Thanks to the Great Teacup Shortage Cape Cod tearoom proprietress Lily Roberts is already feeling the strain. But when a family fracas turns deadly over an antique tea set shell really have to pour through the clues before another crime is brewed up. With a beautifully described setting and a cast of charming small-town characters (Booklist) this new installment in award-winning crime writer Vicki Delanys Tea by the Sea Mystery series is a delightful treat for fans of Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries! Afternoon tea isnt just about flavorful brews and delicious treats. Its also about presentation--fine china teacups (never mugs!) with carefully coordinated saucers and plates. With her fragile stock running low Lily has an excuse to indulge in one of her favorite hobbies: visiting an antiques fair for replacements. Among other finds Lily snaps up a charming Peter Rabbit-themed tea set in a wicker basket perfect for childrens events. But a few days later a woman named Kimberly marches into the tearoom rudely demanding to buy it back--then later returns and removes an envelope hidden in the baskets lining. An acquaintance of Lilys named Rachel is on the trail of the tea set too. Apparently she and Kimberly are half-sisters searching for their mothers final will. To her annoyance Lily is dunked into the middle of this mess--especially when her ex-boyfriend turns out to be involved. But its more than a storm in a teacup when one of the sisters is found dead on the grounds of the B&B owned by Lilys grandmother Rose. Is this a simple case of greed boiling over or are there other suspects in the blend? Itll take some savvy sleuthing from Lily Rose and their allies to find the answers before a killer shatters more lives . . .
