Broken Bone China

Broken Bone China is the 20th Indigo Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs. The series takes place in Charleston, North Carolina with three main characters. Theodosia Browning is the amateur sleuth of the series. She owns the Indigo Tea Shop. Drayton Conneley is Theo's tea master and together they go on fact finding sleuthing trips. Haley is the third main character. She is the cook and pastry chef for the Indigo Tea Shop. She mainly provides emotional support for the other two because she is busy running the tea shop while Theo and Drayton are running around town.  However, every once in a while Haley has helpful information that will solve the crime.

This story begins with the crime. Theo and Drayton are riding in a hot air balloon with the Top Flight Balloon Club when they spot a drone hovering over each balloon before it rams itself into one balloon, falling to the ground onto Theo's table and crushing her pink bone china cups. The Indigo Tea Shop had been hired to serve tea and pastries to the guests of the Balloon Club. However, after all four people inside the balloon were killed, the police were called and the party was over.

The next day a fellow Charleston business owner, antiques dealer Tod Slawson, arrives at the Indigo Tea Shop to talk about the balloon disaster. He called it a murder as victim Don Kingsley was selling a remnant of the American Revolutionary War, the "don't tread on me" flag. Two of the bidders for the flag were in the balloon with him and also killed. Slawson was bidding on the flag himself but the flag is now missing from Kingsley's home. The following day another Charleston business owner arrived. Angie Congdon asked Theodosia for her help in clearing her fiance's name in this crime. Harold Affolter worked for Kingsley's company and had been a whistleblower at the company. Harold also owned a drone.

Theo begins her investigation by visiting Kingsley's widow, who is happy as can be, and then Kingsley's assistant at the office, who cannot explain why he spent so much time at Kingsley's second home after the murder. However, this was just the beginning of an intricately plotted mystery. Every event and person mentioned was present for a purpose. This is vastly different from the past few books in the series where I think the author got sloppy in her writing due to the need to publish three books a year for three different series that she is currently writing. I am delighted that this series is back on track as I have loved it from the first book.

Even the special occasion tea events at the tea shop advanced the plot. This book had a Nancy Drew Tea and a Beaux Art Tea wherein the reader learned about the Nancy Drew books and beaux art (fine art) as well as the actual teas that were paired with the foods that were served at the events. I always enjoy reading about the tea. Drayton, as tea master for the shop, created teas for these events. This part of the book is fiction as there is no such thing as a tea master but Drayton's job seems believable in the world of cozies.

The setting of historic downtown Charleston is prominent in each book in the series and I feel that it should be considered a character too.  It's history, architecture and wealthy eccentric residents provide an interesting backdrop to these stories. Recipes for sweets made by Haley are given at the end of the book as are some suggestions by the author on how to host several special occasion tea events yourself.

Laura Childs made a great comeback with Broken Bone China. 5 out of 5 stars!!!