Muerte en el Danubio: Un asesinato de Año Nuevo en Budapest (Serie de Misterios Acogedores «Viajar Puede Ser Mortal» nº 1)

Travel Can Be Murder #1

by Jennifer S. Alderson

¿Quién iba a imaginar que un viaje de Año Nuevo a Budapest podría ser tan mortal? El tour debe continuar... ¡incluso con un asesino entre ellos!

Lana Hansen, recientemente divorciada, necesita un descanso. Su suerte ha sido pésima durante casi una década, desde que la despidieron de su trabajo favorito como reportera de investigación. Cuando su nuevo comienzo en Seattle no sale como esperaba, Lana se encuentra desempleada y sin dinero la víspera de Navidad.

Dotty Thompson, su casera y dueña de Wanderlust Travels, también está en apuros después de que uno de sus guías turísticos termine en el hospital, dejándola sin un guía en el Día de Navidad.

Cuando Dotty le ofrece un trabajo guiando el grupo por Budapest, Hungría, Lana no duda en aceptar. ¡Es la manera perfecta de comenzar el nuevo año y pagar su alquiler!

Lo que empieza como la aventura de su vida rápidamente se convierte en una pesadilla cuando Carl, su compañero guía, es encontrado flotando en el río Danubio. ¿Fue asesinato o muerte accidental? Los sospechosos no faltan cuando Lana descubre que casi todos los del tour tenían algo en contra de Carl.

Pero Dotty insiste en que el tour debe continuar, así que Lana se ve atrapada con nueve sospechosos de asesinato. Cuando otro huésped aparece muerto, Lana tendrá que averiguar quién es el asesino antes de que ella también termine flotando en el Danubio…

Presentando a Lana Hansen, guía turística, detective amateur a regañadientes y estrella involuntaria de la serie Viajar Puede Ser Mortal. Únete a Lana mientras lleva a turistas y lectores a fascinantes ciudades alrededor del mundo en aventuras intrigantes que, lamentablemente para Lana, a menudo terminan en tragedia.


Serie de Misterios Acogedores «Viajar Puede Ser Mortal»
Muerte en el Un asesinato de Año Nuevo en Budapest
Muerte por Un asesinato de San Valentín en París
Muerte por Molino de Un asesinato del Día de la Madre en Ámsterdam
Muerte por Un asesinato de verano en Edimburgo
Muerte por Un asesinato navideño en Roma
Muerte por Un asesinato del Día de San Patricio en Dublín
Muerte por Un asesinato de Semana Santa en Sevilla
Muerte por Gó Un asesinato de primavera en Venecia
Muerte por Un asesinato en una fiesta de soltera en Reikiavik
Muerte por Un asesinato del Día de la Independencia en Costa Rica

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Travel, Cozy, Christmas, Hungary

185 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2019

About the author

Hi! I am an American expat currently living in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, I moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. When not writing, you can find me in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning my next research trip.

My love of travel, art, and culture inspires my award-winning Zelda Richardson Art Mystery series, Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries.

Connect with me here on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, or my website.

Thanks for stopping by!

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It’s Christmas Eve, she’s behind on her rent, has no real worthwhile job in her future, and she is still stinging from her divorce. Then landlord Dotty Thompson makes Lana Hansen an offer she just can’t refuse. Dotty owns Wanderlust Tours and one of her tour guides has ended up in the hospital. She needs Lana to jump on a plane to Budapest, Hungary to ring in the New Year and lead the tour group through the remaining days of the tour.

Lana takes to the job like a fish to water until her fellow tour guide Carl ends swimming with the fishes in the Danube. Accident? Murder? In just her few days with the group, Lana has learned that Carl has a good share of enemies, some right within their group. When a second life is lost and the police eyeing the wrong individual Lana realizes it is up to her to find the real killer.

I had read several reviews praising this book that I knew it had to be one of the first books I read in the new year.

Ms. Alderson not only takes us on an outstanding virtual escape to Hungary but she gives us a fun mystery to solve as well.

Lana Hansen is an excellent protagonist. She is smart, has a great sense of everything around her and I found her to have a very positive outlook even after all the bumps she has had in her life. As a former investigative reporter, she knows how to dig deep and use her research skills to point her in the right direction. She knows how to link the clues together, take good notes and allow time to think over all the details she has found so that after several twists and a few extra clues she can actually prove whodunit and why.

