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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Tea and Treachery by Vicki Delany is the first in a promising new series, taking place at a B&B (Victoria-on-the-Sea) and tea house (Tea by the Sea) on Cape Cod. Lily is the owner of the tea house which sits on the property of her grandmother, Rose’s, B&B. She also cooks the breakfast at the B&B with the help of Edna, a cohort of her grandmother’s. This is the first summer for the tea house and expectations are high and the work is all consuming. Lily loves it. Her friend, Bernie (Bernadette) from Manhattan has just rented a house nearby in order to (ostensibly) write a novel. Their gardener, Gerry, has just quit, having called from the car on his way out of town. Scared of Grandma Rose. He had informed her grandmother that his nephew was at odd and would be happy to take over. A glitch, but not too big a one. The big one was the ratty old house next door: a developer wanted it to tear done and build a hotel and golf course. The zoning change hadn’t gone through yet so there was still hope…until the developer went and got himself killed on Grandma’s property.
Delany has begun, what will be, a wonderful series full of interesting characters, including potential love interests for both Lily and Bernie; a new-to-town, talented detective; and a fun cast of characters rounding out the list with Robert the Bruce, a cat and Eclair, the dog. The setting is spectacular on several fronts and the characters are typical of a small town. All masterfully written. Lily, the protagonist, is a reluctant investigator, pushed into it by Bernie and Rose. Rose is the quintessential quirky old lady and Bernie is the comic relief. They are a great bunch and this will be a terrific series. Who would expect less from Vicki Delany? I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Tea and Treachery by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #teaandtreachery
This is a new series by the talented Vicki Delany and it is very enjoyable! Lily moves to Cape Cod to help her grandmother run her B&B and she opens her own Tea shop. Lily’s friend Beatrice (Bertie) is visiting for the summer to write a book. Rose, Lily’s grandmother is quite a character. The B&B gets a new gardener, Simon. An unpopular local real estate developer wants to buy the land next door to the B&B and tea shop and he wants to build a big golf resort which Lily and Rose oppose. Then he ends up dead and Rose is a suspect. Lily, Bertie, and Rose work together to find out what happened to the man. Actually Rose and Bertie are the instigators. The cozy mystery kept me guessing for most of the book. Lily is a bit overbearing at times with her workers and Bertie but at other times she appreciates them. There aren’t too many suspects which is nice. Overall, it is a wonderful start to a new series! #NetGalley. #TeaTreachery
This new series by Vicki Delany is another winner. It has everything I require in a cozy, especially these days of self-isolation. To escape to Cape Cod and hang out in a lovely traditional English tea room with Lily and her grandmother, Rose – well, it’s my cup of tea.
Rose owns a Victorian B&B next door to Lily’s tea room and trouble is brewing in town. The property next door is on the market and a not very nice developer has his eye on it and other land with the plan to build a golf course with all of the extras that go with such a venture. He’s making enemies all over the place and soon the bill comes due and one of them chucks him over the sea cliff in front of Rose’s B&B. She rockets to first place on the police’s list of prime suspects after they learn that Rose and the dead man had gotten into a heated argument over his plans to spoil the beauty of the community. To call Rose outspoken and a bit of a handful is being kind. Lily has her hands full trying to take the focus off Rose and place it firmly on the real killer.
Lily is a wonderful character and even though I sometimes became a bit annoyed with Rose’e behavior, I liked her, too. Add the lovely setting of a small Cape Cod town and various supporting characters with a well crafted mystery to unravel – I was a happy reader and am looking forward to seeing what Lily has to investigate next.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Death on Cape Cod
This fun, cozy mystery is the first of a series. The story centers around a grandmother who runs a Bed and Breakfast, her granddaughter who runs the kitchen for the B&B as well as her own Tea Room. There are assorted friends and employees that figure in, too. Let’s see, a dog, a cat, a couple of undercurrent romances, cops and politicians with dubious ethics and a new woman cop with big-city experience. Doesn’t that sound like a fresh setting that no one else has ever written? The author includes some recipes at the end. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Lily runs a tea shop in Cape Cod and “assists” her grandmother, Rose, with Rose’s B & B (more than just assists if Rose gets her way). Rose prides herself on the sort of brutal honesty that can be abrasive, and she doesn’t believe in keeping any opinions to herself or attempting to state them in a manner less likely to incite problems. So it’s no surprise Rose is suspect number one when a real estate developer hoping to rezone property next to the B & B and tea shop is found dead. Not only had Rose threatened the developer in front of witnesses, the man died on Rose’s property. Rose, Lily, and Bernie (Lily’s best friend who is in town taking time off to attempt to write a novel) end up investigating because it’s clear the detective is focused on Rose and ignoring other potential suspects.
