I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
by Jennifer S. Alderson
Series: Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series #1
Series Rating:
Published by Traveling Life Press on November 15, 2019
Genres: Cozy Traveling Mystery
Pages: 158
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: Death by Baguette, Death by Windmill , Death by Leprechaun, Death by Puffin, Death by Bagpipes, Death by Fountain, Death by Flamenco, Death by Gondola
Who knew a New Year’s trip to Budapest could be so deadly? The tour must go on – even with a killer in their midst…
Recent divorcee Lana Hansen needs a break. Her luck has run sour for going on a decade, ever since she got fired from her favorite job as an investigative reporter. When her fresh start in Seattle doesn’t work out as planned, Lana ends up unemployed and penniless on Christmas Eve.
Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Tours, is also in a tight spot after one of her tour guides ends up in the hospital, leaving her a guide short on Christmas Day.
When Dotty offers her a job leading the tour group through Budapest, Hungary, Lana jumps at the chance. It’s the perfect way to ring in the new year and pay her rent!
What starts off as the adventure of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. Was it murder or accidental death? Suspects abound when Lana discovers almost everyone on the tour had a bone to pick with Carl.
But Dotty insists the tour must go on, so Lana finds herself trapped with nine murder suspects. When another guest turns up dead, Lana has to figure out who the killer is before she too ends up floating in the Danube…
Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.
Feel-good stories about friendship, travel, and celebrating new experiences. Coming soon: Books 2 and 3 in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series!
Death on the Danube by Jennifer Alderson is a captivating tale of greed and misdeeds.
Who would kill Carl? He was just a tour guide…
Lana Hanson
Lana is our main character, point of view, and our sleuth. Things haven’t been going the way that Lana had planned. First, she lost her dream job as an investigating journalist, and most recently, her husband left her for another woman. Lana takes this tour guide position at the last minute because she needs the money and a change of scenery. Lana is a great amateur sleuth, she is inquisitive, and people tell her things.
I like that Lana does her best to remain positive. I also like that she can admit that she still cares about her ex-husband, wants to move forward but is taking her time. She is a realistic character. Lana is also a dreamer, and I look forward to seeing her find who she is again.
The Mystery
The mystery was good, lots of clues scattered throughout, and plenty of red herrings. Once you combine all that with the setting of Budapest, it was marvelous. I enjoyed learning about the culture and hearing the opinion of the others taking the Wunderlust Tour.
Four Stars
Death on the Danube by Jennifer Alderson is an entertaining story. I truly enjoyed it, and therefore, I am giving it four stars and recommending it to all cozy fans out there.
Upcoming Book in the Series
Giveaway
Prize: (1) Prize Package – A deluxe canvas Amsterdam canals fold-up bag; A Take Note notebook – to jot down your next adventure; A globe key chain – so you can take the world with you!
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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death on the Danube by Jennifer Alderson. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Jennifer S. Alderson
Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before settling in the Netherlands. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.
Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning mystery series—the Zelda Richardson Mysteries and Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries—and standalone stories.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Cloak and Dagger
- 2019 Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge
- 2019 Cruisin' Thru The Cozies Reading Challenge
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
- 2019 New Release Challenge
Thank you so much, Karen! I am thrilled to see you enjoyed my debut cozy mystery! Thanks for being part of the tour and happy holidays!
It’s so fortunate that a crack investigative reporter like our heroine should end up the tour host on a trip where murder is afoot! I know the race to unmask the killer will make the situation all the more tense!