Gayle Wigglesworth left the world of art, where she began her education, to move to San Francisco. She instead chose banking as a career and excelled at it, rising to Senior Vice President. She had a family and ended up moving to Houston, where she and her husband presently live. She and her husband travel and read extensively. TEA IS FOR TERROR placed second in the Mayhaven Annual Award for Fiction in 2002.
Claire Gulliver is an erstwhile librarian who took the plunge out of a careful life when her uncle left her his shabby bookstore. She revitalized the store and made it a haven for travelers. Claire is still bothered by nightmares from a series of odd events that brought out a flair for detective work, and her father’s police mates watch over her. Claire is about to take her first trip abroad, but ends up as the guide when her friend Lucy Springer, an established travel writer and guide, mysteriously falls on a broken step and can’t make the trip to England and Wales. Little does Claire realize that the seeming accident is just the beginning of a malicious design on her travel group: “‘But it’s Arnie. He’s with us. I mean he’s a member of our tour. I’m in charge. I have to do something.’ She knew she wasn’t quite coherent but the policeman apparently understood and he led her over to two men standing to the side, one talking on a mobile phone directing the rescue efforts on the roof. It was apparent from his conversation that there was no hope of Arnie having survived the fall.”
Wigglesworth combines lots of interesting elements to put her mark on TEA IS FOR TERROR. She is knowledgeable about the interesting parts of England and Wales and carries on a travelogue for the reader, even as the plot unfolds. Claire is a somewhat shy heroine who enjoys wandering by herself, and she finds a keeper and friend in Jack, who is himself interesting and full of surprises. The plot moves right along, with one disaster after another testing Claire’s resolve. Even as the ending of the book draws near, Wigglesworth plays her cards close to her vest, not wanting the reader to guess at the conclusion. Her denouement is well crafted, and she cunningly leaves a few threads hanging for her next story. An excellent first effort!
Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer
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