Another advanced reader copy here, from NetGalley, the first in Delaney's Tea by the Sea mysteries set on Cape Cod. Lily Roberts is happy working in her new tea shop set on the shores of the Cape, in a converted gatehouse next to the Victorian bed and breakfast run by her grandmother Rose, a transplanted Englishwoman with an independent streak a mile wide. Lily helps make breakfasts at grandma's B&B in the mornings and then runs the tea shop in the afternoon, a stretch of kitchen work that makes me faint just to think about it. Next to Rose's property is another Victorian seaside home and property, this one crumbling and overgrown, and a local land developer wants to buy the property to set up a humongous hotel/golf course/resort that will, of course, destroy the tranquility of both the tea shop and the B&B.

And then the land developer meets his death falling off the sea wall near Rose's property. And of course the stupid chief of police suspects that this feisty, but 80+ year-old woman is the main suspect, although his new assistant from Boston doesn't.

I admit, I picked this to read because takes place "just up the road apiece" from my old home town. And yep, this one hits all the cozy cliches: talented protagonist who moved back home from the big city because her boyfriend was a louse; her quirky best friend Bernadette (call her "Bernie") who's a writer in search of a subject (and cute guys), a tea shop and a B&B with cute names, the standard stupid police officer who couldn't find a black cat on a snow field, a cute pet with a cute name (this one's a labradoodle named "Eclair"), the by-now requisite cute guy (the gardener, who—amazing!—also has baking experience so he can help Lily). And then there's Grandma Rose. I liked her the first few chapters and then finished the book being totally annoyed by her selfish, self-serving ways. It's not bad enough Lily works like a dog cooking breakfast and then making teas—Rose is "do this, check out that, make sure of this..." How annoying can you get?

The mystery was adequate, and I liked Lily and Bernie, but Grandma Rose got on my nerves. (Also, Simon the gardener looked like he was picked up from Central Casting for a Hallmark movie. He gardens AND can bake? Is this a mystery or a fantasy?)

This is a new series by the talented Vicki Delany and it is very enjoyable! Lily moves to Cape Cod to help her grandmother run her B&B and she opens her own Tea shop. Lily's friend Beatrice (Bertie) is visiting for the summer to write a book. Rose, Lily's grandmother is quite a character. The B&B gets a new gardener, Simon. An unpopular local real estate developer wants to buy the land next door to the B&B and tea shop and he wants to build a big golf resort which Lily and Rose oppose. Then he ends up dead and Rose is a suspect. Lily, Bertie, and Rose work together to find out what happened to the man. Actually Rose and Bertie are the instigators. The cozy mystery kept me guessing for most of the book. My only comment is that Lily is a bit overbearing at times with her workers and Bertie but at other times she appreciates them. There aren't too many suspects which is nice. Overall, it is a wonderful start to a new series! #NetGalley. #TeaTreachery

Tea and Cape Cod? I’m all in.

This was actually my first Vicki Delaney book and I truly enjoyed it! The first in a series, it introduces us to the main characters, particularly Lily who owns a tearoom and finds herself trying to figure out who killed a real estate developer at her grandmother’s B&B. Lily’s grandmother becomes a suspect because she was refusing to sell her property. Rose, her grandmother, is spunky and opinionated which is making her a prime suspect.

I liked Lily’s character and the details in the story about how to serve tea and all the tea etiquette. There’s a hint of a romance too.

Something I always look for in cozy mysteries is the sense of place. Cape Cod is described very well here, and as someone who has been there multiple times, I can picture the scenery perfectly by the description of it in the book.

The only negative for me was that Rose got on my nerves a bit. I know we’re meant to think she’s temperamental but it was a little over the top.

Overall, great start to the series.

A delightful first edition to a new series. A great cast of characters, a picturesque setting, and a fun mystery that keeps you guessing! I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for this series!

This is a good start to a new series. The plot is well-developed with a good bit of misdirection place throughout. The setting is charming. The characters are well developed and mostly likable. Although I have to admit, there is a couple of characters that I just haven’t warmed up to yet. I hope this changes over the series. Overall this was an entertaining read.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and fair review. I really enjoyed this book. The author created a B & B and tea house that was so inviting and well described that I would love to visit. The characters were well described and the number of characters were manageable in the beginning of the book but became a bit unwieldy by the end of the book. I feel that a few ends were left untied and would have liked answers to the pending questions.

I will enjoy continuing this series as they come out.

I just loved this charming book with its fusion of Anglo American culture. As proprietor and chef at the authentic Tea by the Sea tearooms, Lily has a busy enough schedule but throw in a murder on her doorstep, a feisty octogenarian grandmother who is a prime suspect for his murder and you have a recipe for a perfect page turner whodunnit, The characters of pithy grandmother, Rose, sweet though determined Lily and would be author Bernie are beautifully drawn plus we have a few handsome men for love interest! I love the easy narrative, the mix of gossipy local interest, the thrill of a murder mystery and the recipes (which I can confirm taste as good as they sound!) All in all, a delightful book with a good story confidently told and a perfect summer read.

