Spilling the tea on Murder Spills the Tea

Vicki Delany's third installment in her Tea by Sea series brews up a delightful whodunit

Murder Spills the Tea (great title!) is the mouth-watering third installment of Vicki Delany's Tea by the Sea cozy mystery series. I love a good food cozy, and this one serving up treats in a seaside tea room was delightfully good!

Lily Roberts runs a tea room called Tea by the Sea adjacent to her grandmother's charming Cape Cod B&B. In this one, Lily reluctantly finds herself both filming a reality tv baking show and investigating the murder of one of the judges after the body is discovered in her kitchen. One of Lily's employees is the primary suspect, so Lily works to clear her friend while competing on the show and trying to survive all the on-set drama.

Vicki Delany always delivers a well-written cozy, and this one is no exception. Well plotted and paced with several suspects to sift through and sustained suspense, it was an excellent chance to play armchair detective. A character-driven series, it is populated with engaging characters, including Lily, her grandmother Rose and best friend Bernie, who are gems. In addition, the on-set tv drama added a gossipy, messy layer to the story, making deciphering the clues a lot of fun. And for me, this charming series keeps getting better and better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. I look forward to book four in the series!

My steep was Earl Grey Creme, a black tea flavored with bergamot and creamy vanilla by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. A similar brew is mentioned in the book, and its a delicious choice for this cozy!

Find Elmwood Inn Tea online at https://store.elmwoodinn.com/

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