This book was saved by the podcast angle. While I do generally enjoy this series, this particular book had so much going on. I liked that there was a cold case thrown. The setting and characters are still good. I just hope the next book is a bit more focused.

Karen Rose Smith’s Murder with Chocolate Tea is the delightful story of Daisy, the 10th and final book in the Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book full of murder, suspense, and mystery.

This book is a delectable blend of mystery, romance, and tea, and is the 10th in the series. Daisy is a warm hearted protagonist and passionate about her tea garden. She also has a murder to investigate. The dual mystery- connecting a recent murder to a cold case, keeps the reader guessing.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Murder with chocolate tea" is the 10th book in the series of the tea garden mysteries. I was able to jump right in and follow what is going on even though this is my first book to read. I will go back and read the other books.
Daisy is amazing she has a ver busy schedule alot on her plate with getting ready to get married and she decides to mix herself into the murder that takes place. She does a great job. Characters are good and the book flows nicely that I just couldn't stop till I found out who the killer is.
Thank You for giving me and advanced copy.

I'm always delighted to spend time with Daisy at Daisy's Tea Garden. This is the 10th book in the series and it's as delightful as the previous 9. when Daisy is a guest on Trevor's true crime podcast all kinds of trouble follows. Can Daisy solve a murder and get ready for her wedding in 2 weeks? Grab a copy of this book and find out. I love the Amish community in this series, and I love Daisy and all her family. This is always a feel good cozy read for me.

Daisy Swanson owns Daisy’s Tea Garden in Pennsylvania Amish country. She’s engaged to Jonas, a local furniture builder, and their wedding is fast approaching. In the meantime, it’s almost time for her youngest daughter to go off to college. Her oldest is married with a young son and their family has moved into a place of their own after living in the apartment above Daisy’s garage. Things are clicking into place.

Trevor Lundquist is a local journalist and crime podcaster. He persuades Daisy to be a guest and talk about the latest murder she was involved in—as in helping solve it! After the show is broadcast, Trevor receives a phone call with a cryptic message about a 20-year-old murder and where to find a clue. He, of course, recruits Daisy to help. The questions are: where is the clue, was there a murder, and will the killer strike again to protect himself after so many years of being free?

When the body of a man is found in Willow Creek a few days later, they have the answer. The problem is now, Trevor is so focused on solving the crime before the police so his podcast will go viral, he drops Daisy’s name far too often. Has he put her on the killer’s radar?

This is book 10 in the series. Daisy and her family, her Amish friends, and the town itself have become familiar to readers. Daisy isn’t one for taking risks. She’s got a family and business to think about, after all. Her questions are low key and she hopes to keep her profile the same. To read one of Daisy’s adventures is like a visit to distant friends.

Tasty descriptions of the teas and pastries from the tea garden will leave readers drooling. Luckily, there are recipes for ham and cabbage soup, egg and olive salad, rhubarb muffin toppings, and rhubarb muffins at the back of the book.

Look for the first in a new series, Murder Marks the Page, in April. Smith also writes the Caprice de Luca mysteries, eight in total, several reviewed in KRL.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Daisy’s wedding day is fast approaching and there is so much to be done. Pick out dresses, flowers etc…. And solve a murder, possible two. Daisy has proven her mettle to the local cops in helping to solve murders and they often depend upon her help to find the killer. But it is a supposed friend, who is trying to build his brand as a podcaster, who seems determined to thrust Daisy right into the cross hairs of the murderer. The police also ask for her help in interviewing the wife of one of the deceased. It seems, her good intentions or not, Daisy is going to be drawn into the mystery and she will be put in danger.

I like the way that Daisy and the local police work together. They each respect one another but the so called journalists who is after the big scoop seems hell-bent at getting his scoop whatever the cost. But he does redeem himself a bit by the end. In spite of a tense standoff with the villain, Daisy does make it to her own wedding. Four purrs and two paws up.

