Steeped in Evil

By: Laura Childs

Narrated by: Barbara McCulloh

Theodosia Browning has never considered herself a wine connoisseur - tea has always been her forte. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to pass up an invitation to a fancy wine-tasting party at the upscale Knighthall Winery, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. But a sweet evening takes on a bitter aftertaste when a dead body is discovered in one of the wine barrels. The son of proprietor Jordan Knight has been murdered.

Dissatisfied with the police investigation, Knight turns to Theo for help. She’s heard through the grapevine that there are both family and business problems at Knighthall. They say in vino veritas, but everyone at the winery seems to be lying through their teeth. Sorting through the guest list as well as family and staff, Theo has her pick of suspects. It may look like the killer has her over a barrel, but cracking tough cases is vintage Theodosia Browning.

©2014 Gerry Schmitt & Assoc, Inc. (P)2014 Recorded Books

Probably typical of the genre

This is the first ‘cozy mystery’ I’ve listened to. Yawn. If this is typical of the genre, I pass. PG 13 and mediocre for that rating.
Someone who likes this genre would probably find it satisfactory.

Good book

You can never go wrong with a story by Laura Childs. I have read and enjoyed most of her books and this audiobook was no different. I enjoyed listening to this book and it had lots of action, which I like.

Great read

Excellent plot.... Great character development ... A good read! Love this series. I highly recommend it.

Southern book needs a better narrator

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would choose a narrator who, if choosing to do voices, does geographically relevant accents. This takes place in the South; the sensibility of the entire book is southern & the narrator's voice did not match. Generally, I like a quicker reading speed, which was present here; unfortunately, slightly slower might have suited the Southern ambiance. Very disappointed.

Would you be willing to try another book from Laura Childs? Why or why not?

I've read all of Laura's books & enjoyed them - I don't jump on them quite as quickly any more, though, because they aren't catching me emotionally any more. It is possible that part of my problem with the narrator stemmed from the writing, too.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Barbara McCulloh?

Not sure - my favorite narrator is Barbara Rosenblatt, but I think her voice would not be suitable. The voice needs to have a cultured Charleston SC accent - not too old, not too young, & yet be able to do the other voices, too.

Was Steeped in Evil worth the listening time?

Yes, although I think it might have been better to read it in book form.

Traditional, fun totally enjoyable

Light and easy to listen to. I love tea and tea shops so all the tea and china references were wonderful and interesting. Loved it

Murder & Mayhem in a Winery!

It's time for another visit to my favorite tea shop in the fictional world... the Indigo Tea Shop. In Theodosia's latest adventure she is spending some time away from the tea shop, at a wine tasting. A local winery, Knighthall Winery, is owned by Jordan Knight, a friend of Drayton Conneley, Theodosia's co-worker and fellow tea expert. When disaster strikes on the night of the tasting, with Jordan's son being killed in a most gruesome way, Drayton and Jordan beg Theodosia to step in and find a killer. With a Downtown Abbey Tea to plan, a tea shop to run and catch a killer, Drayton and Theodosia find themselves very busy!! Will they be too busy to catch a killer before he/she strikes again?

I am absolutely head over heels smitten with the Indigo Tea Shop and Drayton and Theodosia. Laura Childs writes engaging, compelling mysteries, but it's her characters that make her stand out above the crowd. I love how Drayton and Theodosia fit together as friends and co-workers. There is not a love angle between them, they are great friends and they fit together. Drayton can be quite stuffy and Theodosia is more fun, and they make a great pair to solve a crime!

The actual mystery was very intriguing. It starts with quite a gruesome killing, with Drew Knight being found dead in a barrel of wine!! The path to find the murderer is a tangled web of local and even international intrigue, that leaves Drayton and Theodosia running about town to solve it before the killer strikes again! I was kept on my toes, willing the audiobook to read faster and faster, so I could find out what happens!!

I listened to Steeped in Evil as an audiobook and I have to say that Barbara McCulloch has won me over on listening to future installments as audios. This is my second audiobook in the series and I really enjoy her narration. She builds on the characters that Laura Childs has created, and it's a joy to listen on audio. I listened with a cup of tea at my side, and knitting needles clicking away, and I had a fabulous time enjoying the latest Tea Shop Mystery.

The Tea Shop Mysteries are interesting and timeless mysteries.If you haven't picked this series up yet, I highly recommend giving them a read or a listen.

Skipped recipes

They skipped a whole section on one of the recipes. Really frustrating! Now desperately searching online for the Almond Joy Scones recipe!

Educational and murderous

A good murder mystery with the addition of tea varieties I never knew existed. I'm wondering how long Theodocia's current boyfriend is going to last before her sleuthing scares him away.