Things are eerily quiet at Gemma's quaint English tearoom and she can't understand why – until she learns about the trendy new "tea bar" that's opened on the other side of the village. To her horror, she soon finds her customers being stolen and her business the target of sabotage, while her mother's newfound obsession with all things Asian means a whole new world of fluffy footwear. But Gemma has bigger problems than trying to eat with chopsticks, when the ruthless rival owner is savagely murdered and she is considered the key suspect!
Now she's in a real pickle, desperate to clear her name. But with her detective boyfriend accused of nepotism and under suspicion, Gemma's forced to tackle the case on her own. Luckily, she can still count on the help of the nosy Old Biddies, while the naughty antics of her tabby cat Muesli uncover some unexpected clues too!
As Gemma delves into a mystery where "East meets West", she finds familiar motives despite the difference between cultures. But with a full menu of suspects—from the aggrieved dentist with the strained smile, to the belligerent chef who lost everything, not to mention a pair of estranged sisters hurt by the ultimate betrayal—she discovers that solving this case is no piece of cake...
(* Traditional tea egg recipe included at the end of the story!)
This book follows British English spelling and usage.
Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
The OXFORD TEAROOM MYSTERIES: