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Teapot Collector Mystery #2
Shadow of a Spout
Avid teapot collector Rose Freemont takes a break from her Victorian tea house only to find a new mystery brewing elsewhere.. .
Leaving her home in Gracious Grove behind her, Rose is off to the annual convention of the International Teapot Collector’s Society. Her granddaughter Sophie is minding the tea house while she’s away. Rose is eager for tough cookie Zunia Pettigrew to appraise a prized antique teapot she believes may be a holy water vessel from China.
But when Zunia declares the pot a fake, Rose is really steamed. After Zunia’s found dead beside Rose’s dinged-in teapot, Sophie must rush to her grandmother’s aid and find the real killer—before Rose is steeped in any more trouble…
Leaving her home in Gracious Grove behind her, Rose is off to the annual convention of the International Teapot Collector’s Society. Her granddaughter Sophie is minding the tea house while she’s away. Rose is eager for tough cookie Zunia Pettigrew to appraise a prized antique teapot she believes may be a holy water vessel from China.
But when Zunia declares the pot a fake, Rose is really steamed. After Zunia’s found dead beside Rose’s dinged-in teapot, Sophie must rush to her grandmother’s aid and find the real killer—before Rose is steeped in any more trouble…
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 21, 2015
Rose is leaving Auntie Rose's Victorian Tea House behind where she is the proprietor in Gracious Grove to her granddaughter, Sophie to take care of to head off to the International Teapot Collectors Society Convention. Rose wants Zunia Pettigrew the now president of The Teapot Collectors Society to appraise her what Rose thinks is a antique teapot but soon discovers that it indeed is from China and is a holy water vessel.
Zunia is a force to be reckoned with with everyone among the Teapot Collectors Society especially the men. She is also a mean, vendictive person and she has no problems showing her grumpiness when Rose approaches her to appraise her so called antique Tea Pot but Rose shows no fear and gives her what for when Zunia tells Rose it's a fake in front of The Teapot Collectors Society.
All eyes look upon Rose as a suspect when Zunia is found dead along side Rose's beloved teapot. But Rose being a elderly woman in her 80's couldn't possibly had the power and strength to kill Zunia and no one that knows her could possibly believe she would killer her. Zunia has secret affairs of her own and the suspects start piling up when Rose's Granddaughter, Sophie heads in to help her Grandmother and find Zunia's killer.
This second book in the Teapot Collectors Mysteries is brewed to perfection and steeped with enchanting characters and is a delicious mystery. Rose venturing out of her Victorian Tea House was refreshing, interesting change. I always had a cup of tea beside me while reading, being the tea lover that I am I just could not resist having it there while reading. I felt Sophie's love for her grandmother and imagined I would be that way with mine if I hadn't lost her when I was young, it was a very compelling aspect of the story for me and will keep me reading this series and always the TEA !!!
April 13, 2015
Shadow Of A Spout is the second book in the Teapot Collectors series.
Another enjoyable visit with the teapot collectors of Gracious Grove. Rose Freemont and her good friend and employee at Auntie Rose's Victorian Tea House have traveled to Butterhill, NY to attend the annual convention of International Teapot Collectors Society. After the first days meeting Zunia Pettigrew invites members to bring up teapot and she will inspect them and give the owners an idea about their history. The first two teapots she looks, the first she calls a fake and cracked and on the second argues with the owner about the “pottery mark” on the teapot. When she gets to Rose's she claims it's not a teapot at all and certainly not old, but a cheap reproduction from China. Rose is sure that Zunia is wrong and has some inflammatory words with Zunia. In addition, Thelma Mae Ernshaw who owns a similar tea house next door to Auntie Rose's and hasn't been on speaking terms with Rose for decades spreads some vicious rumors about her and a death that occurred in Auntie Rose's a few months earlier. In the early hours of the next morning, a disturbance is heard in the hallway of The Stone and Scone, where most everyone has accommodations. When they get to the hallway by the elevators they find Zunia, dead hit on the head with Rose's teapot. Rose immediately becomes a prime suspect, But the police soon learn that most everyone had a reason to want her dead. Soon, Rose's granddaughter, Sophie, arrives to be there for Rose and to hopefully gather enough information to completely clear her grandmother.
A well told story with interesting and believable characters.
Recipes are also included in the book.
Will be watching for next book in this series.
Another enjoyable visit with the teapot collectors of Gracious Grove. Rose Freemont and her good friend and employee at Auntie Rose's Victorian Tea House have traveled to Butterhill, NY to attend the annual convention of International Teapot Collectors Society. After the first days meeting Zunia Pettigrew invites members to bring up teapot and she will inspect them and give the owners an idea about their history. The first two teapots she looks, the first she calls a fake and cracked and on the second argues with the owner about the “pottery mark” on the teapot. When she gets to Rose's she claims it's not a teapot at all and certainly not old, but a cheap reproduction from China. Rose is sure that Zunia is wrong and has some inflammatory words with Zunia. In addition, Thelma Mae Ernshaw who owns a similar tea house next door to Auntie Rose's and hasn't been on speaking terms with Rose for decades spreads some vicious rumors about her and a death that occurred in Auntie Rose's a few months earlier. In the early hours of the next morning, a disturbance is heard in the hallway of The Stone and Scone, where most everyone has accommodations. When they get to the hallway by the elevators they find Zunia, dead hit on the head with Rose's teapot. Rose immediately becomes a prime suspect, But the police soon learn that most everyone had a reason to want her dead. Soon, Rose's granddaughter, Sophie, arrives to be there for Rose and to hopefully gather enough information to completely clear her grandmother.
