3-3.5 stars. (Rating shown may differ depending on whether site allows half star ratings.)

This is a series I've enjoyed and I'm going back and requesting titles I missed reading from my library.

I wished we'd learned more about the Chinese tea house--the history of it or of tea houses in general in China, symbolism of tea or the tea house in the Chinese culture, etc.

In a rare scoop for me, I guessed early on who the perpetrator was--from his/her first major appearance. (Yes, I did page to the back of the book to confirm my suspicion.) I normally don't figure out "whodunit"--so for those who are good sleuths, you may find this too simple. ( )

Read in the time of the covid 19 pandemic so hard to concentrate but had all the features I love in this series. ( )

Good mystery, even though I had the murdered pinned from the start. As always, I'm craving tea and scones now. Theodosia finds a body at a museum gala. Boyfriend Max is under suspicion and is in danger of losing his job. Other suspects are being attacked. Will Theodosia find the killer before they strike again? ( )

Nothing is better than a cozy mystery and the wonderful tea and food mentioned in Laura Childs's latest novel. I would love to have Theodosia's shop and her employees. The characters could be better developed, but still the story is fun with all the silly events and people. Max does not seem too upset about his loss of a job, and the police seem not involved in the murders. Laura Childs provides fashion, elegance, impressive food to sway the reader away from lack of character and setting and plot. The journey is whimsical and fun. ( )

This an easy read cozy murder mystery story -- it doesn't tax the brain too much, but it is still interesting with several good red herrings and false starts in the solution of the mystery. There are several good candidates for the role of the murderer and the solution which comes at the end could be said to be arbitrary.

The tea shop characters are good background and familiar to those of us who have read other books in the series. Actually all the characters are somewhat muted than in other episodes, for example Delaine is tame compared to her antics in other ones (maybe she is bowed by her visiting aunt who is a firecracker).

Max, Theodosia's boyfriend, comes across as a wimp -- not someone a strong person like her would choose. There's no resolution of his status at the museum at the end so I'm thinking he'll take the new job in Savannah and disappear from the next episode.

These stories have not quite reached the stage of being formulaic, but it's getting close.

All in all it's an enjoyable story, the blood and violence is all off stage, and there's plenty of activity other than the investigation to keep you reading the book. ( )