Shades of Earl Grey - Review

Shades of Earl Grey

Third book in A Tea Shop Mystery series

by Laura Childs

Theo's friend, Delaine Dish is throwing an engagement party for her niece Camille and her fiance Captain Corey Buchanan, one of 'THE BUCHANAN'S' of Charleston. This is an elegant affair and the wedding ring is being displayed for the party because it is a piece of the Estate jewelery. Unfortunately things don't go very well. As they are waiting for the couple to arrive the ring is stolen and the groom meets with a freak accident. Captain Buchanan dies and so the mystery begins, why would anyone want to kill him or was it an accident and the ring seems to have disappeared too.

The following weekend the ring was supposed to be displayed at the Heritage Society's Treasures Show, that won't be happening now, but the show must go on. Even though everyone is in a tizzy over the accident, or murder, of Captain Buchanan, Theo, Drayton and Haley are planning for an open-house to introduce The Indigo Tea Shop's new line of T-Bath products.

The Heritage Society goes ahead with the Treasures Show when all of a sudden the lights go out, then when the generator kicks in there is a Blue Kashmir (sapphire) necklace missing. Theo's mind goes into high gear and along with Drayton and Haley they come up with a scenario, a cat burgler, but if that's the case why is Captain Buchanan dead? The police don't agree with her, but the more Theo and her friends put their heads together they even come up with three suspects.

See if you agree with them and if you can figure it out before you get to the end of the book. I am finding that these books move along kind of slow and for a mystery I'm finding more emphasis on the Indigo Tea Shop than the mystery part. I do understand that, in a way, because it is A Tea Shop Mystery series but when I hear 'mystery' I guess I expect a little more sleuthing than this book had.