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Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries #3
An Aria of Omens
A cop at the opera...
Wisteria Tearoom owner Ellen Rosings coaxes Detective Tony Aragón to go with her to the Santa Fe Opera, but the magnificent performance of Tosca ends in disaster. In bizarre counterpoint to the opera's plot, the leading man is murdered in his dressing room, and Tony must rush to secure the crime scene. Ellen is left to comfort Vi Benning, a former server at the tearoom who is now an apprentice at the Opera and a protégée of the slain singer.
No opera aficionado, Tony turns to Ellen for help navigating the world in which he must now conduct an investigation. At the same time, Ellen is coping with a sudden, mysterious jump in business at the tearoom. Her problems are eclectic:
...Who killed the famous baritone?
...What do the antique letters she's found have to do with the tearoom's resident ghost?
...And will she and Tony ever find time for a normal date?
This cozy mystery is the third in the Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries series.
Categories:
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Cooking
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Cozy
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Tearoom
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Women Sleuths
Similar authors:
Donna Andrews
Jessica Beck
Kate Carlisle
Bailey Cates
Laura Childs
Agatha Christie
Leighann Dobbs
Yasmine Galenorn
Julie Hyzy
Paige Shelton
A. R. Winters
Wisteria Tearoom owner Ellen Rosings coaxes Detective Tony Aragón to go with her to the Santa Fe Opera, but the magnificent performance of Tosca ends in disaster. In bizarre counterpoint to the opera's plot, the leading man is murdered in his dressing room, and Tony must rush to secure the crime scene. Ellen is left to comfort Vi Benning, a former server at the tearoom who is now an apprentice at the Opera and a protégée of the slain singer.
No opera aficionado, Tony turns to Ellen for help navigating the world in which he must now conduct an investigation. At the same time, Ellen is coping with a sudden, mysterious jump in business at the tearoom. Her problems are eclectic:
...Who killed the famous baritone?
...What do the antique letters she's found have to do with the tearoom's resident ghost?
...And will she and Tony ever find time for a normal date?
This cozy mystery is the third in the Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries series.
Categories:
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Cooking
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Cozy
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Tearoom
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >
Mystery > Women Sleuths
Similar authors:
Donna Andrews
Jessica Beck
Kate Carlisle
Bailey Cates
Laura Childs
Agatha Christie
Leighann Dobbs
Yasmine Galenorn
Julie Hyzy
Paige Shelton
A. R. Winters
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2014
173 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Patrice Greenwood
20 books109 followersPatrice Greenwood was born and raised in New Mexico, and remembers when the Santa Fe Plaza was home to more dusty dogs than trendy art galleries. She has been writing fiction longer than she cares to admit, perpetrating over twenty published novels in various genres. She uses a different name for each genre, thus enabling her to pretend she is a Secret Agent.
She loves afternoon tea, old buildings, gourmet tailgating at the opera, ghost stories, costumes, and solving puzzles. Her popular Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries are colored by many of these interests. She is presently collapsed on her chaise longue, sipping Wisteria White tea and planning the next book in the series.
She loves afternoon tea, old buildings, gourmet tailgating at the opera, ghost stories, costumes, and solving puzzles. Her popular Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries are colored by many of these interests. She is presently collapsed on her chaise longue, sipping Wisteria White tea and planning the next book in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 19, 2017
Either this series started growing on me by book three, or the writing and characters matured to a point where I began to enjoy them more despite the things that annoyed me. The main character's tendency toward unpleasant stereotype was still very much present; I still can't completely accept the growing I'm–a–little–bit–Opera–He's–a–little–bit–rock–'n'–roll romance … You know, he makes a lot of accommodations for her, accompanying her to the opera and refraining from carrying his gun into the shop (he's a cop, so it's not as WHOA as it sounds) and drinking tea and so on; I haven't seen her bend in the slightest toward his preferences. No rock concerts for her, or … honestly, what does the man like? There's never been any kind of information provided about him. Where does he live? Does he indeed love rock 'n' roll? Where would he eat given his own free and clear choice? What the heck is his favorite color? Does he know the gag associated with that question? Isn't it a little sad that none of that sort of thing is completely ignored by both the author and the main character, who after all is supposed to be falling in love with him?
