In too steep [Misty Bay Tea Room, book 2] [Misty Bay Tea Room, book 2] /

Kingsbury's uneven sequel to 2021's In Hot Water finds Vivian Wainwright, the owner of the Willow Pattern Tearoom in Misty Bay, Ore., barely recovered from the excitement of a previous murder case when she dives into solving the murder of local beachcomber Lewis Trenton. Viv's employees, Jenna Ramsey and Gracie Jackson, insist on investigating alongside her, and despite the misgivings of Viv's love interest, Hal Douglass, Hal also gets on board with their sleuthing. They soon find a link between the victim and a souvenir from Viv's tearoom. Meanwhile, Det. Lt. Tony Messina isn't at all happy about the tearoom ladies' involvement--especially since Jenna had such a close shave with death during their last adventure. When a TV news report suggests Trenton acted as a fence for some Portland jewel thieves, Viv is even more determined to clear Trenton's name and identify his killer. Endearing characters make up for the slow pace, though Viv's extreme reluctance to call in the police may strike some as more than foolish, and the double threat in the finale is definitely overkill. Most cozy fans won't mind. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media Agency. (Aug.)

Love and murder are in the air in a coastal Oregon town. In the time since widowed Vivian Wainwright, owner of the Willow Pattern Tearoom, along with her assistants, Jenna Ramsey and Gracie Jackson, solved a murder but almost died for their pains, they've grown more interested in love, but they can't resist a little sleuthing when beachcomber Lewis Trenton is murdered. A newspaper photograph of the interior of the late recluse's shack informs Vivian--whose English mother provided the recipes for a tearoom featuring all things British--that Lewis had a replica of Big Ben sold in her tearoom. Deciding that tracking down the friend who gave it to Lewis and may not know of his death will be a harmless occupation, she pursues the trail of the statue, which turns out to be hiding a valuable diamond. All the while, Vivian is concerned about her memory because things keep turning up in the wrong places. As her friendship with pet store owner Hal Douglass turns romantic, like Jenna's with Det. Lt. Tony Messina, she worries that she's not spending enough time with her dog, Felix. Once Vivian turns the diamond over to Messina, the Portland police, who are hunting for a gang of robbers, suspect that Lewis was fencing their hauls. But Vivian's certain that he was not and sets out to prove it. Unwilling to involve Messina until she finds more proof, she once again finds herself in danger. A charming group of sleuths spices up a middling mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.