Lily's Cape Cod tea shop is hosting a bridal shower. Hannah Hill is marrying Greg Reynolds. The two families could not be more different - Hannah is a teacher while Greg's family owns a business and appears to have endless funds. The Reynolds group is staying at Lily's grandmother's B & B while Hannah and her mother are at a less expensive hotel. The bridal shower ends on an unexpected note when a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll falls from the beautifully wrapped box with no card. Hannah screams and leaves the shower . Her soon-to-be mother-in-law insists the shower continue, dismissing Hannah's reaction as an over reaction.
Not long after, the groom's father is found dead in his hotel room. What at first appeared to be a heart attack is declared murder and the police focus on family members of the bride and groom since there's no love lost between them.. Despite her resolve to not get involved, Lily, Grandmother Rose and friend Bernie soon find themselves considering motives and digging for information. Bernie's computer research skills, uncover secrets that the Reynold's family haughty, snobbish front would like kept quiet.
This is #5 in the Tea By The Sea Mystery series. It's quick read that bogs down a bit when the amateur detectives are considering possible motives but regains momentum once the clues start to come together.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC.

3.5 stars

The pleasantly readable latest entry in the Tea by the Sea cozy series. Formally trained pastry chef Lily has left the high pressure restaurant world in the big city to operate a tea shop next to her English grandmother's New England coastal B&B. She still works hard, but she is her own boss and enjoys her life. She has a great work crew, and her best friend Bernie lives nearby. She has made a nice life for herself and is content.

But, in the way of cozies, troublesome dead bodies keep popping up. This time, a family has booked the B&B prior to a wedding. Unfortunately, the two families are awful. The bride and groom are a lovely young couple but the other family members are toxic. The groom's parents have an unhappy marriage and his mother and her mother-in-law hate each other. The groom's whole family is snobby and entitled and looks down on the bride's mother. So, the pre-wedding week is quite unpleasant, capped off by the apparent murder of the groom's father.

Lily and Bernie begin by saying they have no intention of investigating, but they can't stay uninvolved and are soon diving in to check out suspects. The tea shop characters and Lily's work life are nicely drawn with some delectable descriptions of her fancy high teas and their presentations. We raise an eyebrow at how much information is shared by the local police, but that's what makes the cozy world work. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two families gather at Cape Cod for a wedding with the groom's family staying at Victoria-at-Sea, the B&B Lily's grandmother Rose owns and where Lily makes the breakfasts before going across the lawn to her tea room. An incident at the bride's shower at the tea room puts a damper on the day two days before the wedding. The next morning the groom's father is found dead in his room. No one in his family seems to get along with each other, and none seem that broken up by his death, with his wife accusing the brides mother of doing the deed. Lily, Rose and their friends end up helping the police sort out a very strange reason for the murder and get an arrest of the right person.

An engaging and pleasant addition to a charming series. Family issues. A bridal shower. Lots of yummy food and tea. A smidgeon of romance and hint of England. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Another great addition to this series. I love the characters and all their banter. This mystery had a few more suspects and motives than some, and made for an interesting read. I love the way the amateur sleuths figured things out. Very clever!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Trouble is Brewing ” by Vicki Delany the 5th instalment in the “Tea by the Sea Mysteries”. I’m never disappointed when I pick up one of Vicki Delany’s books. Lily Roberts’s Cape Cod tearoom is hosting a bridal shower—until a gruesome gift sends the guest of honor running in fear . . .
I found myself engrossed in the story and reading in couple days. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and delectable food.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and kept me guessing till the very end. I love the main character of Lily, her grandmother Rose, Simon, and her BFF Bernie.

I won’t go into detail about the mystery as the book blurb does a wonderful job of it but I will say if you like afternoon tea, the seaside, and a great mystery then this series is for you. Includes recipes at back of book ... yummy

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.

A cozy little mystery to accompany your cup of tea.

I was initially drawn to the premise, as I love a good mystery/thriller. While it’s a perfect mystery for someone who wants a lighthearted read, this book was not for me.

It was hard to be attached to the characters and their storylines. There was a lot of telling rather than showing with the main character being a little too good at everything. Her incredible intuition on human nature felt like a cop out when it came to the storytelling.

The story also felt like too much and not enough was happening all at once.

All in all, not the worst book I’ve read but this author’s writing style is not for me. Would recommend to friends looking for a change in genre when they’re going on vacation.

Lily Roberts is enjoying herself as she caters a bridal shower at her tea rooms, Tea by the Sea. Things change when an unfortunate gift ends the afternoon prematurely, and she later overhears an unsettling conversation between two members of the groom’s party! Now Lily is looking forward to the wedding being over so everyone can leave her grandmother’s B&B, Victoria on Sea, and things can return to their tranquil norm.

When a body is discovered in one of the bedrooms Lily tries to keep away from the investigation but with her grandmother Rose, and best friend Bernie, keen to find out what happened that proves difficult! Then, while walking her dog Éclair, with boyfriend, Simon, they discover another member of the party has been attacked and Lily is reluctantly drawn in before the reputation of both businesses suffer negatively and someone else dies.

