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.
Series: A Tea and Read Mystery #3| Publisher: Crooked Lane Books | Release Date: 2/11/2020 | Genre: Cozy Mystery| Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups
Callie Aspen is thrilled that Book Tea will be one of the
hosts of the Valentine’s Day event held in historic Haywood Hall. Not only will
Callie and her Aunt Iphy be providing their fabulous book-inspired tea treats,
there’s a bevy of events including music, pet adoptions, and an expert book
appraiser. With love in the air, Callie never expected the event to end in
murder. When Sean Strong, a person from Iphy’s past, is the main suspect in the
appraisers murder Iphy is willing to do anything to prove he’s innocent and she’s
determined to convince Callie to help.
I struggled with parts of this one. The mystery was decent—I
had a feeling who the murderer was from early on but I was still working out
the why, which was enough to keep me invested in the plot. What I didn’t care
for was Iphy’s actions. In her pursuit to clear Sean’s name, she bulldozed over
Callie and Ace’s relationship. She was very selfish and used tactics that
should have had her thrown in jail. I also didn’t care for Callie’s sit back
and whine attitude. She knew she was going against what Ace—the deputy
currently filling in for the sheriff—asked but she continued to let her aunt do
as she pleased.
This one had a slightly different tone to it than what I was
expecting. There was a lot going on in this one relationship-wise with the
characters and it gave the book a slight jumbled feel. Given that the previous
book had Callie and Ace and Peggy and Quinn starting/attempting relationships,
I was surprised to see how much drama was going on, especially since this one
was a Valentine’s themed book.
Overall, this one wasn’t as strong as the second book in the
series (review coming soon) but it was still an okay read. Yes, there were some
issues with this one but I’m eagerly waiting for the next in this series.
Tea and Read Mystery Series
In Peppermint Peril #1
Sweet Tea Revenge #2
In Cold Chamomile #3
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