In this charming new cozy mystery series from national 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, Lily Roberts has … Cape Cod, Lily 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. But 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. So Lily starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town. 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.
“A satisfying cozy with a beautifully described setting and a cast of charming, small-town characters. Share this new series with fans of Laura Childs’ Tea Shop mysteries.”
—Booklist
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Vicki Delany is one prolific writer. Just as I began reading this book, she’s released two more in other series. No wonder I had to pick up this one when I saw it on NetGalley… she’s incredible in the cozy mystery genre. In this latest series, Tea by the Sea, she releases the debut, Tea & Treachery. The books revolve around Lily Roberts, granddaughter of Rose, who left the Midwest to open a B&B in Massachusetts. Lily followed her out there, organized a tea room, and now looks after Rose. And it ain’t easy!
In Tea & Treachery, the neighboring property is for sale. The owner wants to sell to a local developer who will undoubtedly put in a resort. While it might bring some business to the tea room and Rose’s B&B, it will also change the landscape of the area and bother many of the inhabitants who sought peace and comfort. When one of the developers falls down a cliff on Rose’s property, she’s immediately deemed guilty by the police. Unfortunately, she told him she would see him dead before he bought the property. Fortunately, she walks with a cane and could hardly hobble down those treacherous stairs to knock him over. So… whodunnit?
While I’m more of coffee drinker, I do enjoy a cup of afternoon tea a few times a month. I sat for High Tea in England in the Cotswolds years ago, and I’d love to go back. I adore the little cakes and sandwiches. Delany shares so many wonderful facts about tea and the foods, as well as the history of tea, that you can’t help but love the charming setting and backdrop. The mystery is classic… we know Rose didn’t do it, but what about the man’s wife? Or his girlfriend? Or someone he screwed over in a property deal? Or the son of the neighbor who wants to keep the property in his family? Lots of suspects… but the supporting cast is strong too.
A new gardener starts, and there’s a bit of a flirtation with someone in the books, plus Lily’s writer best friend makes us laugh. All leads to a fantastic debut. I will definitely continue this series. The book was easy to read and shows lots of promise as a series. Can’t wait to share more on the blog tour too next month. Hope you enjoy it too.
Tea & Treachery is the first book in Vicki Delany’s A Tea by the Sea Mystery series. The protagonist, Lily Roberts, runs a traditional English tearoom on the grounds of her grandmother Rose’s B&B. Rose, who enjoys the peace and quiet of her neighborhood, is furious because the property next door to the B&B may be sold to an aggressive real estate developer who plans to use the land to build a fancy golf resort. Rose is outspoken and hot-tempered and threatens the real estate developer as well as writing an angry letter to the local newspaper. When he is found dead on her property, she immediately becomes the main suspect. With the help of her grandmother and best friend, Bernie, Lily is determined to find the real culprit.
I thought this was an enjoyable and easy read. The setting is charming and the English tea traditions are well-researched. As a tea lover, I enjoyed the descriptions of various teas as well as the mouth-watering pastries and sandwiches that accompany them. The main character, Lily, was easy to like. She was friendly, level headed, and hardworking. I look forward to seeing how her business grows and how the relationships in her life develop, particularly with Simon and the new detective. The secondary characters were well-developed and mostly likable. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bernie and Rose. Instead of supporting Lily, they spent the entire book pushing her around and expecting her to drop everything for them. This didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story, however, I hope to see a stronger Lily in book two.
The mystery was well done and kept me guessing. While the culprit wasn’t a complete surprise, I enjoyed the action-packed reveal. Overall, this is a wonderful start to a new series and I look forward to my next visit to North Augusta.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest 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.
Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is the debut novel in A Tea by the Sea Mystery series. Tea & Treachery is set in Cape Code, Massachusetts where Rose Campbell, Lily’s grandmother, settled after the death of her husband. She purchased a large Victorian home on the cliffs above the sea which provides her with a beautiful view and plenty of peace. When Lily saw the little cottage on the property, she thought it was the perfect place for a tea shop which has been her dream. When not busy whipping up delectable delights and tea for Tea by the Sea, Lily is helping her grandmother with the bed and breakfast. I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and provide beautiful descriptions of the B&B, tea shop, Lily’s little cottage, and the beautiful gardens. I could just imagine strolling along through the gardens and hearing the waves below. There are great facts about the history of tea, the various teas Lily’s serves, and food Lily’s whips up. It was interesting to learn about the different types of teas, and how tea time started. The mystery had a variety of suspects from the mayor, the victim’s wife, the mistress, to the son of the man trying to unload the land next to Rose. If you pay close attention to the details, this whodunit can be solved before the reveal. I liked that the mystery had a good wrap up (no questions left unanswered). The new head gardener, Simon McCracken seems to have taken a liking a Lily. There was some mild flirting between Lily and Simon. Bernie Murphy, Lily’s writer friend, provided humor while Éclair, Lily’s labradoodle, gave readers cuteness. Rose, Lily’s grandmother, was a hard character to like. She is stubborn, feisty, set in her ways, selfish, and opinionated. I found her frustrating with her “its my way or its my way” approach. Rose and Bernie together were a bit much. I hope both women will grow on me in future books. Also, Lily need to develop a backbone and learn to say no, or her grandmother will run roughshod over her. Tea & Treachery is an easy to read book and a good start to this new cozy mystery series. There are recipes at the end for coconut cupcakes, scones, and tea bath salts. Tea & Treachery is an engaging cozy mystery with tempting tea treats, a scarcity of scones, a dead developer, curious clues, shaky steps, a whimsical writer, and a burdened baker.
“Tea & Treachery” by Vicki Delany the first instalment in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries. This was a great start to a new series and one that I will be adding to my favourites.
As my friends all know I love the sea and anything British so combining a seaside locale with and English B&B and a traditional English Tea Shoppe I knew I had to read this book. I am so glad I did!
I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one go yesterday. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few romantic sparks. I loved Robert the Bruce and Éclair. They are just so adorable!
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the main character of Lily. Her Gran Rose could be a bit abrasive but I think over time we will see that in reality the people around her (staff) do in fact like her and know she does have a heart underneath. Growing up with British patents my mums favorite line as she got older was I’m British get over it… this was because to people who didn’t know her she could come across as opinionated, arrogant etc. even though it was furthest thing from the truth. So with that said I just envisioned Rose as being an even stronger version of her.
Her BFF Bernie was very flighty and couldn’t seem to make her mind up about her goals but when it came to helping Rose she was steadfast and always there.
I won’t go into detail about the mystery as the book blurb does a great job of it but I will say if you like a tea, the seaside, and a great mystery then this series is for you.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Such a wonderful start to a fabulous new cozy mystery series. Lily, Rose, Bernie, and Simon are a great combo. The murder/mystery was creative, and the dialogue was snappy, funny, but also realistic and kept me engaged throughout.
This series should really take off.
5/5 stars
Poorly written.
If you like tea, you will most likely enjoy this book. Lots of time spent on talking about tea, preparing tea, drinking tea, and baking things to go with tea. Recommended to cozy readers who like a quick read…..and tea.
I really enjoyed this story. Ms. Delany is a new author to me and I’ll definitely read more of her books. I’m anxiously awaiting the second story in this series and I can’t wait to experience an English Tea.
Very enjoyable new series! Set in Cape Cod, Lily Roberts owns and runs a tea room in addition to helping her grandmother, Rose, with her B & B. When a developer tries to buy the house next to Rose’s to build a golf resort, Rose strongly objects. The developer ends up dead after falling off the bluffs on Rose’s property and the detective in charge is determined that Rose is the killer. Rose and Lily’s friend, Bernie, investigate with Lily helping to control the two. I enjoyed the tea room and the idea of a proper afternoon tea and Lily and Bernie were fun characters. Rose was very feisty and not afraid to speak her mind. I look forward to seeing what’s next for these ladies!
The first book in a new series set in Cape Cod by Vicki Delany was a fun quick read. Lily Roberts, a pastry chef, has recently moved to Cape Cod to open a tea room on the property next to a bed and breakfast owned by her grandmother Rose. This is her first season and things are going well at the tea room so far, until Lily finds a body on the property. The man that died is the same man her grandmother had a disagreement with. Her grandmother doesn’t sugar coat anything and says what she means, which makes her a suspect to the police. Lily’s best friend Bernadette, Bernie, is also in Cape Cod for the summer to write her first book and gets involved with the mystery too. They both want to protect Rose and keep her from being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. I loved the small coastal town and the characters. The mystery mixed with just the right amount of humor makes this a great book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Tea & Treachery
Vicki Delany
Nothing I love more than a cozy mystery and starting it from the very first book of a series. This really was a delight to read with its fun characters and the a Victorian Tea Room, and a Victorian Bed and Breakfast, I was sold! The location was also perfect in the beautiful sea side town of North Augusta in Cape Cod – this was truly a delightful read. Delany’s writing was so vivid and rich in detail that I did feel I was part of the town as I was reading this book. The dialogue and the goings on around town was really a joy to read.
