The kettle’s about to boil over . . .
The quaint coastal town of South Cove, California, is all abuzz about the opening of a new specialty shop, Tea Hee. But as Coffee, Books, and More owner Jill Gardner is about to find out, there’s nothing cozy about murder . . .
Shop owner Kathi Corbin says she came to South Cove to get away from her estranged family. But is she telling the truth? And did a sinister someone from her past follow her to South Cove? When a woman claiming to be Kathi’s sister starts making waves and a dead body is found in a local motel, Jill must step in to clear Kathi’s name—without getting herself in hot water.
SERIES: Tourist Trap Mystery #7
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Lyrical Underground
RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2016
PAGES: 192
Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy series, and this latest book is no exception. Multiple threads going on kept my sleuthing mind busy, and the character depth in Tea Cups and Carnage added new layers to our familiar friends (and introduced a couple of new faces to the mix).
Jill’s boyfriend – police detective Greg – has a murder to solve, of course, and as usual Jill finds herself in the middle of the investigation. But this time she has so much on her plate that she doesn’t really have time to intentionally poke around – rather, the case follows her. Along with this mysterious murder of a stranger in the “no-tell motel”, Jill has to deal with the usual issues of running her coffee shop/bookstore plus some additional problems. Where did a missing (large) bank deposit end up? Why has her business neighbor (and her aunt’s former boyfriend) Josh suddenly left town and left Jill to watch over his shop? What is bothering Sasha? Why is Lille so protective of Nick? Along with all of these questions to answer, Jill keeps finding herself in the path of a guy on a motorcycle who’s been terrorizing her quiet community lately. Are they all connected? Are they all separate incidents? Well… of course I’m not going to tell you 😉
As always, Lynn Cahoon has a knack for characters, setting, and dialogue. South Cove comes alive – its people, its places, its sights and sounds. I would love to go for a visit and if I could somehow manage to find this fictional town I would keep an eye out in case I spied Jill and Emma on a beach run. Of course I would have to stop in the bookstore and see who else happened by (while eating one of Sadie’s delectable treats, naturally). Maybe I’d catch a glimpse of hunky Greg or hunky Toby or cantankerous Aunt Jackie, too. While I’m there, I would absolutely have to sit on the couch and talk books with Sasha and then meander along the beach in hopes of meeting Emma the golden retriever as she and Jill head back home. Anyone want to go with me?
Bottom Line: There are a plethora of cozy mysteries to choose from, but Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mysteries should be at the top of your list! Tea Cups and Carnage grabs you from the very beginning with its characters (both the new and the familiar) and holds you captive with each new layer to be discovered as the story progresses. It’s not too long and not too heavy, making this a perfect choice for a weekend read or a day at the beach. Entertaining, clean, and well-written, Tea Cups and Carnage reminds me why I love cozy mysteries!
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.
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Other Books by Lynn Cahoon
What about you? Why do you like cozy mysteries?
Ooo.. sounds like fun!
this is a really fun series!
So, anything tea related grabs my attention. However, your review does not say anything about tea or teacups… so just wondering how the title relates. Also, I just checked Amazon, and was surprised to see a simple little paperback, EZ read listed for $15. That just seems pricey to me (???). Thought I’d ask you for some feedback on those two things, if you don’t mind. 🙂
Ah yes, I didn’t mention that, did I? lol! Sometimes it get tricky to cover things without giving too much away 🙂 The title comes into play because one of the new characters, a transplant in town, is opening a tea shop (to sell teas) called Tea Hee. This tea shop owner Kathi is at the center of the murder investigation by default. And yeah – I just double checked the price – looks like the paperback IS $15. sheesh! The Kindle copy is only $5.99 though.
Thanks so much. I’ll stick it in my wish lists and keep on eye out until the price drops! 😉
sounds like a great idea!! 🙂
Hi Carrie and BlueJeansandTeacups.
Yeah, about the price. It’s a trade paperback print on demand, so they’re more expensive than the mass market paperbacks. 🙁
Carrie, I love that you’re reviewing cozy mysteries once in a while and will try to remember this author.
I credit Miss Marple and PBS Mystery for hooking me on cozy mysteries back in the 70s and I used to devour them before becoming a reviewer, mainly of Christian fiction. British settings are my favorite and I miss this genre so much! I’m now involved with Great Escapes, which tours a lot of cozy mysteries – that may be who you’re with, in fact. Anyway, I’ve committed to several books over the summer that look to be fairly clean. Here’s hoping!
Yes, that’s the group I’m with!! I’ve found most from Lori’s group to be quite clean and very good!
Sounds like a great read, definitely adding to my TBR list. Too bad the paperback is $15, too pricey for my limited budget.
I know! The price surprises me!
Sounds good! I have not read many mysteries!
Cozies are fun 🙂
Okay, the name of the tea shop made me LOL. 😀
Did it make you teehee, perhaps? 😉