In Cold Chamomile
A Tea and a Read Mystery
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Just in time for the holidays, In Cold Chamomile is sure to be a cupid's arrow aimed straight for your bookshelf.
Tea party organizer Callie Aspen learns that Cupid's arrows can be deadly when a Valentine's Day soiree ends in murder.
Callie Aspen can't think of a more appropriate place to spend Valentine's Day than her adopted hometown of Heart's Harbor, Maine. When she's not helping out at Book Tea, her great-aunt Iphy's vintage tearoom, Callie's adorning Haywood Hall with hearts and roses for the big Valentine's event, where townspeople will fall in love with sweet treats, heartwarming music, and delightful books. But tension is brewing: The librarian argues with the expert who is on hand to appraise precious volumes. And Iphy is shocked to recognize the baritone who's slated to sing at the event as an old acquaintance--one she'd hoped she'd never meet again. And then, when a dead body is discovered, the stirring spoon of suspicion points at the many people who had reasons to want the victim dead.
When Iphy's old acquaintance draws the attention of Deputy Ace Falk, Callie finds herself in a spot. Ace, as usual, doesn't want Callie involved, but how can she ignore Iphy's anguish over the fate of a man she cares for more than she will admit? Bringing the killer to justice may endanger Callie's budding relationship with Ace--and, quite possibly, her own life.
Callie and the Book Tea crew may think they have this case in the bag, but un-kettling truths are yet to be decanted.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Avon's smoothly written third a Tea and a Read mystery (after 2019's Sweet Tea and Secrets) finds former tour guide Callie Aspen and her great-aunt Iphy, who owns the vintage tea room where Callie helps out, hosting a Valentine's Day celebration in Hearts Harbor, Mass. Everything is going according to plan, until Iphy is startled to see that the singer for the event is her long-lost love, Sean Strong. Iphy has more to worry about after TV celebrity Mr. King, a book appraiser who tries to cheat the locals, is found stabbed to death and Sean becomes the prime suspect. Ignoring the police request to back off, Iphy is determined to clear Sean's name, even at risk to her own life. The tension rises as Callie and her police deputy boyfriend, Ace Falk, each pursues the murder from a different direction, putting their relationship in peril. Subplots that don't necessarily move the main plot forward are enjoyable enough in their own right. The unexpected ending will leave the reader eagerly waiting to see what happens next to Callie.