A well told story with interesting and believable characters.
Recipes are also included in the book.
Will be watching for next book in this series.
March 14, 2015
I loved it! This is book 2 in the Teapot Collectors mysteries. Rose, Sophies grandmother, takes off to a teapot collectors convention with her friend Laverne, while Sophie is taking care of the tea shop. But what Sophie doesn't know, is that Rose and Laverne are about to be thrown into the middle of a murder. Sophie ends up leaving the shop to help her grandmother and Laverne figure out what happened. This is a great book, lots of surprises. I love the story being told from each characters point of view, that really makes it a page turner. And these ladies are so feisty! Very fun! I look forward to the next book in this series.
April 8, 2015
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Kim
Amanda Cooper is back with the second installment of her Teapot Collector Mystery Series, Shadow of a Spout. This time, Rose Freemont and her BFF/employee, Laverne Hodge have traveled to Butterhill, New York, to attend the New York State charter of the International Teapot Collector’s Society (ITCS) annual conference. Also in attendance are Rose’s Silver Spouts teapot collecting group from Gracious Grove as well as members from across the state. However, some members and charters decided not to show up due to their dislike of the ITCS New York president, Zunia Pettigrew.
The conference starts out well until Zunia is presented with several teapots to appraise. When she’s rude to everyone who wants an appraisal including Rose, Rose can’t take it any longer and decides to stand up to Zunia. No more than ten minutes later, Rose’s frenemy, Thelma Mae Earnshaw tells all those who will listen to her that Rose is dangerous and lies a little about events that took place in Tempest in a Teapot.
Later that night, strange encounters take place with several people arguing and fights breaking out. Seriously, who would have known that people who are tea and teapot aficionados could be so violent? Early the next morning, Zunia’s body is discovered along with Rose’s teapot. With the teapot and Thelma’s lovely proclamation, the police are looking at Rose to be Zunia’ murderer. Once Sophie, Rose’s granddaughter, hears this news, she travels to Butterhill to protect her grandmother the only way she knows how, by finding the real killer.
“I am going to figure out who killed Zunia Pettigrew and hand him-or her-over to the police wrapped in a bow.”
Amanda has once again written a wonderful story of whodunit. Zunia was not a well-liked person by any imagination. The list of people who would be better off without Zunia around is endless; from her husband, to step-daughter, to founders of the ITCS New York chapter, and various other members. Amanda has created characters who are really unbelieveable. It appears that everywhere you look someone is trying to one up or backstab someone else. Shadow of a Spout is a tale of jealousy, adultery, and secrets galore.
At one point I was sure who the killer was, to only find out later I was completely wrong. I mean seriously, talk about about being blindsided. I still refuse to believe the actual killer really killed Zunia. But if the spout fits. Readers are left wondering what will be next for Rose and Sophie when Sophie receives some news that could change her life. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
**Received a copy from Penguin Berkley Prime Crime for an honest and unbiased opinion.**
by Kim
Amanda Cooper is back with the second installment of her Teapot Collector Mystery Series, Shadow of a Spout. This time, Rose Freemont and her BFF/employee, Laverne Hodge have traveled to Butterhill, New York, to attend the New York State charter of the International Teapot Collector’s Society (ITCS) annual conference. Also in attendance are Rose’s Silver Spouts teapot collecting group from Gracious Grove as well as members from across the state. However, some members and charters decided not to show up due to their dislike of the ITCS New York president, Zunia Pettigrew.
The conference starts out well until Zunia is presented with several teapots to appraise. When she’s rude to everyone who wants an appraisal including Rose, Rose can’t take it any longer and decides to stand up to Zunia. No more than ten minutes later, Rose’s frenemy, Thelma Mae Earnshaw tells all those who will listen to her that Rose is dangerous and lies a little about events that took place in Tempest in a Teapot.
Later that night, strange encounters take place with several people arguing and fights breaking out. Seriously, who would have known that people who are tea and teapot aficionados could be so violent? Early the next morning, Zunia’s body is discovered along with Rose’s teapot. With the teapot and Thelma’s lovely proclamation, the police are looking at Rose to be Zunia’ murderer. Once Sophie, Rose’s granddaughter, hears this news, she travels to Butterhill to protect her grandmother the only way she knows how, by finding the real killer.
“I am going to figure out who killed Zunia Pettigrew and hand him-or her-over to the police wrapped in a bow.”
Amanda has once again written a wonderful story of whodunit. Zunia was not a well-liked person by any imagination. The list of people who would be better off without Zunia around is endless; from her husband, to step-daughter, to founders of the ITCS New York chapter, and various other members. Amanda has created characters who are really unbelieveable. It appears that everywhere you look someone is trying to one up or backstab someone else. Shadow of a Spout is a tale of jealousy, adultery, and secrets galore.
