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ARKANE #4
One Day In Budapest
Nationalistic fervor. Genocidal violence. The first time, the world went to war. This time, the world could end.
When a priest is murdered and one of the holiest relics of Christendom stolen, the ultra-nationalist Eröszak group is ready.
Fanning flames of hatred into a firestorm of anti-Semitic violence the likes of which haven’t been seen since the darkest days of World War II, Eröszak’s leader has the perfect plan to turn Hungary — and later, the world — into a nightmare of fascist rule.
They’ve planned for every option, for every eventuality… except one: Dr. Morgan Sierra, agent of ARKANE.
Morgan didn’t intend to get involved — she was just in Budapest to deliver a pair of artifacts to the historic Dohany Street synagogue. But when Eröszak’s thugs attack, Morgan finds herself the only thing standing between them and the overthrow of an entire government.
Nazi fanaticism, religious relics, and the blood of innocents combine to create a mystery fit for an agent of ARKANE — the British agency tasked with the uncovering of and defense against the supernatural.
And Morgan knows that she only has one chance to stop Eröszak and its leader. Because if she doesn’t, history may well repeat itself — only this time, the forces of darkness will win.
Based on true events, One Day in Budapest is the fourth standalone thriller in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn’s ARKANE series. Grab your copy to find out what the buzz is about, and get ready for the dark, the disturbing… the ARKANE.
When a priest is murdered and one of the holiest relics of Christendom stolen, the ultra-nationalist Eröszak group is ready.
Fanning flames of hatred into a firestorm of anti-Semitic violence the likes of which haven’t been seen since the darkest days of World War II, Eröszak’s leader has the perfect plan to turn Hungary — and later, the world — into a nightmare of fascist rule.
They’ve planned for every option, for every eventuality… except one: Dr. Morgan Sierra, agent of ARKANE.
Morgan didn’t intend to get involved — she was just in Budapest to deliver a pair of artifacts to the historic Dohany Street synagogue. But when Eröszak’s thugs attack, Morgan finds herself the only thing standing between them and the overthrow of an entire government.
Nazi fanaticism, religious relics, and the blood of innocents combine to create a mystery fit for an agent of ARKANE — the British agency tasked with the uncovering of and defense against the supernatural.
And Morgan knows that she only has one chance to stop Eröszak and its leader. Because if she doesn’t, history may well repeat itself — only this time, the forces of darkness will win.
Based on true events, One Day in Budapest is the fourth standalone thriller in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn’s ARKANE series. Grab your copy to find out what the buzz is about, and get ready for the dark, the disturbing… the ARKANE.
ebook
First published August 21, 2013
51 people are currently reading
1717 people want to read
About the author
J.F. Penn
56 books2,233 followersI'm the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, crime, dark fantasy, horror, short stories, and travel memoir.
Reading order: https://jfpennbooks.com/pages/reading...
The fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, a kick-ass protagonist and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft."
The Brooke & Daniel Crime Thriller Series features British detective Jamie Brooke alongside museum researcher Blake Daniel, as they solve dark crimes around London.
The Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy is set between Bath, England and the Borderlands in a split world fantasy where Sienna and the Mapwalker team travel through maps to adventure ...
A Thousand Fiendish Angels is a collection of 3 short stories bound together by a book of human skin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.
You can buy books directly from me https://jfpennbooks.com/
I have a blog and podcast at http://www.BooksAndTravel.page
I'm passionate about writing and I love reading. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Jonathan Maberry, John Connolly, Daniel Silva, and I also read a lot of travel books.
Reading order: https://jfpennbooks.com/pages/reading...
The fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, a kick-ass protagonist and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft."
The Brooke & Daniel Crime Thriller Series features British detective Jamie Brooke alongside museum researcher Blake Daniel, as they solve dark crimes around London.
The Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy is set between Bath, England and the Borderlands in a split world fantasy where Sienna and the Mapwalker team travel through maps to adventure ...
A Thousand Fiendish Angels is a collection of 3 short stories bound together by a book of human skin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.
