THE BUSH TEA MURDER
by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
April 20 - May 15, 2026 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
A CARIBBEAN ISLAND MYSTERY
Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.
Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn’t expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.
Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough—a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.
Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.
Praise for The Bush Tea Murder:
"Zigzagging between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, this debut offers plenty to enjoy . . . Fun-filled and fulfilling."
~ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Rich in history and culture . . . Fans of Joanne Fluke, Vivian Chien, and Mia P. Manansala will delight in this mystery-plus-food concoction."
~ First Clue Reviews
"Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s The Bush Tea Murder is the perfect blend of intrigue, family drama, mystery and Caribbean culture. You’ll want to savor it to the last drop."
~ Olivia Matthews, author of the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries
"At its heart, this is a charming, immersive cozy mystery steeped in Caribbean culture, vibrant characters, and sun-drenched intrigue—a fresh and flavorful delight. The mystery unfolds at a measured, satisfying pace, allowing the rich worldbuilding and character dynamics to shine. I especially loved the subtle tension between Naomi’s stateside ambitions and her deep-rooted love for her island home, which adds emotional depth beyond what’s typical for the genre. With engaging twists, well-developed characters, and a beautifully flowing plot, this is a cozy mystery that lingers long after the final page."
~ Debra Sennefelder, author of the Food Blogger mystery series
Book Details:
Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 21, 2026
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 9798892425230
Series: A Caribbean Island Mystery, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Penguin Random House
Read an excerpt from The Bush Tea Murder:
Chapter One
Present
I’ve been told my entire life that the perfect cup of bush tea is magic, and this morning I hope with every fiber of my being that this is true. There are some hard truths I have to spill, and I’ll take every ounce of help I can get. I’m settled in one of the scarlet chairs in the EAT TV conference room, directly across the table from Travis Spriggs and his nauseating brand of bright, crisp-cut perfection—just right for television, but less like sunshine and more like a fluorescent spotlight at four in the morning. He’s flanked by two people whose names I’ve only seen in producer credits at the end of some of the highest performing shows on network television: my boss’s bosses, both sporting dark suits and expressions like cliff faces. Bronwyn, the studio exec who oversees me, Travis, and the other on-air talent at EAT TV, sits in the plush chair at the head of the table, her usual pleasant expression as drained as the tumbler of coffee in her hand.
They’re all here for me.
“I’ll get things started, Miss Sinclair,” Bronwyn says, looking at me but speaking to the executives. She hasn’t called me Miss Sinclair since the interview when she hired me three years ago. “Mr. Revilla and Ms. Abbott called this meeting. I’m sure you know why. They’re very ready to start work on the show—”
“My show,” Travis murmurs with a smug smile.
“That hasn’t been officially decided,” Bronwyn says. “We can’t have a conversation about our next steps because—well— because we don’t have your ending yet, Naomi.”
“You’ve given us a lot, Miss Sinclair. Lord knows—” Mr. Revilla gestures with a meaty hand at the chunky beige file folder in front of him. “You’ve given us a hell of a lot here.”
“But you haven’t closed the case,” Ms. Abbott speaks up. Woman’s got a twist-out with impressive volume, and I’m glad I’m not the only hair naturalista in the room. Her coils jiggle as she leans toward me. “You still haven’t told us who killed Ursula Merchant.”
I glance at my mug. The Universe seems to be following a recipe for an uncomfortable morning, blending each ingredient together artfully like the chefs I interview on A Word from the Kitchen. But if there’s a recipe for a poisonous morning afoot, I’ve got the antidote here in the cup in front of me. Bush tea—balsam, mint, and lemongrass—picked from the window herb garden in my townhouse kitchen, and brewed fresh daily the way my parents and Virgin Islanders before me have done for generations. Even with the early morning, smarmy coworker and hard truths, one sip can take my mind away from the over
cast Charlotte cityscape beyond the conference room window straight to the sunny green hills of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. I’ve lived in North Carolina for eight years now, but St. Thomas will always be home—and anything that gets me there this fast is magic indeed.
But not right now. I need to stay here, in everything this moment means. Immersed in all that’s led to it. Focused on the possibilities it will usher through. A sip will have to wait.