At one point I was sure who the killer was, to only find out later I was completely wrong. I mean seriously, talk about about being blindsided. I still refuse to believe the actual killer really killed Zunia. But if the spout fits. Readers are left wondering what will be next for Rose and Sophie when Sophie receives some news that could change her life. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
**Received a copy from Penguin Berkley Prime Crime for an honest and unbiased opinion.**
April 4, 2015
Author Amanda Cooper has brewed another winning cup of mystery with her second addition to her Teapot Collector Mystery series.
As with book one, TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT, this book was written from different POVs. It follows several of the characters through the story, allowing the reader to actually be in key scenes as opposed to “hearing” about them through other characters in the book.
While I was surprised SHADOW OF A SPOUT left Auntie Rose’s Victorian Tea House and Gracious Grove behind with this being only the second book in the series (a lot of authors may have waited until further into a series), I found it to be very enjoyable. Well done, Ms. Cooper. That being said, I do look forward to getting back to Gracious Grove.
The mystery of who killed Zuna Pettigrew (love that name), was not short on suspects, with main character Rose Freemont topping the list. I had my suspect all picked out and ended up being very wrong. I love when a book does that to me.
With SHADOW OF A SPOUT, author Copper has certainly assured there will be more books in this wonderful series. Especially with the last few paragraphs bound to leave readers steeping as they wait.
Don’t miss A Cup Of Enlightenment at the back of the book (right after a yummy Cherry Blossoms Cookie recipe). It’s a wonderful and extremely interesting explanation on types of tea and how to steep them properly, written by Karen Owen aka Karen Mom of Three who writes the blog and FB pages, A Cup Of Tea And A Cozy Mystery. I’d love to see more of these features in future books in this series.
As with book one, TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT, this book was written from different POVs. It follows several of the characters through the story, allowing the reader to actually be in key scenes as opposed to “hearing” about them through other characters in the book.
While I was surprised SHADOW OF A SPOUT left Auntie Rose’s Victorian Tea House and Gracious Grove behind with this being only the second book in the series (a lot of authors may have waited until further into a series), I found it to be very enjoyable. Well done, Ms. Cooper. That being said, I do look forward to getting back to Gracious Grove.
The mystery of who killed Zuna Pettigrew (love that name), was not short on suspects, with main character Rose Freemont topping the list. I had my suspect all picked out and ended up being very wrong. I love when a book does that to me.
With SHADOW OF A SPOUT, author Copper has certainly assured there will be more books in this wonderful series. Especially with the last few paragraphs bound to leave readers steeping as they wait.
Don’t miss A Cup Of Enlightenment at the back of the book (right after a yummy Cherry Blossoms Cookie recipe). It’s a wonderful and extremely interesting explanation on types of tea and how to steep them properly, written by Karen Owen aka Karen Mom of Three who writes the blog and FB pages, A Cup Of Tea And A Cozy Mystery. I’d love to see more of these features in future books in this series.
July 23, 2018
How could you not love the setting of this book- an International Teapot Collectors Society conference at the Stone and Scone Inn? The author does a great job putting a picture of this setting in the reader's mind. The characters from the first series return, along with many new ones. The characters were all ages and both men and women, and boys and girls, which I liked. I enjoyed Rose and Laverne- the main character, Sophie's, grandmother and best friend. I also liked Thelma, the trouble maker of the group of older ladies. Sophie herself still seemed inconsistent to me - sometimes well mannered, sometimes forward and rude. I just couldn't seem to connect to her.
The writer's style was organized, but I felt that it was even more repetitive than in the first book. The pace was slow, which was fine, but the repetition of information bogged it down. I kept thinking, let's move along here. This book could definitely be read as a stand alone. The story was entertaining, and not a bad whodunit. I will continue with the series.
If you think you might like this setting, and like cozy mysteries with a bit of humor, this is worth a try. If realistic characters are important and repetition drives you crazy, this is not for you.
The writer's style was organized, but I felt that it was even more repetitive than in the first book. The pace was slow, which was fine, but the repetition of information bogged it down. I kept thinking, let's move along here. This book could definitely be read as a stand alone. The story was entertaining, and not a bad whodunit. I will continue with the series.
If you think you might like this setting, and like cozy mysteries with a bit of humor, this is worth a try. If realistic characters are important and repetition drives you crazy, this is not for you.
November 18, 2017
Awesome loved it !
April 8, 2015
Rose Freemont is finally able to attend the annual convention for the International Teapot Collectors Society with her friend and employee, Laverne Hodge, since her granddaughter, Sophia is available to keep the tea house open for them. She brings along an antique teapot to have appraised, but when the New York division's President, Zunia, examines it, she insultingly declares it worthless, causing Rose to argue publicly with her. Unfortunately, when Zunia's body is discovered later that evening with Rose's teapot next to it, Rose becomes a murder suspect. Sophia quickly arranges for the shop to be managed by a friend, and makes her way to the convention to help her aunt. As she tries to ferret out the truth from the many suspects, because it seemed that everyone had a motive to kill Zunia, she soon learns that this is not an easy task. This is the second book in the Teapot Collector Mystery series, and while I did not read the first book, it was easy to pick up on the main characters and their interactions. I enjoyed reading how Sophia went about trying to break each person's alibi, and the actual solution was kept relatively hidden until the end. I also liked the testy character of Thelma Mae Earnshaw and how she muddied up the waters with her gossip and then tried to make amends in her own way. I look forward to reading the next book in this series to see how Sophia's future shapes up. Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2015
I really am having a hard time rating this book. I think that I would rate it 3 1/2 starts. I like the characters, and I enjoy that the story is told from different points of view, I like seeing into the other characters minds. The mystery was good, it kept me guessing, so why am I having a problem rating it? I think one problem I have is that every time Sophie talks to someone it seems we go through the list of suspects each time, I found that a little tedious. I just struggled with some spots that seemed to slow down. This could just be me. As I said there are plenty of characters to love and dislike. The mystery kept me guessing and I will continue with this series to see if it was just me, because I enjoyed the first in the series very much.
