Can murder happen in a beautiful tea garden?

With all the gloom and doom in the media, I was ready for something fun to read. So I selected Blythe Baker’s “A Sip of Murder.” It was the first of her Japanese Tea Garden Mysteries.

The book begins abruptly. Maddie is newly divorced, pushing 30 and more than a little unsure of herself after too many years married to the very controlling Drake Morgan.

Maddie’s family has been estranged from her Japanese grandmother for many years, though Maddie has a few memories of visits to her beautiful tea garden. Now Maddie has been informed that she has inherited her grandmother’s house and tea garden business. Maddie is ready for something new and eagerly moves to Little River. Her excitement is dashed when she arrives at the big, poorly maintained house.

The once-beautiful tea garden is in need of repairs, too. As the “new Maddie” surveys the gardens, she meets Kelly. The woman is about Maddie’s age and had worked for her grandmother. Kelly dearly loves the gardens and is more than ready to help get them open again. Maddie also encounters her neighbors, twin sisters Agatha and Angela Jenkins. The women hate the gardens and call Maddie’s grandmother “that evil little Chinese woman,” but they don’t say why, and Maddie doesn’t pursue the issue.

With the help of Kelly and a local landscaper, the gardens are soon ready to open. Opening day is going very well. Maddie is pleased to see that it is still a popular place for picnics and special photo shoots, but her joy is ruined when Angela Jenkins is found floating in the koi pond. Agatha immediately accuses Maddie of causing Angela’s death.

The investigation is headed by Detective Michael Sullivan. Under other circumstances, Maddie would have considered him attractive, but her interest wanes when he questions like a suspect. Maddie’s day gets even worse when she finds an unsigned will leaving the property to Kelly. Could Kelly be trying to sabotage the business in order to take it?

Unable to reach her own lawyer, she contacts her ex and he agrees to check it for her. As Maddie works in the gardens, she encounters Daniel Walker. He owns the land and quarry behind the gardens. He wants to buy her property and expand his quarry. Maddie gets bad vibes from the man and refuses to even consider the sale, but Walker keeps popping up, determined to get the gardens one way or another.

Making matters worse, Maddie’s ex-mother-in-law shows up and offers to help. The two were never close, and Momma Jackie has never been domestic in any way. Why is she here now? Did Drake send her to spy? The gardens are allowed to reopen, and Maddie is shocked at the number of “lookie-loos,” but must accept that their money is very welcome.

When her mild OCD forces Maddie to unpack gift shop boxes, she discovers the small backroom in flames and a person escaping through a window. Maddie gives chase. The tussle ends when Detective Sullivan arrests Agatha. The woman finally admits that the twins had been defacing the pond when Angela fell and hit her head. A photo in the gift shop would prove that Agatha had lied about being in the gardens. The death of Angela is now solved, and Detective Sullivan can confess that he has a personal interest in Maddie.

The book ends on that note with no information about why the sisters hated Maddie’s grandmother and her tea garden. The matter of Daniel Walker’s interest in the garden is also left unquestioned. Between that and the fact that Maddie didn’t shop for groceries, introduce herself to her neighbors or check out her new city made me wonder about Maddie’s ability to manage her life or business.

Your public library has online books galore. Why not check them out.

AT A GLANCE

BOOK: “A Sip of Murder”

AUTHOR: Blythe Baker

PUBLISHER: Amazon.com Services LLC

PUBLISHED: July 8, 2018

PAGES: 163

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