Another fun cozy written by Author Vicki Delaney. If you enjoy cozies about tea or food this is one for you. Lily agrees to enter her tearoom into a baking competition. What could go wrong when a film crew invades her tearoom and her family’s B&B? Did I mention another nearby bakery is in the competition and view Lily as an enemy? The characters are entertaining and relatable. The mystery is well plotted with plenty of surprises. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany is the third book in the cozy Tea by the Sea Mysteries series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of this series will contain a new mystery that will fully solved so this could be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. Of course there will be character development that carries over from book to book for those that read the series from the beginning.

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 and now has even solved a murder or two in between.

Now this time around Lily really has her hands full as she has decided to enter a cooking contest held by America Bakes, tv’s hottest cooking show. What better way to get attention for the tea room, right? Wrong! Things take a huge turn for the worst when the infamous bad-boy chef and celebrity judge, Tommy Greene, ends up murdered in Lily’s kitchen at Tea by the Sea leaving her searching for yet another murderer.

I have actually follow the Tea by the Sea Mysteries series from the beginning with this one having a lot of what I enjoy in a cozy mystery. There’s of course some quirky characters and a whole lot of laughs that come with those along with a decent mystery in every new addition to the series with this third installment not being an exception. Book three left me wanting nothing more than to return to the sea yet again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I really like the character Lily. I think that she is someone I wish I knew in real life and her establishment is a place I would really enjoy visiting. This series makes you feel like you are there by the sea and enjoying scones or high tea with friends. I want to look for that to actually attend because it sounds very interesting. The relationship with her grandmother Rose is nice too and their B&B sounds like a great place to stay. Lily is a character that doesn't fully immerse herself into solving the murder and has a way about finding out who is the murderer. The police leave her alone mostly and don't fight her too much on helping out in her own way. I like that avenue better with this character and series.

I could not imagine being in the heat of a TV series filming everything, but it makes me wonder how often that does happen with real life shows. The drama created and the discussion of the producers wanting that to make it more interesting seems like it happens more often than we probably know.

Great series — reminiscent of Childs’ tearoom series, but with just enough difference to make them both worthwhile reads. This series has the quirky addition of Grandma Rose so the combination of B&B setting, next door tearoom and a cooking contest with TV personality over the top attitudes and of course a murder — keep them coming!

Rose and Bernie have signed up the tea room to be on a competitive reality show. Lily is not convinced that it's such a good idea. When the TV crew comes in and starts barking orders, making the staff cry and creating more problems. Then the TV show host Tommy green is killed. Cheryl is the prime suspect.

I had no clue who the killer was and I really enjoyed the book and the chasing of clues. I'm craving scones badly. Plus, where's the romance? Also, this is the third murder with in a few weeks. If you visit this b&b it's most likely someone will be killed.

Vicki Delany gives us the third Murder by the Sea mystery in Murder Spills the Tea. Lily Roberts has allowed her Cape Cod tea shop take part in an America Bakes competition.. Then one of the judges is murdered and one of her waitresses is a chief suspect. There is blowback from another competing restaurant and a lot of simmering rivalries among the judges. Read and enjoy this sparkling cozy.

Murder Spills the Tea

by Vicki Delany

The way I judged Murder Spills the Tea was by my increasing frustration at the end of the book. With about 90% of the mystery read, I experienced an almost comical series of interruptions—the dogs wanted to go for a walk, my husband came in to say “hi,” the dryer buzzed urgently, and the timer for the tub of vegetables I was disinfecting dinged. I finally gave up and handled each issue culminating with the dog walk. I’m a fairly patient person, so I must have been really into the novel to get so irritated.

Lily is busy enough baking for and managing her own tea shop, but she also makes breakfast for her grandmother Rose’s B&B in exchange for lodging in a separate cottage on the grounds. All is well until her best friend Bernie and Rose convince Lily that participating in America Bakes!, a cooking “reality” show, will help promote her business. The event turns out to be rigged and full of competing ego-filled personalities. Lily does her best to “keep calm and carry on,” but that becomes difficult when she finds one of the judges dead in her tearoom. Sparks fly during the filming, some of the characters are less than truthful, and Lily is sure that the wrong person has been arrested.