I did win a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
I did win a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
May 19, 2015
The second book in the series and just as good as the first. As a reader, you will have many suspects to chose from, but you probably won't actually figure out who the murderer is until the end because of all the different elements. Amanda Cooper writes with an interesting voice and will keep you guessing until the end of the book. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 29, 2017
I just started this cozy mystery, ‘Shadow of A Spout’ but I can already tell the author, Amanda Cooper, is dead set on inspiring me to write another Mister Diabetic Mystery podcast! Why? Because the most ornery, nasty and cantankerous character in the book, Thelma Mae Earnshaw happens to be living with diabetes.
I enjoy when I stumble upon characters living with diabetes in a book. I think authors have an incredible opportunity to educate people about the disease with their writing. However, most of the time these fictional depictions of diabetes are fairly negative and, in my opinion, only seem to add to the general public’s mounting misconceptions regarding the disease and self-management.
I can’t deny that diabetes can affect your emotions and, in turn, your emotions can wreak havoc on your diabetes management. I highly doubt the author will allude to how extremes in blood-sugar levels can cause significant mood changes in the owner of La Belle Epoque tearoom or even reference new research suggests that frequent changes in blood-sugar levels (called glycemic variability) also can affect mood and quality of life for those with diabetes.
The truth of the matter is depression has long been linked to diabetes, especially type 2. It's still not clear, however, whether depression somehow triggers diabetes or if having diabetes leads to being depressed.
All this to say, I’m excited to be inspired to write a new diabetes mystery podcast for the Divabetic community. GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS!
I enjoy when I stumble upon characters living with diabetes in a book. I think authors have an incredible opportunity to educate people about the disease with their writing. However, most of the time these fictional depictions of diabetes are fairly negative and, in my opinion, only seem to add to the general public’s mounting misconceptions regarding the disease and self-management.
I can’t deny that diabetes can affect your emotions and, in turn, your emotions can wreak havoc on your diabetes management. I highly doubt the author will allude to how extremes in blood-sugar levels can cause significant mood changes in the owner of La Belle Epoque tearoom or even reference new research suggests that frequent changes in blood-sugar levels (called glycemic variability) also can affect mood and quality of life for those with diabetes.
The truth of the matter is depression has long been linked to diabetes, especially type 2. It's still not clear, however, whether depression somehow triggers diabetes or if having diabetes leads to being depressed.
All this to say, I’m excited to be inspired to write a new diabetes mystery podcast for the Divabetic community. GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS!
November 30, 2016
In this book, it is time for the annual International Teapot Collectors Society (ITCS) convention for New York State. Normally, teashop owner, Rose Freemont and Laverne Hodge takes turns going due to having to keep the shop open, but this year, Rose's granddaughter, Sophie is watching the shop.
There is friction at the convention. In bucolic Butterhill, NY, we find the members not too happy with the current President of the Society. Zunia Pettigrew is not loved, not liked, perhaps, hated would be a better description. There are rumors, innuendos and more floating around. Affairs, thefts, false law-suits and more darken the already tense group. When Zunia is found dead by Nana (Rose Freemont's ) Teapot (which is another mystery in itself,) friend/enemy Thelma adds to the upset by lying about Rose's past.
Sophie shuts the teashop and drives down to help solve the case. Laverne's Nephew Elihu Hodge a Detective tries to warn Sophie to back off, but, honestly would you? With the local Police looking at your eighty year old Grandmother wielding her teapot as the murderer? Sophie has to figure this out.
This was a good book. I couldn't say I liked most of the members of the society, but, with all those suspects lying...husbands, Pastors, Innkeepers and more...it kept my interest.
There is friction at the convention. In bucolic Butterhill, NY, we find the members not too happy with the current President of the Society. Zunia Pettigrew is not loved, not liked, perhaps, hated would be a better description. There are rumors, innuendos and more floating around. Affairs, thefts, false law-suits and more darken the already tense group. When Zunia is found dead by Nana (Rose Freemont's ) Teapot (which is another mystery in itself,) friend/enemy Thelma adds to the upset by lying about Rose's past.
Sophie shuts the teashop and drives down to help solve the case. Laverne's Nephew Elihu Hodge a Detective tries to warn Sophie to back off, but, honestly would you? With the local Police looking at your eighty year old Grandmother wielding her teapot as the murderer? Sophie has to figure this out.
This was a good book. I couldn't say I liked most of the members of the society, but, with all those suspects lying...husbands, Pastors, Innkeepers and more...it kept my interest.
