Tea & Treachery

Written by Vicki Delany

Narrated by Sandy Rustin

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

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 tea bag.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980073789

Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the United States. She has written more than 30 books: from clever cozies to Gothic thrillers, gritty police procedurals to historical fiction and seven novellas in the Rapid Reads line. She writes the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries and under the pen name of Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library series. Vicki is the past president of Crime Writers of Canada. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, Bony Blithe, Golden Oak, and Arthur Ellis Awards. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Reviews for Tea & Treachery

[Meighan O'Toole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just discovered that Eva Gates is the pen name of Vicki Delany. I’ve really enjoyed the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by her, so I decided to try this latest series under her real name. I loved this book! It was engaging, interesting, and well written. A lot of cozy mysteries are a simple escape and not the best writing, but this book was a delight. Set on Cape Cod around a B&B and tea house. A perfect weekend read to escape.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily runs an English tea room on her grandmother Rose's Cape Cod bed and breakfast property. When a sleazy property developer falls to his death on the inn's property, a veteran police detective wants to place the blame on Rose. A newer female detective with Boston roots realizes his laziness and sometimes works behind his back to help achieve a successful outcome. Many people wanted the man dead, and more suspects continue to be unearthed throughout the course of the book. Delany writes with a sophistication that satisfies older cozy lovers but with enough modernity to attract younger cozy fans. The romantic angle exists in this one as it does in many newer cozies, but the mystery is still the star of the book. I began the book in print, but a headache forced me to switch to the audio book after a few chapters. The narrator did a good job with it. I look forward to future installments.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily owns and runs an English tea shop on Cape Cod. Her rather feisty grandmother, Rose, has a B&B there, too, and Lily does the cooking for her as well. Life is busy but good, until a real estate executive threatens their livelihood with a new development. When he turns up dead, the police eye Lily and Rose as people of interest. This book is the beginning of what promises to be a great series. Lily’s friend is a budding writer who has trouble settling on just one story. It will be interesting to see where her quirkiness leads her in the next installment. There is also a bit of a romance blooming with the new gardener. It was an entertaining and fun cozy and will leave readers wanting the next book ASAP.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Campbell, a NY pastry chef, has left the rat race and her rat of a boyfriend, and returned to Cape Cod to open a Tea shop in a small cottage adjacent to her Grandmother Rose's B&B where she also now does the breakfast preparations. Rose has been having an ongoing feud with her neighbor who wants to sell his ancestral home to a developer which would result in a major golf resort smack dab right next to the B&B. When the developer is found dead on Rose's property, Rose is the prime suspect so Lily sets out to clear her name and see what she can do to prevent the sale.This was a good start for a new series. Lily needs to stop get being pushed around by her friend Bernie and her grandmother. Hopefully, that is in the cards for future stories. The setting is beautiful and the food sounds delicious.

[arthistorychick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tea and Treachery by Vicki DelanyBook #1: Tea by the Sea Mystery SeriesSource: NetGalley and KensingtonRating 4½/5 starsIt’s not every day one finds a traditional English tearoom in the United States, but Lily is bound and determined to make her shop, Tea by the Sea a roaring success. With a wide range of culinary skills, beautiful place settings, a plethora of tea, and all the formalities met, Lily is tired but thoroughly pleased with her initial success. If she can pull off a hugely successful and profitable first season, she and her little shop just might make it through the winter and into the next season. When Lily isn’t scurrying around Tea by the Sea and prepping for the next, and the next, and the next event, she is working as the chef at her grandmother’s bead and breakfast. Lily’s grandmother, Rose is a proper Englishwoman with no filter and no edit button. Each morning, Rose watches over the kitchen as her beloved granddaughter churns out a proper English breakfast for her guests. Rose runs a tight ship so when a man turns up dead on her property and Rose is accused of his murder, she has more than a few thoughts to share with the police. To keep her fiery grandmother out of jail, Lily must take on yet another responsibility, poking around into the man’s murder so her grandmother will not. Lily is positive her grandmother had nothing to do with the murder, but her outspoken nature about the area she lives in has caused her to jump to the top of the suspect list. Rose wants nothing to do with big development and she certainly doesn’t want to see the old, ramshackle house next door torn down to make way for an ugly hotel or resort. Rose will have none of her idyllic location and view being spoiled. As Lily begins to poke around, she uncovers all kinds of ugly truths along with bits and pieces of information that are seemingly unconnected. What’s more, she’s got her best-friend egging on and aiding her grandmother in their own investigation and the utterly handsome lawn guy always showing up to rescue her. Between her shop, the B&B, her crazy friends and relatives, and a hot savior lawn keeper, Lily has more than she can handle and if she doesn’t the murder soon, more than a little time in jail is going to come to pass. The Bottom Line: Straight away I knew I was going to enjoy this book. Rose is one feisty old lady and when she has something to say, it just comes right out, totally unfiltered. Even more endearing than Rose’s attitude and mouth is her close relationship with Lily. I also very much enjoyed the overall setting, but particularly the tearoom and the descriptions of all the yummy things Lily turns out for her customers. The plot is quite suitable for a cozy mystery and I found myself simply letting it unfold for me rather than trying to work it out prior to the big reveal. In short, I sank into this read and just let it play out in wonderful fashion. I anticipate many more mysteries and menus for Rose and lily in the future!