This is the start of a new cozy mystery series. I enjoyed the setting and the supporting characters, particularly the little girl staying at the B & B, Bernie and Detective Amy Redmond, and look forward to seeing how they develop. I recommend Tea and Treachery for fans of cozy mysteries. 3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #cozymystery
What a great location for a cozy: a tea house (next to a B&B) by the sea! Lily, the protagonist, is the owner and pastry chef of the tea shop, and granddaughter to Rose, owner of the B&B. Her friend Bernie is visiting for the summer, trying to write her first book. The three characters couldn’t be much more different, but I found they complemented one another well and really liked Bernie. When the owner of the house next door wants to sell, a local developer makes a big deal about wanting to buy it and his plans for a golf resort… and he winds up mysteriously dead. Rose, the most outspoken opponent of the golf resort, seems to be the prime suspect and Lily just can’t let that happen.
This was an engaging story in a charming setting and I had a hard time putting it down. The mystery is well written and I did suspect the culprit (but I suspect everyone at some point, especially in a series debut). It moved at a good pace and gave just the right amount of details.
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Lily has opened a tea shop on a cottage of her grandmother’s B&B. The B&B is an English home which is home to Rose and her guests. Rose and Lily love the setting on Cape Cod. However, a developer threatens their peace with a new hotel and golf course to go in next door. When the developer is found dead on their property and the chief detective doesn’t want to look beyond Rose as a suspect, Lily is forced to search for the murderer.
This is a great start to a new series. The characters are wonderful, the mystery is solid and the solution is a surprise. I look forward to more of this series.
Wouldn’t it be nice to sit in Tea by the Sea and enjoy a nice cup of tea and some yummy treats? I always wanted to stay in a B&B, but I’m feel certain I would gain 10 pounds enjoying all the food I would be enjoying. I loved being with Rose, Lily, Bernie, and crew as the dealt with all the obstacles and situations that came their way. I love the relationship between Rose and Lily. How lucky are they to have each other? The story line kept my interest and I just wanted to keep reading. I hope I get to visit with the good folks in North Augusta again soon. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
This is a good start to a new series. The plot is well-developed with a good bit of misdirection place throughout. The setting is charming. The characters are well developed and mostly likable. Although I have to admit, there is a couple of characters that I just haven’t warmed up to yet. I hope this changes over the series. Overall this was an entertaining read.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
culinary, amateur-sleuth, Massachusetts, bed-and-breakfast, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement, greed, murder, situational-humor
When a detested developer is found dead on her grandmother’s seaside property things get even crazier than before. The gardener quits abruptly but recommends his visiting nephew from England who becomes quite the sleuthing partner along with Lily’s wacky best friend who is spending the summer trying to get a career in writing off the ground. Then there are the Tea Room employees, the B&B employees, a dodgy neighbor, a former Boston detective, a local detective with visions of retirement, and lots more interesting characters. Come for a good cozy mystery and stay for the real characters! I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
This is the first book in a new series by this author. Very well written story has a bit of everything and is a fast paced book. Rose and lily are great characters. For a cozy mystery it was spot on looking forward to more of this series
I’m a fan of Vicki Delany so when I was notified that she had a new series about an English Tea room set in Cape Cod, I was excited to jump into this new world. The writing, plot, and mystery are what we have come to expect from the author. It is an easy and enjoyable read. Lily Roberts has left behind the world of Manhattan for a quieter life running a tea room that is adjacent to her grandmother’s bed and breakfast. Lily is joined by her grandmother Rose and her best friend Bernie, who has come to Cape Cod after ditching the corporate life to become a writer. The secondary cast is rounded out nicely by the employees of the tea room and the bed and breakfast, as well as possible romantic interests for Lily and Bernie. While I did like the story, I found myself becoming annoyed with Rose and Bernie. I found Rose to be rude and a bit selfish at times, and I found Bernie to be a bit annoying. Both of the expected Lily to drop everything for them when she had a business of her own to run as well as cook breakfast for her grandmother’s bed and breakfast. Perhaps they are characters that will grow on me, but I’m not used to this author writing characters that I don’t find engaging.
The mystery was well done, which is what we expect from this author. The victim is a land developer who is not well-liked so the author sets up plenty of suspects, including Rose, who have both motive and opportunity to kill him. The author does provide some twists and misdirection to throw the reader off track while trying to follow the clues.
This was an enjoyable read and with the exception of a few characters, I think fans of this author will enjoy it. It wasn’t my favorite book by this author and I decide if I continue with the series when the next book is released.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is a new cozy mystery by a favorite author and I was thrilled to be able to read it.
Ms. Delany’s comfortable writing style allows me to become fully engaged with the setting and the characters throughout the story. Lily has her hands full in Cape Cod as she cooks breakfast for her grandmother’s B&B and bakes for her tea room, Tea by the Sea. The characters are developing nicely in this first book and I felt like I got to know them a little. Lily, Rose and Bernie/Bernadette are all smart, sassy. and determined women who take the investigation into their own hands. A smoothly paced plot with plenty of suspects, red herrings, twists and a exciting reveal made for a first rate beginning to this new series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.