Happy Book Release Day! Here are some of the books that came out today: From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris, Piece by Piece by Laura Bradford, Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits by A.L. Herbert, Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard, Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates, Romancing Nadine by Amy Lillard, Someone's Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass, Knot of This World by Mary Marks, and Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany. Which one do want to read first?
Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany takes us to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where Lily Roberts owns Tea by the
Sea. In the mornings, Lily prepares the
breakfasts for Victoria-on-Sea Bed and Breakfast which is owned by her
grandmother, Rose. Rose is currently in
an uproar because her neighbor wants to sell his lot to a developer who intends
to erect a golf resort. Jack Ford, the
developer, needs to get the zoning changed first, but he does not see that as
an obstacle. The day after an
altercation between Rose and Jack Ford, Lily finds Ford dead at the bottom of
their cliffside staircase. Detective Chuck
Williams believes Rose did in Jack Ford and is determined to put her behind
bars. Rose and Lily’s friend, Bernie
decide to do a little digging into Jack Ford’s background and business
practices. Lily tries to dissuade them,
but that is like trying to stop a steamroller going downhill with a
tricycle. Lily gets swept into the
investigation and finds a multitude of suspects. It appears that Jack Ford was not a
well-liked man. The killer is unhappy
with Lily’s sleuthing which results in some scary threats. Lily needs to work quickly, or she could end
up the next victim.
Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is the debut novel in A Tea by the Sea Mystery series. Tea & Treachery is set in Cape Code,
Massachusetts where Rose Campbell, Lily’s grandmother, settled after the death
of her husband. She purchased a large
Victorian home on the cliffs above the sea which provides her with a beautiful
view and plenty of peace. When Lily saw
the little cottage on the property, she thought it was the perfect place for a
tea shop which has been her dream. When
not busy whipping up delectable delights and tea for Tea by the Sea, Lily is
helping her grandmother with the bed and breakfast. I like that the author took the time to
establish the main characters and provide beautiful descriptions of the B&B,
tea shop, Lily’s little cottage, and the beautiful gardens. I could just imagine strolling along through
the gardens and hearing the waves below.
There are great facts about the history of tea, the various teas Lily’s
serves, and food Lily’s whips up. It was
interesting to learn about the different types of teas, and how tea time
started. The mystery had a variety of
suspects from the mayor, the victim’s wife, the mistress, to the son of the man
trying to unload the land next to Rose. If
you pay close attention to the details, this whodunit can be solved before the
reveal. I liked that the mystery had a
good wrap up (no questions left unanswered).
The new head gardener, Simon McCracken seems to have taken a liking a
Lily. There was some mild flirting
between Lily and Simon. Bernie Murphy, Lily’s
writer friend, provided humor while Éclair, Lily’s labradoodle, gave readers cuteness.
Rose, Lily’s grandmother, was a hard
character to like. She is stubborn,
feisty, set in her ways, selfish, and opinionated. I found her frustrating with her “its my way
or its my way” approach. Rose and Bernie together were a bit much. I hope both women will grow on me in future
books. Also, Lily need to develop a
backbone and learn to say no, or her grandmother will run roughshod over
her. Tea & Treachery is an easy to
read book and a good start to this new cozy mystery series. There are recipes at the end for coconut
cupcakes, scones, and tea bath salts. Tea & Treachery is an engaging cozy mystery with tempting tea treats, a scarcity
of scones, a dead developer, curious clues, shaky steps, a whimsical writer, and
a burdened baker.
Tea & Treachery is available from Amazon*. You can find more novels by Vicki Delany here. She is the author of A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, A Constable Mary Smith series, and A Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. Her next release is Dying in a Winter Wonderland which is the 5th A Year-Round Christmas Mystery. Dying in a Winter Wonderland publishes on September 29. Thank you for reading my review today. Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard. It is the debut novel in The Maidels of Morning Star series. I do hope that you have an uplifting day. Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
No comments:
Post a Comment