You can buy books directly from me https://jfpennbooks.com/
I have a blog and podcast at http://www.BooksAndTravel.page
I'm passionate about writing and I love reading. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Jonathan Maberry, John Connolly, Daniel Silva, and I also read a lot of travel books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
August 21, 2013
Truly a thrill ride that will leave you breathless and also make you think, the latest from J.F. Penn is everything it should be. Morgan Sierra has become one of my favorite kick-ass action heroines and the author one of the reasons I enjoy a good thriller. This shorter, stand-alone adventure for Morgan has all of the hallmarks I've come to associate with Ms. Penn's writing: an unforgettable hook, spot-on pacing, and characters that come alive with the briefest of sketches. Though I know novellas are by nature on the shorter side, I can't help but want more time with Morgan. So I guess it's a good thing we've been given this little gem as we wait for the next full novel.
September 10, 2013
When I saw the title I knew I had to read this story. I'm Hungarian by origin, and you can understand that a title like this catches my eyes. The novella connected on different levels.
It was nice to read a story in English playing out on the streets of Budapest, which I know well. But I wouldn't give more stars only because of it, there was something else. It worked well on emotional level. The story touched a real problem: rise of the right-wing nationalism. I never understood why people hate their fellow citizens just because of their origins. I never understood how it escalated to a war involving the whole world. I mean, I can understand the political reasons behind, but I cannot imagine I could be on the killing side. So when I read the scene - spoiler warning - about the murder at the Danube mimicking the executions of Jewish people at the end of WW II, my heart was racing.
The secret altar in the tunnels below the Castle is a compelling element, also the historical importance of the Holy Right.
Besides the emotional aspects I like the story because it is fast paced. I like the character of Morgan Sierra. She is the key to stop the madness of the misguided mob, but I appreciate that the author let the Hungarian guy have an important role stopping the bad guys.
One Day in Budapest is a nice read.
It was nice to read a story in English playing out on the streets of Budapest, which I know well. But I wouldn't give more stars only because of it, there was something else. It worked well on emotional level. The story touched a real problem: rise of the right-wing nationalism. I never understood why people hate their fellow citizens just because of their origins. I never understood how it escalated to a war involving the whole world. I mean, I can understand the political reasons behind, but I cannot imagine I could be on the killing side. So when I read the scene - spoiler warning - about the murder at the Danube mimicking the executions of Jewish people at the end of WW II, my heart was racing.
The secret altar in the tunnels below the Castle is a compelling element, also the historical importance of the Holy Right.
Besides the emotional aspects I like the story because it is fast paced. I like the character of Morgan Sierra. She is the key to stop the madness of the misguided mob, but I appreciate that the author let the Hungarian guy have an important role stopping the bad guys.
One Day in Budapest is a nice read.
February 2, 2019
This is a historical fiction novella with a touch of a Dan Brown novel. The author places the beauty of Budapest next to the horror of WWII and next to numerous accounts of continued acts of genocide around the world creates a thriller where history is set to repeat itself in modern day Budapest.
The story is short, fast paced, over one day, cleverly written, and really makes you think about what is going on in today’s world. Have we learned anything? How far if at all have we come from the atrocities of WWII?
The author makes good use of historical places and does a decent job of character development considering the space of the story.
Well worth reading!
The story is short, fast paced, over one day, cleverly written, and really makes you think about what is going on in today’s world. Have we learned anything? How far if at all have we come from the atrocities of WWII?
The author makes good use of historical places and does a decent job of character development considering the space of the story.
Well worth reading!
February 28, 2016
This novella is book 4 in the writer's ARKANE series, and despite its length was an educational, as well as an entertaining read. Things begin easily enough with Dr Morgan Sierra tasked with carrying back a couple of items from the infamous Gold Train of WWII. These are to be returned to the main synagogue in Budapest.
When the priest guarding the relic of the 'Holy Right', is found brutally murdered, and the relic missing, accusing fingers point at the Jewish community. There was a simmering undercurrent of hatred towards the Jewish community, but this escalates matters. Despite being outside of the purpose of her travels, Morgan soon becomes involved. It seems that only the return of this National treasure can prevent carnage once more arriving on the streets of Budapest.
The story is told in a plausible way, but with it being a novella the thrills and spills are quite tightly packed. Good use has been made of historic research, as well as the religious side of things. The various locations have been well laid out for the reader.
Possibly my favourite book in the series ................ so far.
When the priest guarding the relic of the 'Holy Right', is found brutally murdered, and the relic missing, accusing fingers point at the Jewish community. There was a simmering undercurrent of hatred towards the Jewish community, but this escalates matters. Despite being outside of the purpose of her travels, Morgan soon becomes involved. It seems that only the return of this National treasure can prevent carnage once more arriving on the streets of Budapest.
The story is told in a plausible way, but with it being a novella the thrills and spills are quite tightly packed. Good use has been made of historic research, as well as the religious side of things. The various locations have been well laid out for the reader.
Possibly my favourite book in the series ................ so far.
August 26, 2013
My Review
published first on my blog page
http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
As an European citizen myself and, as I can say I lived history - the fall of communism in Europe and that of the Iron Curtain - and as a witness of what is happening right now on the political, social and economic scene in all the former countries of the Warsaw's treaty, I was highly interested in reading Ms. Penn's novella. It was highly rewarding. I read it in a go. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A real page turner, fast paced with believable characters, full of twists and turns. The plot interweaves Budapest's past and present in an interesting informative way.
I commend the author for the skilful way of building the suspense and for developing Dr. Morgan Sierra, the main character; a woman who knows how to fight her battles so as to be a winner. She's the type of character I enjoy reading and seeing in action. The only fault in this story - it ended too soon; as always happens with novellas. The story will not disappoint fans of thrillers; it's spiced in a clever way with the right amount of religion, politics and crime, to give an excellent story. It deserves five stars.
published first on my blog page
http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
As an European citizen myself and, as I can say I lived history - the fall of communism in Europe and that of the Iron Curtain - and as a witness of what is happening right now on the political, social and economic scene in all the former countries of the Warsaw's treaty, I was highly interested in reading Ms. Penn's novella. It was highly rewarding. I read it in a go. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A real page turner, fast paced with believable characters, full of twists and turns. The plot interweaves Budapest's past and present in an interesting informative way.
I commend the author for the skilful way of building the suspense and for developing Dr. Morgan Sierra, the main character; a woman who knows how to fight her battles so as to be a winner. She's the type of character I enjoy reading and seeing in action. The only fault in this story - it ended too soon; as always happens with novellas. The story will not disappoint fans of thrillers; it's spiced in a clever way with the right amount of religion, politics and crime, to give an excellent story. It deserves five stars.
August 26, 2013
This is a great novella which really makes you feel that you are actually visiting Budapest. For a short read, this has a real depth of research and intricacy with believable characters and a fast-paced storyline.
It's great to find Morgan Sierra off on another adventure, and this novella will not disappoint! The plot is full of history, religion and story expertly blended together.
Highly recommended!
It's great to find Morgan Sierra off on another adventure, and this novella will not disappoint! The plot is full of history, religion and story expertly blended together.
Highly recommended!
September 14, 2013
I loved this novella.
It moved at great pace, with some interesting characters and a heroine I look forward to reading more. But what made it so captivating for me was that I experienced some of the sights of Budapest plus got a history lesson on their significance. A conspiracy thriller involving religion and politics is always great fodder for a novel.
Congratulations Joanna. Now to start on the ARKANE series of novels Jo has written starring the heroine from this novella, Morgan Sierra.
It moved at great pace, with some interesting characters and a heroine I look forward to reading more. But what made it so captivating for me was that I experienced some of the sights of Budapest plus got a history lesson on their significance. A conspiracy thriller involving religion and politics is always great fodder for a novel.
Congratulations Joanna. Now to start on the ARKANE series of novels Jo has written starring the heroine from this novella, Morgan Sierra.
