Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend

★★★★

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Subject: Psychic powers,

Setting: Divinity, NY

Main Characters: Sunshine Meadows, Mitch Stone, Morty

Series: yes, #1 Fortune Teller Mysteries

Dates Read: March 22 - March 23

Number of pages: 304

Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, Nook stockpile

Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Study hall, Home Ec

Sylvia Meadows didn't like her name. Her parents didn't like her choice of occupation. So Sylvia changes her name to Sunshine Meadows (very hippyish) and moves to Divinity,a small town in New York state and opens up shop as a fortune-telling psychic. The funny thing is, she really is psychic.

Her first customer is the town librarian and Sunny sees the woman's death. Fleeing in terror, the librarian is found a hour later, dead in her apartment. Who is the main suspect, none other then our newest resident Sunshine Meadows.

I loved this book. The characters were funny and charming, typical but unique. In most Cozies the main character sets out to solve the mystery because they don't trust law enforcement, but in this cozy, Sunny knows that it really should be investigated by the cops but the Police Chief makes her work with the detective so that they can keep an eye on her and if she does have psychic abilities use them. But Sunny isn't exactly helpful - blurting out info that the police would prefer to keep quiet, and apparently hurting rather than helping.

The clues and investigation with a hint of whimsy was LOL funny at times or downright slapstick at others. There were instances of the "paranormal" (Morty the cat - white as a ghost - doesn't seem to need to eat and appears and disappears quite easily.) and a bit of romance maybe. Definitely a new series to watch and wait for with high anticipation.