Our wonderful sleuth Lily is a fantastic character who is a pastry chef, and Rose too whom Lily is keeping out of a jam. I found the murder mystery fantastic and highly entertaining. It was the perfect summer read for me and truth be told, a fun escape read too. The nice twist in the end will surprise you.
If you love cozies, you cannot miss this one.
4.5 stars
Delany’s writing is the perfect blend of wit and mystery, and I’m always sure to laugh out loud at least once over the way she’s particularly phrased a scene to highlight its humor without dumbing it down. In Tea & Treachery, I found myself chuckling over Lily’s summing up of the chaos that ensued after a body was found on her grandmother’s property. It begins with “Whereupon the scene had descended into something out of a French farce,” continues with one intentionally (and humorously) long sentence of the kind of things one on top of the other that would make me break out into nervous laughter if I were an observer, ending with “And then the coroner arrived.” Because that’s exactly what a scene dissolving into a farce needs to make you feel better – the coroner. LOL.
I honestly loved everything about this story. I loved Lily as a protagonist. I loved her tearoom. I loved her employees. I loved Simon the gardener and his swooniness. I loved Rose (sassy grandmas are my jam) and Bernie, even though both had to grow on me a bit. I loved the Cape Cod setting & the supporting characters. Each word is smartly placed, and Delany does a great job of integrating the ‘hobby’ side without it feeling as though we’ve just stopped the story for a brief infomercial lol. The plot was nicely constructed and threw in some interesting twists that kept me on my toes, too.
Bottom Line: Tea & Treachery is a charming start to a new series, and I’m eager for future books to arrive ASAP! Engaging and relatable characters, yummy food, and a picturesque setting keep you turning the pages, trying to solve the mystery along with Lily and her crew of amateur sleuths. The story is both witty and warmhearted, and it’s sure to appeal to cozy mystery lovers all around. Perfect for fans of the author, but if you haven’t yet tried her books, this is also the perfect one to start with!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
Tea & Treachery is the first book in a new tea shop and B&B based cozy series by author Vicki Delany. This book has some interesting characters and a wonderful setting. Readers will enjoy getting to the bottom of this case.
The characters are, for the most part, fun and entertaining, but some are a bit much for most readers to take. To say that Rose and Bernie take some time to warm up to is putting it mildly. But in the end, perhaps they aren’t as bad as readers will initially believe. Lily needs more of a spine when dealing with her friend and grandmother. She also seems to lack any normal desire to help in an investigation that will keep her grandmother from being arrested for murder. All of these issues combined make loving these characters difficult.
I love the idea of the tea shop and the B&B physically being close to each other. Each business supports the other, and this is a great combination to keep readers turning the page. The description of the teas, food, and recipes deliver a delightful background for the story and future additions to the series.
The murderer came as no surprise; the motive was as clear as a summer sky. The suspects, of which there were plenty, all fit within their respective roles. Even the inept detective fits in well with the other characters and lends a bit of suspense to the story. The B&B is described in enough detail, and the tea shop makes readers want high tea while they read. There are red herrings throughout, a good deal of action, especially towards the end, and ultimately a quick and believable resolution.
There is a great deal in Tea & Treachery that readers will enjoy. I do recommend this book to those who like their characters a bit rough around the edges, and who understand that characters grow with a series and shouldn’t be judge based on the introduction.
Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is a new welcome approach in the cozy mystery world.
Can Lily stop Rose and Bernie from pursuing this case?
Lily Roberts
Lily is our main character and an unknowing sleuth, thanks to her grandmother, Rose, and her best friend, Bernie, investigating a crime that happened on Rose’s property. She is the chief cook at her grandmother’s B&B while owning and cooking at her tearoom at the front of the property in a cottage. I have to admit that this whole set up seemed like a dream as it was working well for these two ladies. Lily seems like a great person who ends up going along with whatever her grandma wants because she wants to keep her in line. I love Lily, and I can’t wait to see more of her in the future.
