The 28th installment of the Tea Shop Mystery series finds our heroine, Theodosia Browning, attending an unusual fundraiser for the Charleston Opera Society in the company of her good friend and tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley. The Mad Hatter Masquerade benefit ball is Alice In Wonderland-themed, and Theo is ready to kick up her heels and have a good time on the temporarily repurposed grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill.

It’s while exploring the mill itself that she and Drayton make a grisly discovery. Harlan Sandler is a banker and the husband of Cricket, the executive chairperson in charge of the ball. He is also–to Theo and Drayton’s horror–trapped in the old mill’s gears, which have been set off by persons unknown. A clutch of concerned partygoers summoned by the duo’s cries for help finally manage to extract Harlan, but it’s too late.

Theo swiftly realizes that Harlan’s death was no accident. Harlan has a mallet-shaped indentation on his head that matches the equipment used for the party’s croquet games. After the authorities arrive to take over the scene, Theo’s nemesis, Detective Burt Tidwell, warns her against investigating further. Cricket, however, has other ideas and begs Theo to find out what really happened to her husband.

Theo, of course, has never met a murder investigation she can resist meddling in. When not running her Indigo Tea Shop, she’s more than happy to crisscross Charleston in pursuit of the truth, engaging in questionable–if not outright dangerous acts–in the process. She’s gotten away with it so far, but will she have finally met her match when a devious killer uses the glamor of a night at the opera to try to take her out for good?

Theo’s adventurous nature makes the Tea Shop mysteries a little more thrilling than the average cozy mystery novel, even as each book lovingly portrays the beauty of the historic town of Charleston. Her relationship with her employees is also a constant delight, and reading of the different-themed teas they host at their tea room is always a mouthwateringly good time. As an added bonus, Laura Childs includes tips for hosting your own themed teas as well as recipes for some of the delectable dishes described in the novel and a solid guide to resources on both everything tea-time and the city of Charleston.

Of the nine recipes included here, I decided to try out the following. The rest of my family was away one evening, and I wanted to make a quick and delicious dinner for myself.

Grilled Salmon with Honey Mustard Brown Sugar Crust

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets

Kosher salt

Black pepper

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar

½ cup honey mustard

Instructions

Rinse fillets and check for bones. Pat fillets dry and rub on Kosher salt and black pepper. Crumble brown sugar on a plate. Now brush honey mustard onto the salmon and dredge in brown sugar.

Grill over direct heat until crusty and golden, turning once (about 5 to 6 minutes total).

Let rest for a few minutes, then serve with your favorite salad or vegetable. Yields 4 entrees.

As Drayton assures Theo, this is a relatively simple yet delicious dish to make–even if I did overcomplicate things a bit by deciding to bake my salmon on a makeshift grill pan. It’s also a very easy recipe to scale down, though I probably used a little more honey mustard than the recipe calls for and a little less brown sugar. It came out so wonderfully though, with the tang of the mustard contrasting perfectly with the sweetness of the sugar to complement the juicy fish. I didn’t quite achieve a crust as described in the recipe, but I am looking at investing in a proper grill pan soon. Hopefully, I can try this recipe again and see how it comes out when using something closer to the proper technique. It was already really great using my ersatz method, especially with a side of rice and buttered, steamed asparagus.

Next week, we travel north to make a weather-appropriate dish while investigating the case of the body behind the bar. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: Trouble Is Brewing by Vicki Delany