I got this paperback at the Hudson Goodwill shop, for another release copy. It's from her "Tea Shop" series, and I love the cover-art!

"Pleasant" and "cozy" definitely describe this one - though there are a few points where the protagonist, tea-shop owner Theodosia Browning, opts to blindly ignore concepts such as "chain of custody" while trying to solve crimes ahead of the police. [Since the primary police detective in this story seems to be pretty darned sharp, it isn't clear why Theodosia needs to mess around with the case at all, other than to provide a plot - but that's an aspect best overlooked in a good many novels, and not just mysteries!]

I thoroughly enjoyed the many descriptive passages about Charleston locales, houses, neighborhoods, countryside, food, even the weather - the book's a veritable travel guide. (I visited the city for the BookCrossing convention, and would love to go back someday!)

While I do enjoy a good cup of tea, I'm not quite the tea-gourmet that Theodosia and her staff are - I prefer "basic black", as in the typical English or Irish Breakfast blends. I have tasted Chinese gunpowder green tea, though, and was pleased to find it featured so prominently here. The many mouthwatering descriptions of the tea shop's featured pastries were a bit distracting, I have to say; I didn't care nearly as much about solving the mystery as I did about finding some clotted cream! [Speaking of recipes - the book does include several, though not for the items I most wanted to taste, alas. But there is a very cute one for a Liver Brownie Cake - a treat for your favorite dog...]

I left this book on top of one of the gas pumps at the Irving station, after stopping in Raymond for dinner at the Tuckaway Tavern. Hope the finder enjoys the book!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2018 April Showers/May Flowers release challenge. ***