Reading: TEA & TREACHERY - Vicki Delany

Prose (Story): Former New York City pastry chef Lily Roberts trades in her big-city life to become owner of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom situated at the edge of the Victorian B&B her grandmother Rose owns and runs on the bluffs of Cape Cod. Having only recently opened for the season, Lily's initial success is tempered by the accidental death of shady real estate developer Jack Ford, a man who fell to his death on Rose's property just one day after she and Ford had a bitter argument over his buying the property next to hers. Dealing with crooked politicians, an even more potentially crooked cop, and one hunky British gardener as distractions, Lily must keep her tearoom running while helping Rose at the B&B as she searches for a murderer to prove her grandmother innocent.  

Don's (Review): I loved Lily from page one, maybe even more so her no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners grandmother, Rose - who, in a fight, I'd want on my side every time. The discovery of the body is handled very well, the detectives who show up (one a slovenly, heavyset pawn of local politicians, the other a savvy and smart female detective newly relocated from Boston) making for a nice contrast even as the bad cop obviously fixates on Rose as guilty right off. Lily's investigation is logical and builds suspense, while the crime-solving team of Lily's best (female) friend Bernie and grandma Rose, who together have the potential to stir up all sorts of trouble, provides some brilliant comic relief in between the tracking down of suspects and overturning of lies (of which there are many). Thankfully, even any potential romance for Lily and her suave and sexy gardener is handled as a blip on the radar for now, this very well-plotted book's focus almost solely on the mystery right up until a rather rowdy confrontation that's both satisfying and downright fun to read. Author Delany's writing is tight, her characters exceptionally likable, and while I wish I could visit Tea by the Sea in person (and I'm not normally a tea drinker), I am more than happy to wait for the next installment in this entertaining new series.  4.5/5 stars