July 21, 2024
Rose and her BFF, Laverne, have gone to a convention for teapot collectors, leaving Sophie behind to run Auntie Rose's Tea House. At the convention, Rose asks an expert on teapots for her opinion on an antique item she has recently acquired. When Zunia dismisses it as junk, Rose publicly berates her. Later, when Zunia is found murdered, Rose's teapot is next to her and appears to be the murder weapon. Once Sophie learns her grandmother is in trouble, she heads to the hotel where the convention is being held to lend her support. Sophie ends up asking questions in an effort to get a timeline of events and to learn alibis in an effort to direct police attention away from Rose. Unfortunately for Sophie, there is no shortage of people who may have wished to see Zunia dead.
This was your basic cozy mystery. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing outstanding, either. The author wrote in third-person point of view but chose to follow several characters instead of just one. Personally, I prefer it if the narrative is in the perspective of just one character. I thought Sophie went a bit overboard with her "investigation"
An okay read, but just okay. Three stars.
This was your basic cozy mystery. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing outstanding, either. The author wrote in third-person point of view but chose to follow several characters instead of just one. Personally, I prefer it if the narrative is in the perspective of just one character. I thought Sophie went a bit overboard with her "investigation"
An okay read, but just okay. Three stars.
January 18, 2018
I debated between 4 & 5 stars, but Amanda Cooper had me guessing till the end! This is no small feat for a cozy mystery!! WOW!!! I just realized this is only her second cozy mystery!! Kudos Amanda, you’re quite the addition to this genre of books!! Rose Fremont & her granddaughter Sophie, normally spend their days running a Victorian tea house, but in this story Rose & her best friend, Laverne, are off to an ITCS (International Teapot Collectors Society, annual August convention of the New York State division. They are both excited to finally attend a convention together, plus Rose has a prized antique teapot that she’s looking forward to Zunia Pettigrew’s appraisal, “a sour-faced, dark little elf”. So she’s quite disappointed when Zunia declares her antique teapot is “a cheap repo made in Hong Kong “. When Zunia is found dead in front of the elevator with Rose’s teapot next to her with blood on it, the local police think Rose killed her....... therein lies the mystery..... Thank you Ms. Cooper for an exciting read!
February 11, 2018
"Shadow of a Spout" is the second book in the Teapot Collector Mystery series by Amanda Cooper. Sophie Taylor is in Gracious Grove to try to determine what she is going to do with her career and her life. She left a large city when her up-end restaurant, In Fashion, closes. Sophie's grandmother has a tea house, very popular in the area, and needs some help in managing and expanding the restaurant. While attending a local teapot collectors meeting in a nearby town, Sophie's grandmother Rose is the main suspect in the murder of one of the organizers of the meeting. Sophie puts her deductive reasoning skills to good use, clears her grandmother's reputation, and helps find the killer.
The twists and turns in this plot are amazing and kept me engaged with the characters and storyline. The characters are well thought out and interesting to follow. The story itself is a cliffhanger.
This is a nice cozy mystery and the series is one I'll follow. Great reading for cold winter nights with a blanket, a fire in the fireplace, and . . . a good cuppa!
The twists and turns in this plot are amazing and kept me engaged with the characters and storyline. The characters are well thought out and interesting to follow. The story itself is a cliffhanger.
This is a nice cozy mystery and the series is one I'll follow. Great reading for cold winter nights with a blanket, a fire in the fireplace, and . . . a good cuppa!
August 12, 2019
I'm a little torn on this book. Characters were fun but after awhile I found it hard to believe the one character's constant questions and the questions being repeated. It got tedious. It could've been at least 50 pages shorter. It seemed to be a mystery that a smart detective could've solved easy with the two clues provided toward the end. I know it happens but, also toward the end, a couple misspellings of common words, (phonetically yet and one twice) were kind of annoying and could've been easily checked.
May 27, 2021
#2 in A Teapot Collector Mystery series. At the annual convention of the ITCS (International Teapot Collectors' Society) Rose Freemont and her friend (and co-owner of a tea shop) Laverne Hodge are dumped into a murder mystery when Thelma Earnshaw makes a joke about Rose and then the society's president is found dead that night, and Rose's teapot is discovered near the body. Rose's granddaughter Sophie comes running to the rescue. So many suspects! Quite interesting, despite the fact that most of the characters were not people I would want to spend any time with.
January 17, 2019
A tea pot convention turns deadly when the mean president of the society ends up dead and Sophie's nana is the chief suspect. She rushes into town to try and clear her nana's name.
This has a great story line, a huge cast of suspects and great characters. I wish they would would move forward with Sophie's love life though. The book does end on a little bit of a cliffhanger. A great read that keeps you guessing till the end.
This has a great story line, a huge cast of suspects and great characters. I wish they would would move forward with Sophie's love life though. The book does end on a little bit of a cliffhanger. A great read that keeps you guessing till the end.
August 10, 2017
I absolutely enjoyed this story, the characters were good! I love how it all turn out, I'm looking forward to the next one in this series.
December 3, 2017
Awesome story that keeps you guessing to the very end .
January 11, 2018
a lot goes on behind the scenes of collectors society gatherings.....very interesting read
September 14, 2018
Another disappointing cozy mystery for me with profanity. Rose and Laverne and even Thelma alone without the profanity and Sophie could have made this a very nice read.
September 21, 2020
Now I want to drink tea and eat scones...
April 3, 2021
First was better, this was a bit uneven. Will continue the series, I like the parts about behind the scenes in pro kitchens.
