Blood Orange Brewing (Tea Shop Mystery)

Book Description

When social darling Delaine Dish throws a lavish benefit for the restoration of a run-down Victorian home, Theodosia Browning donates tea and treats from her Indigo Tea Shop. But the grand unveiling of Theo's spread proves a gruesome scene when a beloved local politico falls dead with a jagged piece of metal in his neck. Anyone at the event could be the culprit, but the police have few leads-and no suspects. Try as she might, Theodosia can't help but wonder who the murderer is. But her investigation will lead her into places darker than the blackest tea ...

Customer Reviews:

A cozy read........2007-04-29

What a wonderful cozy read. I love Theo, Drayton and Haley. What starts out as a great mystery, falls flat in my opinion in the end. Just ended because we need to end the story?

I gave it four stars because I do love all the tea talk. Theo is asked to help who murdered Duke during the concert and starts snooping around. The murderer is not going to take that too nicely. Everywhere Theo goes she is on her toes looking for clues, but never would have guessed!

All in all a good book. I can't help myself. These are cute cozy mystery reads!

Great new installment in the cozy tea shop mystery series.......2007-04-17

Theodosia Browning and her Indigo Tea Shop are serving at the Candlelight Concert socialite Delaine Dish throws to raise money for a Victorian home donated to the Heritage Society. Everyone who is anyone is there as Delaine plans to hit them up to donate to restore the house.

Unfortunately retired CEO and beloved politician Duke Wilkes is murdered before refreshments can be served. Detective Burt Tidwell is on the case and in no uncertain terms tells Theodosia to stay off the case.

That's what Theodosia plans to do until Duke's widow begs her to look into things. Since everyone who was at the concert is a suspect, she has her work cut out for her. It doesn't take long before she finds herself in the thick of things and apparently getting too close. Can she solve this murder without putting herself and those she loves in danger?

I really enjoyed this book. The Charleston setting is always relaxing to me. The story kept moving and made me want to read another chapter and not put it down. Theodosia and her associates, Drayton and Haley, are such wonderful characters. I'm not a tea drinker, but I'd love to go to their shop just so I could meet them!

I can't wait to read the next installment in this series. I highly recommend this book.

ugh...no, thanks.......2007-01-23

I am loathe to pan a book in the review section, but I can't help it here. This is the first book of the series that I picked up. I was hoping to find a new series of the whole "southern mystery/women" genre to devour.

First of all, the book starts off slamming you with about 800 different names of people you have no hope of keeping straight in your head. Childs offers very little (if any) information to make each character memorable as they're introduced. Just sort of tosses them all out pell-mell and helter-skelter.

Throughout the book, the murder plot is dry, the dialogue is irritating and sometimes simply pointless, and I just could not bring myself to care. I want my two hours back. If this is an example of this author's writing style, I won't be grabbin' any more of her stuff.

This Series Keeps Getting Worse Instead of Better.......2007-01-18

I enjoy the recipes in the back of the book. The characters however, are extremely obnoxious, with the exception of Drayton. Theodosia is an unlikeable busy-body, know-it-all, arrogant character who seems to be in continual competition with the police in attempting to solve crimes. Haley is irritating beyond words. The books are full of sentence fragments and the way the characters talk is stilted. I've given up on this series and will go to the library, page to the back of the book and browse through the recipes.

Where was the proofreader for this book?.......2007-01-10

I have been a great fan of these teashop mysteries from the moment they appeared, but I was so very disappointed in the latest one. The plot didn't seem as well thought-out as in previous books, but what really drove me mad was the huge (and unacceptable) number of typographical errors in the book. I am always slightly addled by Ms. Childs' refusal to use the word "of" after the word "couple" (a couple pots of tea, as opposed to a couple OF pots of tea), but the excessive errors in this book simply showed a sloppy level of proofreading. Now that we are asked to pay for hardback editions of the books, I expect quality to be better, not worse. I may give the series one more chance, but I have refrained from recommending this book to other tea lovers, as I normally would do.

