Review: THE CRYPTIC CLUE, Amanda Hampson

• 
   this edition published 2024 by Penguin
• #2 in The Tea Ladies series
  
• ISBN 978-1-76136-102-1
• 323 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Look who’s back in hot water! The delightful and witty second novel in The Tea Ladies mystery series. Ideal for fans of Richard Osman and Bonnie Garmus.

In ZigZag Lane, in the heart of Sydney’s rag-trade district, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene find themselves in hot water. Having already solved a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, they have proved themselves a useful resource and earned the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their help to solve a plot that threatens security.

As if that’s not enough, Irene gets a coded message directing her to the spoils of a bank robbery, which sends the tea ladies on a treasure hunt with an unexpected outcome.

There’s also trouble brewing within the walls of Empire Fashionwear, where an interloper threatens not just Hazel’s job but the very role of tea lady. It’s up to Hazel to convince her friends to abandon their trolleys and take action to save their livelihoods – before it’s too late. 

My Take

Sydney 1966. The building of the Sydney Opera House has begun and local feeling is running high about what many feel will be a white elephant. Pounds, shillings and pence are a thing of the past, and many are confused about the swap to decimal currency. 

Things are changing on the tea lady front too, A new fangled thing known as a Cafe Bar has appeared and is threatening their jobs.

While for me this was a bit of a slow read, I enjoyed the interplay between the main characters, the hint of romance in Hazel's life, and the historical setting with it's several themes.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.4, THE TEA LADIES