Memorable Afternoon Teas

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Afternoon teas have been much on my mind lately. My daughter and her family leave on Friday for a trip that will end with a few days in London and, of course, Kayti being the plan ahead person that she is, she wanted to choose a place for a proper afternoon tea. She picked Grosvenor House, which, by a funny coincidence, was the first place I ever experienced afternoon tea, on my first trip to London with my parents. Kayti asked if I thought it would be good and I assured her that it would. Tea is hard for a top-notch London hotel to mess up! (Photo courtesy of Grosvenor House London.)

Then, another friend who had family members making a summer London trip asked me for suggestions, and so I did a deep dive into recommendations on the internet as well as my own past favorites. I thought it would be fun to share some of my most memorable teas here.

#1 on my list is (formerly) Gordon Ramsay's Claridge's. This was on a trip with my (as above!) plan-ahead daughter. We can't nail down the exact date, but Gordon Ramsay's tenure at Claridge's ended in June 2013 and I think we were trying to get in under the wire. The only reservation available was the day we were scheduled to arrive. Our plane was due to land at Gatwick about 7 a.m. so we thought, sure, no problem for 2 p.m. tea. You can guess what happened. The plane was late, then when we finally deplaned, Kayti's luggage never came off the baggage carousel. By this time in a mad panic, we snagged her a dress and shoes in one of the airport shops (thank goodness this was arrivals at Gatwick and not Heathrow,) took the train into London, then a cab to Claridge's. We changed in the ladies' lounge and just managed make our two o'clock seating. After all the drama, everything--the room, the food, the service--was divine. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Another memorable tea was at Sketch in Mayfair with a half dozen friends and maybe a wee bit too much champagne. I remember how fabulous the decor was, and what a good time we had, but I do not remember the food! I'm sure it was lovely! I encourage you to click on the link above to play with the Sketch website (and to gasp at the prices.)

A favorite I have been to several times is St. Ermin's Hotel in Victoria. I used to love to go there because it was just around the corner from New Scotland Yard but, alas, the Met headquarters has moved to the Embankment. Still, St. Ermin's is a great central London choice. Not only do they serve an absolutely delicious afternoon tea, they have beehives on the roof that you can visit. 

You can adopt a bee. This would be a fun choice with kids.

Another memorable tea was at The Ritz after visiting Buckingham Palace, this with The Poisoned Pen owner Barbara Peters, author Kate Charles, and another London friend. Again, I remember the occasion and the spectacular Palm Court better than the food. That interior really is something to see!

I've had tea at The Connaught courtesy of my friend Deborah Harkness, and this time I do remember that the food was fabulous!

A tea more memorable for the view than for the food was at Oblix in The Shard, which Kayti and I had during a visit in 2022. The view really is amazing, but I think you could enjoy it just as well over a considerably less expensive cocktail.

My last recommendation is less expensive than many of the fancy hotel teas, but every bit as delicious, if not better. That's The Wolseley in Piccadilly, just a few doors down from The Ritz. 

The Art Deco restaurant is housed in the former Wolseley Motors showroom, designed by architect William Curtis Green in 1921 and restored in the early 2000s by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King. The interior is stunning, but the restaurant feels relaxed and it serves everything from breakfast to late evening snacks. This is a place I feel very comfortable going on my own, which I'm not sure I'd say for the fancier hotels.

I hope if anyone is planning a trip to London this little mini guide will be useful. And if not, you can daydream along with me.

Dear Reds and readers, have you had a memorable afternoon tea? (Not necessarily in the UK!)

Oh, and happy birthday to my darling daughter today! It's too bad we're not celebrating over afternoon tea in London!

Crowing about Cover Art--Judy Penz Sheluk

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's always a treat to have Judy Penz Sheluk here, and what better way to beat the heat than a new mystery anthology! But did you ever think about how challenging it must be to design covers across a series of anthologies?

