Trouble is Brewing

Tea by the Sea Mystery #5

By Vicki Delany

ISBN 9781496747273

vickidelany.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

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 . . . (from Amazon)

Review:

Victoria-On-Sea is an elegant B & B on the waters of Cape Cod, in North Augusta, Massachusetts. Rooms are decorated as if Queen Victoria might come at any moment to visit. Rose, an Englishwoman who lived in Iowa all of her married life, purchased it and moved after her beloved husband passed away. Her granddaughter, Lily, runs Tea by the Sea on the same property, offering English style tea services. The B&B is booked for the season, and the tearoom, only in its first summer, is doing well. They have a head for business, a heart for their guests, and wisdom to help solve the occasional crime.

One set of current guests at the B&B includes a foursome of bridge players who came on a long weekend getaway. They soon realized they shared the B&B with an obnoxious family staying there for the wedding of their son. One bridge lady would hide under stairwells and out of the way corners to listen in on what she probably considered better than reality television!

The synopsis above, (from Amazon), highlights the cruel gestures that ended in murder on what should have been the best weekend of Hannah and Greg’s life! Hannah, the bride to be, and her mother, Judy, were at a hotel in town. The wedding was set for Saturday. Their families shared a past that most people were happier to not know. Greg’s parents, Ralph and Sophia, strongly disliked each other, and carried a long-time grudge against Hannah’s mother, Jenny.

Hannah’s bridal shower was held outdoors at Tea by the Sea. After most of the gifts were opened, husbands, groomsmen, and boyfriends joined them to have desserts and champagne with the ladies. There was one large package left that didn’t have a gift tag. Greg and Hannah opened it together. Inside was a decapitated Raggedy Ann doll, with both portions inside the box. Hannah was horrified and, weeping, left the shower early. Greg’s mother, Sophia, ordered them to return to the shower but Hannah was too upset.

The next morning, Ralph was found dead, lying fully clothed on top of his bed. Later, it was determined he had been poisoned by a huge overdose of one of his meds. Their suspect, thanks to Sophia, was Jenny.

When the lab confirmed that Ralph had been poisoned, the police sent techs to go through the suites his family was staying in. The bridge ladies watched from their doors to see the crime scene techs in the hallway. Karen, who one of the detectives called a crime scene groupie, kept making excuses to leave her room and listen in on the police.

Hannah and her mother Jenny were quickly brought up to date on what happened. Rose, Lily, and Bernie, Lily’s best friend, all liked Jenny and Hannah, and didn’t want Jenny arrested for something they were certain she didn’t do. Greg even contacted his family’s attorney to help when Jenny was questioned.

Lily and Bernie did all they could, and gave Amy, one of the detectives, any information they learned. Amy found them to be helpful in past murders. She didn’t want them getting hurt, but would take what they learned. Even Rose joined the investigation, as she could easily converse with others, showing genuine interest rather than being nosy.

The killer’s identity was somewhat surprising! I had been suspicious of the person several times, but did not have sufficient information for the right conclusion until almost the very end. I love the secret room in the B&B that has Rose and Lily have made good use of since the beginning! I am looking forward to the next mystery, as well as seeing the blossoming relationship between Lily and Simon. He has a job arranged in England for the winter, and for now has the joy of being the English gardener at Victoria-on-Sea, the most beautiful and visited gardens in North Augusta. I highly recommend this delightful cozy mystery with the best of an English-style B&B, gardens, and tea room.