"Peach Tea Smash" By Laura Childs

Review by Sandra Murphty

The Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fall fundraiser for the Charleston Opera Society, is held at the Grist Mill, an odd choice of venue. The event has wandering musicians, dancing fairies, fire eaters, two bars, and three hors d’oeuvres locations. Drayton and Theodosia have worked many events, but this one is even more over the top than they’ve seen before. This time they’re guests—once the hors d’oeuvres were made, delivered, and showcased, that is. Steak bites, tiny shrimp kabobs, duck pate on crostini, and local cheeses, sure to please.

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Image Source Berkley

The event is also serving Drayton’s signature drink—peach tea smash, a combination of white tea, peach slices, and a fine bourbon. It’s bound to be a night to remember.

And it was. Imagine their shock when they get a bit lost while exploring the grist mill—and discover the body of their host, suspended in midair.

It seems he was well-liked, unlike his son who is a slumlord and recently, he and his boat were the cause of injuries to a woman. Now the question is: was it a case of mistaken identity? Perhaps the son was the target. Even reviewing hours of photos and videos from the event isn’t much help since it was a costumed/masked event.

Of course, their friend Delaine is also a friend of the new widow and asks Theodosia to see if she can determine the motive and killer’s identity. One cannot say no to Delaine. Will Theo be able to decipher the puzzle before the killer comes after her?

This is book 28 in the popular series. Theo is a bit more careful than she’s been before. Drayton is his usual self except when Theo leads him astray in search of clues. Haley and Miss Dimple need more time on the page—their characters are too good to only exist as supporting staff.

As always, there are recipes included: Drayton’s peach tea smash, lemon curd, chocolate truffles, grilled salmon with honey mustard brown sugar crust, crab-stuffed mushrooms, veggie tea sandwiches, bourbon chocolate pie, peach cobbler, and applesauce brownies. Childs includes ideas for teas of your own, tea resources, the locations of tea plantations, website and blog addresses, tea sellers, and tips for visiting Charleston.

Look for book 29, High Tea and Misdemeanors, publishing in March 2025, available for pre-order now, where a bridesmaid is killed before the ceremony can take place—in the greenhouse with the groom…

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!
You can click here to purchase this book.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won't see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.