February 26, 2015
This novella was provided to me by the author when I received her novel PROPHECY for review. I had never opened the novella until recently. I have read all of J.F. Penn's other ARKANE series that leads into this novella, and I want to reads the entire series.
As the title suggests strongly, the story begins in Budapest (and stays there for the entirety of the story). The major focus of the story is a divide between the Jewish and non-Jewish members of the Hungarian populace.
As with all ARKANE stories, there is an ancient religious relic involved. Someone has stolen the "Holy Right", the mummified right hand of St. Stephen. Then the race is on to find it before the raging anti-Semites in Budapest convince everyone that the Jewish community has perpetrated the crime. This leads to a frantic adventure to save the day.
Once again like the previous books in the series, the dialogue gets muddied with historical "tour-guide" speeches and political rhetoric. However, with this being only a short novella, it is more disruptive.
I liked the story overall, but it did not have enough of what made the rest of the series so good. It was also paced a little choppy and felt overly disjointed at some points.
It is not bad, and is a must for ARKANE fans who want to read the whole series.
As the title suggests strongly, the story begins in Budapest (and stays there for the entirety of the story). The major focus of the story is a divide between the Jewish and non-Jewish members of the Hungarian populace.
As with all ARKANE stories, there is an ancient religious relic involved. Someone has stolen the "Holy Right", the mummified right hand of St. Stephen. Then the race is on to find it before the raging anti-Semites in Budapest convince everyone that the Jewish community has perpetrated the crime. This leads to a frantic adventure to save the day.
Once again like the previous books in the series, the dialogue gets muddied with historical "tour-guide" speeches and political rhetoric. However, with this being only a short novella, it is more disruptive.
I liked the story overall, but it did not have enough of what made the rest of the series so good. It was also paced a little choppy and felt overly disjointed at some points.
It is not bad, and is a must for ARKANE fans who want to read the whole series.
November 20, 2013
One Day in Budapest is my first taste of author J F Penn's writing, and at just 105 pages (in the print copy), it is an ideal way to sample her work. The novella features Dr Morgan Sierra from the ARKANE thrillers, but is stand-alone and can be read separately from the ARKANE series.
This is a story packed with action from start to finish and Penn has a real depth to her writing that is incredibly skilful. There are not many authors who could produce such a vivid story, involving some well-drawn characters and incorporating great historical detail in such a few chapters. One Day in Budapest really does deliver all of the above.
Morgan Sierra is a strong female lead character, just enough detail of her background is given to be able to understand just what sort of person she is, and why she finds herself in the middle of an explosive situation. The story is set sometime in the near future, the reader does not know the exact date. The quite frightening thing about this is that one could really believe that the events were happening today, the plot is relevant to events happening in our own world and draws on horrific episodes from our not so distant past.
One Day in Budapest is a great introduction to J F Penn's writing. It is skilfully written with a fast and believable story line that will please fans of thrilling, suspenseful fiction.
This is a story packed with action from start to finish and Penn has a real depth to her writing that is incredibly skilful. There are not many authors who could produce such a vivid story, involving some well-drawn characters and incorporating great historical detail in such a few chapters. One Day in Budapest really does deliver all of the above.
Morgan Sierra is a strong female lead character, just enough detail of her background is given to be able to understand just what sort of person she is, and why she finds herself in the middle of an explosive situation. The story is set sometime in the near future, the reader does not know the exact date. The quite frightening thing about this is that one could really believe that the events were happening today, the plot is relevant to events happening in our own world and draws on horrific episodes from our not so distant past.
One Day in Budapest is a great introduction to J F Penn's writing. It is skilfully written with a fast and believable story line that will please fans of thrilling, suspenseful fiction.
February 3, 2014
J.F. Penn’s One Day in Budapest is a richly textured, eerily plausible thriller. Morgan Sierra embarks on a one-day adventure to Budapest to return artifacts to a synagogue. She finds herself teaming with Zoltan Fischer, a security consultant, to try to stop a whirlwind of nationalist propaganda and brewing evil. As with the other riveting ARKANE stories, this novella is filled with vivid settings, compelling characters, and a fascinating mix of psychology, history, and religion.
