SCONES & BONES - Laura Childs
Charleston Tea Shop Mysteries, Book 12
Berkley Prime Crime
ISBN: 978-0-425-23896-7
March 2011
Mystery

Charleston, South Carolina - the Present

Theodosia Browning gave up a marketing position several years ago to open the Indigo Tea Shop where she is helped by Drayton Conneley, a master tea blender, and Haley, her chef. At Drayton's invitation, Theodosia goes to the grand opening of the Pirates and Plunder show at the Heritage Society. Part of the display is a drinking cup made from a skull reputedly that of Blackbeard, which has a huge diamond embedded in it. During the opening, the cup is stolen, the manager of the Society bludgeoned, and a young intern murdered. The head of the society asks Theodosia to help recover the cup with the sleuthing skills for which she has become noted, because the police, as personified by Detective Tidwell, seem to have no leads.

During her preoccupation with clues, Theodosia also has her tea shop to operate, and thank God she has capable help, for the shop is one of the first stops on the annual Food and Wine Festival. In the meantime she finds clues—from friends Delaine Dish and her sister Nadine to Theodosia's icky neighbor—that lead her in many directions. She also meets Max Scofield, who has been squiring Delaine, but shows undeniable interest in Theodosia. The problem is Theodosia already has a steady guy.

SCONES & BONES is a fun mystery that grows in intensity to the conclusion. While Theodosia is the head sleuth, Drayton and Haley often help out. All the clues, some real, some imagined on Theodosia's part, also might cause some confusion about the theft, which supposedly is a vital part of a greater goal that never materializes. The tea shop is somewhere every reader will enjoy visiting, and recipes are included at the end of the story for those who wish to plan a tea party. The characters are fine, upstanding individuals with passion for their work, both at the tea shop and as sleuths, but readers might enjoy it more if they've read some of the previous stories.

Robin Lee