Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is the debut novel in A Tea by the Sea Mystery series. Tea & Treachery is set in Cape Code, Massachusetts where Rose Campbell, Lily's grandmother, settled after the death of her husband. She purchased a large Victorian home on the cliffs above the sea which provides her with a beautiful view and plenty of peace. When Lily saw the little cottage on the property, she thought it was the perfect place for a tea shop which has been her dream. When not busy whipping up delectable delights and tea for Tea by the Sea, Lily is helping her grandmother with the bed and breakfast. I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and provide beautiful descriptions of the B&B, tea shop, Lily's little cottage, and the beautiful gardens. I could just imagine strolling along through the gardens and hearing the waves below. There are great facts about the history of tea, the various teas Lily's serves, and food Lily's whips up. It was interesting to learn about the different types of teas, and how tea time started. The mystery had a variety of suspects from the mayor, the victim's wife, the mistress, to the son of the man trying to unload the land next to Rose. If you pay close attention to the details, this whodunit can be solved before the reveal. I liked that the mystery had a good wrap up (no questions left unanswered). The new head gardener, Simon McCracken seems to have taken a liking a Lily. There was some mild flirting between Lily and Simon. Bernie Murphy, Lily's writer friend, provided humor while Éclair, Lily's labradoodle, gave readers cuteness. Rose, Lily's grandmother, was a hard character to like. She is stubborn, feisty, set in her ways, selfish, and opinionated. I found her frustrating with her "its my way or its my way" approach. Rose and Bernie together were a bit much. I hope both women will grow on me in future books. Also, Lily need to develop a backbone and learn to say no, or her grandmother will run roughshod over her. Tea & Treachery is an easy to read book and a good start to this new cozy mystery series. There are recipes at the end for coconut cupcakes, scones, and tea bath salts. Tea & Treachery is an engaging cozy mystery with tempting tea treats, a scarcity of scones, a dead developer, curious clues, shaky steps, a whimsical writer, and a burdened baker.