Book Review: No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker

Catering her childhood friend's beachfront wedding was a dream come true for Everly Swan—and, with hundreds of guests in attendance, great exposure for her new iced tea shop and café. But when the well-to-do groom is found floating facedown in the surf, the locals of Charm, North Carolina, turn their suspicions to his new bride. Could she have been so desperate to lay her hands on his fortune that she arranged for his murder before they even set off on their honeymoon?

Everly knows her love-struck friend couldn't be behind the murder, but with clues pointing in several directions, she can't decide which wedding guest is the most likely culprit. Meanwhile, the frustratingly handsome Detective Hays has made it clear that Everly should stay out of the investigation altogether. But with a killer on the loose and a feeling that someone is watching her café very closely, Everly knows that if she can't solve this murder soon, her cake might be iced for good.[summary via Amazon]

I really enjoyed the first book in the Seaside Cafe mysteries, Live and Let Chai, and I couldn't wait to visit Charm again! My second visit to Charm was even better than my first.

Everly Swan is helping organize a wedding for her childhood friend, Judy. However things go awry when the groom is found dead on the beach. Together with best friend, Amelia, and her feline sidekick, Maggie, they set about to follow the clues and solve the murder!

I really, really, really loved No Good Tea Goes Unpunished! It was my first cozy mystery in a while, and it reminded me why I love this genre so much. It is a well-written, fun, frothy mystery, with delightful characters, and it leaves me wanting more and more... just like a good glass of iced tea!

As regular readers of my blog know, I love the relationships in cozy mysteries. Everly is a Swan, and the history goes that all Swan women are cursed in love. Everly seems intent to test this theory, especially with a romantic interest growing with Detective Grady Hays, and her ex-boyfriend back in town. I really like the romantic angle and I can't wait to see how it develops.

If you're looking for a fun summer read, I highly recommend the Seaside Cafe mysteries. They are fun and light, but very well written, with characters that. you will want to visit again and again.