Lavender Blue Murder

Written by Laura Childs

Narrated by Barbara McCulloh

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede. But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor's lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death. His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help. As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald's daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a seance. All the while Theodosia worries if she's made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980002147

Reviews for Lavender Blue Murder

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book 21 in the series. Can be read as a stand alone but you'll probably understand more about the central characters if you've read the series.I liked that this installment included information about lavender (relating to the title). Some other books in the series the title theme doesn't seem to flow through the book as much as it did in this one.I did suspect who the perpetrator(s) would be before the author revealed it. That's not usually my norm--and there were lots of suspects.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Theodosia and Drayton visit an area plantation for an English-style hunting party, they hear an odd gunshot which sounded like it came from a pistol rather than a shotgun. Theodosia sets out to investigate and comes across the dying body of their host Reginald Doyle. He was shot at close range directly in the heart. The widow begs them to stay the night, and against their better judgment, they do so. They awaken when the house is afire. With two incidents happening so closely together, there's no question a party attendee wishes evil upon the host's family. Back in Charleston, Theodosia continues to investigate at the urging of various persons connected with the case and against the wishes of her detective boyfriend and his boss. She continues about her tea shop business, planning for and hosting themed teas involving Gone with the Wind and Lavender, as well as catered events. This installment returns Theodosia and Drayton to the teashop where the atmosphere is cozy and charming. The food descriptions make one's mouth water. As usual, Theodosia takes too many risks which could endanger her and those with her. This installment returns to the charm of earlier installments--a great improvement over the last several.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Theodosia and Drayton are taking part in a old-fashioned shooting party (Indigo Tea is also catering) when they hear a shot that doesn't sound like it came from a shotgun but a revolver, so they head out to see if everything is okay. They come across their host, Reginald Doyle, shot and dead. The days following are filled with private investigating of the people who were involved with Doyle's life as well as preparations for the Indigo Tea Shoppe's firsts of a Gone with the Wind tea and a Lavender Lady Tea. The possible suspects are frequently in the tea shop and Theo is busy checking into any connection that could be relevant to the murder.The food that Haley provides makes your mouth water and the scents described the reader can almost smell. The regular characters are just like old friends.I really wish there was an Indigo Tea Shoppe!

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The scent of lavender floats through the air, as Reginald Doyle exhales one last time as Theodosia Browning watches. Next begins Theodosia’s quest to solve the death of Reginald but add to this the burning of his mansion and the disappearance of his daughter-in-law. The story provides hours of reading pleasure, but too many loose ends distracting hang at the end forgotten. As always, Drayton, Haley, and Theodosia make a beautiful tea party, this one laced in lavender. Where do all these delicious recipes appear? The scenery sometimes overtakes the characters, and what a wimpy boyfriend in Pete Riley. He is never around when Theodosia encounters trouble and seems oblivious to her antics.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Laura Childs never disappoints her readers, and this latest installment in the Tea Shop mysteries is another fine example of her excellent story-telling. Theodosia and Drayton get pulled into solving a murder when their host at a bird hunt is shot. It’s a fast-paced read as the characters we’ve come to enjoy race through this intriguing plot, with all the twists and turns we’ve come to expect in Childs’ stories. It’s a well-written and highly entertaining tale.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs is the twenty-first A Tea Shop Mystery. I look forward to each new installment of A Tea Shop Mystery series. This is one of the two series that got me interested in cozy mysteries. I picked up Death by Darjeeling and quickly devoured it. I hurried back to the bookstore to pick up the next two books in the series (that was all that was out at that time). Theodosia Browning and Drayton Conneley are at Reginald Doyle’s estate participating in an old English bird hunt. Well, Theo is shooting while Drayton is holding his gun like it is a “plague infested rat”. The hunting party ends when their host is found shot in a nearby lavender field. That night the mansion is set on fire and then Fawn Doyle, the victim’s daughter-in-law, disappears. A distraught Meredith asks Theo to investigate and find who is responsible for these terrible events. Theo is too curious to say no. Lavender Blue Murder is a well-crafted novel with developed characters set in a beautiful city. I just love descriptive images of Charleston and Theo’s charming shop plus her home (makes me want to live there and own a bookshop next to the Indigo Tea Shop). At the tea shop, they have a Gone with the Wind Tea complete with the staff in costumes and a Lavender Lady Tea. The mystery had a multiple suspects, secrets were revealed and good clues. The story moved along quickly with Theo asking questions and nosing around. The take down scene was delightful. I like the relationship Theodosia has with Drayton. They are more than co-workers. They are good friends who respect each other and enjoy each other’s company. I like how Drayton participated in the mystery. It added humor to the story with Drayton’s reactions. Haley, Miss Dimple, and Detective Burt Tidwell are back along with Theo’s beau, Detective Pete Riley. Theo is having her kitchen remodeled (new cabinets made with reclaimed barnwood). It will be beautiful when it is done, but Theo is having a hard time with chaos (you know how she loves to cook). Lavender Blue Murder was over far too soon and now I must wait a year for the next A Tea Shop Mystery. Lavender Blue Murder is an enchanting cozy mystery with a weeping widow, a surplus of suspects, tasty tea, loads of lavender, blaring bagpipes, and a spooky séance.