Tea Shop Mystery Series: Death by Darjeeling, Gunpowder Green, Shades of Earl Grey, English Breakfast Murder, The Jasmine Moon Murder, Chamomile Mourning, Blood Orange Brewing (Set of 7 Mystery Novels)

Average customer rating:

Tea Shop Mystery Series: Death by Darjeeling, Gunpowder Green, Shades of Earl Grey, English Breakfast Murder, The Jasmine Moon Murder, Chamomile Mourning, Blood Orange Brewing (Set of 7 Mystery Novels)
Laura Childs
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000TNSLQI

Book Description

The savage werewolves called Garou face a harbinger of the Apocalypse in a great Wyrm-beast that devours history itself and threatens to corrupt all of Europe. In this final installment of the Tribe Novel Series, the Garou have one last chance to protect Gaia and defeat this terrible monstrosity.

In Tribe Novel: Black Spiral Dancers, the mad Lord Arkady journeys into Malfeas and comes face to face with the Wyrm itself. In Tribe Novel: Wendigo, John North Wind's Son and his Silver River Pack lead their kin in one last, desperate battle.

Customer Reviews:

Greattttt!!!!.......2007-05-31

I really liked the WENDIGO part of the book, it was amazing!!!

The part about the BLACK SPIRAL DANCERS was not so great, though, because it was a confusing read with things shifting in the Spiral, and people coming and going, because Arkady, the main character of this book, keeps floating between this world and the Umbra, being inside the Spiral and out of it in other places interacting with other characters, and in the end I guess I get a little lost...

But when you found yourself in it the book is great!

Book Description

Rissa breathes a sigh of relief as the ship lifts off. It seems she's escaped danger, and no one has recognized the scientifically altered being as the beautiful young heir to the Hilzein Establishment-or so it seems. Possessing the only force capable of challenging the tyranny that devastated the Earth and Universe, Rissa can do almost anything--then again, almost anything can happen to her while she's doing it.

Customer Reviews:

A Disappointment.......2003-07-18

Rissa was very young when her parents were killed covering a news story. Her uncle came to care for Rissa and her brother, but the Welfare system denied him guardianship and took the two to a Welfare Center where they were separated. Rissa gradually forgot life before the Welfare Center and endured day after day of drudgery. When she was selected to be the new secretary for one of the managers, she was able to tap into more information than she was supposed to learn about. She tried to track down her brother, but could never get into see him. When the news came that she had won the lottery and now had enough credits to leave the Welfare Center, Rissa was thrilled.

Overjoyed with her newfound wealth and the chance to escape the hated Welfare Center, Rissa soon finds out that the UET, the US government that controls everything, has plans to get all the money back and to send Rissa back to Welfare. Rissa is determined not to let it happen to her, so she follows the advice of an old friend of her parents and escapes to South America, where the Hulzein family trains her in combat, disguises, sex and many other necessary skills to survive. After a year of training, Rissa escapes Earth and rides on the starship Inconnu with Captain Tregare to Planet One of the Hidden Worlds where she hopes no one will find her.

Rissa contacts the Hulzein family on Planet One, who take her in, but not before she makes a mortal enemy of del Nardo, one of the government workers with a powerful family. Rissa refuses to let del Nardo beat her and challenges him to combat, which she is determined to win. While she waits for the combat day, she finds that she has started to care for people again and feels that the Hulzeins are a kind of family to her. For the first time in many years, it matters to Rissa if she lives or dies and so she is determined to win the combat and to make a life for herself on Planet One.

I was expecting a lot from this book because of all of the glowing reviews. I wonder if I read the same book that they did because I don't see a whole lot of role model in Rissa. There is quite a bit of violence in the book - Rissa is raped daily by her boss at the Welfare Center, she is raped by Tregare while she is traveling on the Inconnu, and she also kills quite a few people along the way. I found Rissa to be a hard character to like because she had no feelings for anything until the very end of the book and by then I had no feelings for her. Some of the story was interesting, but it was written pretty blandly without a lot of excitement and Rissa talks in a very stilted sort of way, I'm not sure why. It was an okay read, but nothing that I will pursue any further.

Role Model.......2003-05-02

FM Busby created Rissa... at times, I let myself believe that he created her specifically for me. She has been my role model for many years: strong, confident, yet compassionate. Breaking free of her past tramas and stretching out on wings powered by her own determination, Rissa is everything I want to be when I grow up. At 36, I STILL go back and read this series when I need to renew my sense of worth and confidence. Thank you, Mr. Busby!