Penn takes the reader on a journey into the heart of the real life harrowing history of the Jewish-Hungarian people. In this fictional Budapest environment, the plan of those in power to ostracize and persecute minorities creates a haunting parallel to the real life Holocaust. The story pace is brisk, yet the emotional core gives balance to the fast action scenes, allowing readers the opportunity to grapple with greater themes—the use of propaganda to influence the masses, the hidden motivations of those in leadership, the perpetuated evil of prejudice cycling through history, and the duty of those who identify such evil to take action against it.
A stellar complement to the ARKANE series, One Day in Budapest is the type of gut-wrenching, entertaining yet enlightening, thinking-person’s-thriller that J.F. Penn has mastered.
Penn takes the reader on a journey into the heart of the real life harrowing history of the Jewish-Hungarian people. In this fictional Budapest environment, the plan of those in power to ostracize and persecute minorities creates a haunting parallel to the real life Holocaust. The story pace is brisk, yet the emotional core gives balance to the fast action scenes, allowing readers the opportunity to grapple with greater themes—the use of propaganda to influence the masses, the hidden motivations of those in leadership, the perpetuated evil of prejudice cycling through history, and the duty of those who identify such evil to take action against it.
A stellar complement to the ARKANE series, One Day in Budapest is the type of gut-wrenching, entertaining yet enlightening, thinking-person’s-thriller that J.F. Penn has mastered.
May 29, 2016
Book 4, in the Arcane series
This chilling and pulse- pounding suspense drama brings us to modern day Budapest in a conspiracy where religion and politics intersect. J.F Penn has absolutely created a captivating and well researched fictional tale and has skillfully painted and handled tension and fanaticism to a tee.
I admit not being too enthused with the series after reading “Stone of Fire”, the first book. How wrong was I to think this? The second book I read I became hooked and realised how outstanding Ms. Penn’s writing style is. She subtly weaves into a rich narrative politics, religions and history and keeps us involved from the opening page in non-stop action.
Although the drama may be a fiction and very entertaining it is also educational. “One Day in Budapest” transports us to Budapest to witness the dark side of the city, its sad past and the growing concern in today’s politic atmosphere.
The story starts with the murder at the Basilica of St-Stephen and the Holy Right relic is stolen….the main players are Dr. Morgan Sierra, psychologist and Arkane agent and Zoltan Fischer, a Hungarian Jewish security advisor. Two excellent roles perfectly played. Blood spilled again on the streets of Budapest.
Excellent novella
This chilling and pulse- pounding suspense drama brings us to modern day Budapest in a conspiracy where religion and politics intersect. J.F Penn has absolutely created a captivating and well researched fictional tale and has skillfully painted and handled tension and fanaticism to a tee.
I admit not being too enthused with the series after reading “Stone of Fire”, the first book. How wrong was I to think this? The second book I read I became hooked and realised how outstanding Ms. Penn’s writing style is. She subtly weaves into a rich narrative politics, religions and history and keeps us involved from the opening page in non-stop action.
Although the drama may be a fiction and very entertaining it is also educational. “One Day in Budapest” transports us to Budapest to witness the dark side of the city, its sad past and the growing concern in today’s politic atmosphere.
The story starts with the murder at the Basilica of St-Stephen and the Holy Right relic is stolen….the main players are Dr. Morgan Sierra, psychologist and Arkane agent and Zoltan Fischer, a Hungarian Jewish security advisor. Two excellent roles perfectly played. Blood spilled again on the streets of Budapest.
Excellent novella
August 22, 2013
Joanna Penn has done it again...she's written a novella rich in imagery based on solid research, which transports the reader to a politically torn Budapest. The fictitious events intrigued and fascinated this reader with the darkness of its evil men.