Crowing about Cover Art

Judy Penz Sheluck

A lot of thought goes into book cover design. That’s because publishers know that good covers not only help to sell books, they also define the genre, and in the case of mysteries, the sub-genres. A cozy mystery, for example, might feature a floppy-eared dog or a pair of calico cats, a historical mystery, Art Deco styling or other vintage elements, a standalone suspense, a creepy staircase. But what if the book includes several sub-genres of mystery? In other words, what if it’s an anthology?

That’s the dilemma I face every time I get ready to launch another Superior Shores Anthology, where the 20+ stories in every collection represent many facets of mystery and suspense. Of course, it helps that each anthology has a theme, but even then, some themes are easier than others. Take Moonlight & Misadventure (#3). A full moon, some creepy trees…the cover practically designed itself.

Not so much this year’s anthology, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers. As a catchy title and a theme that allows for multiple interpretations, it hit all the right notes. But how did one design a schemer or a dreamer? True, midnight might lend itself to a moon, but we’d already done one of those. And because the decision was made early on to use the same color scheme and font for every SSP Anthology another moon wasn’t going to cut it

As always, I contacted my trusty cover artist, Hunter Martin, and as always, he asked if I had any ideas. “Well,” I said, “maybe someone sitting on a bench at night? Like they’re daydreaming?”

“Hmmm…” Hunter said, too professional to tell me what he really thought, but let’s face it, hmmm isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

Fast forward a couple of days and Hunter approached me with a concept and a rough sketch “What about a crow?” he asked. "A group of crows is a murder, and crows are known for their cunning and intelligence, schemers, if you will. And they love shiny objects, so I thought, if the crow was flying with a key, the key could represent a daydream.”

I loved the symbolism Hunter was suggesting. Loved the rough sketch he sent to support his idea. But mostly, I love the final cover. In fact, I love it so much I even created a 45-piece online jigsaw puzzle for it.

Try it if you dare. The best time so far is 6:30, the longest 14:25. 

READERS: Have you ever purchased a book based on the cover? If so, what drew you in and why?

About Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 stories of Mystery and Suspense: Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution—how far would you go to realize a dream? The twenty-two authors in this collection explore the possibilities, with predictably unpredictable results.

Featuring stories by Pam Barnsley, Linda Bennett, Clark Boyd, C.W. Blackwell, Amanda Capper, Susan Daly, James Patrick Focarile, Rand Gaynor, Gina X. Grant, Julie Hastrup, Beth Irish, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Jim McDonald, Donalee Moulton, Michael Penncavage, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Debra Bliss Saenger, and Joseph S. Walker. You can find it here.

About Judy: The Past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) and a former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the multiple award-winning author of seven bestselling mystery novels, two books on publishing, and several short stories. She is also the editor/publisher of five Superior Shores Anthologies, including the 2025 Derringer-nominated Larceny & Last Chances. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.

DEBS: I, for one, am incredibly susceptible to cover art. A recent foray into our shiny new B&N had me agog at all the gorgeous covers (and also wishing I wrote fantasy because there were so many drool-worthy covers in that genre) but I can't articulate what exactly works for me. I loved this insight into a cover designer's process!

What say you, dear readers?

Summer Watching!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Since we've all topped up our TBR piles with Lucy's What We're Reading post last week, I thought it was time we had a look at what's on the goggle box (as they say in the UK.) When we're worn out from gardening and barbecuing–or we just need some lazy air-conditioned evenings, it's nice to have a pocketful of suggestions. Here's what's been keeping us glued to the screen lately.

On our recent REDS & READERS Happy Hour,  I mentioned DEPT Q, the series adapted from the Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen's first novel featuring the irascible Copenhagen detective Carl Morck, THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES. The story has been moved to Edinburgh and stars one of my very favorite (as in huge crush) English actors, Matthew Goode, as Morck, with an otherwise Scottish and brilliant cast.  It's fairly gritty, but the writing is terrific and Goode and all the cast give fabulous performances.

Since then we've watched THE RESIDENCE, a charming (billed as mystery/comedy/drama) series about a world famous detective (Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp) brought in to investigate a murder in the White House. Aduba shines as Cupp, an avid birder, and the sets and models are amazing. 

We've also watched a couple of documentary series, Stanley Tucci's new TUCCI IN ITALY, and the new season of CHEF'S TABLE, which is called LEGENDS and features cooking legends Jamie Oliver, Jose Andres, Thomas Keller, and Alice Waters.

Oh, and boo, we're very sad the latest season of GRAHAM NORTON'S BEST BITS has finished.

Fellow REDS, what are your TV tips?

HALLIE EPHRON: There’s so much good stuff available right now. I loved THE RESIDENCE. Looking forward to the next season but it’ll be a while.

And also just started watching DEATH VALLEY with the wonderful Timothy Spall on Britbox. And I just started “PATIENCE which is on PBS (though the solution of the first episode is patently ridiculous).

All of them are recycling the trope of the wacky (damaged? Handicapped? Over the hill?) detective with a much younger, down-to-earth sidekick available for copious eye-rolls.

JENN McKINLAY: Loved YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS with Jon Hamm. Excellent storytelling and characters. Highly recommend. Another hit was FOUR SEASONS (an 8 episode show based on the movie of the same name) starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell - it far exceeded my expectations! Currently, we’re watching POKER FACE starring Natasha Lynne, who I adore. So many good shows for the summer! Next up for us is DEPT Q! 

DEBS: Rick watched YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS without me and really liked it. Maybe I'll make him watch it again!

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh dear, I’m in such a fussy phase. We watched one episode of FOUR SEASONS before deciding not to continue. John and I also watched one hour of BLUE LIGHTS and DEPARTMENT Q. Both too dark for me, though he continued. I’m eagerly anticipating the next season of THE BEAR as well as THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, but I’ll see if John will try THE RESIDENCE with me. I also heard that Jeremy Allen White will be playing Bruce Springstein in an upcoming biopic, but that’s not until October! Can’t wait for that!

RHYS BOWEN:  I have absolutely adored LUDWIG ( and not because one of the characters was called my name. So clever and well acted). I find I spend most of my TV watching on Britbox these days, often revisiting favorite mystery series; SHAKESPEARE AND HATHAWAY, ROSEMARY AND THYME. Apart from those I’ve enjoyed David Suchet tracing Agatha Christie’s journeys. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well of course we binged THE BETTER SISTER–gotta support our writer pals, and I adore Alafair Burke. I was intrigued by SIRENS, and love the milieu, but my skeptical editor brain kicked in.

And yes, Jenn, I was incredibly surprised by how much I  enjoyed YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, the Jon Hamm series. It really was terrific, and much more layered that one would think. I know I am going to hate-watch THE GILDED AGE, it drives me crazy with how thin I think it is but it is somehow irresistible–it might be the dresses. And oh, we enjoyed I, JACK WRIGHT on Acorn or wherever. It was quirky and unusual.

I tried DEATH VALLEY, and THE RESIDENCE, I really did, but they are not for me. LUDWIG, on the other hand, was standing-ovation good.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I think I’ve mentioned this one before, but I’m very much enjoying MURDERBOT on Apple+. It’s another straight from the book show, and I know we all like those. DEPT Q is up next after everyone’s raves. I’d love suggestions for some good summer-novel-type shows like THE PERFECT COUPLE with rich folks in beautiful locations behaving badly. I also tried SIRENS, and it didn’t catch me. 

Oh, and I’m doing another themed movie week, with 1970s horror/thriller movies. I was inspired by the 50th anniversary of JAWS, and then went on to see two I can’t believe I’ve never actually watched - the 1978 version of THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING. Both amazingly stylistic films, with such clear visions by the directors. They really don’t make ‘em like that any more.

DEBS: Julia, we watched JAWS over the weekend, the Spielberg remastered version. I HAD NEVER SEEN JAWS! I've also never seen THE SHINING. Or THE GODFATHER... Although tops on my to-watch list is the series THE OFFER, starring Matthew Goode as Bob Evans and about the making of the film. Unfortunately this series, which got rave reviews, is on Paramount+ which we don't have. MURDERBOT is up there on the to-watch list as well.

DEBS: What have we missed, dear readers? Tell us how you're whiling away you summer hours!