“That’s what you’ll get from Naomi, Ms. Abbott,” Travis says, injecting his tones with the most bored affect he can muster up. “She’s supposed to be giving you the details for one story, but instead you’ve got—what, five of them in here?” “Six,” Mr. Revilla mutters.
Travis’s brown eyes go wide. “Well, damn, sir, she’ll go off on a tangent or two, but I wouldn’t have guessed as high as six! For a journalist like me, who focuses like hell on the one story he’s got, that’s incomprehensible.”
“We read all six. And we enjoyed them,” Ms. Abbott is quick to assure me.
“But that’s not the point, is it?” Travis asks. “We were each asked to investigate one unsolved food-based mystery for this show you conceived. I gave you that. Naomi’s brought more stories than you can count on one hand, but she hasn’t given you what you asked for. She hasn’t answered the big question.” There’s enough sauce in the smile he beams at me to cover ten full racks of ribs. “You even know who killed her, Nay?”
Bronwyn looks caught between checking Travis’s tone and waiting out my answer. Her bosses follow suit. I sip my tea, still piping hot, and decide to address both. “Of course I know who killed Ursula Merchant,” I answer. “It’s right there in that folder I gave Mr. Revilla. That’s what these are—my notes on the investigation.”
Mr. Revilla and Ms. Abbott exchange a look. She’s ultimately the one who responds. “There’s . . . certainly a story here. Several. You’ve solved quite a few problems on St. Thomas over the past year. But when it comes to the story of Ursula Merchant, the one you were supposed to be investigating the whole time . . . there doesn’t seem to be much of anything.” “Nothing at all,” Mr. Revilla echoes.
“Naomi, they’d really like to make a decision,” Bronwyn says. “Travis presented a fine investigation on the Barbecue Sauce Killings—”
“The Carolina Barbecue Murders,” Travis speaks up. Bronwyn waves him away.
“He’s given us history, interviews, and a compelling hypothesis . . . along with a deep sense of the process, flavor, and sizzle of both styles of Carolina barbecue,” Bronwyn says. “The case you’ve been investigating, this—tea maven in St. Thomas being shot to death in her locked office—it’s equally intriguing. But while you’ve given us so much, you still haven’t given us an ending.”
“You’re right. I haven’t,” I say. “That was intentional. I’m hoping to do that today. Right now, as a matter of fact.” I clasp both hands around my mug.
Travis leans back in his seat, pressing the tips of his fingers together. “You sure that’s what you want? Naomi’s going to take you on a circular journey, which is the way she operates on A Word from the Kitchen. A ton of loose threads—”
“—which she always weaves together. The connections are there,” Bronwyn interrupts. “The best thing we can do right now is just hear you out, Naomi. You say you know how the story ends and what happened to Ursula Merchant. So let’s hear it. Who killed her, and how did all of this lead you there?”
I’m not at the head of the table, but all eyes are on me— Bronwyn’s perfectly lined and shadowed gray eyes are full of hope and curiosity, Mr. Revilla’s and Ms. Abbott’s are expectant behind their eyeglasses, and Travis seems to be trying to will his into lasers capable of slicing me to shreds. I take a deep breath, letting the scent of the brew in my cup ground and fortify me. I’d had a hot cup of bush tea that morning, too. The morning that started it all. The magic in my mug was what set this whole thing into motion—as bush tea always manages to do.
***
Excerpt from The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. Copyright 2026 by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. Reproduced with permission from Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s work has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Stone’s Throw, Smoking Pen Press, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious and Mystery Most Humorous, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, and other esteemed anthologies. Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. Ashley-Ruth is a 2022 winner of NCWN’s Jacobs-Jones award, a 2023 SMFS Derringer finalist, a Killer Nashville Claymore finalist, a 2024 recipient of MWA’s Barbara Neely grant for Black mystery writers, and a 2026 Agatha Award nominee. THE BUSH TEA MURDER (Crooked Lane Books, 2026) is her first novel-length work. She currently lives with her family and teaches first grade in Apex, North Carolina.
Interview:
1.
When did you first realize you
wanted to be a writer?
I’ve loved writing stories since I was the same age as
the students I teach—first grade—but I believe I first thought about it
seriously when I was nine. It was the 90s, and series with recurring characters
like The Baby Sitters Club and Fear Street were extremely popular. I had my own
series planned out about the adventures of four cousins in St. Thomas, with
“back cover copy” for each story and even a letter to a publisher.
