Book 77, 2021

[chez_jae]

Murder with Cucumber Sandwiches by Karen Rose Smith

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I brought my office book home last night and finished it. Murder with Cucumber Sandwiches, by Karen Rose Smith, is the third book in the cozy mystery series "Daisy's Tea Shop", although it's the first one I've read. Main character is Daisy Swanson, widowed mother of two, and owner of Daisy's Tea Shop.

Daisy and her staff are in a flap, because notorious restaurant critic and food blogger Derek Schumaker plans to pay them a visit. In the meantime, Foster, one of Daisy's employees (who also happens to be dating her oldest daughter, Violet), has been both distant and absent. Daisy and her staff are courteous and attentive when Schumaker comes calling, and Daisy is encouraged when he requests some of her cucumber sandwiches to go. However, when he later dies and it's determined that something in the sandwiches killed him, Daisy's business also begins to die off. As if that weren't enough to deal with, her youngest daughter Jasmine (who was adopted) is having issues with her newly-discovered birth mother, and Violet and Foster drop the "we're pregnant and getting married" bombshell. Now it's up to Daisy to be there for both daughters while trying to move the investigation into the murder along in an attempt to salvage her family, her business, and her reputation.

I was terribly meh about the entire book. I didn't connect with any of the characters, including Daisy. And, frankly, I'm sick to death of people being murdered via food or drink. It's such an overdone trope for cozies, and it would lead one to believe that the number one method of murder is poison. Enough, already! On top of that, the killer came out of left field, which also aggravates me. I want to be able to piece together clues, along with the mc, and figure it out, not have a nasty surprise pop up at the end of the book wielding a weapon.

Favorite line: "Maybe someone desperately needs a scone."

This deserves 2 1/2 stars. Since I can't award halfsies...


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique? Yes, she works in a tea house.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No, she does not.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Um, he used to be a cop AND a PI. Giving this a neutral.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has two cats.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No
6. Did the mc find the body? No
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, she's a disapproving cold fish.
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Yes, Daisy has her Aunt Iris.
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) No, her youngest daughter still lives at home.

Five 'yes' answers, four 'no', and one neutral push this score down to a two. In a word: disappointing, and I won't look to read any others in this series.