Life is never uneventful for Willow Creek, Pennsylvania’s most celebrated amateur sleuth, Daisy Swanson, who is eagerly anticipating her impending backyard wedding to her beloved fiance Jonas Groft. In the meantime, she’s busy running her tea garden while helping sort out the personal lives of family and friends. In just two examples, her aunt Iris is caught between two boyfriends, and her son-in-law Foster is likely overworking himself, to the detriment of his relationship with his wife and child.

Even as Daisy is applying her calm warmth to resolving these issues, she’s been invited to speak on Hidden Spaces, the podcast of a friend. Journalist Trevor Lundquist is intent on exploring and discussing the Willow Creek secrets that deserve greater attention, and is happy to play up Daisy’s involvement in solving a number of recent murders. He’s also put up a tip line for people to anonymously report crimes they may not feel comfortable going to the police with, to some modest success in deterring local vandalism.

When a tip line caller tells them that one of the chests soon to be auctioned off from a storage unit holds the key to a twenty year-old murder however, Daisy and Trevor are understandably a little skeptical. Still, they’re happy enough to bid on the various chests and examine them after they win the auction lots. None of the lots seem to contain the evidence they’re looking for, but when someone tries to break in to Daisy’s garage to access the chests, it becomes clear that the call wasn’t merely a hoax.

Tragedy strikes soon after when thirty-six year-old Henry Kohler is found strangled to death after failing to return home from work one evening. The presence of a burner phone close to his body indicates that he was their anonymous caller. When Daisy finally unlocks the secret of the auctioned chest, she strongly suspects that Henry was killed due to a long ago disappearance and murder. The harried Willow Creek police force wants to focus on who might have had beef with Henry in the here and now, leaving Daisy to investigate the past. Will her inquiries, alongside Trevor’s insistence of talking her up skills on his podcast, place her in mortal danger once more?

I love the thoughtful nature of this series, with Daisy, her family and friends feeling like real people with fully realized lives. The way the murder mysteries are interwoven into their personal dramas feels entirely organic. While solving the murders clearly has greater immediate weight in the grand scheme of things, I do love how the emotional issues are dealt with care and compassion, too.

There were three original recipes included in the back of this book. I absolutely had to try out this one, as I have a weakness for any variation on an egg salad:

QUOTE
Egg and Olive Salad

5 jumbo-sized hardboiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's Olive Oil Mayonnaise Dressing)
1 teaspoon mustard (I use French’s)
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
5 chopped green olives without pimento (add more to taste)

Shell, chop, and put eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

This recipe makes 4 to 5 scoops of salad to serve on a bed of lettuce… or it will fill 4 to 5 sandwich rolls.
END QUOTE

This is served as a sandwich filling in the book, which is how I chose to enjoy it as well, with potato bread. Because I’m all about saving time and effort, I also chose to use pre-hardboiled eggs, which always come out beautifully. In addition, I used a whole grain Dijon mustard instead of French’s. Between that and the olives, I was pretty impressed with the layers of flavor in this seemingly simple dish. Perhaps ironically given the directive to not use pimento, my co-parent and I both agreed that the egg salad would have benefited from a touch of paprika, as it tasted overall like a very delicious deviled egg sandwich. This recipe also makes for a generous amount that chills well in the refrigerator, though you’ll likely want to eat all of it within a day.

Next week, we head to the west coast to solve the mystery of an unpopular figure’s death while baking up some curry buns. Do join me!

This was a fun cozy mystery. I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun. Very much recommend this book.

3.5 stars

In this 10th book in the 'Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery' series, tearoom owner/amateur sleuth Daisy Swanson helps investigate a disappearance and a murder.

When she was left a widow with two teenage daughters, Daisy Swanson moved from Florida to her hometown of Willow Creek in the Amish region of Pennsylvania. There Daisy and her Aunt Iris run 'Daisy's Tea Garden,' a charming eatery that serves soup, salad, sandwiches, pastries, and tea. When Daisy's Aunt Iris was suspected of murder, Daisy helped the police find the real culprit, and Daisy has subsequently helped the police solve eight additional homicides.

