Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
Rating: ★★★
Death by Darjeeling is the first in a series called A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs. Childs definitely focuses on creating a tea filled atmosphere. The tea shop and surrounding events are so warmly described. Every time I picked up this book I found myself craving a cup of tea, a blanket, and a warm cookie. That aspect of the novel was executed perfectly. If you are a tea lover you will probably have a soft spot for this book.
The murder mystery aspect of this book was really lacking. I really could have cared less about the murdered man. Theodosia, the main character, had such a sudden random interest in the case, and it felt completely unjustified. I kept wondering why she cared so much. This was clearly police business, and she really didn't have any personal ties to the case either. She's just the owner of a teashop who starts poking her nose into a rather boring murder. I was hoping the reveal of the murderer would redeem the mystery, but unfortunately the reveal didn't make a lot of sense. It was meant to be a plot twist, but it was completely unjustified. I would have preferred learning more about the tea shop and it's devoted caretakers.
I loved the main characters, and I might continue in the series just for the characters and their tea. Theodosia, Drayton, Hannah, and Bethany are all multidimensional people who are very passionate about tea and creativity, something I can relate to. I'd love to see them advance their tea shop business, and perhaps poke their noses into a more interesting mystery.