October 5, 2021
Too many characters, none of whom were well developed.
July 2, 2022
Typical cozy mystery. I found all the love triangles to be confusing.
April 21, 2024
Just play.
March 2, 2017
It is August, and the New York state division of the International Teapot Collectors Society (ITCS) is holding its annual convention in Butterhill, New York. Rose Freemont, owner of Auntie Rose's Victorian Tea House, is attending along with her fellow teapot collectors from Gracious Grove, the Silver Spouts. Meanwhile, Rose's granddaughter, Sophie Taylor, is taking care of Rose's tea house.
Zunia Pettigrew, the president of the New York state division of ITCS, offers her opinion on the value of several members' teapots, upsetting most of them. Rose Freemont is aghast when Zunia proclaims Rose's antique teapot, a possible Buddhist holy water vessel, a fraud. A confrontation ensues between Zunia and Rose. In the meantime, Rose's old nemesis, Thelma Mae Earnshaw, is spreading lies about Rose at the convention.
Later that night, there is a storm, and an alarm goes off. People emerge from their bedrooms to find Zunia Pettigrew dead, her head bashed in, Rose's teapot lying nearby. Rose and all the convention goers become suspects in Zunia's murder. Sophie Taylor rushes from Gracious Grove to Butterhill to clear her grandmother's name.
As she investigates, Sophie discovers a tangle of affairs and lies and wonders if she will ever find the murderer and free her grandmother from suspicion.
I enjoyed this book, and it made for a quick read. I had previously read the first and third books in this series and so was familiar with Sophie, Rose, Thelma Mae Earnshaw, and Sophie's friends. This plot definitely had a tangle of lies and deceit, and I did not guess the murderer by the end of the book. This is a great cozy mystery to curl up with on a rainy day, preferably with a nice cup of hot tea!
Zunia Pettigrew, the president of the New York state division of ITCS, offers her opinion on the value of several members' teapots, upsetting most of them. Rose Freemont is aghast when Zunia proclaims Rose's antique teapot, a possible Buddhist holy water vessel, a fraud. A confrontation ensues between Zunia and Rose. In the meantime, Rose's old nemesis, Thelma Mae Earnshaw, is spreading lies about Rose at the convention.
Later that night, there is a storm, and an alarm goes off. People emerge from their bedrooms to find Zunia Pettigrew dead, her head bashed in, Rose's teapot lying nearby. Rose and all the convention goers become suspects in Zunia's murder. Sophie Taylor rushes from Gracious Grove to Butterhill to clear her grandmother's name.
As she investigates, Sophie discovers a tangle of affairs and lies and wonders if she will ever find the murderer and free her grandmother from suspicion.
I enjoyed this book, and it made for a quick read. I had previously read the first and third books in this series and so was familiar with Sophie, Rose, Thelma Mae Earnshaw, and Sophie's friends. This plot definitely had a tangle of lies and deceit, and I did not guess the murderer by the end of the book. This is a great cozy mystery to curl up with on a rainy day, preferably with a nice cup of hot tea!
April 29, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/sh...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele
Septuagenarian Rose and her best friend/employee Laverne take their leave of Gracious Grove, NY, and entrust Aunt Rose’s Victorian Tea House to the capable hands of Rose’s granddaughter Sophie to attend the New York State division of the International Teapot Collectors Society (ITCS) annual convention in nearby Butterhill. Rose is excited to see her fellow society members and have the New York president Zunia, whom she has never met, appraise her newest teapot acquisition. However, when Zunia belittles everyone’s items in front of the entire group Rose stands up to her, an act quite out of character for Rose. Her nemesis and neighbor, Thelma Mae, makes matters worse when she tells anyone who will listen that Rose is dangerous and blames a death (from Tempest in the Teapot) on her. Later that same night, Zunia is discovered in the hall of the inn deceased with Rose’s teapot beside her, the suspected murder weapon. This, along with Rose’s earlier altercation with Zunia, lands her at the top of the police’s list of suspects. When Sophie learns of her grandmother’s predicament, she rushes to Butterhill to find the real culprit and clear Rose’s name.
Shadow of a Spout tells a tale full of jealously, adultery, and deceit. Zunia did not endear herself to many. Just about everyone had negative dealings with her and most would be justified in wanting her dead. The suspects include her husband and his ex-wife, present and former lovers, her step-daughter, a rival candidate for her presidential office, and others. It is presented in puzzle form told from various points of view. Sophie follows in the police’s footsteps as she methodically garners the pieces to fit the stories together, discovering lies and misdirection, eliminating some suspects, and determining the killer moments before (s)he reveals her/himself.
I so wanted to love this book. It combines elements that I enjoy – I am a bit of a tea connoisseur, collect teapots, and am interested in all things related to the ritual of tea. However, this just fell kind of flat for me. I do not care much for the style of the writing despite the fact that differing POV do not usually bother me. The story takes place outside of Gracious Grove, and I think it suffered by not having that “hometown” atmosphere that is often such an essential part of cozy mysteries. Mostly, I think my issue is with the characters. For the most part, they seem shallowly drawn, and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. Rose and Laverne are nice enough, but I found their descriptions contradictory. Are they strong, older ladies capable of withstanding the rigors of running a tea shop or are they weaker individuals, diminished by age? The cast of suspects were all thoroughly unlikable. Who would have thought that a group devoted to collecting some of the finer things in life could be so ugly, petty, and a group of back stabbers? Sophie is one dimensional, too insecure and indecisive. The saving grace can be found in sixteen-year old Josh. His youth juxtaposed with the older people and collectibles was endearing. And finally, what can I say about Thelma Mae? She is one of the most wretched people I have come across in quite a while. I understand that she is supposed to be Rose’s foil, but I just do not get her. Is she supposed to be funny?
