Murder in a Cup - A Review

 Review

MURDER IN A CUP by Lauren Elliott
The Second Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery

Shay is eager to participate in the Fall Harvest Wine and Food Festival, but she's got an "inky" feeling. Trouble is coming. Before she knows it, trouble has arrived. A custody battle is about to begin over Tassi, Shay's young assistant. When a customer dies at a group tea leaf reading, Tassi's comments lead police to arrest her. Now her father is doing everything he can to destroy Shay as well. Liam's Gran is guiding Shay, but will that be enough?

My stomach was in knots with all the tension and conflict in the first part of the book. I get so upset when powerful people go after people I like in an attempt to destroy them. And that's exactly what Tassi's father does to Shay. And Shay is someone I like. It goes to show how invested I am in these characters and how much I care!

Family is a key ingredient in the Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery series; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And there's plenty of ugly. On the good side, Gran is an amazing addition to the series. Wise and funny, she also can give Shay insight into her family and her gifts. I love seeing the relationships at play here, between Shay and her sister, Shay and Liam, and more.

MURDER IN A CUP ratcheted up my anxiety, giving me a tense emotional mystery and lots of family drama, before leaving me satisfied...except for a certain relationship whose timing isn't working just yet.