Cozy Mystery Week: Laura Childs’ Cozy Mystery Series Plus a Giveaway!!! (CLOSED)

 ***Congratulations to Traveler, winner of the giveaway!!! Thanks to all who entered!

Jenn over at Jenn’s Bookshelves is hosting Cozy Mystery Week this week where she’ll be celebrating cozy mystery series all week long. I’ve decided to join in, featuring some of my favorite cozies this week along with some giveaways, too.

To start the week off, I thought I would begin with the author that got me hooked on cozy mysteries long before I even realized it was a genre. That author is Laura Childs. 

I remember walking around a bookstore, a Borders I think, and coming across two series of books that caught my eye – The Tea Shop Mysteries and The Scrapbooking Mysteries – both by Laura Childs. As this was in the early 2000s, these books were in the general fiction section. I remember reading the blurbs about both series and buying the first few books in each series and I was hooked! Now, not only are those two series still going strong, but Laura Childs has another cozy mystery series out – the Cackleberry  Club Mystery series, which I’ve come to enjoy as well – although truth be told, the Tea Shop Mystery series is my all-time favorite by her!!!

The Tea Shop Mysteries

Set in Charleston, South Carolina, Theodosia Browning runs the Indigo Tea Shop along with her staff – Drayton, the tea expert and master tea blender, and Haley, the pastry chef and baker extraordinaire. It seems that Theo seems to constantly stumble upon murder after murder, often being asked to help solve the case, much to the dismay of the local police. 

What I love about this particular series are the tea tips that are infused into the story line as well as those included at the end of the book. There are also many scrumptious recipes mentioned in the book that are included at then end as well. I only wish the Indigo Tea Shop were a real place – I would love to go have a cup of tea there!!!

Books in this series:

1. Death by Darjeeling                          8.  Dragonwell Dead
2. Gunpowder Green                             9.  The Silver Needle Murder
3. Shades of Earl Grey                         10.  Oolong Dead
4. English Breakfast Murder              11.  The Teaberry Strangler
5. The Jasmine Moon Murder           12.  Scones & Bones
6. Chamomile Mourning                     13.  Agony of the Leaves
7. Blood Orange Brewing                    14.  Sweet Tea Revenge

The Scrapbooking Mysteries

Set in New Orleans, this one follows Carmela who owns Memory Mine, a scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter. She is forever getting into mischief with her friend, Ava, who owns Juju Voodoo Shop. Another amateur sleuth, Carmela finds herself stumbling upon bodies left and right and the cases often take her into the depths of New Orleans’ spooky cemeteries, bayous, and even the craziness of the Mardi Gras parades. I love the history that is steeped in this book, but I also love the scrapbooking tips I get, too!

Books in this series:

1. Keepsake Crimes                         7.  Tragic Magic
2. Photo Finished                             8.  Fiber & Brimstone
3. Bound for Murder                       9.  Skeleton Letters
4. Motif for Murder                        10.  Postcards from the Dead 
5. Frill Kill                                          11.  Gilt Trip
6. Death Swatch

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries 

Set in
Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest, this one follows three women who have launched the Cackleberry Club –
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra. This little cafe serves an egg specialty every morning, and also offers a book nook and yarn shop. Their business seems to be doing good, but somehow, they seem to also be in the business of solving murders! This series is definitely growing on me – I wasn’t sure about it after reading the first book, but kept on and am glad I did.

Books in this series:

1. Eggs in Purgatory
2. Eggs Benedict Arnold
3. Bedeviled Eggs
4. Stake & Eggs
5. Eggs in a Casket – due out in Jan 2014

GIVEAWAY DETAILS – (CLOSED) (US only)

I have an ARC of Laura Childs’ Sweet Tea Revenge, book 14 in her Tea Shop Mystery series, to give away… 

To enter… 

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.
• Please include email address so I can contact you if you win.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends December 9th.  

Good luck!