3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is the latest installment of the Tea by the Sea mysteries where our main protagonists Lily, Rose, and Bernie along with Matt and Simon are off to England to revisit Rose’s past at Thornecraft Castle. The tea to celebrate Lady Frockmorton promises to be an enjoyable walk down memory lane when a member of her family is murdered and the Frockmorton Sapphires are stolen. Lily and her friends are on the case to solve these mysteries and more.

I enjoyed the different setting of being in England since the continuing deaths in their home can feel unrealistic, but I did miss the familiar connections of the police since the characters struggled to find out information without their usual sources. I love Lily and Simon so I was excited to see them back together and I also enjoyed that Lily took the lead this time around. So often Rose and Bernie seem to bully her into investigating so this was a nice change of pace.

My one gripe with this book was that there weren’t many indications of the killer and seemed to wrap up rather suddenly without anyone seeming to suspect the true culprit. The same seemed to be true about the theft. All in all, I prefer a mystery where the clues are there but don’t make sense until the end, but we don’t really get that here. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early arc. All opinions are my own.

I have been waiting for the next book in this series and it's here! It did not disappoint. It was so fun to be back in the same world with these characters. I can't wait for the next one now!

It was nice to learn more about Rose’s youth and her time as a kitchen maid. The exploration of class dynamics, even in the same family, was interesting. England has such a strict class structure, with those with titles still “lording” it over everyone else.

Look for my full review in Library Journal
----
I enjoyed this novel, my first of the series. I will definitely be going back to read the first 5. Quaint cozy set in England with memorable characters, plot and intrigue.

Lily accompanies her grandmother to England to celebrate the birthday of Elizabeth that her grandmother used to work for. The estate is now a hotel so they are staying there during the festivities. There are many relatives of Elizabeth that want something from her. They all seem to be fighting amongst themselves as well. When one of them dies, Lily becomes a suspect just by chance. She is drawn in to the mystery to help herself. I really liked this book. Seeing the relationship between the two old ladies who came from such different backgrounds but then putting that aside was heartwarming. I was actually surprised by the ending.

The sixth book of the Tea by the Sea series finds Lily, Rose and Bernadette headed to Yorkshire to the manor house where Rose worked as a kitchen maid before she left England for America. They are joining a group of family and friends to honor the matriarch on her 100th birthday. Upon their arrival, they head to a pub for lunch and overhear a conversation which makes them realize that there is sone discord in the family. But, as it is truly none of their business, they go about enjoying their visit. Sadly, during one of the parties, a grandson dies suspiciously while at the same time some priceless jewels turn up missing. As is her nature, Lily becomes involved in the investigation. At times, she is even under suspicion as the perpetrator. This is another well done book by a great author. While NetGalley was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reader copy, the opinion is my own.

#TeawithJamDread #NetGalley sends us across the pond, attending a birthday at Throckmorton House.
Lily's grandmother Rose used to work for the lady of the house, and her 100th birthday celebration has her inviting Rose and Lily, and best friend Bernie to the party.
The entire family is dysfunctional, and everyone is eager to get their hands on a future inheritance, even if that means having to kill someone to get it.
Things get heated when priceless jewelry goes missing and everyone is happy to point fingers at each other.
I really liked this story and I'm thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Tea with Jam and Dread is the latest in the Tea by the Sea mystery series by Vicki Delany. This book finds our five main characters in England at the British estate that Grandma Rose worked at before coming to America. I really enjoyed this book. It had two twisting and turning mysteries that were so much to figure out and kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed many of the new British characters, but I will also be glad when they get back home to familiar characters and settings. The ending was wonderful and cleared up a long running question in the series and I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out! If you enjoy quirky characters, beautiful settings and Ms. Delany’s wonderful writing, you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

This author never disappoints! The book is a delightful entry into the series but it would work well as a standalone also.. Lily, Rose and Bernie head to England and find themselves smack dab in the middle of a murder scene. The plot is full of twists and turns and the large cast of characters provide lots of opportunities for distracting red herrings. A very satisfying cozy read.

This enjoyable entry in the series normally set in Cape Cod sees the usual cast of characters in England. Lily, best friend Bernie, and grandmother Rose return to the manor house where Rose worked decades ago and soon get caught up in family drama, jewelry theft, and murder. While looking into the mysteries, Lily still has time to dig out the status of her relationship with gardener Simon, who has been working in England since leaving Cape Cod months earlier. The mystery is well-plotted and moves along quickly, and it’s all good to see how the main characters’ relationships continue to develop. My only quibbles with the book were what I saw as some inconsistencies in how some characters communicated with each other and the extent to which the main characters feel compelled to put themselves in danger just to satisfy curiosity. Again, though, it’s an enjoyable entry in a good series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.