Vicki Delany continues Tea by the Sea mysteries in Tea with Jam & Dread in which Lily Roberts leaves her Cape Cod tearoom to accompany her grandmother to England to celebrate the Countess of Throckmorton's 100th birthday. The latter had been a maid to the the Countess. The two are dropped into a family spat over who will control the estate after the countess dies. At the celebratory tea for the countess, her grandson Julien drops dead from a poisoned sandwich. Then a famous necklace of diamonds and sapphires which the countess intends to sell to support the estate goes missing. The police give Lily and the hotel(Throckmorton mansion) staff a tough time. Lily starts to sleuth; what can go wrong. Mayhem and mystery in this enchanting cozy.

I love this series so much and I loved how this latest addition took us back to Rose’s native England. The mystery was interesting and I loved the twist for the killer you didn’t see coming. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lily and the Tea by the Sea gang.

I enjoyed the suspenseful moments of this book and the idyllic setting of England. That was quite fun! However, overall, this book wasn’t for me. It was very slow in pacing and felt like not a lot happened. Plus, the ending was not my cup of tea. The murderer just gives himself up and I felt that to be a bit unrealistic. I think I may have enjoyed the book a bit more if I would have started with Book #1 instead of #6 because the characters felt a bit flat. However, I think this might be because I started in the middle of the series and not in the foundational first book. For fans of afternoon tea, slow mysteries, and England, you might enjoy this. I will certainly acknowledge that I am a tad more picky than the average reader because I minored in Writing, so I took lots of editing/writing classes. I look for certain criteria in books. Other readers may highly enjoy this!

I enjoyed the latest book in the series. Lily, grandma Rose, BFF Bernie (and her boyfriend) take a trip to England for the 100th birthday party of Roses' former boss. As always with this series, the book moves at a fast pace. There is a murder and stolen jewels and Lily and Bernie question lots of suspects. It was fun having the characters is England. Another good book in the series. I'm looking forward to the next.

In book 6 of this series, Lily, her grandmother Rose, and her best friend Bernie are visiting England. It's the Dowager Countess of Throckmorton's 100th birthday, and Rose, the former housemaid for the Countess, has been invited to the party. The love interests for Lily and Bernie, Simon and Matt, are also in England, so the whole gang is on hand when things begin to go wrong.

The famous Throckmorton jewels are stolen, and then a guest at the party dies after eating an allergic reaction . . . from a sandwich that Lily made! Everyone kicks their amateur sleuthing into high gear, with the added fun of being in a different country and having different police to help/annoy.

This book is one of my favorites in the series. We do get to see a different side to some of the characters, especially Lily and Rose. Rose is back home, and quickly becomes good friends with the Dowager Countess. Lily is out of her comfort zone, including driving on the "wrong" side of the road. It's fun to see the two of them work to solve the mysteries in these very different circumstances.

The mystery solution is satisfying as always in a Vicki Delany book. Fans of the series will be happy with this story, and this is probably a good book to start with in you don't want to go back to the beginning of the series. The different setting, environment, and British characters make this story just enough different that you can jump right in without having to know much about the previous books. Those previous books, though, are well worth going back to read!

This is a cute cozy set in Yorkshire, England. Lily's grandmother Rose has been invited to the 100 birthday celebration of Lady Frockmorton, a former employer. Rose is in her 80's so Lily goes along to help. Plus he boyfriend is in Yorkshire as well. He best friend Bernie comes along as well. At the celebration, the next-in-line grandson is killed. At the same time, the Frockmorton Sapphire and Diamond necklace and earrings disappear. Are the two crimes related? Who would do this? The local pediatrician, the farrier, one of the family. Lily, Rose, and Bernie has been know to stick their noses in investigations back in Cape Cod. This is no different. Lots of suspects, but everyone is so nice.

I enjoyed this story. It was fun and kept me guessing. The writing style is easy-to-read and the characters are fun.

It’s been nearly 70 years since Lily Roberts’ grandmother Rose worked as a maid in England’s Thornecroft Castle, leaving for America at the age of 22 to marry a young American man. Rose has been invited back to attend the 100th birthday of Lady Elizabeth Crawford, Dowager Countess of Frockmorton, who is celebrating the event at what is now the Thornecroft Castle and Hotel. Even though the family was forced to convert the castle into a hotel to stay afloat, the Thornecrofts and Frockmorton relatives are already planning for what remains of their inheritances. Rose herself shows no sign of slowing down and continues her exuberant, abundantly accessorized fashion sense, but her granddaughter Lily and Lily’s friend Bernadette Murphy have been invited along as guests to assist in the long trip over. The chance for the Tea by the Sea tea shop owner to sample authentic English tea and treats may have been a teeny factor as well, with Lily even taking the opportunity to jump in and help when the Thornecroft Castle kitchen is overwhelmed with demands. It seems that some of the (very) distant royals maintain their aristocratic attitudes, looking down upon the peasantry and upstart Americans. So when the Birthday Dowager’s grandson drops dead after lamenting the costs of her big celebration, it doesn’t take long for the Detective Inspectors to suspect a class-motivated murder. The theft of jewels worth millions casts even more suspicion upon Lily and her friends, leading her to once again delve into a criminal case to clear her name and ensure a safe trip home.