The suspects included all the members of the tour but Carl had rubbed some people in Budapest the wrong way too. I really liked the “Fabulous Five” a group of mature women who were a whole lotta fun. I quickly eliminated them from my suspect list as did Lana. This is a group of ladies I would love to travel with, they have become great friends who really look after each other. The other members of the group all remain viable suspects. I hope they show up on a future tour.

The author has fully fleshed out all the characters. They truly came to life on the pages. Because this book is only 172 pages I am very impressed at how well she did this. The dialogue between the characters was crisp and realistic as well.

The other thing she did so well was to bring Budapest to life. Everywhere the group traveled was fully described and created wonderful pictures in my mind. She made us feel the cold and the wind too. It was a great trip.

I loved the quick pace and the short chapters. Death on the Danube was a totally entertaining read and I am really looking forward to reading Death By Baguette which will be released February 14, 2020.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy murder mystery set along the Danube / BUDAPEST



Agatha Christie said that most murders were committed for one of four reasons: jealousy, greed, a desire for power, and revenge…”

This is the first in the “Travel Can Be Murder” series and features Lana Hansen, tour guide in the making. She was originally an investigative journalist but lost her job when she was looking into poisoning of the waterways, where big industry was involved. She is also divorced, still smarting from her husband’s affair with the much younger woman.

She lives with Dotty, who owns Wanderlust Tours and the guide, who was due to accompany a group of older Seattle tourists, falls ill. Lana steps in and is no way in her comfort zone but in for a penny, in for a pound. She is a plucky woman!

She has in her group a motley gathering of citizens – the Fabulous Five are women who hang out together, there is a couple who run a yachting marina, and there is Carl, her more experienced fellow guide, who seems to be going through a rough patch. Quite the ladies’ man, it would appear, who seems to be in cahoots with another member of the party. Lana is there to keep an eye on everyone, and ensure their smooth passage along the Danube. However, as we know from the title, there is a death (or two) along the way. Who has fallen into the water… or was the person pushed?

It is poignant reading this cozy mystery on the very day that M C Beaton passed away (2.1.20), who was the creator of the Agatha Raisin cozy murder mystery series, set in the Cotswolds. She will be much missed but hopefully The Travel Can Be Murder series will prove to be a substitute. Wittily written, acutely observed, with a narrative that bowls along nicely, this series will find a loyal audience.

And from TripFiction’s point of view this novel is great for a bit of literary wanderlust. Budapest is portrayed as icily cold at the end of December and I can vouch for that, you really need a duvet coat when you are out and about. There are trips to the baths, visits to the castle, the tunnels and a trip up the Danube on the MS Franz Liszt. What more can you ask for in the way of colourful ‘triplit’? Enjoy.

[Harriet Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lana Hansen is down on her luck after losing the job she loved and the break up of her marriage. She's facing a bleak New Year when her landlady, the delightfully eccentric Dottie, offers her a job as a tour guide on a trip to Budapest. The original courier has been forced to cancel but Lana's co-guide, Carl, is very experienced, and there will be local guides to help too. All Lana will need to do is keep the smiles and the drinks coming and make sure that the guests have a great, hitch-free time. What can possibly go wrong? Plenty, of course.
The story was a little slow at the beginning while we learnt about Lana's backstory and the other characters were introduced, but then the pace picked up and the fun began with lots of twists and turns, leading to a dramatic denouement at Budapest's grand opera house on New Year's Eve. I enjoyed all the descriptions of the city with its splendid architecture, interesting monuments, and colourful Christmas fairs. I could smell the spices and traditional delicacies. The author also took us on the Danube and out to nearby villages where the tour members were treated to local music and food as well as lots of fruit brandies! I've only been once to Budapest and then very briefly. Now I want to go back. If you're looking for an entertaining Christmas mystery, I recommend this.

[nina_story_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Morte sul Danubio* è il giallo che ti fa pensare: "Leggerò solo questo libro e poi basta!"—ma sorpresa, sorpresa—finisci per innamorarti e ti ritrovi a cercare il secondo volume come se fosse il Santo Graal. Questo primo capitolo è praticamente un buffet di misteri e colpi di scena. Prevedibili? Si, ma intrattiene.

L'autrice non si limita a scrivere un libro, ma sembra confezionare un abbonamento annuale alla suspense! I personaggi? Sono così vividi che potresti trovarli seduti accanto a te sul tram. La trama? molto ben sviluppata

Un consiglio? Mettiti comodo, prepara una bella scorta di snack e fai spazio sugli scaffali, perché questa serie ti potrebbe risucchiare come un tornado di pagine e intrighi. Provalo e vedrai: il Danubio non è solo un fiume... è anche il posto ideale per un mistero!