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[joannefm2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Campbell has shucked her job as a pastry chef back in Manhattan and moved to Cape Cod to be closer to her grandmother Rose, who runs a B&B by the sea. She's doing what she loves best -- creating delicious delights for her tearoom, Tea by the Sea. But lately there's been a problem: developer Jack Ford wants to buy the Victorian next to Rose's home and turn it into a gigantic golf resort. While both women are against it, Rose is extremely vocal, going so far as to write a letter to the editor about it. When Ford is found dead at the bottom of the stairs on Rose's property, the detective in charge, Williams, is sure that she's done it, and doesn't seem to be looking for anyone else.Luckily - or not so luckily - there's a new detective in town that is listening to Lily, even if she can't do much about it. But Lily, in between trying to run a business and cook breakfast for guests over at the B&B, has her best friend Bertie to help, along with her new British gardener, Simon. While Lily doesn't want to investigate at all, Rose does, and she knows she has to if she's going to keep Rose safe. But will she put her own life in hot water by looking for a killer...This is the first in a new series and I did like it quite a bit; although I felt there were a lot of characters to sift through. There were employees at the B&B and the tearoom that offered up conversation and were ever-present along with the main characters. Then there were the guests at the B&B and the suspects, of which there were many. It was a lot to take in at once, and even with clues, it was difficult to point the finger at any one person for quite awhile. It did feel slightly 'cluttered with characters.'However, I did like the mystery and the way it was carried out, and the descriptions of different types of afternoon teas was very nice. The recipes in the back are a bonus, too. I would have liked to have more description of the seacoast, but perhaps that will be in later books.When we get close to figuring out the murderer, it comes as a surprise right along the time that Lily figures it out, and I'm glad to say that she doesn't panic and is capable of keeping her head while in a dangerous situation. When the ending comes everything comes together nicely, and I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

[rafram-951185 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When real estate developer Jack Ford is found dead on grandmother’s B & B property, tea shop owner Lily Roberts tries to help, but running Tea by the Sea tea shop in tourist season on Cape Cod while keeping her grandmother out of trouble is big job. The police are determined grandmother Rose has committed the crime, so Lily carves out time for some private investigating. Tea & Treachery is first installment in Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Mysteries series published by Kensington Books. The contemporary plot is set in fictional town North Augusta, in Cape Cod. We follow Tea by the Sea tea shop owner Lily Roberts when a murder happens on her grandmother’s B & B property, Victoria by the Sea. The victim is property developer Jack Ford who has made a lot of enemies in the area because of his dodgy business practices. He has tried to force Grandmother Rose Campbell to sell her B & B but Rose has resisted by some intense verbal altercations, so police suspect she has motive for murder. Granddaughter Lily has her hands full, but carves out time to help her grandmother by doing her own private investigation. Soon secrets come to light which changes the case entirely. Main character Lily Roberts is pastry chef and owner of local tearoom. She has grown up in New York, but has recently moved to The Cape to help her grandmother and have a better lifestyle. I liked her a lot, and found her a suitable character to calm her grandmother down.Supporting character Rose Campbell is the temperamental, opinionated and demanding English grandmother who insults the police and not is helping her case at all. She refuses to sell her property because she is passionate about environmental issues. I loved her feisty and eccentric character. She kind of “makes” this story and is my absolute favorite.For me the best part of this story was the vivid nature descriptions of the Cape Cod area which drew me in and made me feel I was actually there. The descriptions of the baking involved in the running of the teashop and the recepies at the back was very enjoyable. I felt the dialogue was light and humorous. A perfect summer read.I felt the worst part was when property developers and council members turned up to force Rose into selling her grand stately home promising her progress, money and jobs. -Whatever would get them the property. I felt bad for Rose, but she certainly didn’t cave. I appreciated the dramatic elementTea & Treachery was an entertaining plot set in The Cape with focus on environmental vs property development issues. Well developed characters and good descriptive writing and dialogue made for a perfect summer read. The ending was a total surprise to me. I suspected plenty of people along the way, but the actual culprit evaded my attention.Fans of Vicki Delany would love this new series. As will readers who enjoy cozy mysteries. Similar authors to explore might be Victoria Gilbert or Kirsten Weiss. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are my own.My Rating: 4 stars / 5Main reasons: entertaining plot, good descriptive writing, surprise ending

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!

[lindapanzo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've enjoyed all of the other Vicki Delany/Eva Gates mysteries I've read. In fact, she is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors of all so I knew I'd be in for a treat when I had the chance to read the first book in Delany's new Tea by the Sea Mysteries series and it most definitely did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it and might go so far as to say it's my favorite cozy mystery series debut of the past few years.Lily owns a traditional English tearoom right near her grandmother's B&B on Cape Cod. While she seems to spend much of her time cooking breakfast for the B&B and baking for the tearoom, Lily manages to solve the crime in this brilliant series debut.Best of all are the absolutely terrific secondary characters. I hope this delightful Tea by the Sea series has a long, long run. Highly recommended!!(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)