It was a wonderful surprise to find out Delany had a new series out! And it's a tea room by the sea.


Lily Robers is one busy lady! As the owner and head pastry chef at her little tea room Tea by the Sea, you can have traditional English Tea and a view of Cape Cod. She is always running between her grandmother, Rose's Bed, and Breakfast which she helps out in the mornings.


Rose is one great character. She may be elderly but she isn't dead yet and until she is she will fight with all of her might to not let the sketchy Jack Ford buy the property next door to put up some golf course/resort. For a small old lady, she is not one to mess with.


Everyone thinks there is something fishy about Jack so it seems appropriate that he is found dead on the beach having fallen down the stairs on Rose's property. 


It looks like the police are railroading Rose and not looking anywhere else. But boy oh boy are there a lot of places to look! No one liked this man. NO. ONE. A con man and a slimeball, there are so many suspects Lily may never get her Grandmother out of hot water!


This is the first in a new series. And I loved every minute of it. The characters are so well done and I can't wait for the next one!


NetGalley Reviews/July 28th, 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Another great cozy by Vicki Delany.. This one is about a murder committed on the property of a tea shop owner. Very enjoyable .

“Tea & Treachery” by Vicki Delany the first instalment in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries. This was a great start to a new series and one that I will be adding to my favourites.

As my friends all know I love the sea and anything British so combining a seaside locale with and English B&B and a traditional English Tea Shoppe I knew I had to read this book. I am so glad I did!

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one go yesterday. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few romantic sparks. I loved Robert the Bruce and Éclair. They are just so adorable!

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the main character of Lily. Her Gran Rose could be a bit abrasive but I think over time we will see that in reality the people around her (staff) do in fact like her and know she does have a heart underneath. Growing up with British patents my mums favorite line as she got older was I’m British get over it... this was because to people who didn’t know her she could come across as opinionated, arrogant etc. even though it was furthest thing from the truth. So with that said I just envisioned Rose as being an even stronger version of her.

Her BFF Bernie was very flighty and couldn’t seem to make her mind up about her goals but when it came to helping Rose she was steadfast and always there.

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

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.

TEA & TREACHERY, the first book in the brand new A Tea by the Sea Mystery series, by Vicki Delany, is a delightful start! A Victorian B & B, a traditional English tearoom, a decrepit neighboring house, and a shady real estate developer blend together for an enjoyable cozy read. Protagonist, Lily Roberts runs the teashop, Tea by the Sea, on property holding the B & B, Victoria-on-Sea, which is owned and operated by her grandmother. I’ve been a longtime fan of Ms. Delany and love the way she can bring her settings and characters to life. While I’ve never been to the Cape Cod area, I feel like I can smell the salty air and hear the crashing waves. Lily bakes mouthwatering treats for her tearoom and the descriptions are drool worthy. I also appreciated the tidbits of tea facts woven into the story including varieties and how the tastes differ. It’s obvious that much research has gone into the book, making both tearoom food and the signature beverage realistic.

Lily is a dedicated, hardworking tearoom owner and spends most of her time baking delectable goodies along with cooking for her grandmother’s B & B guests. Her best friend, Bernie, is an aspiring writer – she’s enthusiastic and larger than life, which brings some humor to the story, especially as she throws her writing ideas around. Lily’s English-born grandmother, Rose, could be described as feisty. Lily describes her as a little too opinionated and interfering but unfortunately I found her mostly abrasive and self-centered which detracted a bit from the enjoyment of the story as it unfolded.

Despite that, the mystery plot is strong and well-paced and it doesn’t come as a surprise when law enforcement fixates on Rose when the shady real estate developer is found murdered on her property. Rose doesn’t help matters either as the investigation unfolds and she gets herself into deeper trouble. Lily, despite not wanting to get involved and is up to her ears in scone dough practically 24 hours a day, gets pulled into clearing her grandmother’s name. After all, what does it hurt to ask a few questions around town? There are plenty of suspects and both Bernie and Rose get involved in trying to figure out the culprit. But it’s Lily who ends up confronting the killer in an edge-of-your-seat reveal. Ms. Delany has proven once again to be a master storyteller and delivered an engaging cozy mystery to whet readers’ appetite!

With Lily creating so many amazing tearoom treats, I would have been disappointed had there not been recipes. Fortunately, Ms. Delany delivers and they all sound fantastic!

