Masher of Ceremonies: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery by Victoria Hamilton

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Masher of Ceremonies: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery
by Victoria Hamilton

About Masher of Ceremonies

Cozy Mystery
13th in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond the Page
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 19, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1966322535
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GXGQV1L4
More formats coming soon.

A fundraiser for the local historical society nearly goes bust when someone fills the coffers with blackmail and murder . . .

The annual Tea With the Queen fundraiser always makes for a festive weekend in Queensville, drawing visitors from far and wide and giving local shops a welcome boost. This year, vintage kitchenware collector Jaymie Müller is running the event, and she’s got her hands full organizing old and new volunteers along with a surly catering crew. Then her master of ceremonies tells her he’s being blackmailed but can’t go to the police, and before Jaymie can sort that out she stumbles over a dead body at the tea.

Despite the demands of keeping the event up and running, Jaymie can’t help puzzling over the murder. There’s no concrete evidence linking the cretin behind the blackmail scheme to the dead body, so she begins questioning everyone connected to the blackmail, hoping to expose the killer. And just as she discovers a web of relationships that leads her to the culprit, she realizes that the Tea With the Queen may have been a royal pain, but outwitting a blackmailer and catching a killer may be the death of her . . .

Includes a vintage recipe!

Character Guest Post

Mrs. Trelawney Bellwood on Queen Vicky and the Kids

By Victoria Hamilton

My name is Mrs. Trelawney Bellwood, and I am Queen Victoria. (Should I say ‘We are Queen Victoria? Didn’t she use the royal ‘we’?)

But I’m not the real one, of course. I mean, I don’t think I am the queen, I just play her for an annual event in Queensville, Michigan, the Tea with the Queen event that is held on the Canadian Victoria Day weekend. I was the only one for a long time until I had to agree to let my onetime enemy and now friend Miss Imogene Frump take a turn. There are three days in the Tea with the Queen Event; I insisted that I would only give up one day, Sunday.

Doesn’t it just figure that would be the day that the Wolverhampton Weekly Howler photographer showed up and took pictures? Oh, well, Imogene doesn’t have a whole lot going for her; not to be cruel, I’m just being honest. She never married and has no children or grandchildren so I guess I can bear her bragging about having her picture in the paper.

But being more internet savvy than poor, dear Imogene, I researched and found photos of the queen with her grandchildren in adorable poses, and that’s what I emulated for the tourists. They’ve been eating it up with a spoon, if I do say so myself. It would be perfect if it wasn’t for this wretched fellow who keeps bobbing up and photo-torpedoing… no, that’s not the right word.

What is it now? Wait a minute while I ask my granddaughter: Taylor, what is that word about people popping up unannounced in photos? Oh, yes, Photobombing. That’s my granddaughter Taylor Bellwood who answered. She’s helping out this year at the tea. Wonderful girl, and so pretty. Do you know any young men looking for… okay, all right, Taylor, I’ll stop asking. But there’s no reason a girl as pretty and smart as you shouldn’t have a beau. When I was your age… oh, that was the door. She left.

Anyway, this year’s event was… interesting. Jaymie Müller means well, and she did her best… no, she did better than her best. It wouldn’t have happened if not for her. She’s a good girl. Her grandmother Lucille is one of my dearest and oldest friends. It’s just too bad so much seems to be going wrong, from cranky caterers, the photobomber, the host being edgy…

Anyway, the pictures. I must have taken dozens with all kinds of little kids on my lap, or at my side. It was a lot of fun, and I’ll do it again.

As long as… well, as long as there is a Tea with the Queen event next year. I hope there will be. Come along, won’t you? Drink tea in the sunshine in Queensville, Michigan!

~::~

Photos used courtesy of Wikimedia commons

Queen Victoria with her great-grandson Prince William

Queen Victoria holding her eldest grandchild Wilhelm

Victoria Battenburg Hessians

~::~

About Victoria Hamilton

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series, the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also writes a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder. Visit her website at victoriahamiltonmysteries.com.

Social Details:

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On BlueSky: @mysteryvictoria.bsky.social

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysteryauthorvictoriahamilton/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/598635.Victoria_Hamilton

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Hamilton/e/B007T7LGAU

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