A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs

Available August 9, 2022

Rating: 5 stars

A serial killer is stalking the historic district in Charleston, creeping through the fog and snuffing out the lives of unsuspecting young women.

I absolutely love this series! The atmosphere that Laura Childs creates with her writing is at times chilling, at times cozy and comforting, and at times heart-pounding. The relationships that Theodosia has with Drayton and Haley are heart-warming, the way she stands up to the villains (both the murderous and the simply uncouth) is fist-pumping, and the atmospheric descriptions of the Indigo Tea Shop and its environs make me want to jump in the car and head straight there (and I've actually gone to Charleston on vacation just so I could see the places Childs writes about in this series - other than the fact that at the time there was not a single tea shop in the city of Charleston, I was not disappointed!)

In this book Theodosia is once again called upon to investigate a crime and she rises to the occasion like one of Haley's mouth-watering rolls. She takes risks and toes the line with her detective boyfriend, Riley, unwilling to sit back and let the investigation run its course without her. The turbulent spring sets the perfect backdrop for murder as the skies pelt the city with icy rain and blankets of fog obscure man's dirty deeds. The next time there's a stormy day, call in sick, brew yourself a pot of your favorite tea, and settle into your comfiest chair with a soft blanket, a cuddly pet, and this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.