"Murder, tea and romance."

This is the 4th book in the Chintz'n China tea series. Ms. Galenorn is setting the standard with this series. Emerald O'Brien and her lover Joe are clearing the empty lot next door, that Joe is buying, when they find the foundation of an old mansion. An bad feeling comes with the uncovering of the old basement and the small damp room it holds. It is even worse when Will-O-The-Wisps show up. Then there is the bones they find in the roots of the old Yew tree.

When Joe is told by his lawyer that the owners of the land have changed their minds and now don't want to sell. It just seems like one more thing to go wrong. When the owner in town is questioned as to why, she states her brother who lives in Europe doesn't want to sell. Then with some investigation, Emerald finds out the brother isn't in Europe, but in a mental institution in the next town.

So far we have a 50 year old maybe murder and a owner that is lying about her brother. Oh and one of the family cats is missing. Get your own cup of tea and a cozy blanket and settle down to be entertained by this wonderfully written mystery. It's worth the effort.

Reviewed by Judith Saul
Posted January 16, 2006

Read an Excerpt

Summary

Charm recipe included

It's harvest time in Chiqetaw, Washington; Emerald O'Brien's favorite season. But this year, nature yields a most supernatural bounty. When Em and her sweetie, Joe, stumble over a bramble-covered foundation that has remained hidden for fifty years in the lot next door, strange events begin to occur. The cat vanishes. Will o' the Wisps threaten to harm Emerald and her loved ones. And the ghost of a woman named Brigit and her beloved calico make themselves at home in the backyard. Now it's up to Em and her friends to delve into the past, reveal the secrets of the dead and lay them to rest as they ring in the autumn with a harvest of bones.