About those stereotypes… From what I recall, her chef Julio may be being hit on by another young man. The MC muses, "He didn't seem like the type you'd expect to attract that kind of attention. Julio was not effeminate in any way. He was completely masculine, as far as I was concerned. Yes, he wore colorful chef's pants and matching hats, but he never swished." Oh, well, if he didn't swish, that's definitive. Rather late in the book, though, there is more certainty about another character: "This guy was flaming." That's quite the gaydar she has there. Or else she thought he was really angry.
Speaking of unfortunate commentary, another reason to dislike the MC was this exchange:
"She's still in shock," he said.
I nodded. "I know what that's like."
The "she" in the first quote is the mother of a murder victim. So my response to the second quote was "Really? Had a daughter murdered lately, you insensitive twit?"
I just, at times, really really did dislike the main character. Whether it was the rampant bigotry as above, or little irritations like referring to, I believe, cheese as "large chunks of moo", and overuse of the word "smooch" (honestly, once is kind of overuse), or the lying to herself–slash–the reader ("Normally I didn't raid the tearoom's kitchen for meals" – that's ALL SHE DOES), she was constantly annoying me.
Where was I? Oh right. Despite the aspects of the storytelling which keep me from rating these books higher, I have to say I enjoyed reading this one. It was a bit gutsy to take it where it went with the second murder victim. And hey – I never knew that Tosca is "the 'Scottish play' of opera." Good to know.
About those stereotypes… From what I recall, her chef Julio may be being hit on by another young man. The MC muses, "He didn't seem like the type you'd expect to attract that kind of attention. Julio was not effeminate in any way. He was completely masculine, as far as I was concerned. Yes, he wore colorful chef's pants and matching hats, but he never swished." Oh, well, if he didn't swish, that's definitive. Rather late in the book, though, there is more certainty about another character: "This guy was flaming." That's quite the gaydar she has there. Or else she thought he was really angry.
Speaking of unfortunate commentary, another reason to dislike the MC was this exchange:
"She's still in shock," he said.
I nodded. "I know what that's like."
The "she" in the first quote is the mother of a murder victim. So my response to the second quote was "Really? Had a daughter murdered lately, you insensitive twit?"
I just, at times, really really did dislike the main character. Whether it was the rampant bigotry as above, or little irritations like referring to, I believe, cheese as "large chunks of moo", and overuse of the word "smooch" (honestly, once is kind of overuse), or the lying to herself–slash–the reader ("Normally I didn't raid the tearoom's kitchen for meals" – that's ALL SHE DOES), she was constantly annoying me.
Where was I? Oh right. Despite the aspects of the storytelling which keep me from rating these books higher, I have to say I enjoyed reading this one. It was a bit gutsy to take it where it went with the second murder victim. And hey – I never knew that Tosca is "the 'Scottish play' of opera." Good to know.
Read
July 14, 2014I really enjoyed this third entry in the tea shop mysteries. Slightly stuffy Ellen Rosings invites hot motorcycle cop Tony Aragon to attend an opera--and a murder occurs among the cast members. I like the characters, the byplay, the mysteries, and the presence of what could be a ghost, whose story Ellen is investigating over the three books so far. Each book brings more facts to bear.
My favorite sort of cozy mystery is the funny one, but second favorite are the atmospheric ones with interesting characters. Greenwood writes these. (I should add that right now, the first in the series, A Fatal Twist of Lemon, is 99 cents.)
My favorite sort of cozy mystery is the funny one, but second favorite are the atmospheric ones with interesting characters. Greenwood writes these. (I should add that right now, the first in the series, A Fatal Twist of Lemon, is 99 cents.)
