The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Karen Rose Smith: Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery Series

November 11, 2020

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery Book 1) I recently finished reading Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes, the first in a series by Karen Rose Smith, Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery series. This is next in my list of most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series. This is the second series by Karen Rose Smith, following her Caprice De Luca Mystery Series.

Murder With Lemon Tea Cakes follows the life of Daisy Swanson, the owner of “Daisy’s Tea Garden”, a shop in Willow Creek, a semi-tourist small town in Amish country near Lancaster. Daisy is 37, a widow, and has two teenage daughters, one of whom has just left for college. 

There was a tradition in Daisy’s family that all the women were given flower names. Her mother’s name was Rose, her aunt’s name was Iris, and Daisy’s sister’s name was Camellia. Daisy had named her daughters Violet and Jasmine. But Jazzi never used her full name. She preferred her nickname.

As it happens in Cozy Mysteries, the small-town charm of Willow Creek is soon marred by a murder — right in the middle of the garden of “Daisy’s Tea Garden”, no less. The small-town police of Willow Creek seem to have no business trying to solve the mystery of who is the murderer. They are even more incompetent than is normal and are soon grilling Daisy’s Aunt Iris as their chief suspect.

Luckily, Daisy and her new friend, the proprietor of the nearby furniture store, Jonas, who is, coincidentally, a very eligible bachelor and an ex-police detective, are available to try to solve the mystery and clear Iris from this cloud of suspicion.

There is a subplot involving Jazzi who has a mystery of her own to solve. (Jonas helps with that one too). And, the story contains a lot of information about tea and goodies served with tea. At the end of the book, there are several original recipes. (If I baked – other than boxed/prepared types of things, I’d be very tempted to try them.)

The small town of Willow Creek is a very comforting place to visit. I am very glad the series is already up to book six.  I always enjoy finding a new series that is already established…

Click here to read more posts about the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

8 Comments - Click Here to Read the Comments or to Add Another

Comments

  1. Susan says

    November 12, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Glad you picked this series, have really enjoyed it and am waiting patiently for Murder with Oolong Tea to be released…

    Reply
    • Danna - cozy mystery list says

      November 13, 2020 at 6:41 am

      Susan, still a bit to wait – I hope it’s worth the wait!

      Reply
  2. Pat D says

    November 12, 2020 at 10:11 am

    I have read this whole series so far and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one.

    Reply
    • Danna - cozy mystery list says

      November 13, 2020 at 6:40 am

      Pat, I hope it’s as good as the others!

      Reply
  3. Mary Grace Murphy says

    November 12, 2020 at 11:26 am

    Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes sounds delightful! I plan to read it soon.

    Reply
    • Danna - cozy mystery list says

      November 13, 2020 at 6:39 am

      Mary, I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  4. Lee Ann says

    November 12, 2020 at 11:54 am

    Thank you Danna for the recommendation. Just got this from the Library. Thanks also for doing this once a month, I am finding new to me books.

    Reply
    • Danna - cozy mystery list says

      November 13, 2020 at 6:39 am

      Lee, you’re very welcome! I’m glad that these sort of posts are helpful for people looking for new books.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please don't tell us about Cozy Mystery authors or books you don't enjoy.

Please use a nickname or your first name and last initial (unless you are an author and want your full name to appear).

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Blog Post Email Alerts

  • Cozy Mystery Blog Home
  • Cozy Mystery Site
  • Soon to be Released Mysteries
  • Cozies by Themes
  • New Mystery Releases
  • New Mystery Series
  • Cozy Mystery Recommendations
  • Most Popular and Recommended Cozy Mystery Series
  • Holiday Mystery Book Lists
  • What Is a Cozy?
  • TV and Movies
  • Author Interviews
  • Cozy-Mystery.com on Facebook

Recent Posts

  • Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025
  • Jacqueline Winspear: Maisie Dobbs Mystery Series
  • TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES CHANNEL MYSTERY MOVIES – May 2025
  • April 14 to April 27
  • March 31 to April 13

Recent Comments

  • Regina Williams on Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025
  • Fortney, Sally on Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025
  • Shirley on Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025
  • Georgia on Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025
  • Rob Jarrad on Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2025

Cozy Mystery List Home | Affiliate Disclosure | Cozy Mystery Blog Home  | Cozy Mystery Blog Sitemap | Privacy Policy  | Contact Me   | About |

Copyright © 2006-2025, Cozy-Mystery.Com, All rights reserved.
A Guide to Cozy Mystery Books, Movies, and TV


MENU
  • Cozy Mystery Blog Home
  • Cozy Mystery Site
  • Soon to be Released Mysteries
  • Cozies by Themes
  • New Mystery Releases
  • New Mystery Series
  • Cozy Mystery Recommendations
  • Most Popular and Recommended Cozy Mystery Series
  • Holiday Mystery Book Lists
  • What Is a Cozy?
  • TV and Movies
  • Author Interviews
  • Cozy-Mystery.com on Facebook