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It's been eleven years, but I finally found my way back to cozy mystery author Laura Childs. In 2012, I got crafty with a book from Childs' New Orleans-set scrapbooking series called Frill Kill. This time I moved on to a volume from her Charleston-based tea shop series entitled Haunted Hibiscus. Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Because in both books I was struck not by whodunit-related intrigue, but, surprise surprise, fanciful fashion:
"Racks of denim jackets, skirts, and slacks were jammed next to soft sea island cotton dresses and diaphanous beach cover-ups. A circular rack had long ball gowns and filmy silk wraps to match. Antique highboys spilled out offerings of jeweled belts, strappy sandals, hand-painted silk scarves, bangle bracelets, and beaded handbags." (223)
This scene takes place at a "denim and diamonds" event in an upscale boutique. Yet as much as it charmed me (and it charmed me a lot), I'd be remiss in not reporting that the piping hot cup of homicide that is Haunted Hibiscus heats up when an author is hanged in a haunted house. It's a grim incident to say the least, so Childs' imagery of beautiful clothes, as well as that of heroine Theodosia Browning's picture-perfect Indigo Tea Shop, go a long way in dispelling the gloom.
Much like, I suppose, a restorative cup of Earl Grey or Celestial Seasonings.
