Cover Image: Murder with Oolong Tea

Murder with Oolong Tea

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With the 10th Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery coming out in November this year, I realized that I had several to catch up. Saying that, it is not necessary to read all the previous books in this series to enjoy them all, but the personal stories carry on from previous books, so that part might be spoiled if you go back to read previous books, but each mystery is self-contained in the book. In Murder with Oolong Tea, Daisy has been hired to provide tea and desserts in appreciation for the faculty of Willow Creek High School after the spring concert. One of the staff, Althea Higgins's has been lecturing the staff on such controversial subjects as school uniforms and under qualified substitute teachers and it is aggravating many of the staff. Daisy is at the school when a body is found in the swimming pool, and it is Althea. She was strangled and thrown in the pool. There are way too many suspects in this one. Meanwhile, Daisy's daughter, Jazzy, has asked her mom if a friend can stay with them while her parents are in Europe. Daisy does her due diligence and talks to the girl's parents and the guidance counsellor before agreeing. You know two teenage girls are bound to get into something.

This book reminded me what I have been missing while getting behind in this series. I really like Daisy's character. She is a widow with two daughters, Jazzy, who is adopted and still in high school, and Violet who is married and recently gave birth to her first child. She runs the tea house with her aunt, is involved in school activities and is a great mom. Somehow, she fits sleuthing into her schedule. She is a hard worker, a loving mother and a smart cookie. As Daisy begins to poke around in Althea's life, she finds several people who disliked Althea, but was it enough to kill her. It turns out that the young lady's grandmother who is staying with them, lives right near Althea's home, so she gets some information from her and other neighbours. The culprit was not on my radar, but it was a fitting ending to this mystery. I enjoy this series, with its great characters, well plotted mystery and fun stories. It is more of a character driven mystery than others I have read, but I enjoy seeing what Daisy, her family and friends are up to in each book.

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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my copy of Murder With Oolong Tea by Karen Rose Smith in exchange for an honest review. It published December 29, 2020.
I just loved this book! I loved the cast of characters, I loved the setting, I loved the tea, I loved it all. It was my first book in the series, but it caught me up so well, I didn’t feel completely lost and confused. I however, want to go back and start from the beginning.
Also, I did not see that ending coming!

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Murder with Oolong Tea is book number six, out of eight so far, in the Daisy’s Tea Garden series. This is a cozy series that may be just right for reading on a warm summer day with a glass of iced tea nearby. I enjoyed the Pennsylvania Dutch setting.

In this entry, Daisy is providing refreshments at a school. Althea, who appears beloved by none, is found dead in the school’s pool. It is easy to understand why she might have been a victim but which of the many possible suspects did it? Stick by Daisy as she unravels everything and justice is served.

Fans new and old may want to give this title and series a look. Cozy lovers should enjoy it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.

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Daisy Swanson and the staff of Daisy's Tea Garden are catering a get-together for the faculty of Willow Creek High School. Althea Higgins is inserting her strict and rigid opinions, as she always did. It didn't seem unusual when Althea left the gathering room for a bit, but everything changed when Daisy saw Althea's dead body in the school swimming pool.

While trying to identify Althea's killer, Daisy learns about Althea's life when she wasn't teaching. Althea had more enemies than Daisy ever imagined.

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I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This series is fast paced and enjoyable. I absolutely adored it. This author has a fantastic writing style. I can't wait to read more books by this author. This book is in stores for $8.99 (USD). I highly highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This is the 6th book in this well established cozy mystery series that centres on Daisy and her tea house business. I have not come across this series before so I therefore have not read the previous books.
This particular story line focuses on Daisy who is asked to cater an event at a local high school and it is not surprising when a much disliked ex-teacher is found dead in the swimming pool. This being a cozy mystery, and Daisy being a tea shop owner, of course she starts to investigate the murder, causing the local law enforcement a few headaches along the way.
This was an enjoyable read and I didn’t actually guess who had done the murder so the end was a surprise for me. I do think I will go back and read the other books in the series as I think it will help me understand some if Daisy’s relationships better, such as her mum.
I will also be looking out for any future book with Earl Grey in the title as that’s my preferred type of tea. I must also try and find a recipe for snickerdoodles as I’ve never tried them and they seem a popular choice of treat in the world of cozy mysteries. Once again thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

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I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone who likes a good mystery.

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LOVED this book. Murder with Oolong Tea is set at the Willow Creek High School spring concert. We find Daisy providing the tea and chocolate biscuits.

Of course, murder follows and soon we have a mystery to solve. A wonderful addition to the series this was a pleasure to read. I highly recommend Murder with Oolong Tea to anyone who enjoys a really good cozy mystery.

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Daisy's Tea Garden is hired to cater a faculty event at school. A former teacher is found dead and Daisy is in the middle of things again. It was a good setting and the characters are as charming as always.

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The sixth book in the Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series by Karen Rose Smith is Murder with Oolong Tea. Daisy finds herself catering a tea for the high school staff including one particularly unlikable teacher from when Daisy was in school. When Althea the mean teacher is found dead, several people beg for Daisy's help in solving the mystery. As usual Daisy combines her sleuthing with plenty of extra drama. I enjoy this series, but I find the extra stuff in Daisy's life (taking on an additional teenager, solving other people's disagreements) to be tiring. This is still a good series despite Daisy's drama.

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When a teacher is found dead strangled in the pool at a school event, Daisy is determined to help her friends out and find out who the killer was.

