Murder has blown into the tea shop again and this time Shay may not be able to untwist the mystery until it is too late for her especially if she doesn't hurry up and embrace her gifts! This series is shooting up to my favorites list in a hurry! Wonderfully plotted, fantastic character development and interactions that draw you in and keep you turning pages are two of my favorite aspects of the series. However, there is so much more. The dynamics between the characters is blossoming and so very engaging. The paranormal aspect is delightfully intriguing and draws you further into the story. I absolutely can't wait to see where the series goes from here as there are big things on the horizon for the characters, I'm just not sure yet if they will bring good or bad tidings that our characters have to unravel in the future!

I tend to be a thriller/suspense fan so was not quite sure what to expect when I started Murder in a Cup by Lauren Elliot, a Cozy read with a paranormal element. Cozies by nature are lighter novels- not much profanity or extreme violence. What I discovered was an absolutely delightful novel that instantly captivated my attention. Murder in a Cup is part of Elliot's Crystal's and CuriosiTeas series featuring Shayleigh Myers, the owner of Crystals and CuriosiTeas tea shop in Bray Harbor, CA. The storyline is intriguing and completely engaging, the characters believable and most very likeable, and I learned some basic information about crystals and various teas. I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in a Cup, and thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC, although that in no way impacted my review. 4.5 stars.

Murder in a Cup by Lauren Elliott is the second book in the Crystals & CuriosiTeas paranormal mystery series. The story is as enticing as the cover and moves at a good clip. The characters are developing nicely though Shay Meyers is still indecisive and too willing to blame herself when things go wrong. Gran is helping her with that. I do enjoy Gran's attitude and wisdom, but not the Irish pronunciation and use of words. That distracts this reader from the story. The supporting characters are all experiencing growth--- which keeps me engaged, and curious, as to where the next book will take me.
Though it is not necessary to read the debut book, it will enrich your relationship with the characters, and set the paranormal scene more clearly.
Shay is stressed when a patron of her teashop drops dead at a reading and the victim's step-daughter is accused of her murder. As Shay endeavors to investigate the charges, she is met with stiff interference from the law, Tassi's father, and other officials.
Meanwhile, the unresolved issues from book one rear their ugly head once again. Liam is undergoing a big change--aside from Gran-- and I am hoping Shay finds a love interest in book three.
Thank you #KensingtonCozies, #MurderinaCup #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks for the chance to read an AREC of this book. My opinions are my own---I review books that I enjoy for friends and followers.

This book will be published on November 28, 2023.

This is the second book in Lauren’s new series and I really enjoy it although I do believe it could be read as a standalone. I thought it works well as a cozy mystery series as I really like the setting, characters, and amateur sleuth. I like that Shay, the amateur sleuth has some magic she’s working on her connection to and while it may point her in the right direction but it doesn’t solve mysteries for her. I think the timing with Liam thing was a bit overdone and I am over him as an interest and I would like her to find someone else. When Tassi’s new stepmother (who she hates) drops dead in Shay’s shop she is dismayed to learn that Tassi is the main suspect and instead of being focused on clearing his daughter’s name Tassi’s father is focused on proving Shay is a witch and a horrible influence on his daughter. Of course Shay can’t leave all the sleuthing to the police even though she does trust her brother in law to investigate fairly. Lauren Elliott is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers. I really like her writing style and her mysteries are always interesting and full of some fun twists.

An overall enjoyable second installment in the series. The premise of the series is entertaining and the characters are likable, even if they are clueless at times. Shay is still struggling with accepting and embracing her psychic abilities. She waffles a bit too much with trusting her instincts and second guessing herself. This gets frustrating at times for the reader. The potential love interest scenario will hopefully resolve itself soon or this could also get to be a turnoff for some readers. In my opinion, this is an interesting series that has a few growing pains to get through to really meet its potential. I’m interested to see how the author moves the series forward.

Murder in a Cup begins a year after the events of book 1 Steeped in Secrets. Shay and Jen are making a success of the tea shop. Things start to go south when Tassi’s father comes to town. We soon have a dead girlfriend, a restraining order and Shay is going to have to stand trial for witchcraft.
I spent a good portion of this book as confused by events as Shay was. Shay was having a lot of self doubt and that added to the feeling of unease that permeated the storyline.
Liam’s Gran is great. I didn’t understand her speech patterns though. Some of the word usage was not Irish but more like southern Mamie with der and dat.
I enjoyed how the paranormal played into helping Shay solve the mystery.
I enjoyed reading Murder in a Cup. It is a clever use of title and poison.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

A cozy mystery with Shay who inherits a tea shop and finds out she has a different abilities then reading tea leaves..During tea leave reading her client dies and her employee is accused of the murder
Shay will have to find the real murderer with her friends help.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Love this cozy series. This is book 2 and can be a standalone but I am glad I read the previous book. There will being missing gaps in Shay history. Shay Myers is the owner of Crystals & CuriosiTeas which she inherited from her unknown birth mother. As she learns more about her mother and her Irish roots she discovers that she comes from a long line of healers, seers and those with the gift. She also is learning about her plants and how to blend various teas, but there are also poisonous plants in her rooftop greenhouse. She made arrangements to donate those dangerous plants to the local college for peace of mind. Wouldn’t want to poison a customer. And then her fear comes true when at the group tea reading one of the ladies dies in front of the group. And her coworker is to blame since she served her and there to some bad blood between the two. Since this was the women who broke up her parents marriage. Things go from bad to worse and Shay is caught in the middle of it all. With her friends and family, plus Spirit her dog, they all help and guide Shay to solve the mystery of who dunnit.
There is still the unanswered mystery of Shay’s birth father and I can’t wait to read the next book. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MurderinaCup

Shay Myers is settling in well to her new life running a tea shop that leans heavily into the ‘skills’ she’s exploring from her Irish Witch ancestors, even as she remains sceptical and keen to find scientific explanations. But she can’t ignore the feelings of dread, nor the flash of foresight that precedes a murder in her own shop…

I wasn’t massively taken with the first book in this series, Steeped in Secrets, but I had hoped that the second book would settle into a better flow of this. Alas, I think it went the other way for me.

The biggest negative remains the truly dire attempt at ‘Oirish’ accents in text – like nails down a chalkboard, frankly. It’s even worse this time round, as the ‘unavailable love interest’ stereotype – I mean, the lovely neighbour Liam – brings his grandmother to stay and she could not be a bigger stereotype of interfering-if-well-meaning, steeped in all things woo-woo, Irish granny. There are far, far too many places where the actions of various characters are painfully obvious plot devices rather than feeling at all authentic, including Shay’s weird dance between disbelief and going full woo-woo herself. Throw in a huge dollop of “I have all this information about your background but won’t reveal it outright” and just… urgh, no.

The plot has some interesting elements, including poisonous plants, family feuds, and the weird gangster element carried over – but still not developed – plot from the first book. The ‘romance’ subplot is cringeworthy on every front, imo.

While not awful, there just wasn’t enough here to improve on my lowish opinion of the first book, and I’m afraid this is as far as I’m inclined to go with the series. Your mileage, as they say, may vary considerably.

Murder in a Cup is the second novel in Lauren Elliott’s Crystals and CuriosiTEAS mystery series. I really, really like this series so far and count it as one of my automatic buys. Shayleigh Myers inherited the tea shop from her deceased, and never known, mother. Her sister Jen helps out at the shop as well as a teenage girl named Tassi. Clearing out many of the more magical items, Shay is left with some deadly plants that a local botanist professor and her college students are supposed to be removing. While in the teashop, the Little White Gloves Society has come for tea, and convince Shay to do a group tea reading. Unfortunately, the tea reading takes a deadly turn when one of the ladies collapses and dies. Now Shay must find out what happened and why before her staff and she end up behind bars.

Yay! I’m so happy that this novel focused on Tassi. She is such a relatable character for me, because I deal with anxiety to the point of exhaustion. I felt so sad for Tassi during and after everything, but I think she will appear stronger as the series progresses. I really need Liam to get his act together, and I’m hoping Gran forces him to do so. The addition of Gran is great, because it shows the research that the author put into the novel. That’s my ultimate favorite thing about this series, the obvious care that was put into it.

I'm curious to see the plot involving Shay’s family. I think her relationship with her sister is great, but I would like to see more of the Irish side. Gran being there allows many potential options.

I, now, have two German Shepherds, and the mannerisms depicted in the novel are real. My oldest is very in tune with my husband. The youngest is still learning, but she is very clingy and doesn’t really like when she’s not with us. Both do a dancy-prancy maneuver if they want to investigate something.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I’m loving the second in the new series from Lauren Elliott! Magic, murder, mystery…. And I want more! Love this series. Love this author. Can’t wait for the rest.

