Tea & Sympathy
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 1
by J. New
Genre: Cozy Mystery
FIRST IN THE TEA & SYMPATHY SERIES!
Meet Lilly Tweed. Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
When Lilly Tweed former agony aunt with the local newspaper is made redundant, she takes the opportunity to pursue a lifelong ambition, to open The Tea Emporium in the small market town of Plumpton Mallet.
But with her replacement making a hash of the column, it’s not long before she is once again being sought for valuable advice.
When the body of a local woman is found drowned in the river, the contents of her pockets reveal a letter from Lilly and she’s unwillingly drawn into the case.
But is it just a tragic accident, as the police think? Lilly isn’t convinced, but pursuing her own inquiry means it isn’t long before she gets into hot water.
A Deadly Solution
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 2
Meet Lilly Tweed.
Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
It’s the height of summer and Lilly has been asked to demonstrate at a local book club. Not only is this her first event, but it’s for the crème de la crème of the town’s residents, a member of the aristocracy and a wealthy heiress included.
When the proceedings get underway Lilly notices underlying tension and competition between the members and it’s not long before tragedy strikes. The heiress is found dead.
As a prime witness Lilly is asked unofficially to help solve the crime, but with motives galore, animosity running rife and all the women having spent time alone with the victim, the culprit could be any of them.
The more she digs the murkier it becomes, and she soon realises appearances are deceiving when it comes to the rich and titled of Plumpton Mallet.
Tiffin & Tragedy
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 3
Meet Lilly Tweed. Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
Invited to celebrate the wedding anniversary of two close friends, Lilly jumps at the chance. Not only is there to be a party, but as the family owns a luxury seaside bed-and-breakfast she’s looking forward to a well-earned break.
Unfortunately, nothing goes to plan. Beneath the happy, carefree exterior, lurk secrets and lies, and as the tension mounts somebody reaches breaking point.
The party ends in a tremendous storm which causes a power cut and fells trees across the only access road, and the inhabitants of The Palms find themselves trapped with no way to call for help. Then a body is discovered and Lilly realises the danger outside is nothing compared to within.
There is a murderer among them.
A Bitter Bouquet
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 4
Meet Lilly Tweed. Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
Organising and catering for a local wedding means the potential to expand into events for Tea Emporium owner Lilly Tweed, and she’s pleased to confirm the booking.
But as the bride’s family let her down one by one, Lilly finds herself taking on more tasks than she’d agreed to. Luckily, she’s brought a local café owner on board to provide the food.
During the rehearsal, family arguments and spilled wine are the worst catastrophes, but the wedding itself ends in murder. For at the heart of this family lies a dark secret.
It’s up to Lilly, alongside her friends, Bonnie, the detective in charge of the case, and Archie, the local crime reporter, to solve the case. But while there are motives galore, clues are scarce.
When the family suddenly close ranks and the investigation stalls, Lilly is left wondering if blood really is thicker than water, especially when she discovers their secret.
A Frosty Combination
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 5
Meet Lilly Tweed. Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
It’s Christmas in Plumpton Mallet, but it’s not all holiday cheer and goodwill.
The festive season brings with it the biggest and most important event of the year for Plumpton Mallet, the annual Christmas Market. Attracting visitors nationwide, this time it’s bigger than ever.
But there’s one unexpected arrival who’s not welcome, and he’s out to cause trouble.
When a lifeless body is found outside Lilly’s shop, she’s shocked. But the arrest of one of her staff changes the shock to anger and compels Lilly to turn sleuth once more to prove their innocence.
Yet proving one person innocent means another must be guilty and this time Lilly might not be ready for the truth.
Steeped In Murder
A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 6
Meet Lilly Tweed. Former Agony Aunt. Purveyor of Fine Teas. Accidental Sleuth.
It’s all steam ahead as Lilly and Archie board The Lakes Express on their first official date. The train is full of writers travelling to a conference, which adds to the ambience and piques Archie’s interest.
But what starts as pure luxury ends in chaos. On the journey home, the train screeches to an unsanctioned stop in the middle of nowhere.
Night has fallen, it’s pitch black outside, and a body has been discovered. The scene staged to mimic one of the best-loved crime novels of all time.
Currently onboard a luxurious 1930s steam train, the homage is not lost on Lilly and Archie, who are asked to help. But its meaning eludes them.
Can they discern the truth from myriad lies? Cut egos down to size while dealing with bouts of creative jealousy and finally unveil the culprit?
And can they do it before the police arrive?
J. New is the author of The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries, traditional English whodunits with a twist, set in the 1930s. Known for their clever humour as well as the interesting slant on the traditional whodunit, they have all achieved Bestseller status on Amazon. J. New also writes the Finch and Fischer contemporary cozy crime series and (coming in 2021) the Will Sharpe Mysteries set in her hometown during the 1960s. Her books have sold over one-hundred-thousand copies worldwide.
Jacquie was born in West Yorkshire, England. She studied art and design and after qualifying began work as an interior designer, moving onto fine art restoration and animal portraiture before making the decision to pursue her lifelong ambition to write. She now writes full-time and lives with her partner of twenty-one years, two dogs, and five cats, all of whom she rescued.
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