Theodosia feels she is in a very good place to investigate this murder, being downtown, amidst locals and tourists, and able to glean a lot of gossip shared over cups of hot tea. A stranger in town, a centuries old family feud, priceless antiques and a murder mystery party hosted by Drayton give Theodosia a lot to think about while she sips her tea.

Gunpowder Green is a delightful cozy that will warm readers the way a good cup of tea does. Laura Childs describes the genteel South in ways that invite readers in and make them feel welcomed. The mystery will take readers from the harbor's edge through the gated, well-kept gardens of the stately brownstones. While the clues are well-laid out, readers may be surprised to learn the turn the mystery takes in the end, as it heads in directions very few could see coming.

Theodosia and her friends are a warm bunch of characters. She has a good head on her shoulders and is able to keep running her business while prying into history that dates back to the Civil War and trying to solve a modern day murder. There are many eccentric characters introduced, from the mysterious Giovanni to the local historian, aged Timothy Neville, that readers will look forward to revisiting time and time again.

Gunpowder Green is the second entry in a delightful series and will leave readers feeling as if they have shared a warm cup of tea on Church Street in Charleston.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry