"Murder in a Teacup" by Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany's second Tea by the Sea mystery is out, and I'm definitely hooked on this fun new series. In Murder in a Teacup, Lily Roberts is busy establishing her new Cape Cod tearoom, Tea by the Sea, while making sure her colorful (in every way) grandmother, Rose, stays out of trouble. Lily also provides the breakfasts for guests staying at her grandmother's nearby B&B. A large family books a stay, and when they arrive with much emotional baggage in tow, it's inevitable that Lily and Rose get caught up in the family squabbles.

For Lily, this would all be mere annoyance except for the fact that the family of malcontents comes to tea one afternoon and one of the male guests—who insisted on drinking his own special blend of tea—ends up dead. Police close the tearoom and cart off the teatime fare so they can investigate the deadly event. Yes, the tea was the culprit, but of course we know that Lily didn't poison the man's tea. So who did? Just when we think we know who the killer might be, Delany delivers a twist that makes us consider someone else.

Returning characters like Lily's aspiring-novelist friend, Bernadette, and single friend and gardener, Simon, are welcome additions and provide a family feel to the cast. Delany also does a great job of making the picturesque Cape Cod setting one we would all like to visit, and her descriptions of the tea menus will make mouths water.

The planting of clues in this book is quite well done, and when I got to the end, I had to smile and say, "Ah! That's why she mentioned x a couple of times!" I love it when the clues are subtle yet significant, and she handles them with a deft touch.

If you haven't yet checked out this series, I strongly suggest that you set aside an afternoon with a pot of tea and give it a try.

P.S. Vicki Delany is also featured in Tea Time magazine's September/October issue, which has a delightful feature on tea-themed cozies!