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Ming Tea Murder on May 5, 2015 Pages: 336
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It’s scones and scandal for Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Steeped in Evil...
Normally Theodosia wouldn’t attend a black tie affair for all the tea in China. But she can hardly say no to her hunky, handsome boyfriend, Max, who directs public relations for the Gibbes Museum in Charleston. Max has organized an amazing gala opening for an exhibit of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese teahouse, and the crème de la crème of Charleston society is invited.
In the exotic garden staged in the museum’s rotunda, a Chinese dragon dances to the beat of drums as it weaves through the crowd. The guests are serenaded by a Chinese violin as they sample an assortment of tempting bites. And to give them a memento of the occasion, there’s even a photo booth. But Theodosia makes a grim discovery behind the booth’s curtains: the body of museum donor Edgar Webster.
While Theodosia prefers tea service over the service of justice, this case is difficult to ignore—especially after Max becomes a suspect. Now she must examine the life of the fallen philanthropist and find out who really wanted him to pay up...
A guest blog from Laura Childs, the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Her newest mystery, MING TEA MURDER, is out May 5.
Why Green is the new Black.
What green, you might ask, is that crazy Laura Childs talking about? I’m really excited about green tea! In case you haven’t heard, green tea is the hot new tea. (Or cold new tea if you prefer it iced.)
While I adore black tea – and the characters in my Tea Shop Mysteries certainly do, too – it turns out that green tea is very good for you.
Green tea may even be the healthiest drink on the planet and here’s why. Green tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants – these are the really good little nutrients that actually guard against things like cancer and dementia. Green tea also helps improve brain function. And green tea can dramatically increase metabolism so you can burn more fat.
What I’ve also discovered is that green tea imparts a nice hum of energy – a subtle caffeine hit but without the accompanying jitters. Which is very good for an author who sits at her computer seven hours a day!
Green tea comes in tea bags, as loose tea, bottled tea, and as matcha powder, and most is grown in India and China.
In my Tea Shop Mysteries, it only stands to reason that I feature lots of tea drinking. And for the most part, the teas have been black teas – Darjeeling, Assam, Keemun, Lapsang Souchong, and Nilgiri. But I’ve decided it’s time my characters jump onto this new green tea trend.
Of course, whenever Theodosia and the rest of the tea shop gang get together, someone’s always in hot water. In MING TEA MURDER, my newest Tea Shop Mystery, tea maven Theodosia Browning stumbles across the body of a wealthy socialite who’s been murdered during a museum gala. When the blame falls on her PR director boyfriend, Theo vows to track down the killer. She delves deep into old Charleston society looking for answers – investigating a scorned mistress, angry business partner, and shady antique dealer. It’s a story that’s gripping, realistic, and lots of fun. And, yes, Theodosia does brew up a lovely pot of green tea along the way.
All my best – and please enjoy my Green Tea Blueberry Smoothie recipe!
Laura Childs
Green Tea Blueberry Smoothie
1 cup water
2 green tea bags
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup frozen vanilla yogurt
Boil water and steep tea bags for 4 minutes. Squeeze and remove tea bags and discard. Cool tea. Place tea, blueberries, and frozen yogurt in a food processor or Nutribullet and pulse until mixed. Makes 2 servings.
Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs is the 16th book in her popular Tea Shop Mystery cozy series. I have a couple of the earlier books in this series on my shelf, but haven’t had a chance to read them yet. That didn’t stop me from diving right in to Ming Tea Murder.
Theodosia owns the Indigo Tea Shop. She is at a fancy, exclusive event for the local museum (where her boyfriend is in PR) when she discovers the body of Edgar Webster. Mr. Webster is a wealthy museum donor. Theodosia can’t help but do some amateur sleuthing to try to figure out what happened to Edgar. I really enjoyed her character. She was intelligent and real. It was nice to have a strong female sleuth who will do everything she can to solve this murder. Theodosia is a winner!
The pacing in the story was fast and kept me turning pages (and not wanting to head back to work after my lunch!). I enjoyed this quick-moving cozy, that had me guessing the guilty party right until the end. I was easily immersed in the story even without having read the previous installments in the series. Laura does a nice job describing the characters and settings so you don’t feel left out if this is your first time reading the series. Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs is a well-written cozy mystery, and I can’t wait to read more in the Tea Shop Mystery series.
Thanks to the author, two lucky US winners will receive personally signed copies of Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs. Woohoo! For your chance to win, please enter using the Giveaway Tools Widget below. Giveaway ends 5/15/2015 and winners will be randomly selected and contacted via email. See giveaway widget for complete rules and regulations.
