Joe Pickett
mystery
Series · cozy mystery
Tea Shop Mysteries
The Tea Shop Mysteries series by Laura Childs has 30 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Death by Darjeeling (2001). The next book, Buttermint Bomb, is due 2 March 2027.
- Books
- 30 books
- First published
- 2001
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Death by Darjeeling (2001) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Death by Darjeeling
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Gunpowder Green
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Shades of Earl Grey
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The English Breakfast Murder
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The Jasmine Moon Murder
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Chamomile Mourning
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Blood Orange Brewing
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Dragonwell Dead
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The Silver Needle Murder
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Oolong Dead
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The Teaberry Strangler
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Scones & Bones
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Agony of the Leaves
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Sweet Tea Revenge
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Steeped in Evil
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Ming Tea Murder
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Devonshire Scream
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Pekoe Most Poison
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Plum Tea Crazy
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Broken Bone China
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Lavender Blue Murder
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Haunted Hibiscus
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Twisted Tea Christmas
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A Dark and Stormy Tea
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Lemon Curd Killer
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Honey Drop Dead
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Murder in the Tea Leaves
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Peach Tea Smash
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High Tea and Misdemeanors
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Death at a Firefly Tea
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About the Tea Shop Mysteries series
Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop on Church Street in historic Charleston, South Carolina, where she brews specialty blends, hosts elaborate themed tea parties, and — with alarming regularity — trips over dead bodies at those same genteel events. With her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley and baker Haley Parker at her side, Theodosia turns amateur sleuth every time Charleston's high society, tourist trade, or historic preservation circles turn up a corpse, working her contacts and her nose for gossip faster than the police can process a crime scene.
Laura Childs writes cozy mystery as a sensory experience: each book is steeped in loving, specific detail about tea varieties, Charleston's cobblestone streets and antebellum architecture, and the recipes (bundled in a back-of-book appendix in most entries) for the scones, finger sandwiches and confections Theodosia serves. The mysteries themselves are brisk and puzzle-driven rather than dark, built around Charleston's tourism, charity-gala and historic-society circuit, with a reliable cast of series regulars and a low-key long-running flirtation with detective Pete Riley. It's the series for readers who want their amateur-sleuth mystery served with genuine Lowcountry atmosphere and enough tea lore and recipes to double as a lifestyle read between the murders.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Tea Shop Mysteries series?
There are 30 Tea Shop Mystery novels, from Death by Darjeeling (2001) to Death at a Firefly Tea (2026). A 31st book, Buttermint Bomb, is due 2 March 2027.
What order should I read the Tea Shop Mysteries in?
Publication order, starting with Death by Darjeeling, is recommended to meet Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop cast as Laura Childs introduces them, though each mystery is self-contained enough to pick up out of order.
Is the Tea Shop Mysteries series finished?
No, it's ongoing. Laura Childs continues to publish roughly one to two new Tea Shop Mysteries a year, with Buttermint Bomb due in March 2027 and further titles (Cardamom Crimes, Haunting in a Teacup) already announced as in progress.
Do I need to read the Tea Shop Mysteries before Laura Childs's other cozy series?
No. Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries are separate series with different casts and settings; none requires reading another first.
Does the series include recipes?
Yes. Most entries include a back-of-book appendix of tea-shop recipes and tea-tasting notes tied to the story's events, which is part of the series' signature cozy appeal.
If you like the Tea Shop Mysteries series
Reading order last verified .