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The winter months are the perfect time for curling up in front of the fire with a warm blanket, a steaming cup of tea, and a cozy mystery. And if you’re in the mood for a holiday whodunit, you might want to pick up In Peppermint Peril, the first book in author Joy Avon’s A Tea and a Read series.
The story finds jet-setting tour guide Callie Aspen back in her hometown of Heart’s Harbor, Maine, for the holidays. During her holiday break, she’s helping her great-aunt Iphy at her tea shop, Book Tea. The job takes her to the town’s most famous home, Haywood Hall, where the elderly owner, Dorothea Finster, has planned a holiday tea party for a few family members and a few key people from the town. Mrs. Finster plans to make a big announcement, but it’s cut short by murder. And Callie finds herself caught in the middle of the investigation.
Set in a small town in the days leading up to the holidays, In Peppermint Peril is definitely cozy. It’s Christmas decorations and hot cocoa and ice skating and snowball fights…and a mystery surrounding the town’s wealthiest family. As you read, you’ll imagine the townspeople gossiping about the murder and the people involved. In fact, Callie even encourages the investigating deputy to use the town’s rumor mill in an attempt to help catch the killer.
In a way, everything here feels familiar—from the setting to the characters to the hints at a possible romance between the amateur sleuth and the handsome deputy. On one hand, that makes for a pleasant and relaxing read; there’s certainly nothing here that will require too much energy after a long, tiring day of baking and shopping. Callie is a likable main character, and there’s just something welcoming about this small town and its interconnected characters.
On the other hand, though, the formulas don’t exactly make for an especially memorable read. Strangely, bookish Iphy and her tea shop don’t play as important a role as you might expect. Iphy’s tea and pastries do sound wonderful, and the idea of sugary treats that all have a literary theme will definitely appeal to readers, but the shop doesn’t really get a chance to shine in this first installment.
Still, with its charming characters and its small-town quirks, the Tea and a Read series certainly has promise. And the quaint and cozy holiday-themed mystery of In Peppermint Peril makes for a light and laidback read that’s perfect for a quiet winter night at home.
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