[E.J. Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have recently discovered cozy mysteries - well I've certainly read quite a few - but have only just discovered that they have their very own genre. This one was a treat. I got to visit Budapest in winter, tour some of the sights of the city including a wonderful Christmas market and cruise the Danube. I also met a new protagonist, Lana, a rookie travel guide, and warmed to her immediately. If you want to keep guessing whodunnit when there is a serial killer among the travellers, this is well worth a read.

[Mint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death on the Danube was an easy read and a nice introduction to a new (to me) series.

The mystery follows the protagonist Lana through Budapest as she leads a group of tourists through the city on her first trip as a tour guide. I can't comment on how accurate the travelogue portion of the book was as I'm not familiar with the city, but I really enjoyed 'seeing' the city through the eyes of Lana and the tour group. This was probably my favourite part of the book.

However, the mystery does not begin until well into the novel - probably more than 50% of the way through. Because there is so much exposition in the first half of the book, this isn't a big problem because the reader has enough context to try and sleuth along based on character backgrounds and motives alone.

(Bonus points to Lana for actually using the Internet to sleuth, which is very atypical in cozy mysteries!)

I realize that first books in a mystery series usually need to have more exposition to introduce the characters, but for me, there was too much description and exposition at the beginning. The reader learns a lot about Lana's divorce, Lana's previous career as an investigative journalist, the stories of the different travellers on the trip, and more. It made the book drag a bit. Maybe this exposition could have been cut back, or maybe there is a more natural way of integrating this material into the novel

I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy travel cozy mysteries. I'd definitely consider reading another book in the series, but it's also not a series I'm itching to finish.

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Kathryn Gauci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book book for a couple of reasons. I love the idea of a murder set in an exotic location and Budapest with the Danube and its fine spas is a perfect place. I also love this author's style of writing. Being an avid traveller herself, she always does her research and I felt like I was on the tour myself. The protagonist, Lana Hansen, is down on her luck and is asked by a friend to lead a Christmas tour group around the city. With a colourful cast of characters as one gets in a tour group, things aren't as rosy as they seem. I will not give away any spoilers suffice to say there is a murder - maybe more - you will have to see for yourself. Ms Alderson tackled this cozy mystery well. She is a witty writer and at times I found myself laughing aloud. I look forward to more in this series. Highly recommended.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book

Interesting story. Clean, no gore, a unique assortment of characters, but no Art. I'm going to try her artsy series next.

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing the job she loved, not to mention her husband leaving her for his new assistant, Lana Hansen’s fresh start in Seattle isn’t working out as planned. Thank goodness for eccentric Dotty Thompson, her landlady and good friend. Dotty persuades Lana to escort a tour group in Budapest, taking the place of an injured tour guide. Along with her property portfolio, Dotty also owned several small businesses, but Wanderlust Tours was her favourite and she wanted to make sure it stayed successful.

Lana really didn’t have a choice as her rent was due and she was broke. This offer of Dotty’s would certainly tide her over and meant that she wouldn’t be home alone over the New Year. Apart from that, it would be a free trip and she knew Dotty’s company specialised in high end travel.

"Lana had originally envisioned Budapest as a city full of gray, Communist-era buildings. But the photos in Dotty’s guidebooks were of beautifully maintained neoclassical, baroque, medieval, Gothic, and rococo buildings. Driving through the heart of the city, Lana was glad to see Dotty’s books didn’t lie. The imposing statues, tiered fountains, captivating monuments, delicate spires, and majestic buildings decorated with snow and sparkly lights made Lana feel as if they were driving through a postcard."

Lana’s tour group is a mix of colourful, if not always likeable, characters and Lana has to diffuse more than one awkward situation. For Dotty’s sake, she was determined to do her best. The other tour guide, Carl, has troubles of his own and is finding it difficult to focus on his job, leaving Lana to cope much of the time. Then a body is found in the river, but was it an accident or something more sinister…not everyone in the group is who they seem and there are obvious hostilities rising to the surface.

Lana’s efforts to discover the truth throw up more questions than answers and her anticipation for the trip has turned into more of a nightmare. She’s trapped aboard the boat with a murderer and, as we learn more about the passengers, it seems several people might have a motive.

Along with the mystery are vivid descriptions of Budapest, picturesque scenery, wonderful Christmas markets and fascinating landmarks along the way. The mix of travel and murder make for a fun cosy mystery.