Exceptional start to a wonderful series.......2000-10-26

This, the first book in the Rissa Kerguelen series, is a brilliant story that was years ahead of its time. The prologue takes place right about now, in which total government control, alien coverups, and cloning add up to a bleak future for one Rissa Kerguelen. Her parents slain, separated from her brother, the five year old girl is put into a "Total Welfare Center", which is little more than slave barracks. Neglected, abused, and raped, the lonely girl grows up to win her way out of the Center via a lottery. Once out, she decides to go into hiding and get training to survive the Government which has almost total control over the planet earth. Making a valuble friend in Erika Hulzein, the heir to the survival training center, she leaves earth for a better future...and finds more adventure. Rissa is an inspirational feminist; smart, strong, quick, and able to fight for her self and beliefs. I found her to be a classic heroine, on par with Scarlett O'Hara. All in all a wonderful read, and make sure to check out the next 2 books in the series.

The beginning of a saga not to be missed.......2000-08-13

This book is like many firsts. It could have been thicker with details but the plot is solid and the books to follow are fantastic. The plot is solid SF fare with a political twist. Basically "what would happen if corporations really DID take over most of the world" is the backdrop for a seriously good read - even the 5th time around.

YOUNG RISSA.......2000-07-08

When Rissa is five her parents are killed. She and her brother are taken away by the state- welfare-agent-computer. They are parted sterilize and put to work. At sixteen Rissa wins the lottery, and makes plans to excape Earth. With help from the Under-Ground she gets a new ID . Off planet Rissa learns several languages, polite conversation, armed and unarmed combat. They also tell her of the Hidden Worlds. Meeting Tregare a commander by mutiny, who carges money and sex for tanspot. Rissa make her way to freedom. With in hours of landing on a hidden world, Rissa has made an challenge to the death. Fast past, a little week in personaliy but over all an enjoyalbe read.

Average customer rating:

A series off to a great start

YOUNG RISSA (RISSA KERGUELEN, NO 1)
F.M. BUSBY
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M6BBH8

Customer Reviews:

A series off to a great start.......2007-10-06

This has the makings of an enjoyable space-opera soap-opera. Two reporters are killed when the government mows down the crowd they were reporting on, leaving five year old Rissa to the care of her uncle. That's not enough for this vindictive totalitarian regime, Rissa is taken by force into "Welfare." That's a codeword for political prison camp and slave colony, a worse-than-Dickensian orphanage, in the guise of communal benevolence. At menarche, she's surgically sterilized - among other things, that lets the free staff make free with her, with no fear of the only important consequence in this pre-AIDS world.

Then her ship comes in - that uncle, now an un-person, bought a lottery ticket in her name, with winnings to buy her citizenship. A mysterious benefactor shows her how to protect her winnings and escape. That's when the feel-good heroism kicks in, as naive Rissa trains to become master assassin, political savant, and seductress extraordinaire. One step ahead of the UET goons, she finds success, happiness, and lots of room for sequels out among the stars.

One amusing point marks this as an artifact of the sexual revolution - Rissa is frigid, except to her own touch, despite her expert training in the arts of physical love. This will clearly become a Quest, and one assumes that she will find that Grail of womanhood in one of the stories that follow. It's not a big deal, though - this is basically an enjoyable SF rendering of a swashbuckling Horatio Alger story.

-- wiredweird

Average customer rating:

Some tasty stuff

Great Basic Cookbook!

Outstanding recipes

The Best! You have to try this book!

These reviews look suspicious

125 Best Vegan Recipes
Maxine Chuck , and Beth Gurney
Manufacturer: Robert Rose
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Vegan | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking: Bold Flavors for Meat- and Dairy-Free Meals

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

Vive Le Vegan!: Simple, Delectable Recipes For The Everyday Vegan Family

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0778801136

Book Description

Delicious easy-to-prepare vegan recipes.

The vegan lifestyle is becoming more and more popular. There are many different reasons for not eating meat, milk, or eggs. Yet all vegans desire tantalizing dishes and meal ideas.

125 Best Vegan Recipes offers appealing recipes for everything from soups, salads and wraps, to pasta and grains, and desserts and baked goods. Many families have at least one adolescent vegan and need kid-friendly recipes the whole family will enjoy. Far from the mundane, these creative recipes have an international flair, are easy to execute, and guarantee delicious results every time.

Here's just a sampling:

Spicy Black Bean Dip
Hot and Sour Udon Noodle Soup
Corn Meal Waffles with Wild Blueberry Compote
Penne with Sautéd Mushroom Marsala and Caramelized Onion
Spaghetti and Soy Meatballs
Pistachio Biscotti
Cranberry Orange Scones.

