Lily runs a tradional English tearoom next to her grandmother Rose's B&B on Cape Cod. I enjoyed
reading about the various teas and the accompanying food served.
Murder enters the picture when a developer who wants to buy nearby land is killed. As Rose is on
the suspect list, Lily is determined to prove her innocence.
First in a new to a new series.

I have read the second and third books in this series. I loved them so much, I had to go back and read the first one! The author does a great job of setting up the series. The characters are well developed and the setting is perfect. There are lots of twists and turns that keep you invested in the story and will have you guessing until the very end. I love the descriptions of the food and the bonus recipes at the end. I’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy a “tea,” but it’s now on my bucket list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is the first book in the Tea by the Sea Mystery series. Lily runs a small tea shop, serving traditional afternoon tea, on Cape Cod. Her grandmother, Rose, owns the bed and breakfast next door. When a gruff local real estate developer is killed on the grounds of the B&B, Rose is the prime suspect. She and Lily must figure out what actually happened in order to clear Rose, as well as keep their businesses open.

The mystery here is really well done, with lots of potential suspects, so you’ll be guessing until the end. I was really satisfied with the ending. The lovely imagery of the B&B, the tea shop, and the beach will likely make you want to travel to Cape Cod. And the descriptions of all of Lily’s food and drink made me crave scones, tea sandwiches, and a pot of strong tea. Vicki Delany writes some of my favorite cozy mystery series, including the Lighthouse Library series written under her pen name Eva Gates, so I very much enjoyed this one and can’t wait to read more of this series.

I have read all the books in the author Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series and find ALOT of parallels between the two. Luckily for this new series, it's not the main character who is unlikable, it's a secondary character. It would have been nice if the author had stretched her wings and tried something new. That said, I'm not going to compare the two, only say that I enjoyed this one more than the average SHB mystery because of Lily.

Given the lack of suspects and the situation, the mystery is fairly simple, but I enjoyed the storyline enough to immediately start Murder in a Teacup (book #2) as soon as I finished.

Like many others, I had issues with the character of Rose, but it wasn't pushing my buttons enough to make the story utimately unfinishable or put me off the series.

I received my copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love the year around Christmas mysteries and was delighted by this new offering from Delany. I very much enjoyed the theme and the setting and cannot wait for the second book.

A great little cozy mystery set in Cape Cod where Lily Roberts is the MC who owns Tea by the Sea and her grandmother Rose runs a Victorian B&B. A man who wants to rezone the properties their businesses are in is killed and Rose is the prime suspect. I love both of these characters, especially Rose's. She can give others a run for their money.

The characters are well-developed as is the plot. I thought the mystery was really good and definitely a cozy one. Lily took out to find the real killer because she 100% believed in her grandmother's innocence and wasn't about to let her be jailed for something she didn't do.

I didn't really care for a couple minor characters just because I felt they were annoying, but I guess that's to be expected in real life too. Overall I enjoyed this one from beginning to satisfying ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free e-Arc in exchange for my opinion of it.

Tea & Treachery was not that great. I usually enjoy books by this author, but this one was kind of a chore to get through. The characters weren't particularly likeable. Lily and her grandmother, Rose, were a bit hateful at times. And kind of judgmental with Lily's friend, Bernie. And honestly there was way too much description when Lily was cooking in the kitchen, or when someone was making tea. The reader doesn't need all of these details every single time. What the reader needs is more action going on to move the story along. I don't feel like we learn much about any of the characters and their investigating the murder didn't really seem like it would've been natural for them to do so, unlike other cozy mystery protagonists. By the time we discover who did it, I had long stopped caring about it. This series just isn't for me.

RATING: 4 STARS
2021; Crooked Lane Books

I love Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, so I had to try her newest series, Tea by the Sea mysteries. Lily is very different than Gemma and lacks the romance, but has the same humour and quirky endearing characters. Lily's grandmother, Rose is a feisty gem, that keeps Lily on her toes. As much as Lily tries to keep her nose out of things, Rose and Lily's bff, Bernie, push themselves closer to the action. If you have to read Delany yet, try Tea & Treachery, and if you love cozy mysteries you will have a nice backlist to go through.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

An cozy mystery with tea, while I didn't love this one. It was a good first book in a new series. With Characters you can't help but love, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

This is the first book in the Tea by the Seas Mystery series. I really enjoyed reading this book, it’s a fun cozy mystery with interesting characters. The identity of the murderer was a surprise until the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A traditional tea room is the setting on Cape Cod is a great intro to this new series. Lily is a great protagonist and her grandmother Rose is a hoot. When a pushy developer is found dead, with Rose as a handy suspect, lily ramps up her investigative tools.

Tea & Treachery

by Vicki Delany

People who enjoy the experience of indulging in a specially prepared tea at a tearoom will also enjoy reading about it in Tea & Treachery, the first book in Vicki Delany’s new cozy mystery series Tea by the Sea. Lily has left behind the fast paced life of a Manhattan pastry chef to fulfill her dream of owning her own teahouse. It is located in a restored house next to Lily’s grandmother’s B & B. As part of their agreement, Grandmother Rose lets Lily live in a cottage on the property. Lily prepares breakfast at the B & B in addition to doing all the cooking for her own tearoom.

