Pekoe Most Poison: Tea Shop Mystery #18

At the start of Childs’s lively, entertaining 18th Tea Shop mystery (after 2016’s Devonshire Scream), Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, S.C., and her friend and tea sommelier, debonair Drayton Conneley, arrive at an extravagant tea party hosted by philanthropist Doreen Briggs and her entrepreneurial husband, Beau, whose most recent venture is a swanky spa. Shortly after an elaborately costumed waiter knocks over a candle, causing a centerpiece to go up in flames, Theodosia saves the day by dousing the fire with a pot of tea, but, seconds later, Beau drops dead. Theodosia recognizes the symptoms of poison. Impressed by her quick thinking, Doreen asks Theodosia to investigate. Who would want to kill good old Beau? As Theodosia digs deeper into the man’s life, possible answers to that question start popping up thick and fast. An attempt is made on Drayton’s life and a second death occurs, leaving Theodosia to fear that she’ll be the next victim. The delightful narrative is chock-full of tea lore and tea tips, plus a wide selection of recipes for cakes, sandwiches, cookies, scones, and muffins. Agent: Sam Pinkus, Keystone Literary Agency. (Mar.)