Steeped in Secrets

A Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mystery, Book 1

By: Lauren Elliott

Narrated by: Stephanie Richardson

Even with her life in ruins in New Mexico, Shay feels uneasy about settling into the small seaside town where she grew up on California's Monterey Peninsula, and taking over an estate bequeathed to her by Bridget Early, a woman she had barely known. Her heightened senses—an empathic gift she's had since childhood—go into overdrive upon touring Crystals & CuriosiTEAS, Bridget's eclectic tea and psychic shop brimming with Irish lore and Celtic symbols. They reach a boiling point when Shay looks up to discover a stranger's body sprawled across the shop's greenhouse roof . . .

With her new business a crime scene and questions brewing over Bridget's so-called accidental death, Shay fears she's also inherited the attention of a killer. The terrifying realization sets her on an impractical investigation for answers aided by her sister, an elusive pure-white German Shepherd, a strikingly handsome pub owner who speaks in a gentle brogue, and a misunderstood young woman with perceptive talents of her own. As Shay struggles to figure out her true purpose in Bray Harbor and the powerful connection she has with the tea shop, she must trust her judgment above all else to identify a ruthless murderer and save herself from becoming victim number three.

©2022 Lauren Elliott (P)2022 Tantor

fun read

it was a fun story
the characters were done well and it flowed nicely. the narrator has a good voice and was pleasant to listen too.

New series?

I thought I was reading the same first book as her last series for the first two chapters, but then it evolved into its own story with its own charm. Predictively written, but enjoyable.

5 stars

Steeped in Secrets is an entertaining cozy mystery. I look forward to the next book in this series.

crystals beware

Loved Lauren's new mystery great cast of characters and loved the spiritual aspect as well, a must read!

great start

I hope there are more coming. The cast is fun and interesting. The performance is good. The story is well done with enough red herrings to remain interesting.

A wonderful surprise

Mystic and magic are not my fave, so I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. But I was captured by the characters and went along with the story. Murder and mayhem came along, so I’m glad I did. The author weaves a tight tale and the narrator was very pleasant. Not great literature but a very cozy mystery.

Great start to the series!

I was pleasantly surprised by how how much I enjoyed this book!
Hopefully this turns into a really good series like the bookstore mystery series I just finished by this author.
I can’t wait for the next one!

A good first in series

Love this Author stories. Another great story. Delves into the mystical side (not a huge fan of that) but the story is well written and enjoyable

It was ok

Not too many twists and turns but a decent read. It was quick and easy to follow. Guessed the who-dun-it fairly early on.

Very Slow

I really wanted to like this book, but it is a little too slow. I figured out a lot of the important points way before the MC. I know a first book in a series sets up the characters, but this does not have a lot of interesting people to hold my focus. I put it down and stop it for hours, without a desire to get back to it, like I do with books that are exciting.
The story is interesting, but the dialogue is flat and lacks wit. There is also a lot of repeating of the same things. I got sick of references to the "blue bottle" everytime someone wants to know/understand something. How about just thinking and using your brain....not with this MC.
There is also a lot of little irrelevant details that do nothing to move the story along. The 35 yr old MC is depending on a 16 yr old....wow! This part of the storyline had me confused.
The narrator is okay, but not great. She tries and is good wit the Irish accent, but the women sound very alike.
Overall, this book is okay and I am thankful it was free. I don't think I am going to continue with the series, as there's nothing new or exciting in the plot that is not done better in other books. A good editor would have tightened up the plot, which is what this book really needed.