Bubble Bubble Tea & Trouble: A Tea by the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delaney

A tedious tour guide, a ghosthunters' gathering, and twin peril await Lily and the crew.

Bubble Bubble Tea & Trouble
Tea by the Sea Mystery
Vicki Delaney
Kensington Books

In case this is your first Tea By The Sea mystery, you don't need to worry about being lost or confused. Vicki Delaney does a great job of including bits of backstory for the main characters. For example, Lily is Rose's granddaughter and owner of the tearoom which is located at the front of the B&B's property. Lily was a professional pastry chef, who was lured away from a Michelin star Manhattan restaurant, by Rose, to remodel an old cottage into said tearoom. Lily wouldn't have it any other way, except maybe for the uptick in murders since she opened the tearoom. If you haven't already guessed it, Lily is our reluctant sleuth who knows how to lay out a proper afternoon tea, be a pushy friend when needed, and has the most adorable labradoodle named Éclair because of her coloring. Each of the main characters have interesting backstories that make them relatable for the reader. I don't usually lean towards liking one character more than another in this series but this time around, I was really identifying with Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy, the amazon warrior as Lily calls her, who is currently struggling to get the first draft of her first ever historical novel, finished. Just like Bernie, I too am trying to keep my fingers on the keyboard and out of research rabbit holes while trudging along with my own work in progress. However, unlike Bernie, I haven't left my day job, and I am not quite as quite as skilled when it comes to online research. Bernie has mad computer skills. It is possible that she may be a little too skilled according to Detective Amy Redmond.  

The research skills are very useful and needed because this latest group of guests is most unusual. Bernie gets the lowdown on each of the ghost tour participants. There is a lottery winner, an active wear designer, a lady who is bored of lunching, a wannabe spiritualist, and an accented charlatan. There is also a ghost story about a set of twins and the death of a set of twins. So many loose strings to try and tie together that it is no wonder that Bernie is distracted from working on her own book when she has yet another murder mystery to help Lily solve.   

The solution was not one that I could have guessed, even if I had created a spreadsheet or a murder board. The one thing I did surmise correctly was that there would be some yummy treats in store. There are three wonderful recipes featured at the back of the book, making me think that I might just need to make all three to pair with my review. 

Dungeons and Danger: The Ravensea Castle Series by Elizabeth Penney

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Dungeons and Danger
The Ravensea Castle Book #2
Elizabeth Penney
St. Martin's Publishing

Book two of the Ravensea Castle series starts on All Hallows Eve, during the day with a Viking Fest event located near the Ravensea Castle. The Castle is located in picturesque Yorkshire UK, near the historic and cozy town of Monkwell and has been in the Asquinth family since 1138. If you haven't read the series starter, Bodies and Battlements, don't worry, Dungeons and Danger is a cozy stand-alone that gives plenty of background. Nora Asquith, our reluctant sleuth, has an herbal apothecary business, and innkeeper. In order to save the castle financially, she came up with the idea to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. Her father, Arthur, is the official host and family historian. He has a unique way with words and loves to educate guests about the history of the area, the family, and the ghosts. That's right, Ravensea plays host to no less than four, and Ravensea most likely has more ghosts per square foot than any other building on the island.

Which brings us to the main plot point of the story.  The castle is playing host to Professor Noman Tweedy who is interested in the Red Maiden, a Viking shield maiden named Rusla, or rather he is interested in finding her hoard which could be worth millions. He is willing to split the profits 50/50 with the family, supposedly that is the going rate.  As for the other guests starting at the castle, there is a ghost hunting film crew from the show Britain's Got Ghosts that has asked to document Ravensea's ghostly occupants for a possible episode with both visual and audio equipment. Nora would love to get some good publicity for the business. As luck would have it, the two groups know each other, and there is no love lost, but there are claims of stolen research.  

As with any cozy, things go awry, and there is a body plus several suspects. Thankfully, there is also an easy-going detective inspector, Finlay Cole, who just happens to be Nora's boyfriend, and he happens to be very supportive of her thoughts when it comes to the investigation. That is not to say that he wants her running off and confronting suspects on her own. Which is why we have Tamsyn, her sister, who is a popular actress, and a decent Watson to Nora's Holmes. 

One of the things that I really enjoy about this book, and the series overall is how close the family is. Nora, Tamsyn, Will, their dad, housekeeper/cook Janet Fagen and her handyman husband Guy are an "all for one and one for all" sort of group. In a world where people can be cantankerous and negative, this cozy group supports one another. I also enjoy the detailed descriptions and well thought out the mystery, including the various paranormal presences. I am definitely looking forward to book number three.

