Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany is an excellent culinary cozy mystery that is the sixth book in the delightful A Tea By the Sea Mystery series. I loved it!

I have read all six books so far, and I still truly enjoy this series. At first I was worried about how much I would enjoy this book, as the plot takes our main characters out of the Cape and into Yorkshire. Sometimes the “travel abroad” novels do not live up to the “home-base” books. This actually did!

I enjoyed the murder/mystery, the location, and the characters exhibited growth despite being away from home. Elizabeth’s extensive family made for plenty of backstory and potential culprits. There was even dry humor scattered throughout that really made me chuckle!

I enjoyed the pace, content, and I really enjoyed the ending!!!!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/29/25.

As per usual reading Vicki delany is like coming home. I've loved every one of her books and this is no expecting. A wonderful addition to the series. A must read for cozy lovers

Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany (Tea by the Sea Mystery #6) 5 stars

A visit to merry olde England for Lily Roberts and company to celebrate the 100th birthday of Elizabeth, the Dowager Duchess of Frockmorton, Rose’s previous employer. On the agenda – (1) Have a nice visit with Elizabeth, the Dowager Duchess at her family estate, (2) sightsee the wonders of Yorkshire, and (3) visit Simon at his current job in a nearby district. No where on the list is solve a murder and a theft of heirloom jewelry. But when one of the guests dies from peanut allergy relating causes from a sandwich Lily assembled, all of a sudden Lily is the number one suspect. Can Lily find the true culprit and stay out of the jail?

This was a fun read, less the cozy tea room vibe and more step by step detective work. Lily and friend were very methodical in their approach – true textbook work. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

Lily Roberts owns a tearoom on Cape Cod, and her grandmother Rose owns the neighboring B&B, which they have closed down for a week so that Rose can attend a birthday celebration in England for her old employer, Lady Elizabeth Crawford, dowager countess of Frockmorton. Along with them is Lily's best friend Bernie, who will be visiting her boyfriend Matt Goodwell, a writer who is researching his next novel in England.

At a pub, Bernie and Lily overhear a family argument, and later learn that these are Elizabeth's grandchildren, and all of them (or most) are worried about what Elizabeth is going to do with her fortune. Even though they have turned the ancestral home into a hotel, they have also closed it for the week for the birthday.

Elizabeth and Rose's reunion is a happy one, as they grew to be friends when Rose was working as a kitchen maid and Elizabeth was the countess. Despite their opposite statuses, they grew close and are still so to this day. When Elizabeth arrives at the party wearing the Frockmorton Sapphires, everyone is in awe. Beautiful, ostentatious, but still overwhelming. And when Elizabeth wants to show Bernie, Lily, and Rose the sapphires privately, they discover them missing.

But even more disturbing is when one of the party guests collapses at tea, and is later declared dead. But the worst part is it seems it was the chicken coronation sandwich that they ate -- and was prepared by Lily herself. Now she's a suspect in the murder, along with a several others. Calling her boyfriend Simon, who is working nearby but has taken a holiday, he arrives to help her find the person who committed the crime.

Even if the local police ask her to stay away, they seem to know that she won't, having investigated her past and discovering that she's involved herself in other murders. Yet Lily has an innate curiosity that won't let go, even as she's worried about a killer in hotel, her relationship with Simon, and who stole the sapphires. Will she discover the truth, or will she be put on ice forever?...

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read them all. I do try to write reviews without giving away any spoilers, and this one is no different. Lily is lost in England, mostly by the different driving methods, but still...and she doesn't know how to go about asking questions without it seeming like a true inquiry to the murder. Yet she wants to clear her name, and it won't be easy as she doesn't know these people, and many of them are related to Elizabeth, whom she herself has grown fond of in the short time she's known her.

But Lily does what she does best, and with the help of others around her, she perseveres until she gets to the truth. And the truth isn't what anyone would expect, nor want to know in the long run. Yet sometimes truth is strange, and sometimes killers aren't what you expect them to be. But in the end, Lily finds out a bit more about herself, and has something to look forward to when she returns to the states.

I urge you not to have a peek at the ending, as you will enjoy this book more if you read it straight through. The final clue comes and should you find it, you will find the murderer as well. I loved this book and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

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

Lily’s grandmother Rose has fond memories of her time working at Thornecroft Castle and of her friendship with Elizabeth, now the dowager countess of Frockmorton who has invited them to help celebrate her one hundredth birthday. Lots of family drama exposed even before one of the grandsons is murdered in full view of the partygoers. If that wasn't dramatic enough, the morning brings evidence that a historic multimillion dollar piece of jewelry has vanished. Lily and friends have a tough time sleuthing and dancing around the local law enforcement. Great story in a winning series.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
#TeaWithJamAndDread by @vicki.delany #TeabytheSeaBk6 @kensingtonbooks #cozymystery #familydrama #classissues #visitingEngland #murdermystery #recipes #amateursleuth #inheritance #MilvertonMysteriesBk2 #centenarian #birthdayparty @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble ***** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @kobo @Waterstones #jeweltheft #writers #hospitalityindustry #relatives #grandmothers #localpolice

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is the latest installment of the Tea by the Sea mysteries where our main protagonists Lily, Rose, and Bernie along with Matt and Simon are off to England to revisit Rose’s past at Thornecraft Castle. The tea to celebrate Lady Frockmorton promises to be an enjoyable walk down memory lane when a member of her family is murdered and the Frockmorton Sapphires are stolen. Lily and her friends are on the case to solve these mysteries and more.

