[.ca] English Breakfast Murder (ISBN 042519129X)

Great Series...:
I have thoroughly enjoyed all four of the Laura Childs' tea mystery books. The English Breakfast Murder defines the characters to an even greater level. The plot is intense as always and the subplots ever present. As always, I really enjoyed the recipes. I have especially loved reading about Charleston and the various bits of information about teas.

Dump this tea book into the harbor:
A true disappointment from the first two dozen pages, this writer doesn't know enough about having tea to be writing about it, even as a subplot to a mediocre murder mystery. You would think while researching various names of expensive teas to include in the book, she would have also read the proper descriptions for Cream Tea and Afternoon Tea and no, High Tea is not the kind where you eat finger sandwiches and scones. Anyone who knows anything about English afternoon tea knows 'high' doesn't mean 'fancy.' I wouldn't ordinarily be so persnickety about it but if you're going to call a book 'A Tea Shop Mystery' for heaven sake, know something about it! As for the murder mystery? Lacking in suspense, overwritten, and generally boring with a wrap-up at the end that would appall Jessica Fletcher.

A Good Sip:
I've read four of Laura Childs' books in the Tea Shop series: Death by Darjeeling, Gunpowder Green, Shades of Earl Grey, and The English Breakfast Murder. I purchased the first one in her scrapbook series, but haven't read it yet. So far, Ms. Childs skills as an author are growing decidedly better with each book. If you are new to the Tea Shop mysteries, Ms. Childs books are refreshing, entertaining mysteries in light of how horrific real-life has become over the past decade. I prefer mysteries with more substance and greater character development, but I gladly read Ms. Childs' books because I can expect them to be clean, wholesome, and entertaining. To date, Ms. Childs' books are not gruesome or down-right wicked. Again, this is a welcome relief from the majority of mysteries being sold today. The main character is a young woman who balances her business success and yet makes time for a real life besides. I am not a tea-drinker, but I love to read about the tea shop and wish it were a real place. I'd travel all the way to Charleston just to visit her shop if it were real. I heartily recommend you try Laura Childs' books.

Strong on atmosphere, No plot to speak of:
In this fourth outing for Theodosia and her cohorts at the Indigo Tea shop, the atmosphere is everything. Forget about a coherent plot! The book just ends, the killer is unmasked by accident, and Theodosia as usual flounders from suspect to suspect without ever coming to any conclusion. Delaine Dish's sister is an annoying subplot, even if she does wind up doing the wrong thing at the right time to point Theodosia to the real culprit. Perry Mason, where are you? Paging Ellery Queen!

Great, until the end:
I thought this book was truly exciting, but I was disappointed with the ending as she didn't clarify some of the events that happened. Why did Jory's boat get vandalized? Why was the killer at the house of Harper Fisk's when the killer already had all the information the killer needed? Some of the ending really needed to be clarified. But overall, I wasn't deeply disappointed. The plot kept me guessing right until the end! It was hair raising when Theo found the body, when she swam out to see it and it was hair raising when the killer cornered her and tied her up! And as for the tea part, the recipes and learning how to do the tea dyeing, that was SUCH an added bonus! I can't wait to read her next one, Jasmine Moon Murder. It is worth the time to read this book, that is if you LOVE to be kept in the dark on who the killer is until the end! ENJOY!