"In Hot Water" by Kate Kingsbury

Over the weekend, I finished reading the first novel in a promising new series by Kate Kingsbury, the Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery series. In Hot Water introduces us to the Willow Pattern Tearoom run by middle-aged widow Vivian Wainwright with the help of her younger employees, Jenna Ramsey and Gracie Jackson. 

Jenna is divorced from ne'er-do-well Dean Ramsey, and when his body is thrown off the balcony of a local hotel—a hotel where she was seen on the morning of his death—she naturally becomes suspect number one in his murder. Vivian and Gracie are determined to clear her name, though, and even Detective Lieutenant Tony Messina seems to have doubts about Jenna's guilt. When the women start asking questions around town, they turn up the unexpected news that the hotel where Dean died was running a secret escort service, which clearly could have had something to do with his death. But lots of folks in town seem to have known about that escort service, and quite a few of them could have wanted Dean out of the picture.

The Oregon town of Misty Bay sounds charming, and we get to know a few of the local entrepreneurs, including Hal Douglass, the sweet-on-Vivian gent who runs a pet supply shop, and nosy Natalie Chastain, the town's wine seller. As expected, the book has lots of teatime baking scenes and fun food mentions in the English-style tearoom. 

What I most enjoyed about this book was seeing the older-than-average main character and her concerns, which seemed quite realistic for a widow running a new business. It's refreshing to see a cozy heroine who isn't still in her thirties, and Vivian is someone I would like to know better. I look forward to checking out the next installment of this enjoyable series featuring a lovely tearoom owner and her friends.

Caution: A few uses of profanity, which could easily be omitted to make this book even better.

Review copy courtesy of NetGalley