Morgan Sierra appears in this story as tough, empathetic and determined to right wrongs, as she was in Penn's trilogy, fighting now against a new enemy...racial hatred while trying to save the victims and restoring peace by returning a historical artifact to its rightful owners.
You know she doesn't run from trouble. Morgan, along with a new ally, races against time and violent forces to help bring Budapest a period of calm and feeling of freedom from fanatics.
This is a must-read.
December 16, 2018
Race against time
A slightly different slant on this series, but with no less tension or compelling storyline. This covers the use of a relic, revered as of great significance to national identity and feelings. The purpose to stir up hatred of a racial minority within Hungary and to ensure the sweep to power of an extreme right wing political leader. Sadly, despite the lessons of history, there has been an increase in support of the far right and an increase in both anti Semitic feelings and other minorities. I gave the rating for the great narrative, well researched content and for the message that extremism in all of its spectrum is so very dangerous.
A slightly different slant on this series, but with no less tension or compelling storyline. This covers the use of a relic, revered as of great significance to national identity and feelings. The purpose to stir up hatred of a racial minority within Hungary and to ensure the sweep to power of an extreme right wing political leader. Sadly, despite the lessons of history, there has been an increase in support of the far right and an increase in both anti Semitic feelings and other minorities. I gave the rating for the great narrative, well researched content and for the message that extremism in all of its spectrum is so very dangerous.
January 13, 2014
Review in the next few days. :)
July 15, 2019
This was... well, it was nice. It was a pleasant interlude, and probably the one most likely to be read as a standalone (although I've come to believe all the books in this series can pretty well be read as standalones).
It reminded me of that obligatory episode in any long-running TV series, where the characters face something that maybe does a little to expand our knowledge of the universe in which they live, but otherwise has nothing to do with the overarching plot.
Which, now that I think of it, is also a nice way of marking what seems to be a turning point in the series: all of the episodes so far have had something to do with Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam), but from what I can see, the next one's going to be about Viking deities. I can hardly wait!
This is also the shortest so far, and as the title suggests, the story takes place in just one day. It was enjoyable, but if I'm really honest, could probably have been even shorter than it was. I skimmed a lot.
Click here to find out where you can buy the ebook: https://books2read.com/u/4ExABo
It reminded me of that obligatory episode in any long-running TV series, where the characters face something that maybe does a little to expand our knowledge of the universe in which they live, but otherwise has nothing to do with the overarching plot.
Which, now that I think of it, is also a nice way of marking what seems to be a turning point in the series: all of the episodes so far have had something to do with Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam), but from what I can see, the next one's going to be about Viking deities. I can hardly wait!
This is also the shortest so far, and as the title suggests, the story takes place in just one day. It was enjoyable, but if I'm really honest, could probably have been even shorter than it was. I skimmed a lot.
Click here to find out where you can buy the ebook: https://books2read.com/u/4ExABo
November 10, 2020
In this episode, Dr. Morgan Sierra is in Budapest when a priest is murdered in the Basilica of St. Stephen and the Holy Right relic, a national treasure, is stolen by a terrorist organization. She is trapped in the synagogue with Zoltan Fischer, a Hungarian Jewish security advisor. Together, they must locate and retrieve the relic, to stop the anti-Semitic violence. Ms. Penn has done her painstaking research into the relic, the city and the culture upon which to apply her sterling story-telling skills into a riveting tale that kept me engrossed. This is fast-paced, easy to read and quite enjoyable. I highly recommend this series and will be reading the next installment soon.
June 2, 2021
at short story spanning only one day but oh what a day, the theft of a holy relic blamed on the Jews threatens to spark violent riots all in an attempt to rid Budapest of their Jewish population by the fundamental right.
ARKANE operative Morgan Sierra finds herself caught up in the action and it is something she can't let pass as she races to help avert the plans set in action.
This is by far my preferred genre of book and Penn keeps you on the edge of your seat with her style of story telling. Yes it may be a bit far fetched and somewhat predictable but that just makes it a fun, enjoyable, easy to read book.
ARKANE operative Morgan Sierra finds herself caught up in the action and it is something she can't let pass as she races to help avert the plans set in action.
