A fabulous first in series! If you are a fan of this author's other series you will definitely love this one. I enjoyed the setting and the author generously included recipes at the end. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Tea & Treachery is the debut book in the Tea by the Sea cozy mystery series by the prolific Vicky Delany. Since I have enjoyed many of Delany’s other books, I did not hesitate to pick up this title. What could be better than a cozy Cape Cod setting, a Bed & Breakfast, and a tea shop all in one book?

Actually, it is a bit of a mixed bag. The setting is fantastic with lots of potential for future murder opportunities, the mystery is solid, and the characters are well drawn. Overall, it is an enjoyable read, but I just did not care for Lily’s grandmother Rose or her best friend Bernie very much at all. Rose does not seem to have the generous welcoming heart of a B&B proprietor and is too manipulative for my taste. Bernie comes across as a bit flighty and selfish, too. That said Lily is a fantastic protagonist. Though she runs her tea shop, she is mostly back of the house so it does not feel as disruptive as some other tea themed cozies when she leaves work to investigate. Even still, Bernie and Rose take far too much advantage of Lily.

Other characters nicely round out the cast. Of course, the land developer victim Jack Ford is a sufficiently nasty villain, and there are lots of folks around town that make great suspects with justifiable motives. Delany keeps readers guessing as she doles out clues and misdirections, and I did not guess the killer’s identity. The mystery is quite the enjoyable puzzle to work out.

I do think I will give the next book in the series a red before I pass final judgment on the series as a whole. Hopefully, Rose and Bernie will grow on me. Lily and the gardener Simon and the setting leave me pining for more. I recommend Tea & Treachery to any cozy mystery reader. I am sure others will not have issues with Rose and Bernie.

Pour yourself a cup of hot tea and grab a scrumptious bite to eat as you enter the world of Tea by the Sea. Charming, isn't it? Not all is at it seems in this quaint town. Join Lily Roberts and she takes care of her endearing but full of life grandmother, Rose. Rose tends to get into a wee bit of trouble as she runs the old Victorian B&B, coincidentally right next to Tea by the Sea.

Not only is tea boiling hot, but also tempers are starting to rise, which leads to Ford being found murdered at the foot of Rose's property. Lily can't let her grandmother be targeted for murder, so she sets out to find the real culprit before it's too late.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. I enjoy two series by this author so was interested in giving this one a try. It was okay but had some very unlikable characters. The main character is Lily who owns a tea shop on Cape Cod. Her grandmother, Rose, runs a B&B next door. Rose is very rude and insulting to anyone that she feels like being rude to. Being elderly is her excuse, but it really doesn’t work. Bernadette, “Bernie,” is Lily’s best friend and decides to spend the summer at the Cape in order to write her “novel.” The fact that she doesn’t know how to find out when the telegraph was invented or that historical fiction should be researched doesn’t seem to affect her. She is also very bossy and thinks nothing of showing up in Lily’s kitchen while food is prepared and stand in everyone’s way. These three characters show up at the house of a woman they have never met, to offer condolences, at 9:00 pm and the woman lets them in and they have glasses of wine. Who on earth would let in 3 strangers at that time? Also, there is a hidden room in the B&B that Rose and Lily hide in to overhear private conversations. Again, that is rude I don’t understand why they think it is okay.
Lily is the most likeable of the three along with a new neighbor and a new gardener. I do plan to read the next book in the series and hope Rose and Bernie mellow a little.

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 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.

This a great start to a new mystery series by Vicki Delany, the author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery and the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. The mystery has a short list of suspects, a lot of red herrings, plenty of clues, and a couple of twists and turns that lead up to an action filled conclusion. The characters are well written, well developed, interesting, enjoyable, and full of personality which makes them life like. The characters and settings are brought to life with the authors attention to detail and descriptive writing style.

I liked getting to know Lily, Rose, and Bernie, along with the other characters in the book. The only characters that I didn't like were Jack and Roy and they both got what the deserved in the end. I did like that Rose's attitude and how she treated people seemed to mellow out as the book went on, and that she finally starting treating people with a little more respect. I didn't like how the new female detective was taken off of the murder investigation so the boys club could solve the case the wrong way when she more experience in solving murder investigations. I look forward to reading the next book in the series Murder in a Teacup when it comes out.

I received and ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley for my honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book and I definitely will be reading more by this author. I love cozy mysteries and this one had everything I love, the beach, tea, and pastries!

Lily is the owner of Tea by the Sea, a tea room that specializes in exquisite baked goods and delicious teas. She is the head chef and also cooks for her Grandmother Rose's Victorian Bed and Breakfast.

Lily's grandmother is a handful and when there is a disagreement about property lines and Rose is in the middle of it, things heat up as someone ends up dead with the prime suspect being Rose herself. With the help of Lily's best friend and a handsome new handyman Lily sets out to prove her grandmother innocent.

This book was well written and the characters were developed really well.

I would give this a 3.5 rating. I liked the Tea Shop & B&B premise. The characters are likable and the mystery was good. I liked it enough to want to look for book 2 when it releases.

Fun cozy book to read. First in the series, and by one of my favorite authors. The B&B and tea shop setting is great for a cozy mystery series. I'm sure there will be many interesting stories in coming books. It's fun to start a new series where you know the author is great. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Lily Campbell, a NY pastry chef, has left the rat race and her rat of a boyfriend, and returned to Cape Cod to open a Tea shop in a small cottage adjacent to her Grandmother Rose's B&B where she also now does the breakfast preparations. Rose has been having an ongoing feud with her neighbor who wants to sell his ancestral home to a developer which would result in a major golf resort smack dab right next to the B&B. When the developer is found dead on Rose's property, Rose is the prime suspect so Lily sets out to clear her name and see what she can do to prevent the sale.

This was a good start for a new series. Lily needs to stop get being pushed around by her friend Bernie and her grandmother. Hopefully, that is in the cards for future stories. The setting is beautiful and the food sounds delicious.

This was a compelling cozy. I loved the Maine setting and the tea shop that Lily owns. The author must really have a love for tea.

Lily owns a tea shop and cooks breakfast for her grandmother’s B and B next door. When a neighbor want to redone and sell their house to a developer to build a golf resort, Rose (grandma) threatens the developer. Then the developer ends up dead and Rose is a prime suspect. Lily and her friends work with Rose to clear her name. This is a twisty mystery with lots of good suspects. I only figured it out just ahead of the reveal and that’s unusual for a cozy reader like me.

The characters are realistic and fun. Rose is feisty but not stereotypical. I loved this. It’s the first in a series but I’m looking forward to the next. I only gave it for stars because it’s just the first in the series and who knows how awesome the next one will be.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review ebook. All opinions are my own.

Tea and Treachery is the first in the Tea by the Sea cozy mystery series by Vicki Delany. The book centers around Lily, who runs the Tea by the Sea Tearoom. She also assists her grandmother, Rose, with her bed and breakfast, Victoria-on-Sea. At the start of the book, Lily’s best friend, Bernadette (Bernie) has moved to town to work on her writing. Shortly thereafter, there is a murder on the bed and breakfast property. Rose is the prime suspect because she had an argument with the victim over his plans to sell a neighboring property to be developed into a resort. Rose and Bernie start playing amateur sleuth, and Lily reluctantly joins as she feels she must help exonerate her grandmother. The trio find a plethora of clues and potential suspects, as the victim had many enemies. Lily and Bernie also find a couple of romantic interests. Of course, by the end of the book, the whodunnit is revealed.

Generally, I enjoyed this cozy mystery and I especially liked the main character, Lily. She is an incredibly diligent worker as she managers her own business, carries a lot of the work at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast, and takes the investigation on as well. I struggled more with Rose. Her character may be intended as a curmudgeonly older woman; however, she appears much meaner, sometimes even taking advantage of Lily’s time. I think through the course of the book, her kinder and more vulnerable sides show, but she still was not my favorite. Bernie is maybe intended as the comic relief. She seems a little flighty in her approach to writing, and seems oblivious to how much Lily has on her metaphorical plate. She seems nice enough, but honestly, I did feel sorry for poor Lily as I do not know how she could work so much and not be utterly exhausted. I really wanted someone to just give her a break or at least a ‘thank you.’

The mystery aspect of this book was engaging. I was certainly intrigued trying to figure out the clues and who the culprit was. I like it best when I can track the clues and figure out whodunnit. Unfortunately, I was not able to track the clues well in this book, which may be due to my own having missed them, or it could mean they were difficult to discern. There were a lot of suspects and red herrings, so maybe I just got a little lost among all of it. When the culprit was revealed, it did not feel like our amateur sleuths had figured it out, rather the person sort of revealed themselves when they attempted to attack Lily. It was a rather tense scene that left me on edge as it played out. Fortunately, the book had a sound conclusion and I would say that I am looking forward to the next in the series. I hope to spend more time with Lily and see where the author takes her in her business endeavors. I would generally recommend this book but be prepared with some tea and snacks because the food talk will make you hungry!

Thank you to Vicki Delany, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for advance access to this book!

Murder on the cape! Lily is just trying to get her tea room going when someone is murdered on her grandmother's land. Then her grandmother Rose is accused of doing the murder! Lily wants calm, just like the visitors to her grandmother's B&B, but her grandmother and best friend keep dragging her in to solve the crime. Fun book!

A sweet read and a beautiful setting make this a sure hit for readers of cozies. Can't wait to see what the characters get into in the next book--and hope for many more!

Tea and Treachery is a great start to a new cozy series by Vicki Delaney. Lily moves to Cape Cod open a tea shop and to help her grandma Rose. Rose is the real character in this book as she is very outspoken, especially when she is accused of killing a real estate developer. Lily and her grandma and friends have to work together to prove her innocence.
I received a copy of Teac and Treachery through NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Lily, Bernie and Rose to the rescue in this cute, tea-filled cozy mystery.

I’m a coffee lover but I do enjoy a cup of tea, especially one brewed from a well-balanced leaf blend. I adored the way the author threw in tea descriptions and preparation advice. I guess I’ll have to really think about getting that tea kettle…

Tea aside, this is the first book in the A Tea by the Sea Mystery series by Vicki Delaney. I’ve been meaning to try this author for ages and was quite pleased to find this book on NetGalley. I was not disappointed as I found the Cape Cod setting to be delightful, the characters to be fun and the mystery quite interesting.

So who killed developer Jack Ford? It’s not as if he’s anyone’s bestie. Well, there’s his girlfriend who seems to have been completely in love with him. But there’s also his wife… yeah… and there’s his business partner, local politicians, swindled clients, a neighbour and of course Rose, our heroine’s grandmother who’s the police’s top pick. We know it’s not Rose but we’ve got lots of clues, red herrings and motives to consider against other suspects. The story keeps a great pace and I was never bored while reading. The big reveal is wonderfully dramatic, but I do feel we could have had a dusting more crumbs to help lead to that conclusion.

Lily is our heroine and she’s just opened a charming teahouse in Cape Cod, close to her grandmother’s B and B. Too close perhaps, Lily might think as Rose has her granddaughter involved in all aspects of the business and then her social and investigative shenanigans too! I quite enjoyed reading from Lily’s perspective. She’s fun but yet committed to her goal of running a successful teahouse. There’s a handsome gardner who’s clearly interested in finding out more about our intrepid main character, but Lily is determined to keep her business focus. Thank goodness for happy, even if giddy, best friends who know just how to bring out the best in their loved ones. Bernie is Lily’s best friend, aspiring writer, new Cape Cod transplant and Rose’s side kick all rolled into one. She also provides some cute moments of comic relief.

On the topic of secondary characters, we have the lazy, incompetent lead detective Williams. He’s smarmy and rude, and easy to dislike. He also ends up the butt of quite a few of Rose’s insults. Fortunately, he’s joined by new detective (to North Augusta, Cape Cod) Amy Redmond. Redmond is definitely the diamond to Williams’ cubic zirconia and by the end of the story, she’s built up a natural and promising almost-friendship with Lily.

I love Vicky Delany's books and had high expectations for this new series. I am happy I wasn't disappointed as this is an engrossing and highly entertaining story.
Great cast of characters, lovely setting and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
It's an excellent cozy mystery, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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.

Great start to a new series. A bed and breakfast, a proper tea shop, corruption, and murder... yes please!!

A developer, with the local government in his pocket, wants to buy and rezone the property adjacent to Lily's grandmother, Rose's bed and breakfast. After a very heated and public dispute over the development, a body is found and Lily learns Rose is the prime suspect. Together, with the help of a fun group of sub characters, they set out to find the true killer.

The book started a bit slow, as you learn about the characters, but it picks up and becomes quite enjoyable. I did not guess the "who dunnit." I truly enjoyed the cast of characters, relationships, and flirtations throughout book and I am looking forward to continuing on with their journeys.

An interesting book in this new series. The mystery was well-done with a wide cast of characters. A lot of description that helped set the stage for further books in the series.

I wanted to like this book since Ms. Delany is one of my favorite authors. The character of Rose made that impossible. I actually wished she was the murder victim as it would have greatly improved the book. Rose is a hateful person who was never told if you cannot say something nice (or even something remotely pleasant) keep your mouth shut. There is a difference between being truthful and just plain mean. I could not get past Rose's attitude and enjoy the book.