interests stray to their fiery Welsh gamekeeper? As the danger grows ever closer, it’s up to Drew to look past his own prejudices, determine what’s really going on, and find the killer before it’s too late.

My thoughts

Murder on the Moor is my first Drew Farthering mystery and I’m kicking myself for not having discovered this series before now. Although #5 in the series, it can stand alone – and I will be reading the previous stories very soon. From police procedurals to cozies, I’m a huge fan of British mysteries, having read many series in the general market – and it’s rare to find something similar in the CBA.

Julianna Deering’s Drew Farthering series is quality all the way – exquisite writing, well-plotted mystery, steeped in atmosphere, intriguing characterization. I just can’t say enough about these stories that are set in 1930s England. Georgette Heyer is famous for her Regencies, but she also wrote several murder mysteries that I loved, and Julianna’s writing has that same feel.

I don’t think there’s a more perfect setting than the hauntingly beautiful Yorkshire moors, and the atmosphere can literally be experienced as pages are turned. Drew Farthering is a compelling hero and I loved the relationship (and chemistry) between Drew and Madeline. He is intelligent and confident, yet dependent upon God. I loved how the theme of not judging based on preconceived thoughts and experiences is conveyed.

As for the mystery itself, I didn’t really try to figure things out, but rather enjoyed the ride. There are a lot of twists and surprises that delight throughout, and I found it difficult to stop at the end of a chapter. I hope this series continues for a long time!

Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and Bethany House. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Julianna Deering is the creator of the acclaimed Drew Farthering Mystery series. She has always loved British history and is a particular fan of the writings of Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in business administration and spent several years as a Certified Public Accountant. She lives outside Dallas, Texas.

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GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Julianna is giving away a set of the Drew Farthering 5-book mystery series! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4664b0499/

Review (+ Tour Giveaway): Shine Like the Dawn

Shine Like the Dawn
By Carrie Turansky
Multnomah, 2017


Summary

In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible tragedy reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. But Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart and she begins to wonder if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.

When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son Nathaniel, who is Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.

Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will their search for the truth about her parents’ death draw them closer or will it leave them both with broken hearts?


My thoughts

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness reward shine like the dawn,

your vindication like the noonday sun.

Psalm 37:5-6

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British drama has always been a favorite of mine and Carrie Turansky does this genre well. Of all that I’ve read by her, Shine Like the Dawn seemed to especially resonate with me and just might be my favorite so far.

Northumberland of Edwardian England in 1903 is vividly conveyed, pulling me right into the setting. Characters are fleshed out and we get to journey through their spiritual development, one of the story’s strong features.

Maggie and Nate are appealing characters and the romance between them is sweet, with realistic tension caused by events in their past. Two additional romances between secondary characters are a delightful bonus. Suspense comes from the mystery surrounding the death of Maggie’s parents and older sister four years earlier, and discontent over working conditions in the local factory adds interest and depth.

The story thoroughly entertains and I especially loved the spiritual thread that is gently woven throughout. Letting go of hurts and doubting God’s love are things that Maggie struggled with – things that most readers can easily identify with. I loved how the title is drawn from the Psalm 37 passage above and the quote in the graphic is one of my favorites.

I believe Shine Like the Dawn is a standalone novel, but there’s plenty of opportunity for further development.

Recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence.

A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five adult children and four grandchildren.

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GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away all 4 books: Shine Like the Dawn, The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, and A Refuge at Highland Hall! Enter below. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries.