Vicki Delany, a Canadian crime writer, has written a series of Cozy
Mysteries. A Tea by the Sea Mystery series is one of them. It is a
delightful series featuring Lily Roberts, owner of a Cape Cod Tearoom.
Continuing Characters in the Series
This series takes place on the Outer Cape of Cape Cod facing Cape Cod Bay
where Lily Roberts recently opened an authentic English Tearoom in a
refurbished old stone building located on the property of her grandmother
Rose’s grand old Victorian B & B.
Lily, a professional pastry chef, left the restaurant business in New York
City to realize her dream of owning and operating her own tearoom she named
“Tea by the Sea”. She also helps her 85-year-old grandmother run her B &
B “Victoria-on-Sea” by cooking the breakfast part of the bed & breakfast
early each morning before her tearoom opens at 11:00 A.M.
Lily lives in the guest cottage on the B & B property, along with her
labradoodle Eclair, so named because of the cream stripe that runs through
her curly brown fur. Grandmother Rose has a spoiled cat with the Scottish
name Robert the Bruce (Robbie, for short).
Other continuing characters include Lily’s best friend Bernie (Bernadette),
a forensic accountant who leaves her NYC job to move to Cape Cod for the
summer to write a book. Then there is Simon, the young (and good looking)
Englishman who takes over his uncle’s job as gardener for the extensive
gardens that surround the B & B and tearoom. Lily’s helpers in the
tearoom include Cheryl & Marybeth, mother & daughter, who help run
the tearoom while Lily bakes.
Each of these characters, including the animals, appear throughout the
entire series and lend importance to each storyline.
Because each book seems to include a murder that somehow always involves
Lily and her family & friends, we also get to know the crotchety old
town police detective Chuck Williams - nearing retirement age and rather
lazy - and his new assistant, Detective Amy Redmond, young and experienced
(coming to Cape Cod from the Boston PD), but under the command of Detective
Williams, who tends to narrow his focus to not investigate as well as he
should.
Synopses of this 5 Book Series
Tea & Treachery
A Cape Cod tea shop owner (Lily Roberts) must solve the murder of a local
real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother, Rose, out of a
jam after Rose is accused of the murder.
Murder in a Teacup
Cape Cod tearoom owner/pastry chef, Lily Roberts, gets herself in trouble
when she unknowingly serves one of her grandmother's B&B guests a deadly
cup of tea. Lily has to assume her part-time sleuth role to find the real
killer and save herself.
Murder Spills the Tea
When a popular TV baking show comes to Cape Cod to film at Lily’s charming
tearoom, a celebrity chef and judge is murdered at the tearoom. Having lost
his temper on-camera with a member of Lily's staff, Cheryl Wainwright ends
up a suspect in his murder. Now Lily must investigate to clear her friend’s
name.
Steeped in Malice
Fine English teas are always served in china teacups (never mugs), as
presentation is important. Finding herself low on teacups for her tearoom,
Lily attends an antique show to replace her fragile stock. There she finds a
delightful Peter Rabbit-themed tea set in a wicker basket, perfect for
children’s events.
Days later, a rude woman (Kimberly) arrives at the tearoom to demand the
tea set back. She wants an envelope hidden in the basket’s
lining.
Turns out, the envelope was the last will and testament of Kimberly’s
mother, and changes what an earlier will decreed (leaving Kimberly out of
the inheritance entirely). Meanwhile, Kimberly’s half-sister Rachel is
also looking for the new will. As is Kimberly’s new husband (who just
happens to have been Lily’s former NYC chef boyfriend).
When one of the sisters is found dead on the grounds of the B & B,
naturally Lily, Rose and their friends become involved. A simple case of
greed and too many suspects make for another fun cozy mystery.
The latest (and last book in the series) Book Five, Trouble is Brewing, was just published in 2024.
Trouble is Brewing
Lily’s Cape Cod tearoom hosts a bridal shower for two families who are
staying at Rose’s bed and breakfast. As the gifts are being opened, a
gruesome gift sends the guest of honor screaming in fear.
The shocking gift is just one of many other tensions surrounding the
families of the bride & groom. The mother’s-in-law are sniping at
each other, and the groom's father, Ralph, offers his son a sizable bribe to
call off the wedding.
Then Ralph is murdered and the wedding is postponed. All the members of the
wedding party seem too willing to believe the worst of each other. Since
this involves Lily and Rose, plus the tearoom and B & B, of course Lily
becomes involved.
SUMMARY
Each book in the series is charming. We learn all about the various teas
served in the tearoom, from the simple Cream Tea - Tea & Scones - all
the way to the Royal Tea, which is very fancy indeed, including a
three-tiered tray filled with fancy scones, delectable sandwiches and tiny
tasty desserts. Each book also has recipes at the end for the various
scones, tarts, cupcakes and sandwiches served for these teas.
We also get to know each character individually, including their
interesting personalities, and how they interact with each
other.
I was first drawn to this cozy mystery series because of the name of the
town on Cape Cod used in the stories. Author Delany calls the town ‘North
Augusta’, which immediately caught my attention because I once lived in
North Augusta, South Carolina. North Augusta on Cape Cod is not a real
place, but it is mentioned as being close to North Truro (Cape Cod,
Massachusetts) and turns out to be the perfect location for a mystery
series.
Cozy Mysteries frequently feature an ordinary person who somehow becomes
involved as an amateur sleuth in a crime. They are often a known community
person, such as a librarian, a book store owner, or, as in this series, the
pastry chef of a tearoom, each taking place in a small community.
The Tea by the Sea Mystery Series is absolutely delightful and
filled with characters you will come to love. I highly recommend this Cozy
Mystery series by Vicki Delany.
*A Tea by the Sea series of cozy mysteries review is written by
Wednesday Elf
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