Spelling the Tea (Vampire Tea Room Magical Mystery #1) by Erin Johnson

 

Spelling the Tea

(Vampire Tea Room Magical Mystery #1)

by Erin Johnson

Kindle Edition, 196 pages

Published January 27th 2021

Synopsis: 

Welcome to the coziest, vampire-owned tea room in Bath! It’s steeped in magic and mystery.

You’re supposed to support your guy, right? Even if it means moving away from the watery source of your witchy magic and suffering through five years of writer's block?

Minnie Wells thought so, until her soon-to-be-ex left her high and dry for another woman. Now, she’s back in Bath, with the magic of the town’s enchanted springs flowing through her veins, ready to explore her newbie witch powers and pen her novel. Bath inspired her favorite writer Jane Austen, after all. Why wouldn’t it work for her?

Only catch is, once the divorce is final, Minnie will be deported back to the US (and she’ll lose her powers all over again) unless she can convince the haughty (and handsome) vampire owner of a struggling tea room to hire her.

As if her cup didn’t already runneth over with trouble, an employee drops dead during her interview.

Now Minnie’s got to solve the murder to clear the cafe’s name, while figuring out a way to bring in more customers. With the help of her vampire roommate and black cat familiar, she’s hot on the killer’s trail. But when the murderer sets Minnie in their sights, she’ll have to tap into her own inner strength (and magic) to save herself, and bring the killer to justice.

Will Minnie solve the murder and save the vampire’s tea room? Or will she find herself in hot water with the killer?

***

4 stars

This is the first book in the Vampire Tea Room Magical Mystery series by Erin Johnson.

It took me a minute to get into this book. The premise has a gal, Minnie, who is recently divorced living in England. She is a bit freaked out about maybe having to move back to America if she can’t get a job to stay there more permanently. Plus, add to that she is a newbie witch who recently gained her power trying to get a job at a tea room managed by a couple of vampires from the Regency era.

I wish there had been a bit more backstory. I would have really liked to see what happened between Minnie and her ex and maybe even have him see how leaving her brought him some type of bad mojo.

The whole restaurant tea room where Minnie is trying to get a job has the theme of a Butler Bath Tea Room from the Regency era. All the waiters are dressed as butlers and waiting on people, bowing and such. Apparently, the tea room isn’t doing very well and  Minnie can’t get owner Fitz to hire her to save her life.

I am a bit confused about who the love interest is here. Is it best friend Gus, boss Fitz or the cute detective who seems to have a twinkle in his eye for her?

I thought this book was pretty good. I  think maybe book two will give us a bit more richness since we will have a whole book under our belts by that time.

This is definitely a series I will continue to follow.

If you love a good supernatural cozy mystery, definitely check this one out.