Murder with Oolong Tea

It is a delight to visit Daisy’s Tea Garden in Willow Creek, Lancaster County, PA! Sixth in the series, it is a welcome addition. The characters are like old friends and are defined well through realistic dialog and actions. Picturesque descriptions invited me into each scene, and the mystery kept me guessing. Some relationships are challenged and stretched while some grow and flourish. Daisy and her teenage daughters moved to her hometown about three years ago. Daisy and her aunt Iris own Daisy’s Tea Garden, a full-service tea house that serves various teas, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods. They offer full afternoon tea, either in the special tearoom or catered to a customer’s location. Daisy is going to cater a tea for the high school in appreciation of the teachers. Daisy saw the English teacher she had in high school, Althea Higgins, when planning the tea with Stacy, the counselor. Althea is planning for her retirement for the following year. Mrs. Higgins was liked by very few folks, whether students or fellow teachers. She could be strict, even overbearing, and many students were afraid of her. At the next school board meeting, the topic of students wearing uniforms is on the agenda. Althea wants students to wear uniforms as she believes when students wear good clothes, they think better about themselves and tend to apply themselves more. On the day of the tea, several of Daisy’s employees came to help serve. All was going well until Althea and a teacher she didn’t approve of had words at their table. Both women left the table. Not long afterwards Daisy was in the hallway and heard a scream. Arriving where the swimming pool is, she saw Stella, the counselor, leaning into the pool, trying to drag Althea out of the water, but it was too late. The person who wrapped the pool lane ropes around her neck made sure of that. Daisy has helped solve murders in the past, particularly the time she was a suspect, and another when Aunt Iris was a suspect. She has no plan of getting involved this time. The Tea Garden is busy as tourist season gears up. Her older daughter, Vi, has four-month-old Sammy, and she loves spending time with them. Her younger daughter, Jazzi, is having a friend from school spend a couple weeks with them, and her birth mother will be there for a visit. Against her best intentions, Daisy became involved in the process of gathering information from those who knew Althea, due to her friendship with one of the suspects. One of her employees has a personal interest and was willing to help with the process. I enjoyed catching up with Daisy and her family; there is always something going on with her daughters, boyfriend, and other family members. I also enjoyed the special entertainment for one of the events at the tea garden and reading about the oolong tea and blueberry coffee cake that are highlights. The mystery kept this armchair sleuth busy trying to determine whodunit. Unfortunately, I had considered – and rejected – the real bad guy, so well are the clues planted toward other people. The resolution was satisfactory, with no outstanding items. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries, tea and food pairings, family relationships, and sweet romance. From a thankful heart: I received a review copy from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Pennsylvania, teaching, small-business, small-town, family-dynamics, friendship, cozy-mystery, angst***** If you're looking for a cookbook with an interesting fiction and cozy mystery, you'll absolutely love this book. There are an assortment of recipes, a women's fiction involving romantic partners and children's school issues, all woven in with a cozy mystery. I requested and received a free ebook from Kensington Books via NetGalley.