As the story opens, journalist Trevor Lundquist is interviewing Daisy for his podcast, called Hidden Spaces. Trevor and Daisy talk about investigating murders, and before signing off, Trevor tells his listeners, "If you know a secret that involves our community or if you have evidence of a crime, call my tip line, and I'll follow up."

A few minutes later, a caller, who insists on anonymity, tells Trevor that several chests will be auctioned off at Bonner's Storage next weekend, and one of the chests holds a secret to a twenty-year-old murder. Daisy and Trevor arrange to attend the auction along with Daisy's fiancé, Jonas Groft - a former police detective who now makes and sells custom furniture; and Daisy's friend Amelia Wiseman - who runs a bed-and breakfast. Jonas and Amelia plan to use the chests after they're searched for clues.

Daisy and the others acquire five chests at the auction, and before the chests can be thoroughly examined, someone tries to tamper with them. This confirms the suspicion that one of the chests harbors a secret, and - after careful examination - Daisy finds a hidden space containing notebook papers, newspaper clippings, and a photo of a teenage boy and his parents. The boy is identified as Axel Strow, who vanished twenty years ago.

In the meantime, a murdered physical therapist named Henry Kohler is found in Willow Creek, and the police determine that Kohler's phone made the anonymous call about the chest. Daisy and podcaster Trevor Lundquist believe Henry Kohler's homicide is connected with Axel Strow's disappearance, but Police Detective Morris Rappaport isn't convinced. So Daisy and Trevor do their own investigation, which involves interviewing people who knew Axel twenty years ago. These include former high school students who were on the track team with Axel; a woman who had a crush on Axel when she was fourteen; and vendors at the farmer's market where Axel's mother sold baked goods.

At one point Daisy comes across an important clue that helps solve the case.

While all this is happening, Daisy is busy with many other things, including managing Daisy's Tea Garden, which is currently promoting chocolate tea; making plans for her and Jonas's wedding, scheduled to take place in two weeks; helping her daughter Jazzi get ready for college; giving marital advice to her daughter Vi and son-in-law Foster, who have a toddler son named Sammy; helping Jonas design his new backyard workshop; assisting with a tea party for the 100th anniversary of Willow Creek's covered bridge; and more.

In the course of the story, Daisy serves many cups of chocolate tea accompanied by comestibles like snickerdoodles, rhubarb muffins, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry coffee cake, lemon tea cake, and cheese biscuits. To add to the book's charm, there are descriptions of the fine china used for serving tea, such as a Stechcol Gracie teapot with a black background decorated with colorful flowers in orange, red, yellow, and white; Royal Copenhagen blue-flowered braided cups and saucers; vintage Aynsley Marine Rose cups and saucers; Churchill Blue Willow cups and saucers; and more.

At the end of the book there are recipes for ham and cabbage soup, egg and olive salad, and rhubarb muffins.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery with likable recurring characters, including Jonas's golden retriever Felix, who enjoys being petted and pampered.

Thanks to Netgalley, Karen Rose Smith, and Kensington Books for a copy of the book.

This has been one of my favorite cozy series. I just love the family element so much and a middle-aged protagonist that we could actually relate to. The series dealt with deep issues, but they never took over the storyline. The life progression was engaging, and the mysteries were just suspenseful enough. I think that this is the last book, and it wrapped up nicely. I am sad for the end but excited for a new series from the author.

Murder with Chocolate Tea is the tenth and most recent Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery. Daisy and Jonas are only a short time away from their upcoming wedding. She is also supervising the special tea event to help commemorate the 100-year-anniversary of her town’s historic covered bridge, participating in a podcast about her crime solving and helping her daughters deal with some situations in their own lives. Shortly after the podcast, someone calls in a tip about a 20 year old crime and then a man is found dead in a creek. Who killed him and is it because of the tip? This time around, Detective Rappaport asks for Daisy's help in calming the wife of the dead man so he can question her. He knows that Daisy has a way with people and that gets her involved in another murder. Will they find out who killed the man and will they solve a cold case as a result?

