Skillfully blending everyday matters into a murder case is once again expertly handled by Karen Rose Smith, and the ninth book in her Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery series is just as intriguing as the first installment. The characters, whether a person featured in each story or just introduced, always come across as truly conceivable with a realistic personality. I especially like the main character of Daisy as she is so relatable being a mom or even an inquisitive sleuth. During every situation in MURDER WITH EARL GREY TEA, I was caught up in her life while also trying to deduce who wanted her friend dead.With several significant events happening soon, Daisy Swanson knows the coming year is going to be not only exciting but also have some big changes. Getting married again will help to distract from having her daughter leave for college, and continuing to manage Daisy's Tea Garden that sells a variety of the beverage along with baked goods will keep her busy. When a friend inquires if Daisy would like to join her on a hiking trail the next morning, she accepts the offer as the woman seems to have a problem and wants to talk. When the individual cannot be located at their appointed time, Daisy is completely shocked after finding her deceased and then learning that the death was intentional. Though she has assisted the police in several previous murder cases, this time it is very personal which makes determining what happened even more important.As the list of potential murder suspects mounted, I kept going over the clues that had been scattered throughout the story. What I thought would be revealed next was often wrong, and this led to lots of additional guesses. I really enjoy a mystery where the outcome is never certain until the very end, and Karen Rose Smith has readers contemplating numerous possibilities in MURDER WITH EARL GREY TEA.While wanting answers to the unknowns connected to the murder, I was also interested in discovering how the daily experiences that Daisy had to live through would impact her. From interacting with fiancé Jonas Groft plus her family to all the hours spent working at the tea garden, I found her reactions to be insightful and convincing.In this series, Karen Rose Smith repeatedly talks about food, and the latest book certainly mentioned quite a few tasty sounding treats. I especially want to try those goodies which are often found locally in Pennsylvania. There are also several adorable animals featured in the book, and I was frequently amused at the antics of one canine and two felines.