Laura Childs

"Theodosia's Honey Bee Tea was an elegant affair set in Charleston's new Petigru Park amid newly planted native grasses and a community beekeeping project. But when a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests, the party erupts in chaos. Worse yet, a shot rings out and Osgood Claxton III, candidate for state legislature, falls to the ground--dead. Holly Burns, the gallery owner who asked Theodosia to cater the tea, is understandably...

"It was a dark and stormy night, but that was the least of Theodosia Browning's troubles. As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog. In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim--it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian...

"Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are catering a Victorian Christmas party at a swanky mansion in downtown Charleston for Drucilla Heyward, one of the wealthiest women in town. As the champagne flows and the tea steeps, Drucilla is so pleased with the reception by her partygoers that she reveals her secret plan to Theodosia. The Grande Dame has brought the cream of Charleston society together to reveal that she...

"When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston's most prominent hostesses, to a Rat Tea, she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better...

It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out. As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some...

Maintaining good personal relationships with their suppliers is one of the secrets of the Cackleberry Club Café success, so Suzanne doesn't mind going out to Mike Mullen's dairy farm to pick up some wheels of cheese. She's looking forward to a nice visit with the mild-mannered farmer before heading back to their hectic kitchen. But when she arrives, Mike's nowhere to be found. The moaning of his cows leads her to look in the barn, where she discovers...

In the terrible wake of Hurricane Katrina, scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand has her hands full getting Memory Mine back in business, and her relationship with her ex-husband, Shamus, back on its feet. But the reconciliation is shattered when Shamus is kidnapped from their home. And when Carmela hurries to tell Shamus's Uncle Henry, she finds him sitting in his library with a bullet through his forehead. As a memorial to Uncle Henry, Carmela...

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn't taking a holiday in the latest from the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Parchment and Old Lace..." "" The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand but not so hectic that she doesn't have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving...

"Tea shop owner Theodosia Browning's life heats up when a gala at a local jewelry store serves up heists and homicide alongside her herbal teas ... Catering a high-class trunk show at Heart's Desire Jewelry is a shining achievement for Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop. After all, a slew of jewelers, museums, and private collectors will be there to showcase their wares and sip some of Theo's best blends. But just as Theo settles in to enjoy the fruits...

There's a Mardi Gras parade rolling through the French Quarter, and Kimber Breeze is broadcasting live from a fourth floor hotel balcony, interviewing locals and capturing the spectacle. Her next subject will be Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop. But before Carmela's interview a killer slips onto the balcony and strangles Kimber. Carmela is horrified, but the nightmare isn't over. Someone is leaving strange postcards at Carmela's...