Shay is owns a tea shop, but there's more to her than just that: she loves coffee. Haha! It's true, but actually, the biggest surprise is: she has psychic abilities. She's descended from other women with magical "seeing" abilities, which gives this cozy mystery an interesting flair. Shay's ties to nature extend past her ability to read tea leaves. Shay interacts with stones as well. But most importantly, she curates plants to use in her shop. Unfortunately, she's discovered that some of these plants are deadly. It's after this realization that a patron winds up dead in her shop. Can Shay discover what happened without losing everything?

I enjoyed this mystery! I'm a tea lover, and to say that tea is featured in this story is an understatement! There's a lovely hero as well, Liam, who I appreciated as the (usual) romance reader that I am. The dog, Spirit, who acts as Shay's "familiar," was a lovely addition to the human cast of characters. I found myself really caring about these people and wanting to learn what actually happened! The bits of history tied in were fun as well!

Trigger warning: estranged father, death by poisoning (on page, but brief)

I'd like to thank Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Murder in a Cup by Lauren Elliott is a paranormal cozy mystery, but it is so much more. From family dynamics, small town relationships, friendship, murder, and sisterhood to cultural heritage, this story has it all. Shay Myers owns an eclectic tea shop and is descended from an Irish witch. She’s been living in Bray Harbor, California for about a year. She is learning how to operate her business while dealing with her visions and her ability to sense other people’s energy. When a customer had a group tea reading dies and an employee is suspected of the murder, Shay is determined to prove her innocence.

Shay stands up for those she knows are innocent, but she doesn’t believe in or is afraid of her psychic abilities. This lack of confidence bothered me at times. She’s also stressed over the changes in her life. Her friend Liam helps her with her investigations and her dog Spirit protects her and others. My favorite character was Liam’s grandmother. Gran has recently moved the town from Ireland and is helping Shay learn about her heritage.

The novel moves at a decent clip and has a good mix of rounded and dynamic characters. The conflict advances the story line through a few twists and turns. There are several sub-threads that expand the story. I’m looking forward to seeing where they go in future books. Themes include jealousy, greed, family, resentment, a sense of losing control, and much more.

Overall, this cozy mystery keeps the reader guessing. Excellent characterization and a solid mystery made this one an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Kensington Books - Kensington Cozies and Lauren Elliott provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for November 28, 2023.

There's a greenhouse at Shay's and unfortunately, there are some poison plants there- plants that Shay is trying to separate and rehome. But that doesn't happen soon enough because Jasmine ends up poisoned by the tea she drinks at a seance, tea made by Shay's assistant Tassi, who has reason to dislike but not to kill Jasmine. There's a lot going on in this second installment of the series and much of it is focused on Shay and her family. Liam's grandmother, who has just arrived from Ireland, has information about Shay's mother, she's learning to manage her special gifts and then there's Spirit the dog. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This should be fine as a standalone and the new reader will then, like me, be looking forward to the next one.

sisters, family-drama, family-dynamics, relationships, relatives, Irish-lore, amateur-sleuth, paranormal, small-town, small-business, secret-society, cultural-heritage, urban-fantasy, dog, cozy-mystery, botany, local-law-enforcement, teenager, murder-investigation, ex-cop, falsely-accused, false-conclusions, customs-and-belief-systems, custody-issues*****

I liked this installment a lot. The stories are a melange of witchery, mystery, and societal drama. The writing is exceptional and involved me as the reader. Highly recommend!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you.

I really enjoyed book 1, but I'm a bit annoyed at how often she doesn't believe in herself AND how much she runs away from getting answers, which only leads to more complications. Besides that, I really enjoy the book and especially the mystery and the custody subplot. Enjoyed the added new characters and really loved how the mystery went about getting solved.