Clearly, I had
big dreams and a LOT of time on my hands.
2.
How long does it take you to write
a book?
THE BUSH TEA MURDER is my first published novel length
book, but I also write short stories. It can take anywhere from two weeks to
two months to write a great draft of a piece of short fiction. Longer work can
take up to a year. THE BUSH TEA MURDER is a larger overarching story with six
smaller stories within. I wrote the shorter stories over the course of two
years, and the overarching story that pulled them together over the course of
one summer.
3.
What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
I write crime fiction, but I make sure to include a
moment of peace or joy for my characters in each story. I know “crime” and
“joy” usually don’t go hand-in-hand, but I do this for three reasons. First, I
enjoy writing lighter stories that center around community and connections.
Crimes happen in these stories, as they do in any community, but the focus is
on restoration—how does the community come together in the wake of these events
and move forward? Second, I usually write stories set on my home island of St.
Thomas, and one of my biggest writing goals is to bring the vibrant joyfulness
of Caribbean culture to the page! Finally, I know exactly how easy it is to
find characters experiencing moments of strife, despair, and struggle in mystery
and crime fiction. Although I never want to shy away from the grittiness of
realistic situations in my work, I do want to show that moments of joy exist as
well.
4.
Where do you get your information
or ideas for your books?
I’m a 7th generation Virgin Islander, and my grandmother
was a teacher, historian, author, and culture-bearer. Over her 99 years, she
collected hundreds of books and documents about the Virgin Islands, Caribbean,
and African Diaspora. I was lucky enough to inherit most of them after she
passed away in 2018. Most of the stories within THE BUSH TEA MURDER were
inspired by old cookbooks and books about local plants and bushes from her
collection.
5.
What do you like to do when you're
not writing?
I love being outside—hiking or walking in a beautiful
park are some of my favorite things to do! During the summer, we also enjoy
kayaking. My family and I love to play board games, too! Telestrations and
Unstable Unicorns are some of our
favorites.
6.
What does your family think of
your writing?
Two of my kids enjoy writing fiction as well, so it’s
been fun to have conversations with them about what they’re writing and to talk
about craft and world-building. My husband has enjoyed hitting the mystery
writing conferences and conventions with me. The baby is too little to have an
opinion yet, but I’m hoping he’ll be proud as he gets older!
7.
Do you have any suggestions to
help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Join a community in which you share your work and read
other writers’ work—with established guidelines about the kind of feedback
you’re asked to give and would like to get. Once you get into the “why” behind
whether you liked or disliked a scene, character, or plot point, you begin to
critically evaluate craft, and that helps you grow in your own work. Letting
other trusted writers read your work is a great way to hear about your craft
from the perspective of a reader–sometimes things that seem clear or well-done
to you may land differently with others, and this is an opportunity to work on
them before the story goes in front of a wider audience.
8.
Do you hear from your readers
much? What kinds of things do they say?
I’m always thrilled to hear from readers who have enjoyed
my short stories! They usually love the island setting and elements of
Caribbean culture—cuisine, celebrations, phrases and dialect—that I include.
9.
Do you like to create books for
adults?
I’m a first grade teacher and a mom of five (!), and
although I love my students and children, I enjoy having kid-free time as well!
Writing stories for adult audiences is a great escape from a long day at work
or at home…it’s fun to let my characters behave, speak, and solve crimes like
the adults they are.
10. What do you think makes a good story?
Great characters, to start with. The most compelling plot
in the world won’t move me unless I care about the characters within it. I also
think connections and callbacks make for a story that feels well-planned and
deep.
11. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
At one point, I wanted to be an oceanographer because I
was slightly obsessed with the story of the Titanic! I quickly abandoned that
when I realized I have a fear of deep water. One thing I’ll say for sure is
that I always wanted to write stories for readers to enjoy. I’m so
thankful to be doing this now—my elementary school self would be thrilled!
12. What would you like my readers to know?
I’m so thrilled to be able to share my characters,
culture, and stories with you—it’s a dream come true!
Catch Up With Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier:
www.ashleyruthbernier.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
YouTube - @ashley-ruthm.bernierauthor7192
Instagram - @armbernier
Threads - @armbernier
X - @armbernier
Facebook
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