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TEA WITH JAM & DREAD is the sixth book in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries by Vicki Delany. Protagonist Lily Roberts, her grandmother, Rose, and pals land in England for another misadventure in this newest release. Invited to the dowager countess of Frockmorton’s 100th birthday party, Rose insists they attend so she can visit with her long-ago employer/friend. The author does an admirable job in making the reader feel like they’re right there (with humor thrown in) from driving on the “wrong” side of the road, to getting trapped in terrifying roundabouts with cars swerving to miss you, to the beautiful countryside, and Thornecroft Castle turned hotel. Her strong descriptive language makes it all come alive. I enjoyed seeing more of Rose and learning about her backstory and her friendship with the countess. With everyone descending upon the castle for the birthday celebration, there are a lot of characters, some mentioned in passing, and some integral to the plot. But the core characters take center stage and are just as endearing as they’ve always been in previous books.
Lily, not one to sit around and remain idle, volunteers to help in the kitchen to prepare food for the upcoming birthday tea. She’s curious about the English tea and wonders if she can find new recipes to use in her tearoom back in Cape Cod. But maybe Lily should have stayed out of the kitchen because a guest dies after eating the Coronation chicken sandwiches prepared by her. Suddenly a suspect, and with the countess’s family pointing a finger at Lily (some are very condescending about class standing) Lily and her friends must band together and find the culprit. Adding to the mayhem is the dowager countess’s famous sapphires, now missing. The author crafted a tightly plotted story, with family drama increasing the tension. There were twists and turns to keep me engaged and, with so many guests roaming the castle, suspects galore. Being in a foreign country and not knowing any of the suspects makes it more difficult for Lily to suss out motivations. Still, Lily’s levelheaded determination narrows down the culprit, and it was all made clear in a highly satisfactory manner.
With the strong descriptive skills at play, your tastebuds are in for a treat as you read the book. Thankfully, Ms. Delany has included several recipes at the back of the book for the reader to try at home. One of the recipes, Sticky Toffee Pudding, captured my attention immediately. Decades ago, my husband and I had the chance to eat this rich, date-laden cake with toffee sauce (pudding is what the British call dessert) and it was heavenly. The dates make the cake super moist, but it’s the toffee sauce that ratchets up the wow factor. Sticky Toffee Pudding is delicious all on its own, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the warm sauce for even more perfection.
Synopsis
Long ago, Lily’s grandmother Rose worked as a kitchen maid at Thornecroft Castle, and now Elizabeth, dowager countess of Frockmorton, is celebrating her one hundredth birthday. Rose still has fond feelings for her onetime employer, so a group trip to Yorkshire is planned. It’s also an opportunity for Lily to visit her boyfriend, who’s currently working in England—and to indulge in some British tea.
Much has changed, however, and the ancestral home is now a luxury hotel, which will be closed for a week to accommodate the big bash, much to the chagrin of Elizabeth’s grandson, Julien—leading Lily to overhear an argument among the younger generation about the fate of the family fortune. Little do they know that Elizabeth plans to sell the famous Frockmorton Sapphires out of the family for the first time in centuries . . .
The icing on the cake comes when the jewels suddenly vanish—and things really go nuts when a party guest dies from an allergic reaction to almonds that someone smuggled into Lily’s coronation chicken sandwiches. Now she’ll have to scour the property to find out who would commit murder in such a manor . . .
A special thanks to Kensington Publishing for offering a print ARC copy of TEA WITH JAM & DREAD by Vicki Delany to one lucky winner! Contest ends August 3, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Lily brought this recipe home with her, but not to use for afternoon tea, as it can't be eaten with fingers. It is, however, a great dessert dish. Note that in Britain, "pudding" is another word for dessert. This is more of a cake with sauce on the side than what Americans call pudding.
- 200 grams pitted dates
- 150 milliliters hot tea, made with 1 tea bag
- 150 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 200 grams dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 200 grams all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- 200 grams dark brown sugar
- 150 milliliters 10 percent cream (heavy cream)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
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Line a 20-centimeter square cake tin with parchment paper.
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Chop the dates into small pieces, then add to the hot tea. Put to one side to soak for 15 minutes.
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Cream together the softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl, until pale and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
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Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda onto the butter mixture and then fold in with a rubber spatula until all of the flour is combined. Fold in the dates, along with any tea that hasn't soaked in, until you have a creamy cake batter.
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Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake 35 - 40 minutes, or until the cake is a deep golden brown.
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While the cake is in he oven, make the toffee sauce.
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Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the brown sugar and cream. Cook over a low heat, stirring every now and then, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sauce is smooth, increase the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes.
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Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out and cutting into squares. Serve warm with the hot toffee sauce.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
That book really look and sounds like good read would love to read that book so I could review the print copy of it, love books like this
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
The toffee pudding cake sounds interesting. Thank you for this giveaway.