Besides the outstanding recipes, there is also nutritional information helpful to the vegan lifestyle. To aid in meal planning and preparation, there is a useful vegan pantry list with freezer recommendations. For vegans or even those considering the vegan lifestyle, this cookbook is vital.

Customer Reviews:

Some tasty stuff.......2007-03-27

The spinach lasagna is KILLER, and I make several of the appetizers on a regular basis for my omnivore friends and family. Desserts are so-so. Several recipes call for vegan cheese, which I am not fond of.

Great Basic Cookbook!.......2007-01-12

I decided I had to come sing my praises of this book as I made yet another recipe last night that came out great. I have yet to have had a dud from this book, and that says a lot.
I made the Sticky Pecan Squares for the holidays (only I used walnuts) and my non-vegan coworkers were hooked. Hard to believe something so easy could have such great results.
And the same thing can be said about the Curried Chickpeas that I made for dinner last night. It is such a great basic recipe that could be changed up in many ways, and I plan on making it again very soon.
I recieved this book as a gift, and am constantly thanking the purchaser when I discover yet another tasty treat from this book.
I have started quite the collection of vegan cookbooks, but when I want an easy meal that tastes good, I always come back to this one.
I highly recommend it to both new and seasoned vegans alike.

Outstanding recipes.......2006-07-08

This is my first review but I really wanted to rate this book as it is so good. I have been a vegan for many years and am a keen cook and have a shelf full of cookbooks but this one is truly amazing. I have tried 8 recipes so far and each one was great and my kids loved it (the only exception was the chocolate pudding which I found not sweet enough and had to add quite a bit of sugar). I have just made the brownies after years of trying different vegan brownie recipes and always being disappointed but these are the absolute best brownies I have ever tasted. I think this book is the perfect combination of exciting but not too complicated (or weird)recipes. Any vegan, especially those with picky kids will find this one of the most useful cookbooks on their shelves.

The Best! You have to try this book! .......2006-03-24

I love this book so much. I just received it a few weeks ago, and I am wondering how I ever made do without it! Every single recipe I have tried so far has been superb, and they have all proved to be hearty and satisfying. No bird food here.

The recipe for Lasagna with Spinach and Olives is so good that I had to make a second pan within days of the first because it got such rave reviews (by meat-eaters I might add). The Penne with Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Artichokes has become another easy favorite. The Chocolate Pudding is to die for, it is so creamy and rich. The Luscious Apple Butter had my sister (who claims to hate apple butter) swooning. The Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder is delicious, filling and super fast to throw together. The Chunky Guacamole, Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip were gone within the hour when I took them to a pot-luck. At least 5 people must have asked me for the recipes. The Rice Pudding with Raisins has become a new "comfort" food for when I want something sweet, creamy and hot. I will also admit that I can be found standing in front of the fridge sneaking bites of cold rice pudding all day long too!

I cannot wait to try all of the recipes. This book deserves 10 Stars!

These reviews look suspicious.......2006-03-04

At first, I was impressed by the reviews. Then I got suspicious as they all sounded similar and every single review had 5 stars and a perfect "found helpful" rating. Every reviewer but one has reviewed only one book - this one. I think I'll pass on this book and buy one with a greater variety of authentic-sounding reviews.

Average customer rating:

125 Best Vegan Recipes
Maxine Chuck
Manufacturer: CHRIS LLOYD SALES &
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K2TESM

Book Description

Pet expert Amy Shojai has the answers for pet behavior problems, from the best ways to introduce a new cat or dog to the resident pet, to dealing with issues of aggression, food disputes, housebreaking and jealousy. This guide gives concrete instructions for bringing harmony to your pet family.

Customer Reviews:

One Fine Book!.......2005-09-23

(Note: Review below sent to author's website, posted with permission)

This is one dang fine book!! It's comprehensive, full of more than useful information, and a ''must'' for suckers like me who can't pass up a needy critter. It's written so that anyone can understand it, and it's clear in its message. You have written THE book for people who love animals and see them as family members. Thank you for what will be (for me) a useful tool in helping Sparky, Poky, Molly, Shadow, Bachi, and Pepper co-exist. You're good at what you do!!