I enjoyed the different setting of being in England since the continuing deaths in their home can feel unrealistic, but I did miss the familiar connections of the police since the characters struggled to find out information without their usual sources. I love Lily and Simon so I was excited to see them back together and I also enjoyed that Lily took the lead this time around. So often Rose and Bernie seem to bully her into investigating so this was a nice change of pace.

My one gripe with this book was that there weren’t many indications of the killer and seemed to wrap up rather suddenly without anyone seeming to suspect the true culprit. The same seemed to be true about the theft. All in all, I prefer a mystery where the clues are there but don’t make sense until the end, but we don’t really get that here. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early arc. All opinions are my own.

I have been waiting for the next book in this series and it's here! It did not disappoint. It was so fun to be back in the same world with these characters. I can't wait for the next one now!

It was nice to learn more about Rose’s youth and her time as a kitchen maid. The exploration of class dynamics, even in the same family, was interesting. England has such a strict class structure, with those with titles still “lording” it over everyone else.

Look for my full review in Library Journal
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I enjoyed this novel, my first of the series. I will definitely be going back to read the first 5. Quaint cozy set in England with memorable characters, plot and intrigue.

Lily accompanies her grandmother to England to celebrate the birthday of Elizabeth that her grandmother used to work for. The estate is now a hotel so they are staying there during the festivities. There are many relatives of Elizabeth that want something from her. They all seem to be fighting amongst themselves as well. When one of them dies, Lily becomes a suspect just by chance. She is drawn in to the mystery to help herself. I really liked this book. Seeing the relationship between the two old ladies who came from such different backgrounds but then putting that aside was heartwarming. I was actually surprised by the ending.

The sixth book of the Tea by the Sea series finds Lily, Rose and Bernadette headed to Yorkshire to the manor house where Rose worked as a kitchen maid before she left England for America. They are joining a group of family and friends to honor the matriarch on her 100th birthday. Upon their arrival, they head to a pub for lunch and overhear a conversation which makes them realize that there is sone discord in the family. But, as it is truly none of their business, they go about enjoying their visit. Sadly, during one of the parties, a grandson dies suspiciously while at the same time some priceless jewels turn up missing. As is her nature, Lily becomes involved in the investigation. At times, she is even under suspicion as the perpetrator. This is another well done book by a great author. While NetGalley was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reader copy, the opinion is my own.

#TeawithJamDread #NetGalley sends us across the pond, attending a birthday at Throckmorton House.
Lily's grandmother Rose used to work for the lady of the house, and her 100th birthday celebration has her inviting Rose and Lily, and best friend Bernie to the party.
The entire family is dysfunctional, and everyone is eager to get their hands on a future inheritance, even if that means having to kill someone to get it.
Things get heated when priceless jewelry goes missing and everyone is happy to point fingers at each other.
I really liked this story and I'm thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Tea with Jam and Dread is the latest in the Tea by the Sea mystery series by Vicki Delany. This book finds our five main characters in England at the British estate that Grandma Rose worked at before coming to America. I really enjoyed this book. It had two twisting and turning mysteries that were so much to figure out and kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed many of the new British characters, but I will also be glad when they get back home to familiar characters and settings. The ending was wonderful and cleared up a long running question in the series and I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out! If you enjoy quirky characters, beautiful settings and Ms. Delany’s wonderful writing, you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

This author never disappoints! The book is a delightful entry into the series but it would work well as a standalone also.. Lily, Rose and Bernie head to England and find themselves smack dab in the middle of a murder scene. The plot is full of twists and turns and the large cast of characters provide lots of opportunities for distracting red herrings. A very satisfying cozy read.

This enjoyable entry in the series normally set in Cape Cod sees the usual cast of characters in England. Lily, best friend Bernie, and grandmother Rose return to the manor house where Rose worked decades ago and soon get caught up in family drama, jewelry theft, and murder. While looking into the mysteries, Lily still has time to dig out the status of her relationship with gardener Simon, who has been working in England since leaving Cape Cod months earlier. The mystery is well-plotted and moves along quickly, and it’s all good to see how the main characters’ relationships continue to develop. My only quibbles with the book were what I saw as some inconsistencies in how some characters communicated with each other and the extent to which the main characters feel compelled to put themselves in danger just to satisfy curiosity. Again, though, it’s an enjoyable entry in a good series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.