On the bright side, the tea talk is still quite interesting, and the premise of the mystery solid. Though a bit repetitious, the clues are presented in a logical, organized manner. Also, I did not guess whodunit until quite far into the book. This is a good thing in my opinion. The somewhat cliffhanger ending does make me want to read the next book in the series. Finally, the inclusion of the short article A Cup of Enlightenment by Karen Owen (of Karen Mom of Three) was informative and a nice addition.
Though this, in the end, was not my cup of tea, I do think many cozy readers will enjoy it. I will continue to read Ms. Cooper’s other works (written as Victoria Hamilton). Recommended to fans of the series and those who enjoy older characters.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele
Septuagenarian Rose and her best friend/employee Laverne take their leave of Gracious Grove, NY, and entrust Aunt Rose’s Victorian Tea House to the capable hands of Rose’s granddaughter Sophie to attend the New York State division of the International Teapot Collectors Society (ITCS) annual convention in nearby Butterhill. Rose is excited to see her fellow society members and have the New York president Zunia, whom she has never met, appraise her newest teapot acquisition. However, when Zunia belittles everyone’s items in front of the entire group Rose stands up to her, an act quite out of character for Rose. Her nemesis and neighbor, Thelma Mae, makes matters worse when she tells anyone who will listen that Rose is dangerous and blames a death (from Tempest in the Teapot) on her. Later that same night, Zunia is discovered in the hall of the inn deceased with Rose’s teapot beside her, the suspected murder weapon. This, along with Rose’s earlier altercation with Zunia, lands her at the top of the police’s list of suspects. When Sophie learns of her grandmother’s predicament, she rushes to Butterhill to find the real culprit and clear Rose’s name.
Shadow of a Spout tells a tale full of jealously, adultery, and deceit. Zunia did not endear herself to many. Just about everyone had negative dealings with her and most would be justified in wanting her dead. The suspects include her husband and his ex-wife, present and former lovers, her step-daughter, a rival candidate for her presidential office, and others. It is presented in puzzle form told from various points of view. Sophie follows in the police’s footsteps as she methodically garners the pieces to fit the stories together, discovering lies and misdirection, eliminating some suspects, and determining the killer moments before (s)he reveals her/himself.
I so wanted to love this book. It combines elements that I enjoy – I am a bit of a tea connoisseur, collect teapots, and am interested in all things related to the ritual of tea. However, this just fell kind of flat for me. I do not care much for the style of the writing despite the fact that differing POV do not usually bother me. The story takes place outside of Gracious Grove, and I think it suffered by not having that “hometown” atmosphere that is often such an essential part of cozy mysteries. Mostly, I think my issue is with the characters. For the most part, they seem shallowly drawn, and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. Rose and Laverne are nice enough, but I found their descriptions contradictory. Are they strong, older ladies capable of withstanding the rigors of running a tea shop or are they weaker individuals, diminished by age? The cast of suspects were all thoroughly unlikable. Who would have thought that a group devoted to collecting some of the finer things in life could be so ugly, petty, and a group of back stabbers? Sophie is one dimensional, too insecure and indecisive. The saving grace can be found in sixteen-year old Josh. His youth juxtaposed with the older people and collectibles was endearing. And finally, what can I say about Thelma Mae? She is one of the most wretched people I have come across in quite a while. I understand that she is supposed to be Rose’s foil, but I just do not get her. Is she supposed to be funny?
On the bright side, the tea talk is still quite interesting, and the premise of the mystery solid. Though a bit repetitious, the clues are presented in a logical, organized manner. Also, I did not guess whodunit until quite far into the book. This is a good thing in my opinion. The somewhat cliffhanger ending does make me want to read the next book in the series. Finally, the inclusion of the short article A Cup of Enlightenment by Karen Owen (of Karen Mom of Three) was informative and a nice addition.
Though this, in the end, was not my cup of tea, I do think many cozy readers will enjoy it. I will continue to read Ms. Cooper’s other works (written as Victoria Hamilton). Recommended to fans of the series and those who enjoy older characters.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
May 7, 2015
Amanda Cooper’s second Teapot Collectors mystery lives up to the promise of the first. It’s a light, entertaining cozy with engaging characters and a tasty blend of warmth and mystery.
This time around, the action takes place not in Gracious Grove but in a town about an hour away. It’s unusual for a cozy series to leave home so early in the series, but it works, in part because so many of the recurring characters in the series are teapot collectors and thus attend the convention, and in part because the geographic closeness of the locations means that the culture is pretty similar (i.e., small-town New York state.) The majority of the action takes place in the inn where the convention is being held – not that different from the tea-shop setting of the first book.