Despite this being the 6th in the series, the new location makes it the perfect entry for new readers. While fans may miss the New England setting, enough of the Cape Cod’s residents are along for the ride to please longtime readers of this series. Bernie continues her rather scattered attempt to write a historical novel, as the trip has her now contemplating the addition of an English element. Initially there is an abundance of Thornecroft Castle guests and staff characters to sort out, but it doesn’t take long for them to be as familiar as those back in the States. The writing flows smoothy and readers will be caught up in the family dramas and their attempt to hold onto their aristocratic status. As modern as some of them may be, there is still a reluctance to give up the Upstairs versus Downstairs mentality. Fun for readers as well will be Lily’s and Rose’s enjoyment of traditional English meals, although Bernie may soon realize that Blood Pudding is not an actual dessert. Lily herself is faced with making a decision of her own with Simon, as she’s not sure whether she can commit to a long-distance relationship or admit that she needs more. The reliable and always entertaining author continues to engage readers with a cozy setting and very complicated, compelling characters. This is another winning entry in the tastiest of series.

Lily Roberts, her friend Bertie & her grandmother Rose leave their New England B&B to attend the 100th birthday party of Elizabeth, dowager countess of Frockmorton. Rose had worked at Thorncliffe House as a maid & has been invited to the festivities. Lily is also looking forward to meeting up with her gardener boyfriend Simon who is currently working in England.

But the festivities are interrupted when Elizabeth's brash grandson Julien dies from an allergic reaction after eating one of Lily's coronation chicken sandwiches. Also, the priceless Frockmorton Sapphires that we worn by Elizabeth the night before have vanished.

To stop being considered a suspect, Lily, Rose & Bertie must come up with the real motive behind the murder & jewel theft. This was a good story but I prefer the books set back at the Tea By The Sea.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the book, although there is a section where it felt like they were just going in circles. The mystery of the jewels is very well done & totally distracts from the murder. #TeawithJam&Dread #NetGalley

This is the sixth book in the charming Tea By The Sea series. I have enjoyed the entire series. Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity. My review is my own opinion.
This is such a a exceptional addition to the series. I loved the setting of England and how the author captured the culture perfectly. The English characters were so fun to read. A mysterious murder occurs and our favorite protagonist is already a suspect after arrival. The sleuth was excellent with red herrings abound until conclusion. A fun read and enjoyable addition to the series.

What a fun change of scenery for the book. It was great to see the 5 core characters together outside of Tea by the Sea even if they are still sleuthing instead of vacationing.

This story had a large and complicated investigation. There were many family members with motives to murder. I was surprised and disappointed in the reveal, not that reveal itself, but the who.

While the English Countryside is always a great place to visit, I am looking forward to being back in the tea shop.

Tea with Jam and Dread is the sixth cozy mystery in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries series. Lily is in England with her grandmother, Rose, for the hundredth birthday party for Elizabeth, the dowager countess of Frockmorton and Rose’s former boss. The celebration is brought to a halt when Elizabeth’s grandson is murdered. Now, in order to clear her own name Lili jumps into the investigation ready to get to the bottom of it and go home.

I always find this to be an enjoyable series and this was another good cozy mystery installation. I liked how we got to visit England and see more of Rose’s past on this book. The mystery was fun and kept me guessing through the book. I liked Elizabeth the other new side characters in this book, but really enjoyed our course characters who all made an appearance even though this book was set over seas. I had a fun time reading this book and look forward to seeing what comes next for Lily!

I have struggled with this series [and its overly-dramatic narration; are we from England? Massachusetts? Someplace that doesn't exist anywhere on earth?] from the beginning, but I just kept hoping that they would get [for me] better.

Sigh.

This one just didn't work for me. Everything was just SO. DRAMATIC. [again, the narration enhances this and I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I rolled my eyes over the very dramatic "English" accents {again, are they really English accents? Or just really staccato American? WHO knows?], the killer was easily identified [very early for me, even with the abundance of red herrings, some good, some not so], the secondary mystery was also easily solved, and overall, it just became a tedious story that I was so happy to have finished and I was left both disappointed and pretty sure that I am officially finished with this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vicki Delany, and Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was new to Vicki Delany's Tea by the Sea series of which Tea with Jam & Dread is the sixth book in the series. Most are set in Cape Code where Lily Roberts owns a tea shop next door to her grandmother's Bed & Breakfast. However, in this novel, Lily along with her grandmother Rose and best friend head to England for a special 100th birthday gala for Rose's former employer and dear friend Elizabeth, the dowager countess of Frockmorton, whose family's castle is now running a hotel. Elizabeth's family are loath to lose their blood blood status which provides plenty of drama. When there is first a murder and then a missing priceless necklace the trip becomes even more exciting than Lily could have ever imagined.

