Willow Foxglove is excited when her favorite television show comes to town to shoot an episode in the local park. But delight turns to dismay when a sound man is electrocuted on set. An incidence with Mavis, her Maine Coon kitten, puts Willow near the scene, making her terrified she contributed to the accident. But when the sheriff's office determines the incident is a case of cold-blooded murder, they instead put her favorite actress squarely in the frame! There's no way that Miss Walsham Investigates can continue if the lead actress is in a jail cell. To save the show, Willow and her friends must solve the crime and pinpoint the real killer. Tea Shop Cozy Mysteries are quick 1-2 hour reads perfect for filling in time waiting for appointments, commuting to work, or when your significant other insists on watching the show that makes you roll your eyes!
I'm a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch my entire life, and currently reside a two-minute walk from where I was born.
For some reason, I've developed a rich fantasy life.
I like to write mysteries, some set in my hometown of Christchurch, others ninety minutes up the road in the beautiful township of Hanmer Springs, or in the quasi-fictional town of Pinetar. These mysteries range from hard-hitting psychological thrillers, through to police procedurals, or the lighter adventure of a cozy mystery.
Orange Juiced by Katherine Hayton is Book 4 in the Tea Shop Cozy Mysteries series. Each story is a novella length 2 hour read. In this narrative, Willow Foxglove, a 50 something former British top model turned Tea Shop business owner has decided to attend the filming of her favorite TV program at a local park.
She loves Miss Walsham Investigates, and in fact imagines herself as an amateur sleuth who has helped to solve several local murders. However, when there is a death that occurs on location, the least of her worries is the cancelation of the show, because one of the suspects is the lead actress. Willow becomes involved as a witness and the sheriff is not thrilled, because when Willow starts digging, her two best friends can not be too far behind. Despite having solved a couple of murders, the sheriff worries that this case will be the one that mucks up his reputation.
This is my favorite one in this Novella series so far so I'm going to give it 4.5 stars. This one was a lot of fun. I really enjoy the characters and think it's well written. Willow's favorite TV Show is in town to do some filming for an episode, and the characters of that show are involved in this mystery. The Covers of this series are so cute!
Over all I've found this series enjoyable, and this one was okay, but needed more editing and maybe some technical input. The story starts with Willow having a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see her "favorite character of all time" acting live on location, filming a segment of her favorite show. And yet Willow, who can't see well, still would not wear glasses -- so everything's fuzzy. Under normal circumstances maybe her vanity would overrule common sense, but in this case? Implausible. I found the deadly deed a stretch of credibility too. A person can't "in the spur of the moment" strip insulation off electrical wires in "a few seconds." and do it unobtrusively with people standing all around. The meddler would need a proper tool and safety gloves or they'd probably electrocute themselves. I noticed some words and phrases not used correctly, and idioms said in a confusing way. Like: "The (studio) execs back in their board room may not know whose bread this show is buttered on, but you can bet I do."
This installment brings a fun side of Willow as she meets her idol. As expected, mayhem ensues, but Willow and her crew won't rest. The problem is, are they right or simply starstruck?
What I liked was seeing a more relaxed side of Willow. I also enjoyed seeing the development of her relationships, especially with the sheriff.
There's nothing I didn't like. I just seemed to realize the formulation of cozy mysteries during this book. Being new to the genre, this series is truly indoctrinating into it. It's made me a fan while making me see it's similar to a sitcom in style.
I recommend this book (and series). You can read it as a standalone, but you'll get more out of the experience reading the books in order. They are quite enjoyable.
This story was better than the previous stories, but not quite as good as the first.
It was inevitable that they would have Willow a cross-over with Miss Walsham of 'Miss Walsham Investigates' her favourite TV show sleuth.
At least in this book the killer had some page time.
I begin to wonder what kind of relationship the author had with her husband or what kind of relationship she watched her mother go through as Willow gets more and more animosity towards her deceased husband Molly.
The series is still a really slow read with little payoff at the end of each book.
The production of Willow's favorite television show, Miss Walsham Investigates, has come to Aniseed Valley to film an episode and she is very excited about it. Willow and her friend Trisha, another fan, go to the park to watch the filming. However, things take a turn and someone is killed. At first it appears to those observing to be a freak accident, but it is quickly determined to be murder. Willow and friends are set on figuring out who was behind it and begin investigating. The ending was good.
I've read all four stories I thoroughly enjoyed the murder mysteries. The main characters are just normal folk. It's nice to see developing friend ships. I hope you include them in future stories. These are my first books written by you. Thank you for entertaining me. I look forward to reading more of your books. Stay well.
Fun characters but the killer was too obvious and the manner in which he killed didn't make sense to me since it would have needed a lot of prep and perfect timing in an unpredictable situation. While I love Mavis, I don't understand Willow bringing a loose cat to a film shoot. The cat was not secured in anyway and got onto the set.
I love how Willow Foxglove figures out the killer. I didn't know until near the end! I can hardly wait for the next book to be released for Tea Shop Cozy Mystery to happen!
Liked the twist and that it was not the obvious person. Title did not have anything to do with story. Character development continued well. Nice to see some of the lesser characters (like Willow's Tiffany and her family) in the forefront.
Finally the day of filming in Aniseed Valley has arrived. Willow and Trisha are so happy to be going to the shoot together. But not everyone there was happy and thee end of the day gloom had settled in to what started so cheery ...
3.5 stars. When Willow's favorite tv show comes to town her excitement to watch the production if off the charts. Instead she finds herself on the set when a murder occurs. Will she and her buddies be able to find out who is targeting the star, Thora Birch? You bet!
Another lovely addition. I got sidetracked partway through and several months passed between, but it was so easy to hop right back into. It’s easy to digest and wonderfully written. Highly recommend the series.
Silly, cute, fun. All good descriptors of this short cozy, perfect for an easy distraction from more serious and involved books. At first I had a hard time with the voices (I listened to the audiobook) but they grew on me. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a quick listen!
So book 4 was interesting. This was the first time I figured out ‘who dunnit’ before it was revealed. But I enjoyed how it all came together! Audiobooks for this series are pretty decent to listen to and they aren’t super long. Only like 3-4 hrs each.
This is a perfect afternoon read. Willow is a loveable sleuth, with smart friends. This is such a good series, I'm now a purchase customer. Write on, Ms. Hayton.
I enjoyed this series. The characters are relatable. The friendship's they share are endearing. The mystery was easily figured out. It would be nice to have Willow's teashop close by!