Trouble is Brewing

by Vicki Delany

There are a lot of appealing aspects to Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Mystery Series, but most important is the way the various aspects (setting, characters, and plot) are integrated. They share the focus of the books as they support the mysteries, but the author allows each feature to have prominence at various times.

The setting is the backdrop of Cape Cod Bay and the Victorian-era mansion Grandma Rose purchased to transform into a B&B along with a cottage on the same property that becomes a tea room for her granddaughter Lily to operate. The gardens on the grounds are rated at the top of visitor attractions for North Augusta, and the view from the cliffs is outstanding. The reader can not miss the ambiance.

Characters, especially the investigative trio of Lilly, Rose, and Lily’s best friend Bernie draw readers into the story. Lily works hard as the owner of the tea room and the pastry chef at both the B&B and the tea room. Rose will keep you smiling with her energy, enthusiasm, and ability to use her advanced age to her advantage when necessary. Bernie, the “Warrior Princess,” is in a never-ending loop in writing her first novel because she keeps changing her plot and characters. She reminds me of a butterfly flitting from one idea to another.

In Trouble is Brewing, the characters and setting do not outdo the mystery. When Lily agrees to host a bridal shower at the tea room, she doesn’t anticipate an anonymous prank gift that upsets the bride, the death of a guest at the B&B, or the negative feuding of the two families involved in the wedding. The action keeps coming and the clues lead to a variety of suspects. I definitely didn’t see the identity of the murderer before the author revealed it. 

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #5 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series but Delany writes so well that new readers are updated almost seamlessly.

    2. A book focused on a tea room and a B&B must have recipes, so the author includes recipes for Banana Bread with Walnuts, Egg Salad Sandwiches with Herby Mayonnaise, and Maple Pecan Squares.

Publication:  July 23, 2024—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

“The whole thing was weird.” Bernie stopped cutting scones and waved the cutter in the air. “Like a gathering of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Each group kept strictly to themselves, trying the pretend the others weren’t there.” “You’re full of literary references today, Bernie,” I said. “Earlier it was Romeo and Juliet.” “Them too,” Bernie said. “Feuding families.”

I suppressed a shudder. “No, I do not have any fat-free scones.”  “What’s a fat-free scone anyway?” Bernie said. “Might as well eat a pile of raw flour.”…”I don’t know what I have that’s completely fat-free. Afternoon tea is not known for being diet friendly.” “Want me to run out to the garden and collect some dead leaves?…Is compost fat-free?”

“What were you doing in her place for two hours, if not helping cook?” Simon asked.  “Girl talk,” Bernie said. “More mysterious than the origins of the universe,” Matt said.