Following the investigation is like watching a tennis match where the ball is lobbed all over the place. Things turn dangerous as the murderer gets more and more desperate. There are connections among the residents that are uncovered as Lily’s informal investigation progresses. Suspicions arise too about the film actors and crew, some of whom are staying at the B&B. Lily, Bernie, and Rose work well together as a team with Rose playing the age card when it suits her purposes. Murder Spills the Tea is an engaging and fun cozy mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #3 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. I have a particular fondness for tearooms, so I especially enjoy cozy mysteries set in tearooms.
3. Includes recipes for Herbed Cucumber Sandwiches, Coconut Lime Cake, and a coffee cake that is served at the B&B.
4. Lily has a dog that is featured throughout the book and Rose has a cat that, despite Health Dept. regulations, finds its way into the kitchen regularly. Both add interest to the book.

Publication: July 26, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

“This is called reality TV,” he said. “In reality, it’s anything but. The show’s not concerned about the quality of your food or the arrangement of the flowers on the table. It’s about creating drama and interest. Reality’s boring.”

“Afternoon tea’s all about tradition. About hospitality and taking time to gather with friends to enjoy the finer things in life. Afternoon tea, in my opinion, anyway, is a delicacy, an indulgence, and it should be treated as such.”

Robbie jumped onto the floor and hissed at Detective Williams. “Do pardon my cat, Inspector,” Rose said as she made her way out of the room. “He likes most people.”

Book wasn't meant for me. Hopefully someone will enjoy it more. I will look into renting it in the future

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Lily Roberts has been talked into entering America Bakes!, a booking show, to highlight her tearoom. This is the busy season for Tea by the Sea! and the filming is disrupting business. The celebrity judges for the show are dramatic, especially Tommy Greene. The judge has a public blow-up with one of her staff members. When the man is found murdered the police find Cheryl to be their number one suspect. While competing on the show, Lily works hard to keep Cheryl out of jail.
This is the third book in the Tea by the Sea mystery series. I have not read the first two and found that this book stands alone well. Anything I need to know from the first two books was covered when needed. The characters were realistic albeit a bit flat. I recommend the book.

The mystery is full of twists, turns, and red herrings that will keep the readers guessing. I wasn't completely surprised to find out who the killer was. The resolution was satisfying in in a lot of ways. I am looking forward to reading the next book in series since I am a big fan of this series and the authors Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series.

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

This series is fun to read because of the quirky characters and the location. Sometimes the grandmother gets annoying but otherwise I have enjoyed all,of the series.

My stomach is growling and my mouth is watering as I devour this latest book in the Tea by the Sea series. I have fallen in love with Lily, Rose, and Bernie. The murder mysteries are always done well and have you guessing until the end. The characters are well developed and I love their interactions. Between quirky personalities, continuing and developing relationships, delicious food, and a delightful setting in Cape Cod, you will find yourself drawn into the story and wondering how soon you can book a trip to the Cape!

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

another start to a new series! this was the third installment of the “tea by the sea mystery” series and you can jump right in with this being your first book and still get the gist of it. i really enjoyed the aspect of the cooking show intertwined with the mystery. i thought lily and her grandma made a wonderful team and i loved their balance of teamwork and banter. all the other characters stand out in different ways - the other townspeople in cape cod are equally as friendly and they make sure that gossip line is always on! then there are the competition judges, who all have bumps in their pasts that resurface as lily investigates this murder. each of them are less than likable, which immediately put them on my personal suspect list.

this was everything i’ve come to expect in any cozy mystery and i’m excited to read more from vicki delany’s series. the novel touched a bit on one of lily’s local competitors and enemy in the competition. i’m curious to see how this workplace dynamic pans out in the further, if it does at all. as a fan of scones, pastries, and anything that has to do with afternoon tea, i am super eager to test some of lily’s recipes out!

Celebrity chefs, hot cooking show and murder. What's not to like? Lily really has her hands full trying to piece together clues along the way. This book was fantastic. I knew I would love it. The characters are sweet and charming. I think this one is definitely a winner. I had Alot of fun reading this cute cozy.

Murder Spills the Tea is another fantastic read by Vicki Delany! Murder Spills the Tea is part of the A Tea by the Sea Mystery series. In this installment, Lily is thrown into the world of reality TV, thanks to the persistence of her best friend and her grandmother, Rose, to enter a baking competition. Everything is going well until one of the Judge’s turns up dead in Lily’s Tea Room and it looks like Lily’s rolling pin is the murder weapon. When one of Lily’s employees is the number one suspect, Lily is on the case again to find the real killer.

