Trouble Is Brewing - (Tea by the Sea Mysteries) by Vicki Delany

About the Book

"Members of the Reynolds and Hill families are staying at Lily's grandmother's bed and breakfast, and now they've gathered at Tea by the Sea to sip some delicious blends while they shower bride-to-be Hannah Hill with presents. But the last package Hannah unwraps contains a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll and triggers a bloodcurdling scream. A doll like this was the last gift from her father before he died long ago, and she's chilled to the bone. Lily senses that the shocking anonymous gift just might be related to other tensions she's picking up on. The mothers-in-law have been sniping at each other--and then Lily, out walking her dog, overhears the groom's father Ralph offering his son a very sizable bribe to call off the wedding. She's relieved when Greg angrily turns him down, but with so many people steamed at each other, can this event possibly go smoothly?"--

Book Synopsis

Lily Roberts's Cape Cod tearoom is hosting a bridal shower--until a gruesome gift sends the guest of honor running in fear . . .

Members of the Reynolds and Hill families are staying at Lily's grandmother's bed and breakfast, and now they've gathered at Tea by the Sea to sip some delicious blends while they shower bride-to-be Hannah Hill with presents. But the last package Hannah unwraps contains a beheaded Raggedy Ann doll and triggers a bloodcurdling scream. A doll like this was the last gift from her father before he died long ago, and she's chilled to the bone.

Lily senses that the shocking anonymous gift just might be related to other tensions she's picking up on. The mothers-in-law have been sniping at each other--and then Lily, out walking her dog, overhears the groom's father, Ralph, offering his son a very sizable bribe to call off the wedding. She's relieved when Greg angrily turns him down, but with so many people steamed at each other, can this event possibly go smoothly?

The answer is no. It suddenly has to be postponed--when Ralph is found dead in his bed, a bottle of whiskey beside him. When tests indicate the booze was infused with a lethal substance, it becomes a murder case, and of course, accusations are flying wildly with the guests all too willing to believe the worst about each other. Now, to find out whether all this family drama led to a fatality, Lily will have to turn up the heat . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for the Tea by the Sea Mysteries by Vicki Delany

"Shoals of red herrings abound, but Lily and her delightful friends winnow out the big fish." --Kirkus Reviews on Steeped in Malice

"A continuing delight." --Criminal Element on Steeped in Malice

"Find a comfy chair, raise a cup of fragrant, freshly brewed tea to your lips, and settle down for murder and mayhem in a mystery novel set in a tearoom for a delightful form of armchair travel." --TeaTime Magazine on The Tea by the Sea Mysteries

"Details about tea, baking, and running a tea shop and bed-and-breakfast are woven throughout a satisfying cozy with a beautifully described setting and a cast of charming, small-town characters. Share this new series with fans of Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries." --Booklist on Tea & Treachery

"Fans of culinary cozies will be sure to come back for more." --Publishers Weekly on Tea & Treachery

"Bestselling crime writer Vicki Delany has penned more than 40 hair-raising whodunits--and her latest tale follows suit!" --Woman's World (Book Club Selection) for Tea & Treachery

"Adds a sweet edge to the cozy genre...With a pot of Earl Grey and a shortbread made from the included recipes at their sides, readers will feel like this takes them on a mini-trip to the seashore." --Booklist on Murder in a Teacup

"Delany expertly blends a cunning mystery plot with diverting characters and sparkling dialogue. Laura Childs fans will have fun." --Publishers Weekly on Murder in a Teacup

"Quirky characters, a lovely setting, and a surprising denouement make this second installment a charmer." --Kirkus on Murder in a Teacup

"Sympathetic characters, a charming setting, the baking frame, and appended recipes distinguish this cozy, which will appeal to fans of Laura Childs' Theodosia Browning tea-shop mysteries and Cleo Coyle's coffeehouse-set series." --Booklist on Murder Spills the Tea

"Cape Cod provides an appealing backdrop for a food-centric cozy replete with red herrings and likable sleuths." --Kirkus on Murder Spills the Tea

"Kudos to Vicki Delaney for this terrific whodunnit." --Criminal Element on Murder in a Teacup

"It's a crime not to read Delany." --London Free Press

About the Author

Vicki Delany is one of Canada's most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the US. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea mysteries, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries, and as Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library series. A past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and a co-organizer of Women Killing it, a crime writing festival, her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. She is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives and writes in bucolic Prince Edward County, Ontario and can be found online at VickiDelany.com.