Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Really excellent start to a cozy mystery series and just the mental break I needed from my recent reading list. I greatly enjoyed the world Childs describes by following amateur sleuth Theodosia through downtown Charleston and its surrounding area. She does a wonderful job evoking the class and culture of modern day tea consumption and beautifully describes Charleston. While I've never visited, I certainly want to go now!
I particularly appreciated that Childs didn't make Theodosia into a character more knowledgeable than she should be. Theo, an upper-middle class tea room owner and former marketing guru, mostly uses her social connections and bravado to push her way into finding out what has happened to the murder victim, rather than any surprisingly-applicable training or skill. Childs did a marvelous job setting up for a longer series by introducing any number of colorful secondary characters and giving the lead room to grow. My only quibbles with this book were the slightly overdone descriptions of the local scenes (just my preference; they were evocative) and the abrupt transitions, often from Theodosia's POV to a suspect's and back again, with no real purpose or physical break in the narrative.
Definitely a book for those who like their mysteries long on character and short on gruesome. Just be warned that the food & tea descriptions are likely to make you long for fattening baked goods and a perfectly brewed cup! Looking forward to continuing with this series in Gunpowder Green.
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