Cover Image: Murder with Oolong Tea

Murder with Oolong Tea

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Daisy Swanson runs a tea room while bringing up a teenage daughter, dealing with that daughter's birth mother, hosting a troubled teen, juggling a complicated romantic relationship, and staying involved in her community. When a murder takes place while she's catering a school tea, things get even more complicated.

The case brings up lots of feelings from the past -- school relationships, mother-daughter relationships, connections between the local Amish community and the "English" living there, and from affairs that were supposed to be secret.

Daisy tries to disentangle the murder while also disentangling all the threads of the many-layered relationships.

This is a satisfying book with character development for the ongoing characters in the series.

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Daisy's Tea Garden is catering a luncheon at the local high school but everything going perfectly is not in the agenda. There are arguments among the teachers and then a discovery of a murder. Was the death because of the argument or something else? Was there a student that didn't care for the strictness of the victim or a co-worker not liking to be pushed around.

The characters and their back stories continue to bring this series to life - and making this reader wish for a trip to Daisy's Tea Garden.

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I enjoyed the last few books in this series, but this one was not my favorite. Daisy has gotten very reckless in her investigating and I am not a fan of that. And she could be nominated for sainthood for having someone else's teenager living with her for a month and also trying to intercede with two men who used to be friends. About the plot Daisy discovers a former school teacher dead in the pool at a Teacher Appreciation luncheon. Mrs. Higgins was not a favorite of many of the other teachers or her students for that matter. As Daisy learns more about Althea, she finds some hidden depth and some secrets. I did enjoy the book, although I would only give it three stars. Maybe I need a rest from the series for a while.

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Just like I'm a sucker for mysteries set in bookstores, Im a sucker for mysteries with a tea theme. However, I think I'll be passing this series by. Daisy and her aunt Iris own a tea shop, and Daisy finds herself involved in various mysteries that plague her small, quiet community in Amish country. Unlike other tea-themed series, Smith's tea knowledge seems pretty limited; the only reason the title involves oolong is that it is the tea that Daisy drinks over and over and over and over. No one is killed by the oolong. Daisy can only make four items to go along with tea: snickerdoodles, blueberry coffee cake, lemon tea cakes, and sugar cookies. Over the course of the book, she makes these over and over and offers them to patrons and family alike. Blueberry coffee is one of my favorites and I make a mean one myself, but if I owned a tea room, I'd expand the menu a little beyond these four. Goodness, make a scone! They're not hard. One of the reasons I disliked this mystery is that there is simply too much going on--the murder, Daisy's younger daughter has befriended a troubled teen who comes to stay with them for several weeks (coincidentally, her grandmother lives right next door to the murder victim), Daisy and her boyfriend have a terrible row when she tries to push him to address a major issue in his life; her older daughter and her husband are experiencing financial problems, then there's the drama that emerges in in the victim's life. It's all too much. By the time we got to Daisy ruminating on her formally strained relationship with her mother that is now much more solid, I literally said out loud "Oh, for crying out loud!" In an attempt to make Daisy Everywoman, the author has just succeeded in trying the reader's patience. The mystery was very easy to figure out. The victim was 5'7" and maybe 110 lbs and they wonder who could have strangled her. Anyone--that woman was emaciated! So we should have had a harder time since there were no physical limitations that could eliminate a suspect. I'm 5'7 and I weighed 110 lbs in 4th grade. And yes, there was a lot of Daisy denying that she was getting involved in the murder and then two paragraphs later, running over to interview a suspect she's sure the police have not interviewed because,,,,she wants to, or finding out something she should tell the police about but deciding not to because, I guess, since she's Super Everywoman, she knows better. For example: "Tatum didn't seem to hold any bitterness or resentment. But was she telling Daisy the whole story? On the other hand, had Althea plagiarized someone else who also had Tatum's drive and knowledge of social media and the Internet?That was an answer the police should explore, but would they?" (Chapter 7, location1263). No they don't, because Daisy doesn't tell them about this, nor does anyone else who knows about this incident, at least for a while. And I'm going to reveal it: one suspect is identified because he was the only person named William attending a conference of a couple of hundred people. It's the third most popular boy's name in the US. Really, only one William? Totally unbelievable and lazy writing to make this an important piece of sleuthing. Not really bad, but very bland and uninteresting with a boring writing style (see above quote, or weird word choices like the tea garden was "supremely busy," location 2261--you can't use supreme as an adverb here; it just doesn't work). Without either a character that I really like or a mystery that I can't figure out, there's no reason to recommend this. There are others in the series, and perhaps they are better than this one, but honestly, I'm not going to bother to find out.

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Delicious mystery set in a tearoom in the heart of Amish country. This was my first book I’ve read in this series but it won’t be my last! The author did a good job of introducing characters so that I wasn’t confused as someone who started several books into the series. The book was fast paced, but delightful cozy and wholesome. As a bonus it included some yummy looking recipes.

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My first in the series and it sent me in search of the previous installments of the series. Curl up with a good strong cup of tea and lose yourself in this delightful cozy read for an afternoon. Mystery and characters were all very well done and left the reader satisfied.

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Great read. The author really draws the reader into the story. So many twists in the plot on solving the mystery. Will definitely read another book by this author.