This book introduces us to Trevor Lundquist, the podcaster and Tessa's boyfriend. Tessa is an assistant manager at the Tea Garden. He drops hints, gets calls and interviews people who stir things up. Did his podcast cause the death? Daisy sticks her nose into the investigation and talks to friends of the two men, those who knew both of them years ago. Unfortunately, this puts Daisy in the crosshairs of the murderer. Will the wedding go off as planned? As always I enjoyed the mix of mystery and personal storylines. I don't know if this will be the last book in the series or not, but all the personal stories are well wrapped up, if it is. I enjoyed this mystery with it's plot, and intriguing story. It was not an easy one to solve and it was one little clue that leads Daisy in the right direction. One thing I like about Daisy, is that she is always in contact with the police, sharing what she learns and letting them know what she is doing. It might just save her life.

As one of my favorite cozy mystery series, I really enjoyed the plot and the clues in this one. It’s always a pleasure to return to the tea garden.

Murder with Chocolate Tea was read as a standalone book and it worked just fine for me.

The characters are well developed and I liked them all very much. The plot was really solid and clues will lead you to an excellent conclusion.

I love small town so that made it a winner for. I didn't think I would enjoy it this much

4 stars

Dollycas's Thoughts

Life sure is busy from Daisy Swanson. She works at her tea garden every day where she holds many special events too. She is finalizing all the plans for her upcoming wedding. Her daughter Jazzi is preparing to leave for college and her son-in-law Foster seems to be burning the candle at both ends to provide for what he thinks his family needs.

With all that on her plate, she takes time to be a guest on Trevor Lundquist’s crime podcast to talk about the last murder she solved. After the program, an anonymous tip comes in telling Trevor a chest is soon to be auctioned off and that it contains a clue that could solve a cold murder case. Then the police have a new homicide to deal with, but podcaster Trevor thinks it is connected to the 20-year-old murder and he is going to prove it.  When the police ask Daisy for help with the deceased wife, she can't say no. Soon after Daisy is investigating too and running interference between Trevor and Detective Morris Rappaport. Can she solve another murder and make it to her wedding on time?

____

The author continues to breathe life into her true-to-life genuine characters. Daisy has such a big heart, she will always help everyone in any way she can, even with her own wedding quickly approaching. Her journey to find the perfect dress, making sure fiancé Jonas is part of every decision and his building the perfect place to have the ceremony just warmed my heart. Witnessing their relationship grow throughout several books and evolve so naturally is a true credit to the author. She has shown us how relationships have their ebbs and flows too. Vi and Foster's life had a bumpy start but with help from family and friends, they too have moved forward realistically. They have some rough times in this story but again family is right there for them. Jazzi has had an interesting life too. Daisy's support of her finding her birth mother, Portia, and including the woman in family events like her wedding is more evidence of Daisy's huge heart. Ms. Smith has created a remarkable cast of supporting characters as well. I have enjoyed all the time I have spent peeking into these character's lives.

The mystery was complicated and took some research and true investigation before the clues started to come together in a way that made sense but evidence to pin down the killer may have been lost forever. It may end up being another cold case.  But Trevor wasn't letting the case go and Daisy may not make it to her wedding. This book is so well-plotted and written. Each twist and turn pulled me deeper into the story and kept me guessing. An interesting visit to Daisy did push me toward a certain character but I still had several questions.  Happily, when all was revealed they were all answered.

I am very sad that this appears to be the last book in this series as the author begins a new spinoff series featuring Daisy's daughter Jazzi. I am intrigued to see her in a different way and seeing things from her point of view as the lead character. I do hope her family visits her often though. They are all characters I have become invested in after 10 books. I am holding out hope though that we will return to Willow Creek and Daisy's Tea Garden someday. It is such a great fictional setting.

Murder with Chocolate Tea is a wonderful addition to this series. Wonderful characters, a stirring mystery, set in a charming place where Amish and Englishers come together, along with a lot of chocolate tea make this a must-read for cozy mystery lovers. I have enjoyed every book in this series and highly recommend them all.