Keep reading is you would like to see what I thought about the series starter, Bodies and Battlements.

Bodies and Battlements
The Ravensea Castle Book #1
Elizabeth Penney
St. Martin's Publishing

This series starter was so enjoyable. It takes place in picturesque Yorkshire UK at the Ravensea Castle near the historic and cozy town of Monkwell. So, when you read, imagine everyone speaking with a bit of a Yorkshire accent. I am not sure which aspect I found more enjoyable, the furry friends, the ghost of Sir Percival, the tantalizing food, the respectful romance, or the use of demonstrative words such as harpy or quisby and even ronyon. The story involves a family with a historic home, or rather a castle and to help keep the castle from going into disrepair, the main character, Nora Asquith, gets the idea to turn it into a bed and breakfast, absolutely brilliant idea. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the idea, newcomer Hilda Dibble is quite vocal about her opposition to the enterprise. At least she is until Nora finds her body in the herb garden. We know that Nora isn't the killer, but does the handsome detective inspector who has just transferred to the local constabulary and is also a paying guest at the castle until his rental space is available, going to believe her? 

Who could have wanted Hilda dead? Was it related to the castle or something else entirely. The sisters once at opposition regarding the monetization of the castle, join forces to get to the bottom of this mystery. A mystery with several twists and turns not to mention a boat ride, smugglers. This book has proven to be the start of another great cozy mystery series set in the UK. The main characters are down to earth and quite relatable. I am also happy to report that Nora and her sister Tamsyn, are not the sort who take unsafe chances or investigate on their own. All of the castle characters are quite levelheaded even resident ghost Sir Percival, who is essentially a floating head. That's right, this cozy has paranormal aspects, but it is all good and all in the family, at least most of them are past family.

This was a great series starter that had me hooked from the beginning, with a strong but relatable sleuth who cares about family, justice, and fur babies of all sizes. The clues are well placed, the banter between the sisters is entertaining, and I was unable to set the book down except to grab a snack so I could continue reading. This is going to be another great series by Elizabeth Penney and I can't wait to read the next one. 

Eight Enchanted Elixirs: A Kitchen Witch Mystery by Lynn Cahoon

Result scrutiny, hellhound training under house arrest, Grandma's ex-boyfriend drama, and the demise of an embittered examiner...what else will kitchen witch Mia have to contend with?     

Eight Enchanted Elixirs
A Kitchen Witch Mystery 
Lynn Cahoon
Kensington Cozies

• Lynn Cahoon has once again crafted a paranormal cozy with characters who seem as normal as you or I, which include the all too familiar ups and downs associated with work, family, and the expectations of others. Mia Malone, Magic Springs most magical kitchen witch and creative cook for example, could care less about the score she received for the coven's national council exam although the allowance provided by the National Coven for being a level five witch, could come in handy for repairs and remodeling projects at the Academy. Mia was just happy to have the ordeal behind her. Unfortunately book 8 starts out with Mia being forced to retake the exam, and this time a special examiner with Salem witch family history will put her through the paces in an unrelenting fashion.
• It isn't as if Mia doesn't have enough normal stress from her job at the Lodge which she needs in order to help keep, or her catering business, Mia's Morsels, afloat until it can support itself. Surely the Goddess isn't testing her with some paranormal stress as well. Between the jaw dropping cliffhanger of book seven aka Mary Alice Carpenter's back-from-the-dead ex-boyfriend Dorian Alexander popping back into town and proposing marriage. Then there is the situation with Mia's boyfriend, Trent, being stuck under house arrest for six weeks while Cerby, his little Maltese has in-home hellhound training with another one of Trent’s past admirers. I really appreciate how well developed the relationship is between Mia and Trent, a healthy and trusting relationship but that doesn’t mean that Mia won’t be open to a calming mantra with a chamomile chaser. This series continues to deliver everything that a paranormal cozy fan is looking for: magic on a mission, relatable characters, and a murder that ties all the loose ends together. There are multiple subplots, and several loose ends, but not a lot of suspects. The academy society has some great members who are going to do what it takes to get the answers they need.
• There are clues sprinkled throughout, a few red herrings, and a solution that had me shaking my head. The solution was right there but those red herrings got me off track. This book is cozy and culinary with such a fun story that concludes with a very tasty and easy pumpkin muffin recipe. I whipped up a batch using fresh pumpkin frozen from last year's Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin and the flavor was fresh with just the right amount of sweetness. The same can be said about the book, there is just the right amount of sweetness, the right amount of spice, and all the characters work together to solve the mystery while propelling the overall story arc forward. This story line continues to allude to a magical conflict, so I hope that means more books.
• 
  

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and/or NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.