The property overlooks the Cape Cod Bay, but its appeal is marred when Jack, a local developer, is found dead at the bottom of a bluff. Unfortunately, Rose previously had a very public disagreement with Jack. The lead detective is focused on pinning the murder on Rose so Lily, of course, has to find the real killer.

The plot is inventive, and the author’s descriptive powers shine. We are introduced to a number of interesting characters. Some are employed at one of the two businesses. Others already are or become friends of Rose and Lily. Lily’s best friend Bernie (aka the Princess Warrior) is a spunky, red-headed, aspiring writer. Simon hires on as a gardener; he is not only handsome, but is talented in horticulture, has culinary skills and a British understanding of tea, and rides a motorcycle. The locals include police officers along with town councilmen and a mayor who have interests in rezoning issues that affect Rose and Lily and their businesses.

There are lots of suspects to keep the reader guessing, some romance in the air, and dangers that arise from the ladies’ investigations. You will be exhausted just reading about Lily’s efforts to juggle her two jobs. Rose and Bernie add some humor to the tale. The book ends with hints of future developments for the tearoom, the B & B, and the main characters.

I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #1 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series
2. Recipes included for scones, coconut cupcakes, and tea-scented bath salts

Publication: July 28, 2020—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

It was a day full of promise: the sun was a huge yellow circle in a pale blue sky, and the lightest breath of wind carried the scent of salt off the ocean.

A wave of warm sugar and spicy cinnamon goodness washed over me, and I almost groaned in pleasure. No matter how many pastries I’ve made over my lifetime, I never get tired of these scents. Or of the pleasure in producing beautiful food and having it enjoyed.

More than once, people have complained when they saw the prices. We never apologize. Good food, well prepared with excellent ingredients, much of it sourced locally, costs money. Not to mention fresh flowers on the table and real china and silver and linen at every place. Afternoon tea isn’t an everyday thing, not even in the UK and certainly not in America. It’s a treat, an indulgence, and I believe it needs to be presented accordingly.

Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is the first book in the new cozy Tea by the Sea Mysteries series. As with most cozies each book of the series will contain a new mystery that will solved so this could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so.

Some days Lily Roberts doesn’t know what keeps her busier, running her own business, Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom, or keeping up with her feisty grandmother. Thankfully for Lily her tearoom is right by her grandmother Rose’s bed and breakfast so most days she can do both.

One day the quaint area that Lily and Rose run their business is being scouted out by Jack Ford, a developer who wants to buy up the land nearby. Rose is not happy about the whole plan and let’s the developer know so when his body turns up the police believe Rose may have played a part to stop his project. Lily can’t let her elderly grandmother be carted off to jail so she vows to find the killer herself.

This opening book of the Tea by the Sea Mysteries is the first I’ve picked up from Vicki Delany even though she has several prior series so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did enjoy this one though even not being a tea drinker myself. The characters were fun to get to know and the mystery was a solid one so I’ll definitely return for the second book of the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed reading this one. I love when books have you hooked from the first page. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

This was a fun tea themed cozy mystery. I liked the Cape Cod setting. The main character is Lily, a pastry chef, who owns Tea by the Sea. Adjacent to the shop is her English grandmother Rose’s bed and breakfast, which Lily helps out at by making breakfast for the guests daily. The property next to the bed and breakfast is an old run down monstrosity that the owner is looking to sell, however not to a nice quiet family but to be developed into a hotel and golf course of the property can be rezoned. The developer Jack is a mean one and winds up dead on the B&B property. The detective in charge thinks Rose is the culprit. Lily with a lot of help from her best friend Bernie and the new from England gardener Simon help to unravel the mystery.

I found this book a pleasure to read, the mystery was very interesting, and plan to seek out more from this author

A very cute cozy mystery! I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere a lot. I will definitely be recommending this to other cozy mystery fans i know!

Cape Cod, a tea room, a Victorian mansion converted to a bed-and-breakfast--that's the setting for Tea and Treachery. Lily runs the tea room, while her grandmother, Rose, runs the B&B. When someone hoping to develop the property next door is found dead, they find themselves under suspicion from what may be a crooked cop trying to hide the truth. This was a fun read. Lily is a normal woman with normal problems--too little sleep, a grandmother she can't control but worries about, no time for romance and real business problems like not enough employees and a strawberry delivery that never arrives--this is a much more accurate portrayal of a small business than that in the previous book. And the ploy that ensnares our amateur detectives into the murder is realistic--the dead body is found on their property. Last but certainly not least, when Lily does stumble onto clues, she contacts the detectives, instead of assuming that she is smarter than them and keeping it from them. The hint of romance (yea, the gardener is swoon worthy), the just-enough mentions of tea and food Lily prepares to set the scenes in the tea room, the pace and setting on Cape Cod--all make for a very enjoyable and well written mystery. The comic relief of Bernie was a tad overdone. I hope she is relegated a bit to the back in the next book in the series, or matures a little with her possible new romance with a real author, because I found her character to be the one discordant element. She started off as a potentially interesting character, but her flightiness soon grew beyond quirky to annoying. Tea by the Sea is a series to which I'll return. Recommended.

Vicki Delaney never fails to entertain me, and this book was no exception. The characters and mystery were fun, and I will definitely be continuing with this series.

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.