In Too Steep
It seemed like a simple case: the murder of Lewis Trenton, a beachcomber who lived alone in a cabin in the Oregon hills. But the newspaper article piques the interest of Vivian Wainwright, owner of the British-style Misty Bay Tearoom. The photo accompanying the article shows Lewis’s cluttered living room, and on the shelf is a replica of Big Ben. Vivian is sure she sold the clock a week before in her shop. Who could have given the replica to Lewis?
Unable to keep from doing a bit of sleuthing, Vivian hunts down the replica in a local thrift shop, noticing that the base is missing, rendering it worthless, but just as Vivian is about to throw it in, the trash, a sparkle catches her eye. It’s a diamond, hidden away in a crevice in the clock. Vivian takes the diamond to Detective Tony Messina, who identifies it as part of a jewelry heist in Portland a month earlier. Portland police think Lewis was the fence who sold the jewels and that he was killed after double-crossing the thieves, but Messina doesn’t believe the story.
What was the true motive behind Lewis’s murder? How did he come upon the diamond? And what secrets can the clock tell before the killer strikes again?
The Details
Series: A Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery – Book #2
Author: Kate Kingsbury
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Tea Shop
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 1639100660
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
The Review
I enjoyed the first book in the “A Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery” series, and the second book, In Too Steep, is even better. A mystery with diamonds, British tea, Big Ben, and the death of a beachcomber make for a gripping plot. Readers will appreciate the nuance of the cast, setting, and story. But more than anything, they will adore Vivian and want to visit her shop, taste the food and enjoy a great cup of tea.
Vivian is a lover of all things British, from the famous tea servings to the landscape. Hence why she bought and sold a replica of Big Ben, which, although not necessarily pretty, is a good representation of her mother’s home. So when the body of a beachcomber is found murdered in his rustic cabin, Vivian is curious about who would want to kill a lonely old man who, by all accounts, kept to himself and never bothered anyone. But when she spots one of her Big Ben statues in a picture of the victim’s house, she sets out to find out who gave it to him. After running around all over and finally locating the statue, she and her accomplices, Gracie and Jenna, discover a hidden diamond in the cavity of the statue and a motive for murder.
Vivian is one of those characters a reader can’t help but like. She is older, a widow, and a business owner but not someone with tons of experience. She loves her tea shop, holding authentic British tea for her customers, the souvenirs she sells, and even the ugly Big Ben statue that is at the heart of this mystery. The other characters in the story are delightfully human, with human faults, all of which have readers in the palm of their hands. Even the suspects are enjoyable. The killer almost ends Vivian and her future with Hal when she stumbles upon the truth while questioning a potential suspect. The victim is primarily unknown, but he is the crux of everything, along with the hidden diamond and a jewelry heist. The evidence will convince readers to follow the same meandering path as Vivian and her friends until they reach a conclusion, maybe even the right one.
In Too Steep is magnificently written with classic characters, a fun plot, and a well-done British twist that will have readers beaming with delight. The action is good, and there are plenty of twists to make readers question everything. The hidden diamond, Big Ben, the traditional tea, the personal relationships, and the killer will pull you in from the very first page until the very last. I am happy to recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one!
The Author
Kate grew up in London, England, and at a very early age, began telling stories to her school friends while huddling in bomb shelters during the Blitz of WW II. She moved to the U.S. in 1963 and published her first book in 1987. Since then, she’s written over sixty romance and mystery novels. She now lives in Oregon with her husband, Bill, and Bella, a feisty chihuahua mix.
A delightful book from Kate Kingbury readers will enjoy, especially for the upcoming holiday season, is A Merry Murder from the “A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery” series. Or another tea-based cozy such as A Three Book Problem from author Vicki Delany and the “A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery” series.
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