January 6, 2019
After hosting a tea that featured the singing talents of Vi Benning, former Wisteria Tearoom server and now apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera, owner Ellen Rosings coaxes Detective Tony Aragón to go with her to the Santa Fe Opera to see Vi perform.
But their date ends with a death at the opera, and Tony is drawn into the investigation of the opera's leading man, who dies in his dressing room. Tony asks Ellen for help in a world he know nothing about. And together they try to get to the bottom of things, while dancing around their growing relationship.
The mystery in this was okay, although I figured it out partway through the book.
What I really enjoyed was the subplot involving Captain Dusenberry, the tearoom's resident ghost. Ellen finds letters hidden in the house that deal with Dusenberry, and might give her a clue as to his life, and murder. I liked that discovery, and enjoyed learning more about the Captain.
Life at the tearoom is what draws me back to this series. The characters are interesting, even if they are a little stereotypical, but I still like them, and I want to read more about them. I enjoy seeing the budding relationship between Ellen and Tony. They are two very different people, and I look forward to seeing how the author handles their relationship in future books.
Enjoy tea and scones with this fast, easy read that draws you in and keeps you entertained.
But their date ends with a death at the opera, and Tony is drawn into the investigation of the opera's leading man, who dies in his dressing room. Tony asks Ellen for help in a world he know nothing about. And together they try to get to the bottom of things, while dancing around their growing relationship.
The mystery in this was okay, although I figured it out partway through the book.
What I really enjoyed was the subplot involving Captain Dusenberry, the tearoom's resident ghost. Ellen finds letters hidden in the house that deal with Dusenberry, and might give her a clue as to his life, and murder. I liked that discovery, and enjoyed learning more about the Captain.
Life at the tearoom is what draws me back to this series. The characters are interesting, even if they are a little stereotypical, but I still like them, and I want to read more about them. I enjoy seeing the budding relationship between Ellen and Tony. They are two very different people, and I look forward to seeing how the author handles their relationship in future books.
Enjoy tea and scones with this fast, easy read that draws you in and keeps you entertained.
February 17, 2018
Greenwood has stepped things up a notch and I’m not complaining. I couldn’t put this one down and it left me guessing until the end. It was more complex and challenging. The attention to detail and imagery was well written, although I did have a hard time keeping all the new characters within the mystery straight. The progression of the main set of characters was magnificent even with the sad bits. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
November 29, 2017
Points taken off for poor handling of the sexual orientation of multiple characters. Both the main character and her romantic interest displayed discomfort and made causally pejorative comments that greatly diminished my enjoyment of the book.
August 30, 2020
This series was recommended to me by my dear friend Yvonne. It is the most delightful, silly series of books. I literally can't put them down. Have I read better, more intricate murder mysteries - yes. This series centers about the proprietress of a Victorian tearoom (that is haunted!) in Santa Fe along a an interesting, elusive detective. The backdrop of the culture and arts scene in Santa Fe is very interesting.
Although the mysteries are interesting, it's the sexual tension between Ellen and Tony that keeps me coming back for more. The couple dances around the classic conflicts between class and culture. Can a romance flourish between a prim and proper upper class woman who enjoys art, music and flowers and this leather jacket, motorcycle riding Hispanic detective? Will they be able to overcome these differences??? I sure hope so!
Although the mysteries are interesting, it's the sexual tension between Ellen and Tony that keeps me coming back for more. The couple dances around the classic conflicts between class and culture. Can a romance flourish between a prim and proper upper class woman who enjoys art, music and flowers and this leather jacket, motorcycle riding Hispanic detective? Will they be able to overcome these differences??? I sure hope so!
September 30, 2020
This series just gets better and better. Though the story line of this was sad and about grieving. I love the tea room staff and Auntie Nan. They all work so well together to make this series so entertaining. The relationship between Ellen and Tony is maybe heating up just a little. I can't wait to see where it will lead to. This is one couple that I really like. The story line kept me guessing till the end. A fantastic read.
February 8, 2021
This is a good series. Although the MC is a bit uptight, she has a good heart which makes her acceptable. The mystery is good and the culprit not too obvious.
April 23, 2019
A ghost leads the way.
I want to visit this tea room! A good story but very concentrated with opera information that I am not familiar with thus making my reading somewhat choppy. Strong main characters.
I want to visit this tea room! A good story but very concentrated with opera information that I am not familiar with thus making my reading somewhat choppy. Strong main characters.
June 30, 2015
You know what? I’m not so very sure this particular installment in the series fits in the cozy mystery subgenre terribly well. A Fatal Twist of Lemon is light and charming. A Sprig of Blossomed Thorn is a bit less light, its action playing out against a thematically deeper background. And An Aria of Omens? Actually significantly darker and more serious. I like that, in fact, so though I enjoyed the first two, this one stood out for me.
It also had some really nice lines in it. This is the first volume where I found myself bookmarking pages so that I could mention them in a post. Like here, where one of the characters, an apprentice in an opera company, is explaining the plot of Serse by George Frideric Handel:
… Serse is enraged, and in this aria, he calls on the Furies to inspire him with their venom. He wants the world to turn to ash and the sun to be eclipsed by the heat of his fury. I’m sure we’ve all had days like that.
Hah! I might have actually laughed out loud.
Beyond the nice writing, though, here’s where An Aria of Omens succeeds, and actually in quite surprising ways:
1. When Detective Aragon is bouncing ideas about the murder off Ellen, even though he is not supposed to talk about these kinds of things with non-colleagues, it actually makes sense that he would be doing that. It makes sense on a personal level and it also makes sense on a professional-cop level. That’s hard to pull off; I generally don’t really believe it unless the detective and the female lead are married and have been a long time or something like that. Making it work by making the detective stupid is just offensive. But Greenwood totally made me believe in this interaction between Tony and Ellen. I was impressed.
2. I actually thought the murderer was someone else for quite some time. I had the murderer and the motive both wrong.
3. I did not expect the second victim, but not only was her death one of the things that misled me, it worked really well to give this story a deeper, sadder, less cozy and more real flavor.
4. At the end, after it’s clear who the murderer is, the author does not force Ellen into peril so as to have her rescued in a climactic scene. Not even so that she can rescue herself or someone else. Nope, Ellen stays away from the murderer, stays around other people, keeps herself safe, and the murderer is arrested offstage while she and most of the important secondary characters are busy dealing with their own lives. I thought that was just fantastic. Also, Greenwood has made me interested in the details of daily life, so I didn’t feel cheated of action by having no fast-paced climactic violent scene at the end.
Where else the story succeeds:
The relationship between Ellen and Tony Aragon is still in the process of development. This definitely is the opposite of the insta-love trope. There are real obstacles between the two — not only is she Anglo and he Hispanic, which in Santa Fe, as we saw in the second book, apparently creates potential problems — but also the other differences in their backgrounds can’t be fluffed lightly out of the way. I love how Greenwood is handling this element of the series. And I’m pleased on a detail level that Greenwood is not pushing Ellen’s dislike of Tony carrying a gun in this story, at least not very much. Especially because the murderer in this one is plainly very dangerous.
Greenwood has set a number of hooks that make me curious about minor plot elements. Generally with just a couple of words or a line or two, she makes me feel like I really want to know what is up with this or that. How *about* that ghost? Man, that counselor is a bit weird. And so on. Also, I’m just more and more pleased with the setting, and I don’t even like tea.
Almonds aren’t my personal favorite, either, but it was a *very* good idea to provide the recipe for the Aria Cake in the back of the book. Food is so important in these books that Greenwood should definitely provide at least one recipe per book. Mmm.
Anyway, the first book was good, the second was also good, and this one was excellent. I preordered the next book in the series, which I see is due out in just a couple of weeks, so that’s timely.
It also had some really nice lines in it. This is the first volume where I found myself bookmarking pages so that I could mention them in a post. Like here, where one of the characters, an apprentice in an opera company, is explaining the plot of Serse by George Frideric Handel:
… Serse is enraged, and in this aria, he calls on the Furies to inspire him with their venom. He wants the world to turn to ash and the sun to be eclipsed by the heat of his fury. I’m sure we’ve all had days like that.
Hah! I might have actually laughed out loud.
Beyond the nice writing, though, here’s where An Aria of Omens succeeds, and actually in quite surprising ways:
1. When Detective Aragon is bouncing ideas about the murder off Ellen, even though he is not supposed to talk about these kinds of things with non-colleagues, it actually makes sense that he would be doing that. It makes sense on a personal level and it also makes sense on a professional-cop level. That’s hard to pull off; I generally don’t really believe it unless the detective and the female lead are married and have been a long time or something like that. Making it work by making the detective stupid is just offensive. But Greenwood totally made me believe in this interaction between Tony and Ellen. I was impressed.
2. I actually thought the murderer was someone else for quite some time. I had the murderer and the motive both wrong.
3. I did not expect the second victim, but not only was her death one of the things that misled me, it worked really well to give this story a deeper, sadder, less cozy and more real flavor.
4. At the end, after it’s clear who the murderer is, the author does not force Ellen into peril so as to have her rescued in a climactic scene. Not even so that she can rescue herself or someone else. Nope, Ellen stays away from the murderer, stays around other people, keeps herself safe, and the murderer is arrested offstage while she and most of the important secondary characters are busy dealing with their own lives. I thought that was just fantastic. Also, Greenwood has made me interested in the details of daily life, so I didn’t feel cheated of action by having no fast-paced climactic violent scene at the end.
Where else the story succeeds:
The relationship between Ellen and Tony Aragon is still in the process of development. This definitely is the opposite of the insta-love trope. There are real obstacles between the two — not only is she Anglo and he Hispanic, which in Santa Fe, as we saw in the second book, apparently creates potential problems — but also the other differences in their backgrounds can’t be fluffed lightly out of the way. I love how Greenwood is handling this element of the series. And I’m pleased on a detail level that Greenwood is not pushing Ellen’s dislike of Tony carrying a gun in this story, at least not very much. Especially because the murderer in this one is plainly very dangerous.
Greenwood has set a number of hooks that make me curious about minor plot elements. Generally with just a couple of words or a line or two, she makes me feel like I really want to know what is up with this or that. How *about* that ghost? Man, that counselor is a bit weird. And so on. Also, I’m just more and more pleased with the setting, and I don’t even like tea.
Almonds aren’t my personal favorite, either, but it was a *very* good idea to provide the recipe for the Aria Cake in the back of the book. Food is so important in these books that Greenwood should definitely provide at least one recipe per book. Mmm.
Anyway, the first book was good, the second was also good, and this one was excellent. I preordered the next book in the series, which I see is due out in just a couple of weeks, so that’s timely.
October 11, 2015
I listened to the audio version of the book.
This mystery series continues to be quite good and I love getting to know he characters more and more. This one, however, had a much darker tone than the previous two, so that's a little warning there. It did serve to deepen the world in the book, though. I love cozy mysteries, but sometimes the stakes seem very low. That's not the case any more here.
I'm still not sure about the ghost element, but usually it's cute. I also think that sometimes the boundaries between different groups of people seem VERY strong in this series.
This mystery series continues to be quite good and I love getting to know he characters more and more. This one, however, had a much darker tone than the previous two, so that's a little warning there. It did serve to deepen the world in the book, though. I love cozy mysteries, but sometimes the stakes seem very low. That's not the case any more here.
I'm still not sure about the ghost element, but usually it's cute. I also think that sometimes the boundaries between different groups of people seem VERY strong in this series.
June 26, 2016
Really enjoyed this cozy mystery despite the paranormal elements. Disappointed by the description of every mundane action, excessive clothing description, and ambiguous beginning chapter, but otherwise the mystery was interesting and well-written. The romance was charmingly understated. Moderate swearing. Recipes included. Would read this author again, though maybe not this series. Didn't like the unneccessary spoilers from previous books.
February 18, 2024
Patrice Greenwood did it again. Sometimes sequels can be so boring or add nothing. These stories build on each other. I'm always wishing there would be more to the story, that it wouldn't end. However, my heart broke with this book. I wasn't prepared for what happened in this book. I really felt what Ellen felt in this book. Enjoyed it so much though.
July 4, 2018
Ellen has been given a couple of tickets to the opera to see Tosca and she invites Tony Aragon along as her partner (a friend of her Aunt Nat's is doing a meal before the performance and Ellen and Tony are invited to be part of the party), everything is going well until the curtain call at the end, when the performer playing the part of Baron Scarpia doesn't come on. The next thing is Tony getting a text and heading backstage where Victor Solano is lying dead.
Ellen ends up getting involved, partly because Tony is using her to find out about the world of opera and partly because Violetta, a protégée of Victor Salono, and previously a waitress at the tearoom is so upset, about the only good thing that seems to have come out of all this is the fact that Solano praised the Wisteria Tearoom and they are therefore booked up solid for the next week or so! Ellen is trying to help solve this puzzle when there is another death at the Opera House, and as well as this her ghost is starting to play the piano and Ellen has found something that belongs to him in the house, so this is keeping her and her staff well and truly busy.
Patrice Greenwood has pulled out all the stops again with another fantastic visit to the tearoom I would love to have near to me, she has written about the wonderful close knit employees and how they pull together at all times, and the "will it work out" romance is a great side to Ellen and Tony. 5 out of 5!
Ellen ends up getting involved, partly because Tony is using her to find out about the world of opera and partly because Violetta, a protégée of Victor Salono, and previously a waitress at the tearoom is so upset, about the only good thing that seems to have come out of all this is the fact that Solano praised the Wisteria Tearoom and they are therefore booked up solid for the next week or so! Ellen is trying to help solve this puzzle when there is another death at the Opera House, and as well as this her ghost is starting to play the piano and Ellen has found something that belongs to him in the house, so this is keeping her and her staff well and truly busy.
Patrice Greenwood has pulled out all the stops again with another fantastic visit to the tearoom I would love to have near to me, she has written about the wonderful close knit employees and how they pull together at all times, and the "will it work out" romance is a great side to Ellen and Tony. 5 out of 5!
April 16, 2021
free bookbub download from ages ago. I maybe would have given this a 7/10 before the SUPER ABRUPT and unexciting ending, which drops it to a 6 or even a 5.
This is a pleasant book to read (aside from the murder) - lots of detailed basic language about brewing tea and making cakes and scones and running a little tearoom business, and opera.
The ghost subplot was fun, but not anywhere close to resolved in this book.
the MC's sleuthing is limited to very legal ruminations, while her cop not-boyfriend sometimes asks for her thoughts on things (less legal?). maybe that would make more sense if I had read the prior books in the series.
This is a pleasant book to read (aside from the murder) - lots of detailed basic language about brewing tea and making cakes and scones and running a little tearoom business, and opera.
The ghost subplot was fun, but not anywhere close to resolved in this book.
the MC's sleuthing is limited to very legal ruminations, while her cop not-boyfriend sometimes asks for her thoughts on things (less legal?). maybe that would make more sense if I had read the prior books in the series.
September 19, 2017
I'm really loving this series! I so wish that the books were longer so that it will last a little longer. But this one is definitely ranking the lowest at the moment - I still enjoyed it, but I was disappointed by the ending.
*tiny spoiler*
The ending was so abrupt... I mean, why did the murderer do it? There were some speculations beforehand - but nothing is actually explained. The book ends before the murderer was even picked up. Why did the second murder have to happen - because something was reflecting light into her eye?
*tiny spoiler*
The ending was so abrupt... I mean, why did the murderer do it? There were some speculations beforehand - but nothing is actually explained. The book ends before the murderer was even picked up. Why did the second murder have to happen - because something was reflecting light into her eye?
May 17, 2017
A nice little cozy taking place in Santa Fe, NM.
September 28, 2018
Love the tearoom setting.
January 12, 2019
A good cozy mystery
Love the settings of her stories. An easy read and still not lacking in intelligence. Thank you for A great cozy mystery.
Love the settings of her stories. An easy read and still not lacking in intelligence. Thank you for A great cozy mystery.
July 5, 2019
Mystery
Characters and story are great..romance and murder..mystery and adventure. So much FUN to read this story. Ready for the next book
Characters and story are great..romance and murder..mystery and adventure. So much FUN to read this story. Ready for the next book
October 31, 2020
enjoyed reading very much would like to read more books by her
May 21, 2022
I am enjoying these books, although the clues are not always there for the mysteries. The people themselves are multilayered and interesting, and the setting is well done.
March 26, 2025
Nice atmosphere with pleasant characters.
May 29, 2021
My least favorite read in this series so far. It needed more character development.
October 20, 2024
It only gets two stars ( instead of one) for a certain readability/ entertainment value. This is in the sub-genre "cozy mystery," which I had not even heard of before and I'm still not sure I know exactly what it means. But this sample of it was arch, hoity-toity, precious, over written, and has WAY too much tea in it. Having a couple nice food and drink things specified and giving the recipes is a nice gimmick, but there is tea being made pretty much on every single page. And the cream cakes for which the recipe is given are described in gushing terms over and over and over ....
Characters are over-blown. I almost put the book back down again on the very first page. The soon to be murder victim is introduced. She is a tall young opera singer, described thusly:
"With sunlight filtering through chiffon curtains and setting her lace aglow, she was an airy silhouette of shadow against white, touched by just a glint of color from her auburn curls. She looked as ethereal as a young woman of Junoesque stature could." Then she comes in with her accompanist who was "a good two feet shorter than Vi and a little stout." Two feet!? So if Vi is 6'2" (pretty tall and Junoesque for a woman), then Wendy is 4'2" Dwarfism is defined as adult stature under 4'10" Even if Vi is 6'7" pretty much a giant for a woman, Wendy is 4'7" still a dwarf and no way with the hand span to play a full sized Steinway grand as she is described as doing. Why couldn't she have been ONE foot shorter, say a 6' tall young woman with her 5' tall accompanist? Still a little Mutt and Jeffish, but way more believable. By insisting on a good two feet shorter (not just around or about or close to), the author turns them both into grotesques.
Foreshadow of things to come!
Characters are over-blown. I almost put the book back down again on the very first page. The soon to be murder victim is introduced. She is a tall young opera singer, described thusly:
"With sunlight filtering through chiffon curtains and setting her lace aglow, she was an airy silhouette of shadow against white, touched by just a glint of color from her auburn curls. She looked as ethereal as a young woman of Junoesque stature could." Then she comes in with her accompanist who was "a good two feet shorter than Vi and a little stout." Two feet!? So if Vi is 6'2" (pretty tall and Junoesque for a woman), then Wendy is 4'2" Dwarfism is defined as adult stature under 4'10" Even if Vi is 6'7" pretty much a giant for a woman, Wendy is 4'7" still a dwarf and no way with the hand span to play a full sized Steinway grand as she is described as doing. Why couldn't she have been ONE foot shorter, say a 6' tall young woman with her 5' tall accompanist? Still a little Mutt and Jeffish, but way more believable. By insisting on a good two feet shorter (not just around or about or close to), the author turns them both into grotesques.
Foreshadow of things to come!
July 5, 2016
I read this quite slowly during a week singing with the Berkshire Choral International in Newport, Rhode Island.
I was thrilled to find this book at a discount. I adored A Fatal Twist of Lemon, #1 in the Wisteria Tea Room mystery series, and noted in my review that the others in the series were too expensive (when I have so many ready to read in my Kindle).