I chose to read and review Death on the Danube for Rosie Amber’s book review team, based on a digital copy from the author.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a decent concept here but the execution is lacking on almost every level.

The first half of it moved so slowly. There was good location and tourist information and in another kind of book I might have appreciated that—I do appreciate that the author must have done a lot of research because there were very detailed descriptions for various places—but in this book it just came across as filler. Especially since there wasn't even a murder until I hit 60%.

On top the filler, there was just a lot of info dumping and the characters were mainly one dimensional. I really disliked how all the women ended up getting pitted against one another and I know Carl wasn't the most honest person but everyone acting like he deserved to die was gross. And Lana did no actual investigating, she just kind of mused about the tour groups motives and then "figured it out" by observing the killer trying to kill someone else! She came across as judgmental and not particularly motivated to figure things out, whether with the case or her job.

(Also, that whole opera scene was ridiculous, but the most ridiculous part might have been how they didn't care that they were ruining the experience for everyone else at the performance and then got upset when people around them had the nerve to point it out to them!)

Just not enough of what I needed this to be unfortunately.

[Ira Therebel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute little crime mystery to end the years with. It is entertaining and has some fun characters. It takes a while before the murder happens but it kind of builds everything up to it. Unfortunately it was very predictable. The clues are really not well hidden, I was noticing right away like for example Lana not asking that deaf old woman anything about the murder night because she would tell the same as her husband. So obvious that she was a witness but maybe it is because i read so much mystery. But still pretty entertaining and I loved the setting, need to visit Budapest one day

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75. Libros muy simples pero entretenidos, un poco en la linea de Agatha Raisin. Y un plus que te sumerja tan bien en el ambiente de cada ciudad donde se desarrolla la trama

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Death on the Danube, Jennifer S Alderson has turned away from the dangerous adventures of Art Historian Zelda Richardson and turned to cozy mystery with newly divorced Lana Hansen as she takes up a new life as a tour guide with Wanderlust Tours. I soon adapted to this style of murder mystery as Lana uses her skill with people to take care of a disparate group of wealthy tourists threatened by murder within their midst. An intelligent former journalist, Lana puts the “Fabulous Five” group of mature women at ease while trying to solve the case.

The book includes vivid descriptions of places of interest in Budapest as settings to the interactions of suspicious characters such as Helen and Tom who own a yacht rental company and Carl, a fellow tour guide, who seems to prefer gambling. I was kept guessing about the guilt of those guests who seemed most unpleasant or of more likeable old friend, Sally who has been betrayed so badly by the first victim. I am certainly tempted to visit Budapest myself, now and I am looking forward to following Lana’s investigations next year in A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lana Hansen is recently divorced, living in Seattle, and trying to decide what she wants next in life. Her friend and landlady, Dotty, owns a travel agency and is suddenly short a tour guide for a New Year's trip to Budapest. Lana reluctantly agrees to go on the trip. After two murders occur on the excursion, she starts spending time sleuthing as well as guiding the tour.

I wanted to read Death on the Danube because I enjoy playing armchair traveler (as well as armchair detective!). Lana's work as a tour guide sounded interesting too.

This was a fun cozy mystery, and a great debut to the new series Travel Can Be Murder. I loved the travel descriptions, especially the Christmas market and the very atmospheric labyrinth. I could really picture the places the tour visited from the descriptions; they were very vivid.

Lana makes a good amateur detective. She depends on research and doesn't take silly, dangerous chances. The mystery aspect of the story was well written. I figured the killer about the same time that Lana did.

I especially enjoyed the fast pacing of this novel, with short chapters and dialogue that moved the story along at a crisp pace.

I would recommend Death on the Danube for cozy mystery fans, and especially for anyone who enjoys travel related mysteries. I look forward to reading future books in this series!

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente una serie che ha come argomento principale il viaggio che mi è piaciuta! Almeno a giudicare da questo primo libro. Che è più un racconto lungo che un libro vero e proprio, ma ben strutturato nonostante il morto compaia oltre la metà della storia. Ecco, se devo forse trovare una piccola pecca è che le "indagini" sono veramente ridotte, ma l'autrice fornisce tante possibili tracce prima dell'omicidio che non si sente la necessità di uno sviluppo ulteriore della parte mistery. Infine, ho apprezzato tantissimo il resoconto del viaggio tanto che mi è parso di essere a Budapest con il gruppo.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining travel listening 🎶🔰

Another will written travel adventure thriller with interesting characters and a murder thrown in by Jennifer S. Alderson (Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Series book 1). A cute travel adventure with interesting characters with strange relationships which ends with murder. I would recommend this novel to readers of murder mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to books 📚. 2022 👒😤😡

[Pamela Allegretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Jennifer Alderson’s work, and this book didn’t let me down. I like the idea of setting a cozy mystery in exotic locations, rather than another sleepy New England town. Along with protagonist Lana Hansen, Budapest plays a starring role. Ms. Alderson has done her homework and has generously provided rich and interesting descriptions that urge readers to book a ticket.

[Amy Rosenkoetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series debut

Mistakes were minor, and the recurring characters quite likeable. I enjoyed this very much and will enjoy the second book momentarily!

[Sarka B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 1st book in Travel can be Murder serie and I quite like it. It is set in Budapest before New Year and main character Lana gets a new job as a guide for travel agency. But she also investigates murders that occur during the tour.
The book is well written and I enjoyed atmosphere and description of Budapest, Hungary. I will continue to read this serie.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tour from Hell

When Lana is pressed into serving as a last minute replacement for an injured tour guide, she joins the group in Budapest, and one mishap after another ensues. The tour group has many interesting and colorful characters. The writing is rich and clear, and the story moves nicely. The details of many picturesque areas of Budapest are beautifully described. Lana investigates the deaths of two of her clients on a boat tour on the Danube. The story is filled with unique characters and their interactions. This is a pleasant and entertaining read.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant who-dunnit.

I do love a good murder mystery, and this one did not disappoint.
Lana, out of work and broke, is persuaded by her landlady to act as a tour guide on a group tour of Budapest and a cruise along the Danube.
Of course, any good murder mystery is not complete without a body or two, and Lana is faced with a spot of amateur sleuthing.
A very entertaining and well written story. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Eva Müller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know, one shouldn't complain about lack of realism in a cozy mystery, but the MC is constantly broke, and when she can't pay the rent anymore her landlady doesn't throw her out but offers her the opportunity to pay the rent by working as a guide on a luxury tour... I thought I was lucky with a landlady, who sometimes brings me cake

Well, and the story itself... it's not particularly well-written. There's lots of info-dumping in the narration and in the dialogue and most of it is very unnecessary (I do not need to know, how Yoga changed the life of the MC, especially if it's explained over a page and then never comes up again). The mystery itself is very predictable, also because the same information is repeated over and over again. Oh, and the sleuths discuss their theories AT THE OPERA and yes, I mean: they are in the audience of an opera, but instead of watching they talk. And when a fellow audience member complains, she is declared as bad as a posh character, who treats all staff like her personal servants.

I'm not going to continue this series.

[Janice Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy mystery is written by a well-travelled author. Budapest comes alive with history as the tour group explores the sights. The cruise down the Danube was also rich in description. The food, the markets, the tours around the city made for a grand trip.
The mystery unfolded about halfway through. Up to that point, one wondered who was going to be murdered, the tour guests were quite an eclectic bunch, a handful for our novice tour guide.
I really enjoyed this book. On to Book 2 of the series.

[Mary-Lorraine Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mystery. A little obsessed in the first portion with what her ex-husband might think, but I guess that’s pretty realistic. Straight mystery with some good descriptions of the sights they saw. An easy read.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like the main character in this. The city information on Budapest was its only saving grace.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.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. 


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Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Roberta Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Jennifer S. Alderson's Adventures of Zelda Richardson books as I really enjoy the fast pace and wonderfully exotic locations that feature in this series. When this first book in Ms Alderson's new cozy mystery series became available, I quickly snatched it up to see what this versatile author can do in this slightly different genre. I have recently visited Budapest, so I was also keen to see how this amazing city is featured in this book.

I was not disappointed, either with regards to the genre or the setting of Death on the Danube. As a cozy mystery, this book is shorter than the Zelda books and, as a result, the characters are not as fleshed out. this was not a problem for me as I still got a good feel for Lana, the recently divorced heroine, who finds herself unexpectedly dealing with a murder investigation instead of just assuming the new role of tour guide to a party of wealthy tourists. Lana was previously an investigative journalist and this experience comes in handy when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube.

This book reminded me of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express as it had lots of interesting characters. The story dips into each potential suspects life and reveals enough tantalizing details about a few of them to make them a likely suspect and Lana must do some hard work to unravel their stories and how they fit into Carl's messy life.

Carl was an interesting chap with his involved history of womanizing, gambling and misleading people in order to gain their financial support. He was likable enough for me to not entirely hate him and I felt rather bad about his untimely death even though he was a bit of a rotter.

The introduction of the travel element and virtual tour the author gives her readers separates this book from others in this genre and made it a really interesting read. The depictions of the tourist destinations were interesting and the descriptions of the food, tantalizing.

I would strongly recommend this book to lovers of cozy mysteries and short murder mystery stories.

[Katreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

DEATH ON THE DANUBE: A NEW YEAR'S MURDER IN BUDAPEST
By Jennifer S. Alderson
The First Travel Can Be Murder Mystery

Newly divorced and barely making ends meet Lana Hansen takes up her landlady's offer. All she has to do is co-lead a luxury tour and she'll get a reprieve on her rent and an all expense paid trip to Budapest. How hard could it be? Although the amenities are first class, the tour members keep Lana on her toes. From snobbish behavior, to veiled fighting over a man, and furtive glances all around Lana just hopes they don't kill each other! Unfortunately, Lana's hopes are in vain when her missing co-leader's body is found!

I love exploring new places and would love to visit Hungary, especially the Christmas markets. I recently discovered I'm not cut out to be a world traveler, therefore I'm happy to allow Lana Hansen to be my guide. I enjoyed the descriptions of Budapest and, unlike Lana, I am a history buff and like learning all the details from the local guides. She and the Fabulous Five can keep the spa days, although I think I'd appreciate the architecture.

A good number of the tourists on Lana's first outing are the sort of people I hope never to meet and certainly not travel with. Lana is a likable protagonist, even though I'm not sure how she missed the connections between the travelers, especially as a former investigative reporter. My favorite character is Dotty and I love her way with animals and her new business venture for them. The pets also add dimension to the book despite their relatively small role.

There's a slow start to the first Travel Can Be Murder Mystery. While there is conflict from the tour group from the onset, the murder doesn't happen for quite some time. Then there's a slow investigation as the tour continues. Yet the penultimate scene, where Lana figures out who did it had me on the edge of my seat.

DEATH ON THE DANUBE: A NEW YEAR'S MURDER IN BUDAPEST is an enjoyable mystery which leads readers through the picturesque country of Hungary. The details of the travel blended with the furtive behavior of the tourists make an appealing narrative. I just hope Lana and the Fabulous Five, or Stupendous Six, don't sit near me at the opera!

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me an e-copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author but I enjoyed it so it won't be my last. I am some what of an arm chair detective and with this book (and series) I get to travel around the world too. I haven't left my home country but my dad has been on a cruise on the Danube and surrounding areas and I wanted to get a feel for what it was like. Okay this is not his type of book but I liked it, I even think I can picture some of the building from his photos described in this book. I liked the characters and the way Lana jumps right into a new adventure. I have read a number of cruise ship mysteries but this is my first time with a tour guide and I love that it opens up a wide number of locations. The mystery was worked well into the story with the right balance of mystery and site seeing but with the set up and explaining why Lana needed to go it did take a while to happen and to honest I wasn't sure who was going to be the victim until it happened. There wasn't a great deal of suspects and I wasn't surprised by who it turned out to be but I enjoyed the book so I didn't mind. I wonder where the author is taking us next.
When a tour guide gets hurts half way through the holiday the owner Dotty turns to her unemployed neighbour for help. Lana dreading spending New Years Eve alone agreed to help and jumps on a plane. But tension between the rest of the group is high and it proves to be anything but restful. Especially when the other tour guide is found dead and the Dotty's friend is accused of the murder. With the new year celebrations in full swing Dotty asks Lana another favour, to look out for her friends until a lawyer can be found. Can Lana keep the tour group going single handed and find out which of the other members could be a killer?

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found all the main characters likeable and engaging. I particularly enjoyed the backstory the author built around the protagonist (Lana); it made her presence on the cruise ship feel believable and gave her a solid reason to get involved in the murder investigation. The exposition is well-paced and not overly long, allowing us to quickly grasp the main character’s personality and recent life history early on in the book.

The Eastern European setting adds a refreshing touch to the story and I appreciated learning more about Hungarian places and culture. I had expected the entire plot to unfold on the boat, but it didn’t, so it didn't feel as much of a closed-space mystery as I anticipated. This actually worked well, as we get to enjoy beautifully described sceneries beyond the confines of the ship.

While the first half of the book doesn’t have major twists, it lays out small but meaningful pieces of background and mysteries among the characters, building up the story at a good pace. Personally, I would have liked a bit more tension and suspense surrounding the mystery’s resolution towards the end. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it’s a strong start to the series, and I'm really curious to see how Lana will evolve in the next book!