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Oh my I love green tea! I just finished having a cup. I drink green tea after lunch and dinner. I sometimes drink black, peppermint, or cinnamon tea. I also drink lots of water with Apple cider vinegar. I also put green matcha powder in my smoothies. My smoothies consist of Kale, banana, fruit Medley, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and Almond milk.
This book sounds so awesome! It has recipes too! I’ve never read any of your books, but that will change as of today. I don’t knit, but I do embroidery (occasionally), cookie decorating (I’m making some custom cookies for my daughter’s birthday), and I love to bake. I used to decorate cakes, but I stopped after I was pregnant with my third child.
Hi Claudia! You sound like a real tea connoisseur! Good luck in the giveaway. 🙂
I enjoy drinking green tea (that’s what I take to work to drink). I don’t drink smoothies but I think I may have to start.
Ming Tea Murder sounds like a fun mystery! For me, Laura Childs is a new author, and I will check out her other books. Thank you for the review and giveaway.
This was my first time reading her as well, Jen – but it was great and I look forward to reading other books by her.
i would love to read it because this is one of my favorite authors.
That’s great to hear, Lisa. Best of luck!
Thanks for the giveaway! My mom and I love this series and have been waiting (I’m)patiently for this book. We love Theodosia and the gang! Can’t wait to read it!
That’s great that you both love this series, Shannon! Good luck to you (and your mom). 🙂
I am just getting into mystery authors and I would love to get a chance to read her books and find a great series to read! xx
Awesome~good luck, Bethany!
Ming Tea Murder sounds unique and intriguing. Laura Child’s novels are always special. I love tea and drink tea all year and hot tea is a must. Lemon and Chamomile are my favorites. Thanks for this great feature and giveaway.
Very good luck to you, Anne. 🙂 Anne is my middle name!
I want to read Ming Tea Murder because I love Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mysteries, and I love things associated with tea. My favorite tea is Lady Grey with a little cream and sugar.
That sounds like a delightful way to take tea, Laurie. Good luck!
i’ve never drunk tea .but i really enjoy reading cozy mystery books and this one sounds good.
You are missing out, Angela – iced sweet tea is delish and oh-so-refreshing in the summer months. 🙂 Good luck in the giveaway!
I love this series with Theo and her friends. I really like green tea, and won some peach tea that is sooo good.
Yum! Peach tea is one of my favorites, Kaye. Good luck!
I’ve read all the previous books in this series, and looking forward to the new one. I like most kinds of tea. Had white tea once and it was really good.
That’s wonderful, Pat! Best of luck in the giveaway.
I want to read Green Tea Mystery because I enjoy a good book.
Good luck!
I would enjoy reading “Ming Tea Murder” because I like tea shop cozy mysteries. My favorite way to drink tea is iced and really sweet. Black tea is my usual choice, and I also enjoy cranberry flavored tea.
I love iced sweet black tea, super sweet! I have never tried cranberry tea but do enjoy peach, raspberry and strawberry flavored, so I think I would enjoy it. Thanks for coming by – good luck Linda!
I absolutely love green tea! I also love blueberries and can’t wait to try the smoothie! I have just started reading this series and would love to add this book to my collection! Thanks for the chance!
The smoothie sounds so refreshing, perfect for the summer months. Good luck, Terri!
I love mysteries and this one sounds great. My favorite tea is Chai.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Good luck in the giveaway, Marsha!
I am hearing more about these books lately and they sound very good! I will have to look for them when I can get to a bookstore again.
Good luck in the giveaway, Elaine! Try your local libraries as well. 🙂
I want to read this book because I always enjoy this aurthor! I do enjoy drinking tea. My favorites are the flavored ones.
This is why healthy nutrition supplements such as 100 percent protein shakes or powders are a must.
More and less, the body will not get prone to protein and vitamin deficiency related diseases.
There are internet sites that permit you contrast rates or prices from a number of on the
internet stores.
I want to win this book because I have read another book by Laura Childs (Steeped in Evil) and now I want to read everything in this series. I like green tea with a bit of orange flavor in it.
Love this series, so I can’t wait for the new title! I like Jasmine green tea a lot. Thanks!
This is one of the series that got me hooked on cozy mysteries and it remains one of my favorites to this day. Plus, Laura Childs is one of my favorite authors as well. I’ve so been looking forward to reading this latest Tea Shop Mystery for months. Thanks for the chance to win.