A review by cj_mo_2222
Steeped in Malice by Vicki Delany

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Steeped in Malice by Vicki Delany is the fourth Tea by the Sea mystery. Lily Roberts owns a tearoom in Cape Cod, next to her grandmother's B&B. The descriptions of the tearoom are excellent and I could really visualize it. I also wished it was real so I could go there for scones and tea! 

Lily's purchase of an antique children's tea set for the tearoom kicks off a series of events leading to a guest at her grandmother's bed and breakfast being murdered. The victim is married to Lily's arrogant ex-boyfriend and because she could be a suspect, Lily decides to find the real killer and her best friend and grandmother assist in her investigation. The story has a nice balance of the day-to-day running of the tearoom, recipes at the end, the investigation, friendship, and a hint of a possible romance. I really enjoyed this book and loved the ending! This is my favorite of the books I've read in this series, and I'm looking forward to more in this series.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Kensington Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.