"Devonshire Scream" by Laura Childs

Can you believe that Laura Childs is up to Book 17 in the tea shop mysteries? I am frankly astonished that she and tea shop owner Theodosia Browning continue to hold my interest book after book, but after I finished reading a review copy of the latest book in the series, "Devonshire Scream," which releases today, I have to say that I think it's one of her best yet! This book kicks off in a most unusual fashion. A high-end trunk show is under way at Heart's Desire, the jewelry shop owned by Theodosia's friend Brooke, and masked gunmen make a rather spectacular entrance and exit, stealing jewels and leaving a dead body behind.

Burt Tidwell from the Charleston PD shows up, of course, but this time, he's not the only investigator on the scene. Soon, two FBI guys are investigating the robbery and homicide as well. It's quite satisfying to see Tidwell actually asking for Theodosia's assistance on this case, and I felt their relationship (for we can't quite call it a "friendship") somehow deepens in this book. I liked that—a lot—and will be eager to see if Tidwell's view of Theo remains changed.

And as always, Theodosia and her tea shop colleagues, Haley and Drayton, are busy serving up lots of tea and scones in the midst of all the excitement. Drayton is excited that his beloved Heritage Society is about to kick off a show of antiquities that will include the display of an actual Fabergé egg. The Indigo Tea Shop has taken to holding more themed teas lately, including a  Romanov Tea that seems to piggyback on the Fabergé egg excitement building around Charleston. The theft at Heart's Desire, however, has Theo and company wondering whether the jewel thieves might not attempt a theft of the famous egg, and nerves are stretched taut by the time the Heritage Society show opens.

Childs is a master at devising plenty of red herrings, and I honestly had about three good suspects in mind by the end of the book, which made the reading more fun. Also, Haley has a new boyfriend in "Devonshire Scream," and there are hints of a possible new relationship for Theodosia as well, setting us up perfectly to look forward to Book 18 in the series!