The fifth book in Vicki Delany’s cosy series doesn't disappoint and I enjoyed it very much. The every day workings of the tea rooms and bed and breakfast add a lovely cheerful realism to the more nefarious activities and I am always delighted when a new title is announced. There is mention here of a possible forthcoming trip abroad which I hope will be when the next installment will be set. Fingers crossed!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, but the opinions expressed are my own. This was an easy fun read which I happily recommend.

Lily Roberts owns Tea by the Sea, a teahouse in Cape Cod, which stands at the front of her grandmother's Victorian B&B, the best in their town of North Augusta. The B&B is full up of guests, most of them belonging to the Reynolds family who are there to celebrate their son Greg's marriage to Hannah Hill. Perhaps celebrate isn't the right word...

When the bridal shower is held at the tearoom, everything seems to be going splendidly until Hannah opens her last gift, which is a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll, which causes her to let out a scream. Prank or warning? At any rate, the shower is ruined, and Greg and Hannah retreat to the B&B so she can collect herself. But does that stop accusations from flowing? Not at all. It's well known that the Reynolds family does not like the Hills -- Hannah and her mother, Jenny -- but why? Finding out the reason isn't any of Lily's concern. Not until patriarch Ralph is murdered, and his mother and widow are accusing each other, and Jenny, of the crime. Not until her beloved tearoom and the B&B might get a negative reputation. Then Lily, her best friend Bernie, and grandmother Rose go into action. Hopefully, their investigation won't get any of them killed...

This is the fifth in the series and I have read them all. I also have loved them all. The idea of a teahouse near Cape Cod sounds delightful. The food and tea sounds delicious. I love that the author can pull us into the story and make us want to visit. It's a talent, to be sure. We also have the lovely descriptions of the gardens, the B&B, and, of course, the tearoom, which are pleasant to read about.

The murder, which occurs near the front of the book (gratefully) gives us plenty of time to search for suspects and rule out those who had no reason to want him dead. Those people are few and far between. It turns out that Ralph not only had skeletons in his closet, some of them were walking around causing trouble to everyone. But that doesn't make someone a killer, does it?

There are plenty of twists and turns in this mystery, and a few red herrings along the way to keep things interesting. We follow along with Lily and Rose to try and put things together, and it's a fun way to spend an afternoon. I discovered the murderer right around the same time as Lily, but I still needed the motive -- which was given admirably -- to complete the tale. This is a wonderful cozy to read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I am looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Thrilled to be able to read a fifth book in this very cozy and comfortable mystery series.

We are back in Lily Robert’s Cape Cod tearoom, and the familiar characters are all back, and some are featured more prominently. Her grandma Rose, and her friend, the wannabe mystery writer Bernie are actually big helpers when it comes to trying to solve the murder in this book.

What a nasty family is visiting Rose’s B & B! Vicki Delany is brilliant at introducing very strong and nasty characters in her books, and she does it so very well. You learn so much about each of them, and you can pick your favorites, and take sides as you read along.

I suspected someone who had something to do with the killing, but there were also many characters that could have done it. It ended up that I was right to suspect this person, but the “why” was a total surprise…As with all of Ms. Delany’s (a/k/a Eva Gates) mysteries, the endings are very well done, and all the details are revealed in a very plausible and believable way.

I strongly recommend this book to any mystery lovers.

Thank you to Vicki Delany for writing her four mystery series, and to Net Galley and to Kensington Cozies for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book and post a personal review.

Lily Robert's tearoom is hosting a bridal shower - the groom's side is staying at her grandmother's while the bride's side is at a different location. Things are tense - the father of the groom and the bride's mother have a history. When the groom's father is discovered dead in his room, it's determined that he was murdered. What member of the bridal party had reason to kill him? Secrets and accusations abound as Lily seeks to discover the killer.
#TroubleisBrewing #Kensington #NetGalley

Lily Roberts is hosting a bridal shower at the b&b . The families are very different and the descriptions of the differences in the families are a little mean. The groom's side of the family is rich and the bride's family is not.

The bride Hannah opens a present that is quite horrifying for her. Lily overhears the groom's dad Ralph offer him $100k to call off the wedding. The next morning Ralph is found dead in his room. Lily decides to investigate.

I found the mystery well done. I had no idea whodunnit until the end. Overall a nice addition to this series.

Another fantastic book by Vicki Delany in her Tea By the Sea Mysteries. This time we find Lily hosting a bridal shower for a couple, but not all is sunshine and roses when the dysfunctional families on both sides show their true colors and someone pulls a horrible prank ending the shower. A short time later one of the frooms family members is found dead and thinks at the B and B turn upside down. Although she resists at first, it falls to Lilly and her trusted friends to figure out what happened. I really liked the story and the characters are some of my favorites. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I loved it and ate this up. What a fun cozy easy mystery read that I throughly enjoyed. I have been in the mood for cozy mysteries and this was exactly what I needed.

I absolutely love the Tea by the Sea series featuring Cape Cod tea shop owner, Lily Roberts and this fifth and latest installment certainly did not disappoint.

In this one, the tearoom is hosting a bridal shower and, naturally, many in the bickering family of the groom are staying at Lily's grandmother's B&B as well.