This is by far my preferred genre of book and Penn keeps you on the edge of your seat with her style of story telling. Yes it may be a bit far fetched and somewhat predictable but that just makes it a fun, enjoyable, easy to read book.
September 20, 2017
This was a quick read - more of a novella than a novel. Purely by coincidence, after starting this I learned some information about my family tree that made the subject matter hit very close to home (my grandmother and her whole family were from Budapest and several of them died in the WWII Concentration Camps). Instead of this being a quick bit of escapism, it turned into a terrifying story that was all too real. I'm still processing it but it was eye opening, sad and horrifying all at once. I'm glad I read it.
Read
May 27, 2020One Day In Budapest (ARKANE #4), my eighth read from author J.F. Penn. A shorter (2-hour 38-minute) read, captivating, with well-developed characters coupled with an outstanding suspense story-line with its intricately woven twists and turns. Penn, as always, does a good job with her character development; you can like and/or hate these characters. I'll be reading more by this author as I get more of her books. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
July 19, 2021
Morgan saves the city of Budapest from serious violence as she rushes about with Zoltan, a new acquaintance, to figure out who had committed a brutal murder and stolen a national religious symbol that ignited anti-Semitic feelings early on the morning Morgan arrives.
Loads of action, sight-seeing, violence, history, and a hint of the occult.
A quick, fun read.
Trigger warning: history of Jews and Nazis, violence, rape.
Loads of action, sight-seeing, violence, history, and a hint of the occult.
A quick, fun read.
Trigger warning: history of Jews and Nazis, violence, rape.
March 30, 2025
It’s a fast-paced story that blends historical artifacts, religious relics, and a touch of the supernatural. The plot revolves around Dr. Morgan Sierra, an ARKANE agent, who finds herself in Budapest amidst a wave of ultra-nationalist violence. When a priest is murdered and a sacred relic is stolen, Morgan must race against time to prevent a conspiracy that could lead to catastrophic consequences.
February 15, 2021
A thrill ride that pulls out all the stops. It has everything the novels do at a novella’s length. If you’re not sure you’d like this series this wouldn’t be a bad one to start with. It was as well written as the rest and I loved the story and locations we got to visit. I’m looking forward to the next adventure with Dr. Morgan Sierra!
December 8, 2020
Short but enjoyable
One Day in Budapest was a quick read but I was left feeling as if I had actually spent a day there. I really appreciate when an author has actually visited a place instead of writing from a distance. I would love for her to visit Malaysia in a future book!!!!
One Day in Budapest was a quick read but I was left feeling as if I had actually spent a day there. I really appreciate when an author has actually visited a place instead of writing from a distance. I would love for her to visit Malaysia in a future book!!!!
October 8, 2021
So, book four in the series and as good as the other other three. I do so love archaeological thrillers. This one is a little cracker. Full of intrigue and action all the way through. Morgan is learning all the time more and more. Highly recommended.
February 26, 2024
Good read
Action from page 5 or 6 all the way to the end. Constant drama thru out the book. As the title says One Day in Budapest, one long day running from one crisis to the next.
,
Action from page 5 or 6 all the way to the end. Constant drama thru out the book. As the title says One Day in Budapest, one long day running from one crisis to the next.
,
March 10, 2019
See my Stone of Fire comments
June 8, 2020
Love this series and the main sassy character, Morgan. The other bonus is that they can be read in any order as they are stories within their own right.
August 9, 2020
Good read.
I love the Arkane books by J.F.Penn. Combining history with adventure and suspense is a great way to keep me turning the pages!
I love the Arkane books by J.F.Penn. Combining history with adventure and suspense is a great way to keep me turning the pages!
November 6, 2020
Although only a novella, the writer managed to pack a lot of action into a short story, based on actual historical moments, but enhanced by fiction.
November 14, 2020
I was lucky enough to have gotten a free audio book code from the author. I am volunteering to leave this review. Fantastic audio book plenty of action and suspense.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews