A delightful first edition to a new series. A great cast of characters, a picturesque setting, and a fun mystery that keeps you guessing! I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for this series!

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.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and fair review. I really enjoyed this book. The author created a B & B and tea house that was so inviting and well described that I would love to visit. The characters were well described and the number of characters were manageable in the beginning of the book but became a bit unwieldy by the end of the book. I feel that a few ends were left untied and would have liked answers to the pending questions.

I will enjoy continuing this series as they come out.

I just loved this charming book with its fusion of Anglo American culture. As proprietor and chef at the authentic Tea by the Sea tearooms, Lily has a busy enough schedule but throw in a murder on her doorstep, a feisty octogenarian grandmother who is a prime suspect for his murder and you have a recipe for a perfect page turner whodunnit, The characters of pithy grandmother, Rose, sweet though determined Lily and would be author Bernie are beautifully drawn plus we have a few handsome men for love interest! I love the easy narrative, the mix of gossipy local interest, the thrill of a murder mystery and the recipes (which I can confirm taste as good as they sound!) All in all, a delightful book with a good story confidently told and a perfect summer read.

It was a wonderful surprise to find out Delany had a new series out! And it's a tea room by the sea.


Lily Robers is one busy lady! As the owner and head pastry chef at her little tea room Tea by the Sea, you can have traditional English Tea and a view of Cape Cod. She is always running between her grandmother, Rose's Bed, and Breakfast which she helps out in the mornings.


Rose is one great character. She may be elderly but she isn't dead yet and until she is she will fight with all of her might to not let the sketchy Jack Ford buy the property next door to put up some golf course/resort. For a small old lady, she is not one to mess with.


Everyone thinks there is something fishy about Jack so it seems appropriate that he is found dead on the beach having fallen down the stairs on Rose's property. 


It looks like the police are railroading Rose and not looking anywhere else. But boy oh boy are there a lot of places to look! No one liked this man. NO. ONE. A con man and a slimeball, there are so many suspects Lily may never get her Grandmother out of hot water!


This is the first in a new series. And I loved every minute of it. The characters are so well done and I can't wait for the next one!


NetGalley Reviews/July 28th, 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Another great cozy by Vicki Delany.. This one is about a murder committed on the property of a tea shop owner. Very enjoyable .

“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.

TEA & TREACHERY, the first book in the brand new A Tea by the Sea Mystery series, by Vicki Delany, is a delightful start! A Victorian B & B, a traditional English tearoom, a decrepit neighboring house, and a shady real estate developer blend together for an enjoyable cozy read. Protagonist, Lily Roberts runs the teashop, Tea by the Sea, on property holding the B & B, Victoria-on-Sea, which is owned and operated by her grandmother. I’ve been a longtime fan of Ms. Delany and love the way she can bring her settings and characters to life. While I’ve never been to the Cape Cod area, I feel like I can smell the salty air and hear the crashing waves. Lily bakes mouthwatering treats for her tearoom and the descriptions are drool worthy. I also appreciated the tidbits of tea facts woven into the story including varieties and how the tastes differ. It’s obvious that much research has gone into the book, making both tearoom food and the signature beverage realistic.

Lily is a dedicated, hardworking tearoom owner and spends most of her time baking delectable goodies along with cooking for her grandmother’s B & B guests. Her best friend, Bernie, is an aspiring writer – she’s enthusiastic and larger than life, which brings some humor to the story, especially as she throws her writing ideas around. Lily’s English-born grandmother, Rose, could be described as feisty. Lily describes her as a little too opinionated and interfering but unfortunately I found her mostly abrasive and self-centered which detracted a bit from the enjoyment of the story as it unfolded.

Despite that, the mystery plot is strong and well-paced and it doesn’t come as a surprise when law enforcement fixates on Rose when the shady real estate developer is found murdered on her property. Rose doesn’t help matters either as the investigation unfolds and she gets herself into deeper trouble. Lily, despite not wanting to get involved and is up to her ears in scone dough practically 24 hours a day, gets pulled into clearing her grandmother’s name. After all, what does it hurt to ask a few questions around town? There are plenty of suspects and both Bernie and Rose get involved in trying to figure out the culprit. But it’s Lily who ends up confronting the killer in an edge-of-your-seat reveal. Ms. Delany has proven once again to be a master storyteller and delivered an engaging cozy mystery to whet readers’ appetite!

With Lily creating so many amazing tearoom treats, I would have been disappointed had there not been recipes. Fortunately, Ms. Delany delivers and they all sound fantastic!

I love a cozy mystery and this is a delightful start to a new series. As the first book, there was a bit more emphasis placed on setting up the backdrops of an adorable tearoom and B & B on Cape Cod as well as introducing the various characters. Lily's a trained pastry chef who's helping her feisty grandmother Rose at her B & B as well as running her own little tearoom. Of course, things don't go smoothly for them, what with the suspicious death of a developer who wants to rezone the land next door to build a hotel that would disrupt their peace and quiet. Rose becomes a suspect in a lazy police investigation, so it's up to Lily, Rose, and some friends to figure out what really happened before Rose loses everything. As a tea lover and baker, I found all the little bits about various teas and the foods that should accompany them so much fun. I'm definitely going to be trying the scone recipe that's in the back of the book! The mystery was fun, but as I mentioned earlier, there were so many characters introduced to build up the community and it was a bit distracting. With that out of the way, though, I think the next book will be even better and I'm looking forward to it!

This was a quick, light read. I’ve read other books by Vicki Delaney and enjoyed them, this is another great book! I will most likely buy it as a gift!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. Tea by the Sea is a fun mystery and a great start to a new series by Ms. Delaney. This is the first summer that Lily Roberts is operating her tearoom. It’s in a building adjacent to her grandmother, Rose’s B&B, so Lily can keep an eye on Rose. The large, dilapidated house next door is potentially being rezoned for a resort to Rose’s dismay. Then one of the people working on the rezoning dies at the gate to Rose’s part of the beach. Since Rose and her neighbor disagreed, quite vocally, about the estate’s future, she becomes a prime suspect to the questionably competent Detective Williams. Luckily, a new female detective joined the local force, which also doesn’t make Det. Williams very happy. Given the situation, Rose decides to solve the murder, aided by Lily’s best friend, Bernadette. Once those two get together, Lily knows she’d better help, or things may never get back to normal. The arrival of two interesting men adds a hint of romance to the story. I highly recommend this mystery and am really looking forward to the next in the series.

This was a really fun read. Good mystery. Some of the characters are pretty strange and/or downright crazy, but it was a fun read. I adored Lily, but found Rose rather unlikeable and Bernie somewhat annoying at times. I know that Lily and Rose have a strange relationship, but hearing Lily refer to her grandmother as Rose instead of grandma or something of the sort was just odd. Each to their own, I guess. This should be a fun series!

I love this new series, Tea by the Sea by Vicki Delaney! The cast of characters are interesting and quickly became friends I want to spend more time with. As a tea lover I also appreciated learning a bit about the origins of “high tea” and the proper definition of “afternoon tea”. In Tea and Treachery, Lily Roberts is enjoying her new tearoom,, Tea by the Sea’s first summer on Cape Cod. She operates her tearoom right next to a B&B that is owned by her Grandmother, Rose. After an unfortunate death occurs on Rose’s property, Rose becomes the prime suspect In the eyes of a crooked, or perhaps just incompetent Police Detective Williams. Lily does not set out to solve the murder. She’s content running and enjoying Tea by the Sea’s first summer as well as helping Rose staff the B&B. Not content to leave it to the police, Rose and Lily’s best friend, Bernadette, “Bernie, “ decide to do all they can to help get Rose cleared and the mystery solved. So naturally as any good granddaughter would do Lily Is compelled to join in to keep her grandmother and best friend safe. Lily, however, Is the one who ends up facing danger head on as the true facts of the murder begin revealing themselves to her. There is a hint of possible romance and a host of intriguing guests and community members who keep the mystery going until the very end. This was an engaging, fast paced mystery and I’m looking forward to the next!

Lovely! Vicki Delany's books are always a slam dunk! I love this location that this new series takes place in. You can really picture it in your mind. Lily and her grandmother are great characters. I am anxiously anticipating the next book in this series!

The writing is very good, there's just too much of it. Especially the beginning is very slow, and even though the serving of tea is interesting, there's a lot of unnecessary stuff, like what the guests are ordering. But this is a true cozy mystery, and good entertainment.

What an enjoyable book! I love this cozy mystery, it is believable, fast paced, interesting, fun, heart warming, lovable characters! Rose is eighty - five years old, owns a beautiful Victorian B & B, her granddaughter Lily owns the nearby Traditional Tea Shop on Cape Cod. Lily's best friend Bernie, is an aspiring writer! I love Simon, Matt, Edna, the whole crew! I cannot wait until the next book is out, this one will be the third book chosen for my top twenty! It is that entertaining!
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

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 teabag.
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 am delighted with this new series and look forward to seeing what antics these characters bring in the future!

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!

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.

Lily Roberts left a high-powered career in the big city to join her feisty grandmother, Rose, at her Victorian B&B in Cape Cod. She transformed a workman's cottage on the grounds into a successful tea room, Her best friend Bernie has rented a place nearby for the summer, and Lily is expecting to continue her life of hard work and serenity.

Then an accident takes place on the property, and a local man lies dead on the beach.

Suddenly, things look different in the sleepy town of North Augusta. Are the friendly, down to earth people really what they seem? Is the real estate developer as public-spirited as he claims? What about the two handsome young men who suddenly showed up at the B&B? The mayor and the police chief have secrets -- and what about the new police officer, who also left a high-powered career in the city to work in this tiny Cape Cod town?

Lily tries to keep her mind on her tea shop, but Rose and Bernie are determined to discover the truth... and when Rose is accused of murder, Lily can't stay out of the fray.

The book is well written and filled with appealing details. The characters are well developed and believable. There are recipes and tea-making tips, and romantic overtones which might be developed further in later books in the series. I hope there are later books -- I expect these characters to have plenty more adventures.