Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020)
Hardcover: 304 pages

Synopsis

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

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Review

Such an enjoyable new series!  I can just imagine visiting Cape Cod and having tea at Lily’s tearoom or even staying next door at Rose’s B&B.  It is very picturesque and the descriptions provide the motivation to visit that area at some time in the future.

Since this is the first in the series, the author does a wonderful job of sharing the character’s past and how they ended up here since they were not born and raised on the Cape.  I felt like that added to the depth of the characters to have information about how they ended up here and even some past situations that enhance the character’s portrayal.  Lily is sucked into helping solve the murder of Jack Ford especially since he was found dead on Rose’s property and the ineffective police detective wants to railroad her into a conviction.  Thankfully, there is a new detective on the force and she has the experience to know that perhaps something isn’t right.

The mystery itself is well written and there are some clues to point you in the killer’s direction but not many.  The list of possible suspects is small but I couldn’t figure out the motive until it was revealed.  Let’s just say it is one of the oldest reasons in the world, but I’ll let you figure out what that reason is so I don’t spoil anything for you.

I really like Lily.  She is probably the most level headed character in the book.  Her best friend, Bernie, is kind and caring but a bit scattered when it comes to her writing. I will admit that I don’t really like Rose.  I found her to be selfish and perhaps a bit too blunt.  I felt like she expected everyone to cater to her whims with no questions asked.

There are a couple of potential romantic twists but no love triangle and I look forward to seeing these potential relationships develop.

This is a series that I will look for the next book to see what Lily is up to this time around.  We give the book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the 2019 recipient of the Derrick Murdoch award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

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