The Indigo Tea Shop Serves Mystery One Cup at a Time

...from the publisher...
Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed,
herringbone, and suede.

But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor's lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.

His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.

As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald's daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she's made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.


...my thoughts...
A good mystery is delicious, especially if it is served at the Indigo Tea Shop.  Set in historic Charleston, South Carolina, the Lavender Blue Murder is elegance right alongside of murder. Theodosia Browning and her faithful tea expert Drayton Conneley are two wonderful characters who run a not so quiet tea shop where one can count on good tea, delicious food and of course savory characters. When crime strikes, the tea shop is the place to be all who want to be in the know.

I enjoyed this book because the plot kept me thinking from the moment Theodosia heard a gunshot while attending a shooting party on an old country plantation.  The plot got thicker as things went from murder to arson to kidnapping.  Were they connected or random acts?  In the end, the solution seemed easy but took me on some winding roads to get there.  For a fun mystery and good recipes, look no further!

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason is Full of Hope and Inspiration

...from the publisher...

Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man's niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings.
Julia Holloway's decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle's employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn's kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything.

Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?

...my thoughts...
Susan Anne Mason's The Brightest of Dreams is an incredible story.  With incredible odds, one young determined man, Quentin Aspinall undertakes to reunite his two brothers and sister.  His goal was to restore them to his mother, who, in poor health and dire straits, gave their care temporarily over to Dr. Bernardo's Homes.  Little did she know that they would be put on a boat for Canada.

I can't imagine how difficult this situation would be. Although this is a work of fiction, the children in this story could have been a handful of over one hundred thousand children shipped off from Dr. Thomas Bernardo Homes. The British Home Children were sent to Canada and worked under contract on farms, as housemaids or other jobs as indentured servants. Many, as in the case of Quinn's brothers Cecil and Harry, who were sent to separate farms, were ill treated and especially, like little Harry, malnourished.

The plight of the young, who don't have the resources to stand up for themselves in poor conditions is an unfair fight. Not only children, but also young women, like Julia Holloway, who was preyed upon unethically, had little voice when people in authority could determine their future at will.

Julia's faith helped her endure the difficult circumstances she found herself in with grace and dignity.  Quinn, who became a constant in her life also possessed a strong faith.  He trusted God as  he forged ahead with his plans that at times were so difficult.  Yet, he was stalwart, patient and loved his family fiercely for one so young. I liked this book.  The elements of faith woven throughout made this poignant story all the richer. The characters were well developed, coming alive as the story unfolded.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend The Brightest of Dreams for your reading list. The children who became the British Home Children, along with the children in America who were sent on Orphan Trains became a part of the history of North American.  For when they grew up and out of their situations, they emerged, after all, as the men and women who helped settled North America.

I was pleased to receive an advance copy of this book for review.  Although I have enjoyed other books by this author, my opinions are mine.