This series has one of the greatest cast of characters of any of the cozy mystery series I read and these colorful characters, including Lily's "author" friend Bernie, Lily's grandmother, Rose, and Simon, the British garden and Lily's love interest. These supporting characters really add to my enjoyment of these books.

Very highly recommended to those who love cozies!!

Lily is hosting a wedding shower for a sweet bride-to-be but quickly realizes that the bride and groom come from messy, complicated family situations. When the groom's father is found murdered, Lily is relieved to find that she doesn't feel like she has to get involved--she'll leave this messy family to deal with things themselves--but when Lily feels the sweet bride's mother is being railroaded by the in-law's family and the police will have no choice to do the same, she can't help but launch her own investigation.

While I really enjoyed the characters in this book--the complicated bride and groom's families was a lot of fun to read about and read between the lines of conversation with Lily--I found the actual mystery to be very underwhelming. I knew the murderer and guessed their motive right away because it felt like they were being very obvious from the beginning. When Lily failed to see this, it became increasingly more frustrating the more interactions Lily had with this person, and it detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. I'll continue reading the series as Delaney is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, but I hope future books will be more twisty and the investigation more interesting like the previous books!

I love a good tea shop cozy mystery and Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Mysteries definitely fits the bill.

Lily, Bernie and Rose are back again to solve another mystery. Lily owns a tea shop next to her grandmother’s, Rose, B&B. The setting is always delightful and it makes me wish I could visit there.
Lily hosted a bridal party and the grooms side was staying at the B&B. The father of the groom turns up dead in his room and the ugly secrets start to emerge.

Vicki did an excellent job sprinkling in clues on who the killer was. I had my suspicions and I was right! The back story of the characters is also great to follow.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions express in this review are completely my own.

Tea by the Sea Mystery #5

If I want a cozy mystery I know I will be well serve reading any of Ms. Delany’s stories. Her tales are simple, well written and not taxing for those like I needing a pause from action packed thrillers that take your breath away. I did not read the precious books in this series and in no ways felt lost. The author smoothly blends in every player like you have known them forever.

The story in a few words:

The Reynolds and the Hill family are gathered at Tea by the Sea for Hannah Hill bridal shower. While sipping delicious tea the families shower her with presents ...until the last unwrapped gift contains a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll and triggers bloodcurdling scream....Then all hell breaks loose....even a murder.....

More thoughts:

This is a delectable tall with an English flair to it. Put together a party, a murder, waves crashing on the beach, add a sleuth and toss in sweet bake goods as a bonus the result is a clever story to enjoy while sipping Earl Grey and loosing yourself in another world....

Vicki Delany has provided us with a cute cozy mystery.

TROUBLE IS BREWING is the fifth book in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries by Vicki Delany. From the darling cover to the opening chapter to the memorable characters and captivating plot, this newest release kept me glued to the pages. Protagonist Lily Roberts, owner of the Cape Cod tearoom Tea by the Sea, seems to have a no-nonsense air about her. She’s capable and concise with her baking and running her business, yet does everything she can to help her feisty grandmother, friends, employees, and guests. She also has a dry sense of humor that made me chuckle whenever it appeared. I also love the supporting characters, especially her grandmother, Rose, and her best friend, novel-writing Bernie (who is another great source of humor). And who can help but swoon over Lily’s love-interest, scone-baking gardener Simon with his British accent? I’ve enjoyed seeing their relationship progress, and I loved seeing more of him in this book.

What could be more picturesque than holding a bridal shower at a seaside tearoom? Lily finds herself catering the shower and assisting the bridal party who are staying at her grandmother’s B & B. Instead of hearts and kisses, it appears the groom’s family is quite dysfunctional and it doesn’t take long for their irksome behavior is turned toward the bride and her mother. The theme of the Montague and Capulet families is woven throughout and it’s no surprise when a murder occurs. Honestly, I was expecting someone else to be the victim, and I was even more intrigued to find how, why, and who. I like Lily is a reluctant amateur sleuth, and it’s Bernie and her grandmother who drag her into investigations. Once she is on board though, Lily is methodical in asking questions and digging for the truth. Bernie, with her computer expertise, helps find background information to aid in the sleuthing. As the clues are uncovered, they find more suspects than they know what to do with. Ms. Delany writes a tightly plotted mystery that builds up suspense, then delivers a worthy reveal. If you want to escape to a seaside locale with charming characters and a challenging mystery to solve, Trouble Is Brewing is the perfect book to pick up.

With Lily baking so much for both her tearoom and her grandmother’s B&B, there are lots of yummy foods mentioned throughout the story. There are a few recipes at the back of the book to satisfy your appetite, both sweet and savory.

I really enjoy this series with Lily's tea room and her grandmother's B&B. I am rather surprised that as this is book 5 it is still set in the same first summer. A lot has happened in that first summer! Anyway, in this book a family has come to have a wedding. the two sides have many issues between them. The father of the groom ends up dead. Lily becomes involved in solving the murder because it is at her business. There are a lot of negative feelings on both sides of the families and altercations happen because of it. I had a person pegged early on as the murderer and was correct but the story along the way was enjoyable and well written.