The towns historic covered bridge has been around for a hundred years and Daisy has been asked to hold a special tea event. She is happy to help but what really has her excited is her wedding to her fiance Jonas. With all this going on she makes the time to be a part of a podcast done by a local journalist Trevor Lundquist. The discussion surrounds the last crime she helped solve. When Trevor receives a tip that may help solve a twenty year old mystery Daisy is intrigued. Is the tip real or is someone making things up? When someone is murdered Trevor begins to think it may be tied in with the unsolved murder from twenty years ago. Daisy jumps at the chance to help Trevor figure out who the killer is and whether the murder is link to the one from so many years ago.

Murder with Chocolate Tea is another excellent read by Karen Rose Smith. The characters are well developed and likable. I enjoy the small town setting of Pennsylvania as the backdrop. The elements of a podcast with murder also make this read more relevant in today’s time. A good solid plot and excellent clues will lead you to a satisfying end. I highly recommend it!

This fabulous mystery is the best in the series! Her wedding is a few short weeks away, and Daisy has important things to do before that special day, like choose a dress, select flowers, and help her younger daughter, Jazzi, get a bridesmaid dress. Daisy’s Tea Garden keeps her busy, also. There is no time to get involved with another murder.

Since moving back to Willow Creek, in Lancaster County, Daisy helped solve several murders. It just kind of happened, such as when the main suspect was her beloved Aunt Iris. From then on, if somebody she was close to was involved with a murder, whether as a suspect or a victim, Daisy asked questions and found whodunit.

Daisy’s fiancé, Jonas, is a former detective from Philadelphia who moved here when he left the force. Being an excellent craftsman, he opened a shop called Woods, where he sold or took commissions for furniture he builds. He also sells furniture made by local Amish craftsmen. With his background, Jonas’s help was invaluable to Daisy.

This time, Jonas and Daisy can be valuable to Trevor. He is a reporter, dates Daisy’s best friend, Tessa, and is trying to establish his niche in podcasting. After interviewing Daisy regarding murders she helped solve, he got a call on his tip line. A man called anonymously to report that the contents of two storage units would be auctioned in a few days. A trunk containing evidence of a murder from twenty years ago was in the units.

Trevor, Daisy, Jonas, and a friend, Amelia, went to the auction. It was poorly attended, allowing them to obtain both units, five trunks, and furnishings. Amelia and her husband owned a B&B, so she could use some of the furniture. Jonas would take the rest to repair, refinish, and sell at his shop. They would split the trunks, as long as Jonas and Daisy were able to thoroughly search Amelia’s. All they found was an older photograph with no information on it.

A couple days later, the body of a man with no ID was found in Willow Creek, having been murdered and dumped there. A burner phone was found on the river bank. The phone number of it matched the one used to call Trevor’s hotline with the tip. Daisy helped the police by helping calm down the victim’s wife so they could interview her.

Trevor was stubborn, and didn’t want to share any information with the police. He believed he and Daisy could solve the crimes before the police could. He was taking critical risks on his podcasts, including clues he’s found, names of people he’s talked to, and indiscreet use of Daisy’s name.

I enjoyed watching the friends discuss their finds and concerns about the current case even as they struggled to find who was murdered twenty years ago and by whom. The cold case is one of the things I found fresh and exciting. I also enjoyed seeing how far the main characters have come since Daisy and her daughters arrived, not long after the death of her first husband. I appreciate how Daisy, her family, and her friends act with wisdom and maturity. I wish I hadn’t abandoned my favorite suspect as a red herring, but I did…and I was surprised, and very saddened at the motives and the years of deception. I highly recommend this novel and series to those who appreciate clever sleuths, well written mysteries, tea rooms, and romance.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Book 10, in the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery. I haven’t read this author before nor the series and i am hooked, cant wait to go back to the beginning! I really enjoyed the mystery and the character, i really liked this one even though i jumped in too far in the series.

I love cold cases being solved in mysteries; the thought of long-deserved justice being served is so satisfying. The mystery was interesting in this one and there’s a lot of investigation (and not a lot of working) in this one. There’s also a lot of tying up of loose ends so the series can end with all questions answered. Lots of twists and turns but there was just too much going on in this one and yet it seemed to have something missing.