I didn't like this one as much as I've liked other books in this series. I think this one was just trying to do too much and didn't have enough time to finish with all of the different storylines. I know I've enjoyed seeing a lot of Daisy's life in previous books, but it seemed like the mystery was an afterthought in this one.

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Daisy is finding that school teachers aren’t what they appear to be. In the latest addition to the “A Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery” series, Murder with Oolong Tea, one teacher is murdered, and evidence points to the possibility that another teacher may be the culprit.

Daisy is a wonderful character, as are most of the recurring cast in this series. The setting could be in any town in America; it feels intimate and comforting. The tea garden, although it doesn’t play a tremendous role in this story, is inviting and sounds yummy. The victim in this book, long-time teacher Althea Higgin’s isn’t exactly a beloved member of the community, nor is she hated by most people. Yet, she is hard to take, and students and teachers won’t miss her all that much. But as with most people, Althea wasn’t what she seemed.

Suspects range from teachers and students, family members, and a possible ex-lover. Evidence is scarce. This may be a failing of the story in general but does not detract from the reader’s enjoyment. The killer, once revealed, was not hard to figure out, mainly since the character falls into that “not what they seem” category, and the motive was made apparent earlier in the book. It’s too bad that Daisy isn’t in more peril and her tea garden at the center of the action. It would have made the story more interesting. Instead, the primary setting this time is the high school and Althea’s farm. This in and of itself isn’t an issue, but readers may not feel the same connection to the locations they have for Daisy’s tea garden.

Murder with Oolong Tea is a nice read for a quiet time. The action is minimal; the characters are well developed and familiar. The suspects, including the teachers and family members, are believable, and the murder is well thought out, and there are wonderful tea flavors. I am happy to recommend this cozy to readers who can relax and enjoy a story without too much detail or complications.

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It's always comforting to settle down with a book in this series. I can't possibly say enough good things about this book. The characters are likable and who doesn't love Amish country. The book is so well written that it's so enjoyable to read. It's also nice to read a book with a group of people who care as much as these characters do.

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I love this series! This mystery was charming and full of likable characters. I look forward to reading the Daisy’s Tea Shop mysteries because they envelope you in a sense of belonging! The mystery was well paced, and the characters drove the story! I can’t wait for future books!!!

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I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity
A lighthearted murder mystery without all the grisly bits and tension.
A good read.

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This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

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Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

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Daisy’s Tea Garden’s getting good reviews as a caterer for small gatherings. When the local high school wants tea and treats to unwind after the spring concert, Daisy’s got them covered.

Althea Higgins is most opinionated and not at all shy about sharing her feelings on topics like school uniforms, and a teacher she feels, although well-liked, isn’t qualified and who should be fired. She shares loudly enough to be overheard by whoever she’s talking about, too. She’d even stopped by the Tea Garden to tell Daisy how to make the tea and treats.

It’s still a shock for Daisy to go in search of her and find her floating in the school’s swimming pool, strangled, with one of the teachers on hand and thoroughly wet. With Althea’s grumpy, know-it-all attitude, the suspect list is long. Daisy’s been involved with murders before and the ‘not qualified’ teacher asks for her help.

The more Daisy digs, the more apparent it becomes—Althea’s school life and her personal life didn’t match. At school, she was a perfectionist and demanded the same of others. At home, there was chipped, peeling paint on the house and barn. It certainly showed a different side of Althea.

At home, Jazzy, Daisy’s adopted daughter, asks if a friend can stay with them for a couple of weeks while her parents are out of town. The girl arrives, piercings and odd clothes, and whatever enters her mind, comes out her mouth—no filter. Her parents notify Daisy they’ll be staying longer, that won’t be a problem, right?

Daisy also gets involved with the girl’s grandmother who, not ready for assisted living, does need some help. What should have been an easy favor is turning into adopting the whole family while the parents gallivant around Europe. And then there’s Daisy’s boyfriend. Things were going smoothly but…now will he speak to her again? Readers will be anxious to follow the developments.

This is book six in the series with Murder with Orange Pekoe Tea coming in August 2021. At the back of this book are recipes for blueberry coffee cake, streusel topping, and cabbage sausage soup.

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I adore this series. The setting of a small town tea shop, the cast of characters, and the sweet and sinister plot lines have made the Daisy's Tea Garden Mysteries one of my top series.

First and foremost, I love any book, especially a cozy, that has a middle aged (give or take a few years) protagonist. Also, when said protagonist is a single woman battling her own insecurities while trying to keep it together for her family, that's the perfect recipe to connect emotionally with the books.

In this series, Daisy, a widow with 2 daughters, returns to her small, home town to be closer to her family. In need of a fresh start, Daisy and her aunt Iris open a Tea Shop. Although the business is very successful, its seems a dark cloud has been hovering around the town, especially the tea shop. With murder and mystery popping up in town, Daisy or someone she cares about always seem to be a suspect.

In this installment, Daisy is investigating a murder, taking care of a neglected friend of Jazzi, Vi and her family, and dealing with her own relationship with Jonas. I enjoy the family element of this series so much and that after everything Daisy has to deal with, she is there to help others in need. Although she spreads herself thin, she is strong enough for everyone. There were some relationship issues that I did not like in this novel bit they had to be addressed so I understand. This was book 6 so I am really going to need Daisy and Jonas's relationship to step it up a notch at this point lol.

I received this book in digital format from Netgalley in return for an honest review. I cannot wait for book 7, Murder with Orange Pekoe Tea, releasing later this year.

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Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!
The characters in this series have become old friends by now, and I thoroughly enjoyed this
installment.

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