Lily has her work cut out for her when a visit from her grandmother Rose’s dear friend, Sandra McHenry, turns into an unexpected–and unpleasant–McHenry family reunion. The squabbling boils over and soon Tea by the Sea’s serene afternoon service resembles the proverbial tempest in a teapot. Somehow, Lily and her tearoom survive the storm, and Sandra’s bickering brethren finally retreat to Rose’s B & B. But later that evening, a member of their party–harmless Ed French–dies from an apparent poisoning and suddenly Tea by the Sea is both scene and suspect in a murder investigation!

Mercifully, none of the other guests fall ill. They all ate the same food, but Ed insisted on bringing his own special blend of herbal teas. So it seems, amid the whining and dining, someone snuck up to one of Lily’s cherished teapots and fatally spiked Ed’s bespoke brew, but who? Was it Ed’s long-estranged sister-in-law? Did teenage troublemaker Tyler take a prank too far? Or perhaps the family’s feuds have been steeping for longer than anyone realizes? It’s up to Lily, Rose, and their friends to get to the bottom of the poisoned pot and bag the real culprit behind the kettle murder plot.

 I am beginning to adore the Tea by the Sea Series. 

Murder in a Teacup takes us back to the Massachusetts coast line with Lily and grandma Rose for another adventure.  Grandma Rose is visited by family and friends that have insisted that during their stay they must do you High Tea at the Tea by the Sea. The serene setting of the tea room may have just been too much for this group of colorful and distinctive personalities because chaos is on the loose. In the midst of everything one of the visiting parties dies of poisoning putting Tea by the Sea on the map as a suspect. Lily, Grandma Rose and Bernie come together to try to figure out just what is going on in that tea shop.

Vicky Delany is a fantastic storyteller. I love how she is able to combine A very thought-provoking mystery while allowing you to laugh out loud at her characters. She creates a pleasant environment that you just can’t help but to feel cozy in. Not to mention the characters she writes have depth, are funny and at times even remind you of someone in your own life.  I love the duo of Lily and grandma Rose. That is a team that I can’t wait to see what is going to come out of them in future books. As for Murder in a Teacup, this is one that is best to not even try to figure it out but to just sit back and read and go along for the ride. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Delany has in store for future installments in the series.