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This book has a well paced plot and intriguing mystery. All the characters are well developed and I’m very interested in learning more of their backgrounds. This mystery kept me guessing until the end. Overall I would recommend this book because it kept my interest and I look forward to more titles.

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Murder with Oolong Tea is the sixth installment in the A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series set in Lancaster County and featuring tea room owner, Daisy Swanson. Daisy has been asked to cater an appreciation event for the local high school teachers and quickly discovers that there is a lot of tension between the teachers caused by their differing opinions regarding school policies.

Althea Higgins was Daisy's English teacher and is still teaching at the school. The woman is very opinionated and is not very well liked by other teachers or students but she certainly didn't deserve to be strangled and left for dead in the school swimming pool. When two of Daisy's friends come under suspicion for the murder she sets out with trepidation to track down a killer.

A well written plot features many returning characters - friendships and relationships continue to evolve and will draw readers in from the first page. Delicious recipes and a host of suspects will keep you totally engaged until the finale.

I received an advanced copy of Murder with Oolong Tea from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

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This is a delightful 6th book in Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. I read the fifth book a few months ago and, while I enjoyed that one, I had a hard time keeping track of all the secondary characters then. Not so this time. This time, those secondary characters felt like old friends.

In this installment, Daisy and her tea shop provide the refreshments for a get-together for the teachers at the high school, including a teacher Daisy had in school years earlier. Of course, there's a dead body and Daisy gets involved in trying to solve the murder.

Great plot, great characters, and a terrific cozy series that is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Highly recommended!!

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This is the 6th mystery in the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery series. In this installment, Daisy is catering an appreciation event for the faculty of Willow Creek High School after a spring concert. Daisy’s hears a scream and goes to investigate and find the body of long-time teacher Althea in the swimming pool. Daisy has a lot going on in her life with both of her daughters and the running of the tea shop with her Aunt. This is a good fast paced mystery which keeps you engaged. This is a nice addition to this series and I look forward to the next installment.

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So, you know a book is enjoyable when as soon as you finish it you search for the other books in the series and download them all. Murder with Oolong Tea was the first book in Daisy's Tea Garden mystery series that I've had the pleasure of reading, but it won't be the last. Perhaps I just needed a cozy mystery escape this weekend. Or maybe I needed to revisit my favorite Lancaster county. Or maybe I just wanted a fun read with smart, sensible characters. Whatever the reason, I was happy to visit Willow Creek, and follow Daisy as she navigates life, love, family and of course, a mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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It was great spending more time with Daisy and her family. While at her daughter’s school, Daisy hears some screaming and goes to investigate, only to find the body of one of her old teacher’s. Poor Daisy. So much going on in her life already, and now she gets involved in another murder. I enjoyed reading about teas I had never heard of before and the recipes in the back of the book look fabulous! I love this series and hope it never ends!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

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Pennsylvania, teaching, small-business, small-town, family-dynamics, friendship, cozy-mystery, angst

If you're looking for a cookbook with an interesting fiction and cozy mystery, you'll absolutely love this book. There are an assortment of recipes, a women's fiction involving romantic partners and children's school issues, all woven in with a cozy mystery.
I requested and received a free ebook from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

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I love quirky little mysteries like this. Full of Intriguing characters, snappy dialogue and gorgeous settings, this is an easy book to enjoy, the story itself is a strong mystery which challenges you while also offering a laugh or two. Very enjoyable.

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The latest in Karen Rose Smith's A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series was spectacular. I was emotionally engaged from the very beginning and I couldn't put the book down. The characters and their relationships are realistic, with problems and issues than many of us have. I was in a state of mourning for much of the book because of the impact of certain events. I highly recommend 'Murder with Oolong Tea' and the entire series for that matter. You will have an enjoyable experience.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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I like the setting in this book of a tea shop, and wish I could visit there. This is not the first book in this series, and I have not read the previous books; I didn’t have any problem following the story as there was enough background given so the reader isn’t confused. The characters are likable and very real, as is the storyline. I had no idea of the identity of the murderer until almost the end of the book. Anyone who likes cozy mysteries would like this book. Received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Another brilliant story by Karen. I love her characters, they are believable. I can't wait to try her blueberry coffee cake. Now, hopefully onto the next in the series.

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Daisy Swanson is hired to host a teacher appreciation tea for the local high school. When one of the teachers that was not liked by most ends up dead she takes on the case. Running her and her aunts Daisy’s Tea Garden, having issues with her boyfriend Jonas and having her daughters friend stay over for a few weeks Daisy is busy. She dives in to help find the murderer. There is lots of side stories with the main mystery that I really enjoyed. The characters are fun, relatable and makes you want to have a cup of tea with them.
#MurderwithOolongTea #NetGalley

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Murder with Oolong Tea is the 6th in Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery Series by Karen Rose Smith. Ms. Smith always guarantees her readers a well written plot with the most enjoyable characters in each story. Daisy, the namesake for the Tea Garden, and her Aunt Iris return as well as Daisy's girls, Jazzy and Violet. We are given the chance to attempt to figure out who murdered a long-time teacher, Althea Higgins, while Daisy asked to cater a tea for the falculty to show the district's appreciation for their service. In addition to figuring out who might have wanted Althea out of the way, we also get a look into the lives of a young married couple, a mother-daughter relationship, and also a relationship between friends. As always I enjoyed each page from beginning to end.

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