I love a cozy mystery and this is a delightful start to a new series. As the first book, there was a bit more emphasis placed on setting up the backdrops of an adorable tearoom and B & B on Cape Cod as well as introducing the various characters. Lily's a trained pastry chef who's helping her feisty grandmother Rose at her B & B as well as running her own little tearoom. Of course, things don't go smoothly for them, what with the suspicious death of a developer who wants to rezone the land next door to build a hotel that would disrupt their peace and quiet. Rose becomes a suspect in a lazy police investigation, so it's up to Lily, Rose, and some friends to figure out what really happened before Rose loses everything. As a tea lover and baker, I found all the little bits about various teas and the foods that should accompany them so much fun. I'm definitely going to be trying the scone recipe that's in the back of the book! The mystery was fun, but as I mentioned earlier, there were so many characters introduced to build up the community and it was a bit distracting. With that out of the way, though, I think the next book will be even better and I'm looking forward to it!

This was a quick, light read. I’ve read other books by Vicki Delaney and enjoyed them, this is another great book! I will most likely buy it as a gift!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. Tea by the Sea is a fun mystery and a great start to a new series by Ms. Delaney. This is the first summer that Lily Roberts is operating her tearoom. It’s in a building adjacent to her grandmother, Rose’s B&B, so Lily can keep an eye on Rose. The large, dilapidated house next door is potentially being rezoned for a resort to Rose’s dismay. Then one of the people working on the rezoning dies at the gate to Rose’s part of the beach. Since Rose and her neighbor disagreed, quite vocally, about the estate’s future, she becomes a prime suspect to the questionably competent Detective Williams. Luckily, a new female detective joined the local force, which also doesn’t make Det. Williams very happy. Given the situation, Rose decides to solve the murder, aided by Lily’s best friend, Bernadette. Once those two get together, Lily knows she’d better help, or things may never get back to normal. The arrival of two interesting men adds a hint of romance to the story. I highly recommend this mystery and am really looking forward to the next in the series.

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 tea shop 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 element.

Tea & 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 / 5
Main reasons: entertaining plot, good descriptive writing, surprise ending

This was a really fun read. Good mystery. Some of the characters are pretty strange and/or downright crazy, but it was a fun read. I adored Lily, but found Rose rather unlikeable and Bernie somewhat annoying at times. I know that Lily and Rose have a strange relationship, but hearing Lily refer to her grandmother as Rose instead of grandma or something of the sort was just odd. Each to their own, I guess. This should be a fun series!

I love this new series, Tea by the Sea by Vicki Delaney! The cast of characters are interesting and quickly became friends I want to spend more time with. As a tea lover I also appreciated learning a bit about the origins of “high tea” and the proper definition of “afternoon tea”. In Tea and Treachery, Lily Roberts is enjoying her new tearoom,, Tea by the Sea’s first summer on Cape Cod. She operates her tearoom right next to a B&B that is owned by her Grandmother, Rose. After an unfortunate death occurs on Rose’s property, Rose becomes the prime suspect In the eyes of a crooked, or perhaps just incompetent Police Detective Williams. Lily does not set out to solve the murder. She’s content running and enjoying Tea by the Sea’s first summer as well as helping Rose staff the B&B. Not content to leave it to the police, Rose and Lily’s best friend, Bernadette, “Bernie, “ decide to do all they can to help get Rose cleared and the mystery solved. So naturally as any good granddaughter would do Lily Is compelled to join in to keep her grandmother and best friend safe. Lily, however, Is the one who ends up facing danger head on as the true facts of the murder begin revealing themselves to her. There is a hint of possible romance and a host of intriguing guests and community members who keep the mystery going until the very end. This was an engaging, fast paced mystery and I’m looking forward to the next!

Lovely! Vicki Delany's books are always a slam dunk! I love this location that this new series takes place in. You can really picture it in your mind. Lily and her grandmother are great characters. I am anxiously anticipating the next book in this series!

The writing is very good, there's just too much of it. Especially the beginning is very slow, and even though the serving of tea is interesting, there's a lot of unnecessary stuff, like what the guests are ordering. But this is a true cozy mystery, and good entertainment.

I am a big Vicky Delany fan and I love the Cape and tea so I couldn't wait to read this book.

Lily Roberts moved to the Cape to open up a tea room that is adjacent to her grandmother's B&B. Lily is joined by her grandmother Rose and her best friend Bernie who has come to the Cape to become a writer.

When the property next door to the B&B is up for rezoning the owner wants to sell to an obnoxious developer. When he ends up dead at the bottom of the cliff behind Roes's B&B it doesn't look good for her. She had already gone to the newspaper with a unpleasant article about the deceased. And the cop on the case is potentially crooked or lazy has it in for Rose. So Lily and crew must work fast to catch a killer before Rose is found guilty. But with their sleuthing it looks like more people had it in for the guy.

This book was a fast pace read with twists and turns to keep you guessing.
With Bernie and her ever changing book idea's and all the the delicious treats that Lily and her new tea room has to offer I can't wait to come back.

I can't wait for the next book in this series.