I really was disappointed in this Theodosia Browning mystery. While I am used to the formulaic plot, this one was REALLY formulaic. I wasn't surprised by who the murderer was yet we hardly got a reason behind why actions were done. The person was arrested and I was like "that's it?"

And while Theodosia always disobeys the cops, in "Plum Tea Crazy" she really did. The first four chapters are about her running after a suspect......then she breaks and enters a home without a second thought......yeah I thought it was outlandish

There wasn't nearly enough tea shop action. That was why I loved these books in the first place. ( )

I've read quite a few books in this series but apparently missed a few through the years, so now I'm going back to remedy that.

I enjoy "visiting" with Theodosia, Drayton, and Haley at the tea shop. I like learning about teas from Drayton. The Plum Blossom Tea was interesting to read about.

I do sometimes wonder how the tea shop survives since Drayton and Theodosia have such busy lives with so many events and then investigating on top of that.

I'm not sure I suspected the killer until the author revealed who it was. ( )

With an interesting crime-solving duo in Theodosia and Drayton and a whirlwind of a mystery, Plum Tea Crazy was a great read to start off 2022 with.

I sleuthed out the mystery relatively early on in the book, but I still wanted to know how it unfolded and whether or not my suspicion was correct (which it ultimately was). There are many suspects to consider, most with relatively good motives.

I felt that the mystery ended a bit abruptly, as I was interested in knowing more about how it was resolved and why it happened the way it happened. Though, this is also a good sign - wanting to know more about the mystery means that I cared about it, which isn't true of all cozy mysteries for me.

I especially liked reading about Drayton and would definitely be interested in reading more books from this series in which he features prominently.

That being said, I haven't read any of the other books in the series, so I can't speak to how this book compares to others. It does work as a standalone though, as most cozy mysteries do. You don't need to have read past instalments to understand this one.

Please note that this book depicts guns and other weapons - both as antiques and as methods to harm others - in slightly more depth and detail than the typical cozy mystery. At points, it's slightly more graphic than most cozy mysteries are, though not as graphic as most thrillers.

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I have only read a few books in the series, but I am glad I read this one. The first thing that drew me to this book was the lovely cover. This book starts off with a bang when Theodosia (Theo) and her good friend and tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are viewing the the city’s Gaslights and Galleons Parade event. Sailing ships from around the world are converging on Charleston and the pair have been invited to view it from the widow's walk of one of the spectacular mansions situated on the route. When one of the guests appears to have been shot and falls from the widow's walk during the event, Theodosia jumps in right away. She ends up chasing a person who she thinks is responsible through the B & B next door. When it’s reinforced that it was a murder and not a horrible accident, Theo's friend asks her to poke around and see if she can come up with some suspects. This is a busy time of year in Charleston with the Cat Show and the accompanying Hair Ball, The Ancient Guns and Weapons Show, a Fashion Show at her "friend" Delaine's boutique and the Garden Club's Plum Blossom Tea that Theo and her staff are kept hopping. Somewhere in there, she has time to make a new friend, Alexis, who has opened a Japanese Gallery down the street and to investigate the murder.

Theo’s supportive friends are there to help her out from Drayton to Haley, the talented shop’s chef, and Haley’s young nephew, Jamie. The supporting characters are well thought out and add fun to the storyline. Theo’s relationship with Detective Pete Riley helped her to gather some facts and I find it refreshing that he doesn’t demand that she stop snooping. There were some laugh out loud moments in the book that I enjoyed as well. I thought I figured out who the murderer was and I was right, but the reveal was well done and tied up all the loose ends. I enjoyed this story and will probably go back and read some of the ones that I have missed. I will also try a couple of the recipes included in the back. If you are a tea lover, there are also some Tea Time Tips and links for Tea Resources, which you might want to check out. I received a copy of this book from the First To Read Program. I willingly reviewed this book and the opinions are my own.
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Theodosia and Drayton become embroiled in the murder of a banker and after a few missteps are able to solve the crime. I think for me this series is much more about the setting than the mystery. The tea shop and southern charm keep me coming back for more and wishing I lived in South Carolina. ( )