A fan,

Humphrey Fish

Family member saved from certain demise.......2005-09-21

This book was a Godsend. I found it the day before I finally, overwhelmed, had scheduled to put my 11 yr old cat to sleep after trying many strategies (vet check, diff litters, boxes, odor removers, special food, etc.,etc.) The book led me to a website about a special cat litter called Cat Attract, which to my shock, has saved our cat and our happy home! The book also had other suggestions which I employed as well, probably contributing to this success. Very clear and practical, tips I had not read in other sources.

Book Description

For today's owner of an antique house, the discovery of an early stenciled wall--even a fragment of one--is a revelation that offers a shard of a tangible past. In post-revolutionary America, the decoration of choice for a surprisingly large number of home owners from all social and economic groups was walls painted with intricate stenciled designs. Stenciled walls were cheaper and more sanitary than those covered with paper, but the most compelling reason for the widespread use of stenciling was that it was considered far more stylish than impersonal, mass-produced paper. Stencil artists freely borrowed wallpaper motifs and crossbred them. Successive generations of wallpaper, which became increasingly more affordable after the Industrial Revolution, covered stenciled walls, hiding them, obliterating some and preserving others.

Ann Eckert Brown's extensive research has unearthed stencils not just in New England's more characteristic homes, taverns, and inns, but also in the south and midwest. She divides stenciling into rural-based folk art, which uses naturalistic, and sometimes primitive motifs, and classically inspired, urban-based stencils, which feature patterns more refined in scale and earlier in execution, echoing Federal style images.

Over 250 illustrations complement Brown's text as she makes fresh stylistic connections among designs, artists, regions, and houses over two centuries, discovering and illuminating some missing links in the history of wall stenciling. Even more, she ties together the shared destinies of the families, descendants, artists, rescuers, and restorers who lived with, created, or have dedicated their lives to preserving, this beautiful art form. She also provides a glossary, a discussion of early paint materials, suggested resources for wall stenciling preservation, and a Who's Who of American wall stenciling which includes 18th, 19th, and 20th century artists and preservationists. The result, as Mimi Handler writes in her foreword, "is a book that fairly hums with life and purpose."

Customer Reviews:

I truly loved this book.......2003-05-17

Last weekend I attended a party in RI and I found myself emersed in this book for much of the time. I came home and ordered it right away. It is a beautiful image of post revolutionary America and this important art form. As someone who grew up in New England I loved this glimpse into the past. Ms. Eckert Brown's extensive research is evident, and the illustrations are wonderful. This is the quintessential book for anyone who loves stenciling, art and American history.

Book Description

Take kid-friendly to a whole new level with Lowes Creative Ideas for Kids Spaces, based on Lowes highly successful Creative Ideas for Your Home Garden magazine. The book goes way beyond the basics, providing well-thought-out design, space, and storage solutions for kids of all ages. Great photos help you plan the best bedrooms, study areas, and indoor and outside play spaces for the kid in your life.

Book Description

From mid-century masters Charles Addams and Saul Steinberg, through contemporary cartoonists Art Spiegelman and Roz Chast, New Yorker artists have depicted The Guggenheim with wit and insight. This book brings together five decades worth of cartoons and cover illustrations that feature the iconic museum, along with period photographs that reveal the artists' inspirations. According to Robert Mankoff, "The cartoonists of The New Yorker brilliantly and hilariously illuminate both the reality of New York and the city of our imaginations."

Book Description

On Althea Gibson, America's first African American tennis champion:

"I am grateful to Althea Gibson for having the strength and courage to break through the racial barriers in tennis. She knocked down walls that gave us more freedom to concentrate on the game. . . . Althea's accomplishments set the stage for my success, but she also made a difference for people of all backgrounds in all areas. Through beneficiaries like me, Serena, and many others to come, her legacy will live on."
-Venus Williams

"She just meant so much to me. I've always felt connected to her and thankful and grateful for what she's done for people of color and me."
-Billie Jean King

"Althea built many bridges over her seventy-six years on this earth to ease our crossing. . . . She fought the good fight, she finished her course, she kept her faith, and she can rest-game, set, and match."
-David Dinkins
former mayor of New York City

"It was the quiet dignity with which Althea carried herself during the turbulent days of the 1950s that was truly remarkable. . . . When she began playing, less than five percent of tennis newcomers were minorities. Today, some thirty percent are minorities, two-thirds of whom are African American. This is her legacy."
-Alan Schwartz
President, U.S. Tennis Association

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