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
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death by Darjeeling - Book 2:
Gunpowder Green
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Shades of Earl Grey
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The English Breakfast Murder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The English Breakfast Murder - Book 5:
The Jasmine Moon Murder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Jasmine Moon Murder - Book 6:
Chamomile Mourning
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Blood Orange Brewing
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Dragonwell Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dragonwell Dead - Book 9:
The Silver Needle Murder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Silver Needle Murder - Book 10:
Oolong Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Oolong Dead - Book 11:
The Teaberry Strangler
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Teaberry Strangler - Book 12:
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
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ming Tea Murder - Book 17:
Devonshire Scream
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Devonshire Scream - Book 18:
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
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Twisted Tea Christmas - Book 24:
A Dark and Stormy Tea
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Dark and Stormy Tea - Book 25:
Lemon Curd Killer
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lemon Curd Killer - Book 26:
Honey Drop Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Honey Drop Dead - Book 27:
Murder in the Tea Leaves
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder in the Tea Leaves - Book 28:
Peach Tea Smash
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Peach Tea Smash - Book 29:
High Tea and Misdemeanors
Alternative text for cover: Cover of High Tea and Misdemeanors - Book 30:
Death at a Firefly Tea
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death at a Firefly Tea
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.
How to read this series
Publication order, starting with Death by Darjeeling. Each book is a self-contained mystery — Theodosia's relationships and the tea shop's cast evolve gently across the series, but there's no ongoing whodunit or mystery arc that spans multiple books, so new readers can technically start anywhere. Starting at book one is still recommended to meet the characters and Charleston setting in the order Childs establishes them.
The seasonal/holiday entries (like Twisted Tea Christmas) are simply the books set at that time of year and slot into the main numbered sequence in publication order like everything else — there's no separate holiday-only reading path.
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.
Reading order last verified .