Rose and Bernie
Rose is Lily’s maternal grandma and is full-blown English. Meaning that’s where she was raised until Rose married her husband and moved to Iowa to raise a family. Now Rose, in her last few years of life left, is in Cape Cod owning a beautiful home, is widowed, and sadly had to turn the house into a B&B to help pay the bills. She is a fantastic character who reminds me so much of Grandma Mazur from the Stephanie Plum novels. Not exactly like her, but I love it when little old ladies decide that they are going to investigate a murder investigation despite what everyone thinks.
Now Bernie is named Bernadette, and she is also a hoot. Bernie came to Cape Cod to finally write her book that she’s been trying to write for two years. Well, let’s say she gets distracted a lot, and I mean a lot, and she may also be changing the genres of her book a lot. Bernie is a friend that I wouldn’t mind having in real life. She’s such a fun person. These two ladies are a great addition to a fantastic cast of characters that are seen throughout this book.
The Mystery
The mystery in this one is quite funny. I had two possible victims in my head, but neither panned out. Rose was egged on to say some things that landed her the prime suspect spot that started Bernie and Rose investigating. Basically, what ended up happening early in the morning, the contractor came by early for a meeting to take place next door and somehow ended up on Rose’s property and onto the beach dead. There were a lot of suspects to comb through, and wow, I wasn’t able to pinpoint who could have done it. I was pretty shocked by who did it.
5 Stars
I am giving Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany five stars and recommending this to anyone that has a fancy for drinking tea while reading a cozy. Trust me; I did drink tea the whole time I was reading. Ms. Delaney has a great start to a new series with these fun new characters. I can’t wait to see what else she brings to this small coastal town on the Cape.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out the recipes in the back of the book!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Fast moving,no clear villain
Tea & Treachery, the first in a new series (Tea by the Sea Mysteries) by established cozy author Vicki Delany introduces readers to Lily, owner of an English tearoom on Cape Cod, and Rose, her grandmother and owner of the adjacent B&B. When a developer with designs on the property next door to Rose’s Victorian home is found dead on her property, the octogenarian becomes the police’s number one suspect. Lily sets out to prove that her grandmother didn’t commit the dastardly deed, and along the way discovers that there are quite a few residents of their small coastal town who aren’t crying over the deceased’s untimely demise! Great cozy, and I look forward to future books in the series. A+
Tea by the sea. That’s the life for me. Seriously. I want to live in this book! Come to think of it, I want to live in the Lighthouse Library books that the author writes as Eva Gates too. I need books, tea, pastries, and the beach. Who’s with me?
If you’re anything like I am (and I know a lot of you cozy readers are), you are going to absolutely love Tea & Treachery. It’s got all of the things I love about cozy mystery books: quirky characters, an idyllic setting, animals, food, family, friends, and an engrossing mystery. The only negative aspect about the book…I read it too quickly! Now I have to wait! Ah. It’s a good problem to have I guess.
Vicki Delaney has such talent for making her characters unique. I don’t read one of her series and then another and think, “Oh, these characters remind me of so and so in her Sherlock Holmes Bookstore series” or whatever series. They’ve got their own personality traits which make them memorable. Rose, Lily’s grandmother, is my role model. I want to be her when I grow up though one cat is certainly not enough. I’ll allow it though as she does own a B&B where even one cat is probably pushing it if the health department pops in to the kitchen… Tea & Treachery has so many colorful characters, and I could go on and on about them. But, you really need to experience them first hand to appreciate their quirks and foibles.
Living by the ocean (or any large body of water) has always been my dream. Since I’m stuck in Ohio, I live vicariously through the characters who do. Delaney’s descriptive language really made me feel as if I were in Cape Cod…at the tea room, the B&B, or just strolling along the bluffs.
Figuring out who the killer is is always fun. I love putting my detecting skills to work. Having grown up reading Nancy Drew and watching Murder She Wrote gives me such an advantage…okay, not really. But, as I’m sure you can tell, I’ve loved solving mysteries since I knew there was such a thing as a mystery! If you love mysteries, you know you never outgrow that feeling you get when you have that aha moment! The Tea by the Sea series is sure to give us many of those moments.
I highly recommend this entertaining book! Tea & Treachery will keep you turning the pages and have you laughing out loud! Enjoy!