What’s more unusual is that the main character, skilled chef and amateur detective Sophie Taylor, doesn’t show up at the inn until page 68 – after the murder and after the police have started investigating. We do see her before that, but she’s not on-site, so she isn’t observing events and people prior to the murder. Usually, cozy mystery heroines are on the spot, aware of the people and relationships involved. Again, the departure from the usual formula works, because Sophie’s grandmother Rose serves as the main secondary POV character and isn’t averse to a bit of investigating herself, even after Sophie arrives on the scene. And Rose and her friend Laverne are able to fill Sophie in on most of what happened before her arrival.
As in the first book (Tempest in a Teapot), Sophie makes an intelligent and sympathetic heroine. She takes a more active role in the investigation this time – despite being warned off by her godmother Laverne’s nephew, a policeman assigned to the case. Heroines ignoring police advice usually irk me, but I buy it here because Sophie is trying to clear her grandmother’s name (although it doesn’t seem to me that the police are really assuming Rose’s guilt, just questioning her thoroughly – as they do in real life.) Sophie’s loyalty to and love for her grandmother is one of my favorite things about this series, and it’s totally believable that she would get involved to protect Rose.
I also enjoyed the mystery itself. There are the obligatory four or five suspects, each with opportunity and possible motives – and those motives were believable given the personalities involved. I did guess the truth about one suspect, and suspected the actual murderer more than some of the others, but I wasn’t sure until pretty far into the book.
The strength of this series is in its characters, particularly some of the secondary ones. Thelma, for instance – Cooper is great at getting inside that rather irritating woman’s head and showing her muddled, unhappy, blame-everything-on-someone-else thinking. Thelma isn’t exactly a likable character, but she’s understandable and believable because Cooper lets us see her thoughts and feelings. We don’t see inside Cissy’s or Dana’s heads, but Sophie’s thoughts about and reactions to her friends give us a pretty good sense of what they are like as people. And young Josh is a delight.
I did miss the developing relationship between Jason and Sophie in this book; he’s in the background, but they only really have one scene together. I hope we’ll see more of their relationship in book three.
You could certainly read Shadow of a Spout without reading Tempest in a Teapot, but I would advise reading them in order. Sophie develops as a character in the first book (less so here) and I appreciated coming into this book already having a sense of the various personalities involved. But if you enjoy small-town cozy mysteries (and tea!), I recommend giving the series a try. Just be sure you have a nice pot of tea to enjoy them with!
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard. 3.5 stars.
FTC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the author. All opinions are entirely my own.
This time around, the action takes place not in Gracious Grove but in a town about an hour away. It’s unusual for a cozy series to leave home so early in the series, but it works, in part because so many of the recurring characters in the series are teapot collectors and thus attend the convention, and in part because the geographic closeness of the locations means that the culture is pretty similar (i.e., small-town New York state.) The majority of the action takes place in the inn where the convention is being held – not that different from the tea-shop setting of the first book.
What’s more unusual is that the main character, skilled chef and amateur detective Sophie Taylor, doesn’t show up at the inn until page 68 – after the murder and after the police have started investigating. We do see her before that, but she’s not on-site, so she isn’t observing events and people prior to the murder. Usually, cozy mystery heroines are on the spot, aware of the people and relationships involved. Again, the departure from the usual formula works, because Sophie’s grandmother Rose serves as the main secondary POV character and isn’t averse to a bit of investigating herself, even after Sophie arrives on the scene. And Rose and her friend Laverne are able to fill Sophie in on most of what happened before her arrival.
As in the first book (Tempest in a Teapot), Sophie makes an intelligent and sympathetic heroine. She takes a more active role in the investigation this time – despite being warned off by her godmother Laverne’s nephew, a policeman assigned to the case. Heroines ignoring police advice usually irk me, but I buy it here because Sophie is trying to clear her grandmother’s name (although it doesn’t seem to me that the police are really assuming Rose’s guilt, just questioning her thoroughly – as they do in real life.) Sophie’s loyalty to and love for her grandmother is one of my favorite things about this series, and it’s totally believable that she would get involved to protect Rose.
I also enjoyed the mystery itself. There are the obligatory four or five suspects, each with opportunity and possible motives – and those motives were believable given the personalities involved. I did guess the truth about one suspect, and suspected the actual murderer more than some of the others, but I wasn’t sure until pretty far into the book.
The strength of this series is in its characters, particularly some of the secondary ones. Thelma, for instance – Cooper is great at getting inside that rather irritating woman’s head and showing her muddled, unhappy, blame-everything-on-someone-else thinking. Thelma isn’t exactly a likable character, but she’s understandable and believable because Cooper lets us see her thoughts and feelings. We don’t see inside Cissy’s or Dana’s heads, but Sophie’s thoughts about and reactions to her friends give us a pretty good sense of what they are like as people. And young Josh is a delight.
I did miss the developing relationship between Jason and Sophie in this book; he’s in the background, but they only really have one scene together. I hope we’ll see more of their relationship in book three.
You could certainly read Shadow of a Spout without reading Tempest in a Teapot, but I would advise reading them in order. Sophie develops as a character in the first book (less so here) and I appreciated coming into this book already having a sense of the various personalities involved. But if you enjoy small-town cozy mysteries (and tea!), I recommend giving the series a try. Just be sure you have a nice pot of tea to enjoy them with!
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard. 3.5 stars.
FTC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the author. All opinions are entirely my own.
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