Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs

Challenge Book #48/49/26

★★★

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Setting: Charleston, SC

Main Characters: Theodosia Browning, Drayton Connelley, Hayley, Detective Tidell, Delaine Dish, Parker Scully

Series: yes, #13 Tea Shoppe Mysteries

Dates Read: March 19 - March 21

Number of pages: 314

Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: author, for review

Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Home Ec, Extra Curricular

The Tea Shoppe Mysteries by Laura Childs is one of my favorite series, so when I received it in the mail from the author I was excited to read it, but I wanted to have the right amount time to savor it. So it was at the top of the pile when I headed off to my Florida vacation. It barely made it to Florida before I was finished having entertained me in the airport and on the plane.

Theodosia Browning and her friends at the Indigo Tea Shop are front and center trying to solve the murder of Theo's former boyfriend Parker Scully. The same background characters allow the reader to snuggle in and concentrate on the villains du jour and solve the murder. SPOILER

Here in lies my problem with this installment. The mystery lacked a gel that would hold it together. The murderer isn't even introduced until well into the book and the clues just weren't there for the reader to solve the mystery along with the characters. A disappointment - yes. Bad book - definitely not for those that love the series. I hope that the future books are back on track because, no matter what I enjoyed it and that's all that's necessary IMHO.