An Aria of Omens is #3 in the series. It was even better than the first one. it is darker in a way, not such a cozy mystery. It also moves the relationship between Ellen, the tea shop owner, and Tony the cop forward at a realistic pace (no instant love here but heightened interest). I live the interplay between the two. I also live all the secondary characters in Ellen's life and want to know more about them.
The mystery was satisfying, no pat solutions, with Ellen slowly coming to various realizations sometimes even through her dreams, and Tony more and more relying on her insights.
There is also a secondary mystery involving Captain Dusenberry who has been dead for over 100 years but makes eery appearances in the tea room that sometimes seem to provide more clues about the present-day mystery.
I highly recommend this series.
I was thrilled to find this book at a discount. I adored A Fatal Twist of Lemon, #1 in the Wisteria Tea Room mystery series, and noted in my review that the others in the series were too expensive (when I have so many ready to read in my Kindle).
An Aria of Omens is #3 in the series. It was even better than the first one. it is darker in a way, not such a cozy mystery. It also moves the relationship between Ellen, the tea shop owner, and Tony the cop forward at a realistic pace (no instant love here but heightened interest). I live the interplay between the two. I also live all the secondary characters in Ellen's life and want to know more about them.
The mystery was satisfying, no pat solutions, with Ellen slowly coming to various realizations sometimes even through her dreams, and Tony more and more relying on her insights.
There is also a secondary mystery involving Captain Dusenberry who has been dead for over 100 years but makes eery appearances in the tea room that sometimes seem to provide more clues about the present-day mystery.
I highly recommend this series.
Read
July 4, 2016Wisteria Tearoom owner Ellen Rosings coaxes Detective Tony Aragón to go with her to the Santa Fe Opera, but the magnificent performance of Tosca ends in disaster. In bizarre counterpoint to the opera’s plot, the leading man is murdered in his dressing room, and Tony must rush to secure the crime scene. Ellen is left to comfort Vi Benning, a former server at the tearoom who is now an apprentice at the Opera and a protégée of the slain singer.
No opera aficionado, Tony turns to Ellen for help navigating the world in which he must now conduct an investigation. At the same time, Ellen is coping with a sudden, mysterious jump in business at the tearoom. Her problems are eclectic:
...Who killed the famous baritone?
...What do the antique letters she’s found have to do with the tearoom’s resident ghost?
...And will she and Tony ever find time for a normal date?
The killer is the head of the opera. Series getting old.
No opera aficionado, Tony turns to Ellen for help navigating the world in which he must now conduct an investigation. At the same time, Ellen is coping with a sudden, mysterious jump in business at the tearoom. Her problems are eclectic:
...Who killed the famous baritone?
...What do the antique letters she’s found have to do with the tearoom’s resident ghost?
...And will she and Tony ever find time for a normal date?
The killer is the head of the opera. Series getting old.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2022
I've loved this series since book one and I think this third in series is my favorite so far. Opera and tea - perfect combination! I really like the Santa Fe setting and enjoy imagining myself sitting in the Wisteria tearoom. Great main characters. I found myself thinking "Yes!" to a couple of quotes from the tearoom owner, Ellen Rosings. "Nowadays, opera-goers could be seen wearing tee shirts and shorts. I was certain Miss Manners must share my opinion that this was a travesty," and "I refuse to use shorthand when texting. I know it's faster, but I grew up with a respect for proper English. Yes, I know it's a losing battle. Still, I endeavor."
I'm glad there are still a few more book in this series and hope there are even more by the time I get caught up!
I'm glad there are still a few more book in this series and hope there are even more by the time I get caught up!
July 18, 2015
I binge read the three books in this series. A friend recommended the books, but I'd have been sold just from the covers. Gorgeous! SPOILER ALERT: This book is darker than the other two. One of the tea room's own is a victim. (And one of my favorite characters...) I didn't feel that the motivation for one of the murders was totally explained. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the setting and characters. The relationship between the principals still seems a bit juvenile and old-fashioned. But I am glad the story of the ghost is being revealed. It's not perfect, but still better than many books available today.
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