I enjoyed the vivid way that Delany brings the setting to life and gives us an interesting postcard view of Yorkshire. I plan to check out other books in the series. If like me you are charmed by this story, Delany has written several other mystery series including The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries, The Year Round Christmas Mysteries, the Constable Molly Smith Mysteries and the Ashley Grant Series.

“Tea with Jam and Dread”, the sixth book in Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Cozy Mystery Series, takes tearoom owner Lily Roberts, her grandmother Rose, and friends away from Cape Cod to England so Rose can attend the 100th birthday party of her former employer Ellizabeth, dowager countess of Frockmorton. Lily simply wants to enjoy the party, get some ideas for her tearoom, visit her boyfriend, and do some sightseeing. Those hopes are dashed when someone is killed during Lily’s visit and Lily finds herself one of the suspects. Lily and company scramble to solve the murder but need to be careful they don’t become victims themselves.

Tea with Jam and Dread is a nicely done cozy mystery. It took me a few chapters to adjust to the new setting, and a huge cast of characters (there is a much appreciated list of characters at the front of the book), but once I did I really enjoyed it. Elizabeth was a nice addition to the book and it was fun to read as she and Rose reminisced about the “old days” – their relationship was an interesting one. The other characters were also interesting as were the descriptions of England and the food Lily and gang ate (even blood sausage!). There are two mysteries in the book – the murder and a jewelry theft – and both are done equally well. The large cast of characters means there are plenty of suspects in both and readers will have fun trying to figure out who is guilty. All in all a fun read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany has Lily Roberts along with her grandmother, Rose and Lily’s friend, Bernie, heading to England for a special birthday celebration. I like Lily and her over-the-top grandmother, Rose (I wish Lily had a little of her joie de vivre). I admit that I am not a fan of Bernie (I keep hoping she will get killed off). I enjoyed the change of scenery. I loved the picturesque descriptions of Thornecroft Castle and the surrounding area. I wish the trio had been staying in the older portion of the house instead of the new wing. The author laid the foundation for the whodunit first with the crime taking place a third of a way into the story. I liked that there were two mysteries to solve. I thought the solution to one was clever. The stories pacing, though, could have been peppier with fewer repetitive details. I appreciated the list of characters at the beginning of the book. While Tea with Jam & Dread is the sixth A Tea by the Sea Mystery, it can be read as a standalone as the author provides all the necessary background information. Tea with Jam & Dread is a castle cozy with a birthday bash, mouthwatering meals, squabbling successors, an odd death, probing police, stolen sapphires, and a chance for romance.

Fun, lighthearted, and quick read! I enjoyed the characters and the setting was wonderful! Those are the two most important things I look for in a cozy mystery. The murder and mystery itself are also important and those worked for me in this book too! This was my first book to read by this author and in the series but I can see myself reading more in the future.

Tea with Jam & Dread is out now! Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for my e-arc!

Reading Tea with Jam & Dread, the sixth entry in the Tea by the Sea cozy mystery series, is like slipping on a warm robe on a chilly winter day. It’s comforting and lets you forget all the troubling “fake” news of late.

In the book, Cape Cod tearoom proprietor Lily, her best female friend Bernie, and grandmother Rose are all off on a trip to England. During a birthday party there, gems are stolen and someone dies mysteriously while implicating Lily in the crime. The usual hijinks ensue.

It always feels like I am reading a letter from old friends when reading this series. The change of venue to England makes Tea with Jam & Dread an exciting read while still remaining comfortably familiar. If you like cozies, this series is always a great choice. 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for providing me with an advanced review copy.

“ Tea with Jam & Dread ” by Vicki Delany the 6th instalment in the “Tea by the Sea Mysteries”. I’m never disappointed when I pick up one of Vicki Delany’s books. Cape Cod tearoom owner Lily Roberts leaves New England for old England to attend a party for an aristocratic centenarian—but what goes on there is anything but noble . . .

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading in couple days. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and delectable food.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and kept me guessing till the very end. I love the main character of Lily, her grandmother Rose, Simon, and her BFF Bernie.

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

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.

Lily, Rose, and Bernie are off to England. Rose has been invited to the 100th birthday party of her former employer. Rose worked in the kitchen of the local estate before she met her husband and moved to the US. Lily and Rose are both hoping for some time with their boyfriends who are England working. Elizabeth has turned the estate home into a fairly successful inn. Her family is a mixture of squabbling adults. Lily invites herself into helping in the kitchen the day of the celebration. During the tea, one of the son’s has an allergic attack and dies. When Elizabeth returns to her room the Frockmorton sapphires are missing. Lily and Bernie find themselves trying to dove this dual mystery. Once again this book is a great mystery with some wonderful friends. #netgalley.