Vicki Delany does a great job in writing a great mystery by the sea. I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed figuring out what was going on in this world. The characters felt like they were supposed to and enjoyed going on this journey with them.

This book was okay, but I figured who murderer was almost as soon as that person appeared. I enjoy the characters and it’s fun to catch up with them.

Another fun entry in Delany’s Tea Shop series. This one is filled with family secrets and lots of red herrings. As always, the teas are described in delicious detail and recipes are included.

Trouble by the Sea is the 5th book in the Tea by the Sea series. It takes place in the town of North Augusta on Cape Cod. Lilly Roberts is the main character who owns and baker of Tea by the Sea tearoom. She lives in a cottage on her grandmother's Rose Campbell's property. Rose owns Victoria-on-Sea a B&B known for their gardens. Simon is the gardener who takes care of them as well as dating Lily. Bernadette (Bernie) Murphy is Lili's friend who lives close by who use to be a forensic accountant at a major manhatten criminal law firm. She is trying to write a novel. She is dating, Lincoln Badwell, an international best selling true-crime author. Cheryl and Marybeth, mother and daughter worked for Lily at the tearoom. Edna Harkness works at the BI&B as kitchen assistant and breakfast waitress. She is married to the newspaper editor.

The Reynold family has rented rooms for their son, Gregg's wedding. He is engaged to Hannah Hill. They had met at a party at college and fell in love, She and her mother, Jenny Hill are staying at a motel. Jenny use to date and was engaged to Ralph Reynolds before she married her husband, Max. Max worked for Reynold's Tools before his death. Sophie Reynolds was having and paying for a wedding shower at the tearoom. The Reynold's are very weathy and the Hills are not. Sophie and her husband were not happy that Gregg was marrying Hannah, Also at the B&B were her husband, Ralph, daughter McKenzie, son, Ivan and her mother-in-law, Regina Reynolds. She is really the owner of Reyhold's Tool. Her grandfather starhted it. She is the one with the money. Regina and Sophia dislike each other. All was going well with the shower until the last gift was opened. It was a raggedy ann doll with her head cutoff. All havac ensued. Hannah upset that she left the party. Her father gave her the same doll just before he died when she was 10. She loved the doll and put it away when she went to college. Dave is the best man who works with Gregg. Samantha Dowling is there as maid of honor. She is staying at the motel with the Hill family.

The next day Ralph did not come down for breakfast. Sophie was concerned so she asked Lily to open his door and they found him dead. Lili called 911 to report the death. Amy Redmond Chuck Williams both detectives arrived. Lily has had dealings with both of them before.
Ralph died of a heart attack which the pathologist thinks it was brought on by the drug Digoxin. It was found in the liquor bottle by his bed. Because of his death the wedding has been cancelled.

The other guests at the B&B are four woman who are there on a bridge getaway. Williams and Redmond keep going back to the inn to question the family. Regina has accused Sophia of killing her husband.

A lot is going on to put all down on paper, I will let the reader enjoy the book to the surprising ending of who killed Ralph and why. The ending of the story is Rose gets an invitation from Elizabeth, the dowager countess of Frockmorton for her 100th birthday. She misses all that worked for her and wanted to see them again. Rose tells Lily about it and asks her to join her. Simon will be back at Englandl over the winter. His town is close to where the birthday will be celebrated, Castle Thornecroft.

I enjoyed this story with all of it's twists and turns. I look forward to the next adventure that Lily. Rose and Bernie go on. Will it be when they go to England?

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of TROUBLE IS BREWING (Book 5 of the Tea by the Sea mystery series) by Vicki Delany in exchange for an honest review. Lily Roberts is happy to host the occasional special event at her tea shop, but this time, the bridal party brings trouble. First, the bridal shower ends in an uproar when the bride opens a scary gift. Second, the families of the bride and groom have history, and the groom’s family disapprove of the bride’s family in both action and manner. Third, the groom’s father is murdered in Rose’s inn. It looks like the groom’s family will get at least a temporary respite from the nuptials, but no one is happy about the price. Once again, everyone must work together to identify the killer before all of the guests leave town.

I liked the book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries set in coastal towns featuring inns, tea shops, gardens, animal friends, grandmothers, and very naughty guests.

#TroubleIsBrewing #NetGalley

Trouble Is Brewing by Vicki Delany is a great cozy mystery that is the fifth book in A Tea By the Sea Mystery series.

I really have enjoyed this series and have read all the books thus far. I would most definitely read the book in order as it really helps give context and background of the current relationships of the character cast.

Lily is a fun main character. She seems passionate about her tearoom and baking, and is loyal and relatable. She is also realistic and the occasional one-liners within her dialogue and thoughts always make me chuckle.

The murder/ mystery was entertaining and engaging and I will most certainly read more from this series.

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 7/23/24.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Hosting a shower turns out to be a nightmare affair. The last gift to be unwrapped is a gruesome Raggedy Ann doll from an unknown giver which triggers the last gift her father gave her.

Later on Lily overhears the groom’s father trying to talk his son to call off the wedding. All is not what it seems as things start to get suspicious. Once again she’ll have to figure out what is going on to save a wedding. It is a delightful addition in the series.

#TroubleIsBrewing #NetGalley is another great book in this series, featuring Lily, a wonderful brewer of tea and baker.
Lily owns a little tea shop next to her grandmothers bed and breakfast, and hosting a bridal shower sounds simple enough.
Unfortunately, this group of families and friends has a lot of secrets, and when someone ends up dead, Lily works hard to identify the perpetrator.
I've really grown to love this series, the books are well written andthe recipes included always sound delicious.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This is the fourth of a series but I had no trouble enjoying it as a standalone mystery. Set on Cape Cod at a B&B, that the main character and her grandmother, this mystery was stocked with interesting unlikable characters (including the corpse) to keep the reader guessing as to who committed the crime. There is baking involved with recipes at the end, which is a nice addition. The grandmother is a particularly eccentric interesting character as is the MC's best friend, Bernie. I would recommend this to readers of cozy mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I do enjoy my cozy mysteries, and Vicki Delany's Tea by the Sea series are an excellent collection of stories by Vicki Delany. Eastern Massachusetts coast. Feels a bit British given the protagonist's grandmother is from England. Bed and Breakfast and Tea Shoppe. Toss in a bridal party shower and the subsequent murder of one family member and you've got all the necessary ingredients for a delectable tale. In this Capulet and Montague-esque story, we learn of lost loves, affairs, failing businesses, and misguided love. Who dies, who lives? Good questions... Delany always delivers a poignant and clever story, and I have fun solving the case on my own. I picked the killer this time, and I kinda knew why but there were some other things going on. Definitely recommended!

Lily has her tea room restaurant near her grandmother's B&B on Cape Cod. Hosting a bridal shower at first seems fun, but when the father of the groom is found dead the mystery is on. A good cozy mystery series, and this one is no exception.Highly recommend.