I loved this first in the new Tea by the Sea series! The setting is on Cape Cod overlooking Cape Cod Bay and sounds amazingly beautiful. Three women have a heady taste of the lives they dreamed of and are willing to work hard to keep their dreams a reality. The primary characters are three dimensional, and all others are defined as necessary. There is much humor sprinkled throughout the hard work and camaraderie, and a complex, challenging mystery arises with a death that could cost two of the women and their employees their livelihoods.
When octogenarian Rose’s husband died a few years ago, she took their life savings and purchased a mansion on Cape Cod. Almost every cent she had went into it, leaving little for expenses and daily living, so she turned it into a B & B. Granddaughter Lily lives on the property and has a tea shop dedicated to serving traditional English afternoon tea. Lily cooks the breakfasts at the B & B before opening the tea shop. Rose is originally from England and shares her love of all things British with Lily. Rose and her husband lived in Iowa all their married life.
Next door to the B & B is a tumbledown mansion that the heir is selling. Lincoln made poor investments and lost most of his inheritance. To keep what he has left, he needs to have the land rezoned before the sale goes through to a developer who is planning a resort hotel. Without the rezoning, it is worth far less. Rose is irate. She doesn’t want a golf course or fancy hotel next to her quiet property for her own peace of mind or the enjoyment of her visitors. Lily and her best friend Bernie find Rose embroiled in a threatening conversation with Lincoln, Jack the developer, and Roy, the town councilman introducing the rezoning. The next day, Lily and best friend Bernie are outdoors before the tearoom opens to find that the gate and part of the fence at the top of the stairs leading to the bay is torn off, and there is a body at the bottom. Jack, the arrogant developer, lies at the bottom, dead. And the fingers are pointed at Rose, despite her advanced age.
Lily and Bernie are concerned that Rose might be railroaded without solid evidence, even though Jack was not a well-liked man. Rose, with Bernie’s help, tries to find other suspects. To keep them out of trouble, Lily joins them when possible. When Lily tries to speak with the woman detective who recently moved from Boston and is an excellent investigator, the woman listens to some of what Lily brings her. However, the long-employed lazy senior detective decides to put her on some minor break-in cases to take care of the good old boy network.
There are many things I loved about this mystery. There are other cozies set on Cape Cod, or in tea rooms, or B & B’s. The combination of the characters and their various personalities, the setting, the business, the wit, and the intricacies of the mystery itself combine into a delightful, yet challenging novel. I absolutely did not guess whodunit, no matter how hard I tried. The killer and motive were a complete surprise, as were some of the various outcomes. I was very satisfied with the outcome and have high hopes for this series! I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the author, of well-written cozy mysteries that include pets and elegant settings, and middle-age and mature protagonists.
From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.
TEA & TREACHERY by Vicki Delany
The First Tea by the Sea Mystery
Lily Roberts is living her dream by running her own tearoom, despite family telling her she’s crazy to work with her grandmother, Rose. Rose certainly doesn’t pull any punches and is furious with the developer who wants to turn the neighboring property into a hotel and resort center. When the man is found dead off the cliffs on Rose’s property the local police zero in on Rose as a murderer. Egged on by her friend Bernie and Rose herself, Lily is pulled away from her tearoom and Rose’s B&B in order to investigate who else could have wanted the developer silenced. She soon discovers shady business dealings as well as unexpected relationship issues. Will Lily find the real culprit or will she find herself in hot water?
The first Tea by the Sea Mystery introduces readers to an interesting group of characters. I found it difficult to like the brash and demanding Rose and Lily comes off a bit like milquetoast compared to her grandmother and the loyal, but extremely flighty, best friend, Bernie. I was suspicious of everyone else, including the seemingly perfect new gardener. The setting was actually my favorite character in the book. Cape Cod can be an idyllic locale and I could picture the charming tearoom with the stately home decor and the Victorian Bed and Breakfast with the gingerbread trim, too small kitchen, and secret room perfectly. The scents also made the story come alive, and not just the baking from the tearoom and sausages frying for the B&B breakfasts. I could actually smell the salt from the bay as it wafted through the gardens and cliffs and I wish I could actually stroll through the grounds.
Despite not warming to the main characters, the story was compelling. I appreciated the complex mystery as I wondered who actually killed the shady developer. There were several appealing suspects and the author lay plenty of red herrings to lead readers astray.
TEA & TREACHERY serves English tea with a dollop of murder in an engaging start to a new series.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.