Rating: 
Summary: More Mystery and Fun with Theo
Review: Theodosia is thrilled to be catering the annual Isle of Palms Yacht Race. But the perfect day is brought to abrupt end when the gun signaling the end of the race explodes and kills Oliver Dixon. While it appears to be an accident, Theo isn't convinced and begins to investigate. Soon she has more suspects then she knows what to do with. Was it the result of an ancient feud? Or maybe the new, young widow wanted control of his fortune? Or could Oliver's business investor have wanted out of his investment enough to kill?I thoroughly enjoyed this second mystery novel (following DEATH BY DARJEELING). The plot is complex, with the clues pointing in every direction possible. I still didn't know what was going on by the end, but the ending worked. I'm not a tea person, but enjoyed the information about tea. It was well scattered throughout and didn't bog down the storyline. My biggest complaint is the author's tendency to switch view-point characters for a few paragraphs at random within a scene. It makes for confusing reading but fortunately only happens a few times over the course of the novel. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Charleston and the Indigo Tea Shop. This is a fun, relaxing series with a wonderful cast of characters and good plotting. Put the kettle on and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: More Mystery and Fun with Theo
Review: Theodosia is thrilled to be catering the annual Isle of Palms Yacht Race. But the perfect day is brought to abrupt end when the gun signaling the end of the race explodes and kills Oliver Dixon. While it appears to be an accident, Theo isn't convinced and begins to investigate. Soon she has more suspects then she knows what to do with. Was it the result of an ancient feud? Or maybe the new, young widow wanted control of his fortune? Or could Oliver's business investor have wanted out of his investment enough to kill? I thoroughly enjoyed this second mystery novel (following DEATH BY DARJEELING). The plot is complex, with the clues pointing in every direction possible. I still didn't know what was going on by the end, but the ending worked. I'm not a tea person, but enjoyed the information about tea. It was well scattered throughout and didn't bog down the storyline. My biggest complaint is the author's tendency to switch view-point characters for a few paragraphs at random within a scene. It makes for confusing reading but fortunately only happens a few times over the course of the novel. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Charleston and the Indigo Tea Shop. This is a fun, relaxing series with a wonderful cast of characters and good plotting. Put the kettle on and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovely atmosphere, mystery lacking
Review: There's a lot more than tea brewing at the Indigo Tea Shoppe in this second installment of the Laura Childs series. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't keep up with the atmosphere. Clues point in every direction, but even on a second reading there's no "aha!" moment when the reader can see -- "Oh, that's where the murderer tipped his/her hand!" The plotting is not getting better as this series progresses.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely atmosphere, mystery lacking
Review: There's a lot more than tea brewing at the Indigo Tea Shoppe in this second installment of the Laura Childs series. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't keep up with the atmosphere. Clues point in every direction, but even on a second reading there's no "aha!" moment when the reader can see -- "Oh, that's where the murderer tipped his/her hand!" The plotting is not getting better as this series progresses.
Rating: 
Summary: For all tea lovers
Review: This was a very interesting book. I've been drinking tea for many years (into decades by now), and this is a very good mystery book, yet it teaches people interesting facts about tea. Highly recommend it, especially if you like the type of mystery by Carol Lea Benjamin and Laurien Berensen.
Rating:
Summary: engaging cozy
Review: Though Charleston's Indigo Tea Shop normally never caters a party, proprietor Theodosia Browning makes an exception for the annual Isles of Palm Yacht Race. She and her crack staff of two even make a new tea, GUNPOWDER GREEN, for the "Tea by the Sea" event. The gala is going quite well though Theodosia observes an argument between upper crust Oliver Dixon and Fred Cantrell. Not long afterward, Oliver fires the finishing line gun, but it misfires exploding in his face leaving him dead.
Everyone including police detective Burt Tidwell believes an unfortunate accident has occurred. That is everyone except Theodosia who feels someone pulled off a clever homicide by disguising it as one of those misfortunate events that happen in life. Unable to leave it alone, Theodosia begins making inquiries that places her in danger.
The latest Indigo Tea Shop mystery, GUNPOWDER GREEN, is an engaging cozy that sub-genre fans will want to read along with a spot of their favorite beverage, preferably green tea. The story line engages the audience from the start though why the heroine insists murder occurred against the overwhelming evidence seems inane on Theodosia's part. Fans will enjoy the antics of Theodosia and her employees as they put their personal spin on the perils and delights of tea flavored boiling water. Laura Childs provides the right combination between tidbits on tea and an amateur sleuth cozy that will send readers seeking a cup of DEATH BY DARJEELING, the series previous novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A perfect cozy mystery!
Review: „Gunpowder Green" is the second book in the Teashop-Mystery-Series and it is even better than the first one, "Death By Darjeeling", Theodosia and her friends/colleagues Drayton and Harley are catering for the Isle of Palms Yacht Race when the signaling gun explodes and kills a wealthy member of Charleston society, Oliver Dixon. Theodosia is not convinced that Dixon's death was an accident and starts investigating on her own account. There are lots of suspects who might have wanted to do Oliver Dixon in: was it his young wife of nine weeks, who was after his money? Was it a member of the competing yacht club, a business associate? Or was the murder even a result of a longstanding family feud between the Dixon and the Cantrell families? Laura Childs continues what she has begun in the first Teashop-Mystery: She gives loving & detailed accounts of people and places, without making the read tedious or peripatetic. Quite the contrary! Her knack of picturing and describing things made me want to slow down and savor every minute in Charleston's historic district, sneak a peak into her teashop and be served tea and a delicious pastries by Drayton and Haley. Compared to the predecessor "Death By Darjeeling", the plot of the mystery in "Gunpowder Green" is far better evolved, even though some readers might be able to pin the perpetrator a lot earlier than I could. Result: "In a world gone mad with indifference" (p.201) reading this book did make a difference to me;-). I enjoyed reading it until the very last page. A perfect, relaxing, fully-fledged-5-star cozy mystery! Am very much looking forward to reading the third book in this series!
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