Having read Steeped in Secrets, I was excited to return to visit Shay Myers again. Owner of a tea shop where she also does tea readings, Within the shop are many plants which are harvested, dried, and made into tea. shay discovers that within this greenhouse, are many poisonous plants that she inherited and makes arrangements for the local college to have them. Shay runs her shop with the help of her sister who is married to the local sheriff and Tassi, a local high school girl, living with her dear aunt Joanne. In addition, Liam's Gran who knew Shay's birth family, is now visiting and has taken a keen interest in Shay, able to tell her things about her past, her connection to her long ago ancestor who was accused of being a witch, and encourages her to use her instinct. Things shake up when Tassi's estranged father shows up after a long absence and announces that Tassi will be coming to live with him and his beloved girlfriend Jasmine, who Tassi blames for the breakup of her parents marriage. Tassi's father has deep resentment towards Shay, making all sorts of accusations claiming she is practicing witchcraft. Jasmine however has joined a local women's group that frequents the store for tea, and wants to have her tea leaves read. Shay agrees to do a group reading to for them. However, during the reading, Jasmine dies and it turns out she may have been poisoned. Tassi, who was helping out serve, is blamed and not only by the police but by her father. While Tassi is arrested, one of the tea ladies, Faye, steps in to help Shay and Jen at their shop. But Shay has an inky feeling that something is amiss. It turns out there is more to drink in here than tea. Shay sets out to find out who really killed Jasmine, and just exactly who Jasmine truly was. Lots of twists and turns, delicious surprises, with a bit of magical moments thrown in made this a fun cozy mystery to read. Elliott is good at dolling out clues here and there to help the reader discover they mystery along with Shay as she reads the tea leaves and uncovers the truth. Just a fun read! And we are left with the promise of more adventures to come. Many thanks to #netgalley #murderinacup #laurenelliott #kensingtonpress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Murder in a Cup, is the second in Lauren Elliott's Crystals and CuriosiTEAS mystery series. Shay Myers the owner of Crystals and CuriosiTEAS teashop is gradually learning about running the shop she inherited and all of the intricacies and effects of the various teas, herbs and crystals she now has.  She is surprised to learn that some of the herbs are poisonous. Business in the teashop is growing especially after the local Little White Glove Society, a group of local “important” ladies decides to hold their meetings and have Shay do a “tea leaf reading”.   Shay’s teenage waitress, Tassi, is there to help serve, but when her father’s girlfriend Jasmine, dies during her tea reading, Tassi becomes the prime suspect in the murder.  Shay is determined to clear Tassi but her father will not let her near Shay and even goes so far as to use an arcane California law to charge Shay with witchcraft.  The plot tangles and knots and successfully unravels to solve the murder and restore Tassi to her friends.   A fast reading, well done sequel that leaves the reader anxious for book 3. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 #KensingtonCozies #MurderinaCup #NetGalley

This is the second book in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAs Mystery series. It works well as a standalone, but with only two books so far, start with the first.

I have thoroughly loved getting to know the characters; they are an interesting varied group of people. The main character, Shay, has become a favorite of mine. She has done well after enduring heartbreak and moving to a new area starting a new chapter in her life. I have also enjoyed the little tidbits of information about crystals and teas.

The mystery is neatly wrapped up in the end, but there is some ongoing issues that have yet to be resolved. I hope there is a book 3 in the works.

I missed the first book in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAs Mystery series, but this one can easily be read as a stand alone. I love a good cozy mystery and this one fit the bill. I enjoyed the read and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good cozy - especially with a paranormal twist.

Description:
As an eclectic tea shop owner descended from an Irish witch, intuitive Shay Myers has been living her most authentic life since moving home to California’s scenic Monterey Peninsula. Yet not even her heightened senses can predict how to run a business—or catch a killer . . .

Self-taught “seer” Shay has much to learn as autumn hits the quaint coastal town of Bray Harbor. Since attempting the art of blending herbs at her popular shop, Crystals & CuriosiTeas, she’s set on growing ingredients in the mysterious greenhouse on the second floor—if only she can separate the medicinal plants from the deadly ones. Her new skills are put to the test when she meets pub owner and ex-detective Liam Madigan’s Gran. A psychic from Ireland known for interpreting tea leaves and people, Gran encourages Shay to build upon her natural talents and hold her own group reading . . .

Despite Shay’s reservations about putting herself in the spotlight, the evening goes off without a hitch. At least, until she does a reading and a customer goes from chatty to dead in a flash, poisoned after sipping a toxic substance recently grown in the greenhouse. Worse, Shay’s assistant is suspected of intentionally serving the lethal brew and committing cold-blooded murder. Now, aided only by Liam and her dog Spirit, Shay must exonerate her employee and save the future of Crystals & CuriosiTeas. But when clues start lining up like leaves in a teacup, she’ll need to understand the signs right in front of her to catch the manipulative murderer before it’s too late . . .

My Thoughts:
Shay is a good character and I liked her adventures learning about her particular gift. The family history is interesting and provided context. Loved Spirit and the way he intuitively went where he was needed! This was an interesting mystery and following the clues didn't give anything away too early. Oh - and Liam seems like a dream guy! The setting of the tea shop seemed nice, with tea ingreadients growing upstairs. I wouldn't want those poison plants in my shop either - it would worry me all the time.

Thanks to Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 28, 2023.