Tea Shop Pretty Amidst the Grim and Gritty: View from the Vanity

Laura Childs's A Dark and Stormy Tea may be boiling over with murder and mayhem.  By my favorite parts are her descriptions of Theodosia's charming tea shop and cottage.  And of the many word pictures she paints, the most vivid is that of Theodosia's vanity:

"With its desk and drawers and cushioned stool, the vanity took up one wall and was the perfect spot for Theodosia to sit and apply makeup or brush her hair.  Scattered atop the vanity were Theodosia's collectibles -- perfume bottles by Chanel and Dior, leather-covered journal, ceramic box decorated with jaguars that held her good pearl earrings, a large white bowl with scalloped edges that corralled her bracelets, cuffs, and a strand of pearls and a Jo Malone candle." (79)

I love hearing about "collectibles," especially those of a beauty bent.  They're full of feminine fun, aren't they?  So here are some pics from my own vanity.  Or, rather, the nightstands in my closet.

Princess toys and novelty tissues may not be Chanel.  But they are my happy place.  

Clued for Thought: Murder Mysteries on the Menu

Lately, I've been reading even more cozy murder mysteries than usual.  Maybe because some other genres left a slightly bad taste in my mouth.  Anyway, in doing so, it hit me that most of the series I follow are food-related.  Many even include recipes, which I never use but nevertheless enjoy.  I guess that's part of why I'm so drawn to these wholesome whodunits.  They consistently serve up a helping of happy.  Because although it's fun to figure out who did in the nibby neighbor or arrogant heiress, it's the comfort of home-baked cakes and casseroles that keeps me at the table.

So here's a quartet of titles I recently read, arranged on poster board like entrées on seen-from-space plates:

Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay, a Cupcake Bakery Mystery

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs, a Tea Shop Mystery

Death of a Clam Digger by Lee Hollis, a Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery

Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien, a Noodle Shop Mystery

Seeing them in all their quirky glory is like snuggling under a crazy quilt of culinary delights.  I even read some of Death of a Clam Digger to Charlotte (although not, I promise, the murder part!), and she was riveted, or, as the husband put it, on the edge of her blanket.

Now that I'm done writing this post, I realize that I haven't said anything I haven't said countless times before.  My love for cozies remains reliable, just like the mainstay stories themselves.  Suspense?  Sure. But no surprises.

And that's just how this creature of habit likes it. 🍰🔎🥘