Vicki Delany’s writing is spot-on and flows effortlessly from the first book in the A Tea by the Sea Mystery to this most recent installment. I loved seeing the growth of all the main characters from book-to-book.. I love how the mystery in Murder Spills the Tea is clever and keeps you guessing about who the killer is. Murder Spills the Tea is a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to see what Vicki Delany writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

This is the 3rd installment in the Tea By The Sea Mystery series. Lily Roberts is a trained pastry chef and she has opened a traditional English Tea Shoppe just steps from her Grandmother Rose’s B&B on beautiful Cape Code. A famous reality baking show is coming to the Cape and although Lily would love the publicity to help make her shop a success, she does not want the drama. Unfortunately, her grandmother Rose and best friend Bernadette (Bernie) signed her up anyway so she is in makeup and juggling trying to run the tea shop and film the show. The show has 3 celebrity chefs to judge, one of which is a beauty queen (Scarlett) and Tommy Greene and Claudia are actual chefs and restaurant owners. It appears no one gets along as there is tension among the judges as well as between the director (Josh) and assistant director (Reilly) also seems to be odds. The first day of filming goes ok but another contestant Allegra shows up and she is not very pleasant and on the 2nd day, judge Tommy Greene accuses waitress Marybeth (and daughter of Cheryl) of being clumsy and almost spilling tea all over him and demands she be fired. Lily handles the situation (which of course is all being filmed) but Cheryl goes off on Tommy as Marybeth runs off in tears. Lily is regretting the decision to do the show but has a contract and has to continue. As she is taking her dog Éclair for a walk that evening she meets up with Tommy and learns that he apologized to Marybeth and says it was all for the drama of the show. She actually believes him and he turns out to be a nice guy. One more day to go but as Lily arrives at her shop she is shocked to find Tommy Greene dead in her kitchen apparently hit by her marble rolling pin. The police immediately hone in on Cheryl and Lily along with Bernie and Rose decide they need to something to prove her innocence. I enjoyed this book as the inquiries into the death were plausible and nothing extreme was done and Lily once again figures out and gets into a dangerous situation at the end. The story moves quickly and keeps your interest. Looking forward to the next installment in this series. Recommend.

Although I have enjoyed other books by this author, this one didn't capture my attention to continue reading after the first chapter or so. I'm not sure if it is the writing style or the characters. However, I am sure that this is a popular series.

Lily Roberts owns Tea by the Sea, a lovely tearoom centered right in Cape Cod. Her grandmother Rose, transplanted from Yorkshire long ago, owns a lovely Victorian B&B nearby, and they live happily in the seaside town. That is, until Rose and Lily's best friend Bernie enter her in a TV reality show, and she's been chosen as one of the contestants. Now, the cast members are staying at the B&B and the crew is overrunning the tearoom and telling her what to do. Lily is not happy.

She's especially not happy when one of the judges, Tommy Greene, purposely trips her employee MaryBeth and MaryBeth's mother Cheryl has a few harsh words for him. When Tommy is discovered dead the next morning in the tearoom, Cheryl is the main suspect. But Lily is sure Cheryl's not a killer, but she's not sure about his castmates. Even though the police tell her to leave it alone, she's not going to, and with the help of Bernie and Rose, she intends to find the killer before they get away with it...

This is the third book in the series and I have read them all. I've become fond of the characters in this series, finding not a one of them evil or flighty. (Except for Allegra, but she's new and no one could possibly like this woman). The main characters are full of ideas about who might have killed Tommy, especially Bernie, who is able to get information due to her background as a forensic accountant.

But the more information they have, the more they discover that Tommy was actually a nice guy who was devoted to his wife and family, making it harder to find out who might have had a grudge against the man. Lily just watches the players in the TV cast, hoping that one of them will accidentally spill information. And with them fighting amongst themselves, it's not long before she sees that there's more to them than what meets the eye. Now all she has to do is find out who wielded the rolling pin...

I love this series, and while the killer didn't surprise me much (only because I read a lot of mysteries), at the very end we are given a glimpse of what the future might bring, and once again peace is brought to Cape Cod...for the time being. I eagerly await the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.