The English Breakfast Murder - Review

The English Breakfast Murder is the 4th book out of 10 in the Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs. The 11th book, The Teaberry Strangler, is due out next month. I have read through the entire series already, except for this one, which I somehow missed. So, I figured I would correct my omission, and read book number 4, as my second entry in the Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge, being hosted by Book Chick City.

At 265 pages, this cozy mystery novel, featuring amateur sleuth, Theodosia Browning, owner of a Charleston tea shop, is a quick weekend read. It's perfect for the mystery loving foodie, as Theodosia solves a crime, while serving up delicious scones, and muffins, along with interesting bits of tea trivia.

The Tea Shop Mysteries are my favorite of Childs' three mystery series, which also include the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Crackleberry Club Mysteries, probably because I love tea houses, almost as much as I love mysteries. Also, I find the frantic, multi-tasking pace of the main character, contagious. I have an urge to do more, when I'm reading one of these novels. And then, there's the rich description of Charleston scenery, and culture. And, of course, the delicious recipes at the end of the book, don't hurt either.

This particular book contains recipes for "Haley's Sweet Potato Muffins, Blackberry Cobbler", "Chilled Peach Soup", "Ginger-Pear Scones", "Miniature Almond Cakes", "Tea-Bone Sauce", and "Planked Fish", as well as instruction on tea dyeing fabric, and tips for tea time entertaining. As to the story itself, well...it's a bit two dimensional, and formulaic, sort of like watching an episode of Murder She Wrote, but then I like Murder She Wrote, and I enjoyed this novel too.






For the 2010 Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge, this makes two books out of twelve for me, so far.

1. Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs


2. The English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs

It's great to be a homeschooler.