Tea & Treachery is the debut of the Tea by the Sea Mysteries series set in Cape Cod, MA and featuring tea shop proprietor Lily Roberts. A classically trained pastry chef, Lily quits her job in New York and moves to Cape Cod to keep an eye on her grandmother Rose, the feisty owner of a majestic B&B. Lily cooks breakfast for inn guests each morning but spends the rest of her days baking for her English tearoom.
Rose is upset that a real estate developer wants to buy the run down ramshackle house on the adjoining property and tear it down to build a fancy golf resort. Rose enjoys her privacy and the sweeping views and ends up threatening the developer, the town councilor in charge of the zoning board and the owner of the property, Lincoln Goodwill. A vocal disagreement followed up by a nasty letter leaves developer Jack Ford dead and Rose the prime suspect in his murder.
Determined to clear her grandmother's name, Lily sets out with the help of her best friend Bernie, an aspiring writer to track down a killer. Along the way she finds an unexpected ally in Matt Goodwill, the property owner's son who doesn't want to see his father sell the old homestead either and newly hired gardener Simon who both believe that the local Detective might also be on the take.
A well crafted plot, a cast of likable characters and a delightful dog named Eclair. There's just a hint of romance is in the air for both Lily and Bernie. I will be returning to Cape Cod for more adventures with Rose, Lily and their friends.
Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea, Bk 1) on + 860 more book reviews 
