Devonshire Scream

February 22, 2016
Childs's 17th Tea Shop mystery (after 2015's Ming Tea Murder) starts off with a bangâor rather, a crash. Theodosia Browning, intrepid owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, S.C., is catering a glittering show of gems and jewels hosted by her friend Brooke Carter Crockett, owner of Heart's Desire Fine Jewelry. The elegant affair is proceeding apace when a truck smashes through the shop's front window and a gang of jewel thieves leaps out to commit a smash-and-grab robbery of gems worth millions. The theft only takes two minutes, but the brutal invasion robs Brooke of more than jewels: a shard of glass from the shattered window kills her 20-year-old niece, Kaitlin Crockett. When Brooke asks Theodosia to help find Kaitlin's killers, Theodosia comes up with a bold plan to lure the thieves with a fabulous brooch. A charming cast of characters, a cultivated and genteel setting, plenty of tea and scones, a plausible slate of suspects, and an exciting climatic chase in designer clothes and jewels all add up to another enjoyable outing with Theodosia and friends.