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Travel Can Be Murder #2

Muerte por Baguette: Un asesinato de San Valentín en París (Serie de Misterios Acogedores «Viajar Puede Ser Mortal» nº 2)

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París—la ciudad del amor, las luces... ¿y el asesinato? Únete a la guía turística Lana Hansen mientras acompaña a cinco parejas en unas vacaciones inolvidables con temática de San Valentín en Francia. ¡Desafortunadamente, será el último viaje para uno de los pasajeros…!

El futuro de Lana Hansen parece prometedor. Tiene dinero en su cuenta bancaria, una niñera para su gato y hasta un novio. Lamentablemente, no podrá celebrar San Valentín con su nuevo amor, Chad. En su lugar, liderará un tour solo para enamorados en Francia. Por suerte para Lana, su mejor amiga, Willow, y su pareja, Jane, se unirán a ella.

Las cosas empeoran cuando el nuevo novio de Lana aparece en París para el tour… ¡con su esposa! Chad no es el desarrollador web que decía ser, sino un famoso crítico de restaurantes cuya pasión por las mujeres rivaliza con su amor por la comida.

Cuando Chad cae muerto durante un picnic bajo la Torre Eiffel, un persistente detective francés se convence de que fue envenenado. Y la mirada del inspector se centra en varios miembros del tour… ¡incluida Lana!

Mientras guía a su grupo por las calles empedradas de Montmartre, los grandiosos jardines de Versalles y el histórico mercado Marché des Enfants Rouges, Lana tendrá que descubrir quién mató realmente a Chad antes de tener que decir «bonjour» a la prisión y «adieu» a su libertad.


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

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2020

439 people are currently reading
609 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer S. Alderson

55 books766 followers
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!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
6,726 reviews5 followers
April 4, 2024
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 2 of 9

I started this series in 2022 and now back to it. I like stories of travel.

Lana is leading a tour to Paris over Valentine 💘 Day. She is surprised by a man 🚹 that she dated. He is part of the tour and married. The tour is full of action and misdirection leading to murder. Who did it?

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic mystery novels 👍🔰. 2024
Profile Image for S.A. Krishnan.
Author 31 books231 followers
June 29, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
The story had a Valentine's day, quarrelling couples and a complex murder. The description was a plus point of the story. Paris was amazing as seen through the book. Enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Matt.
1,027 reviews
October 26, 2021
Well written and suspenseful. Who dun it? I figured it out about half way through. It would be a five star rating if the author had not made the clues so obvious. A devilish plot with many red herrings.
Profile Image for Carrie Schmidt.
Author 1 book507 followers
March 5, 2020
Jennifer Alderson is an excellent storyteller, and you’ll quickly find yourself caught up in her latest cozy mystery – Death By Baguette! The Paris setting and the couples tour convey a lovely, romantic mood … in theory. However, as the tour begins to fall apart in true cozy mystery fashion, those symbols instead stand in sharp contrast to how everything is actually playing out. Poor Lana lol.

Lana herself is an engaging character, and you’ll find yourself rooting for her right away. (There is a fairly significant continuity error, though, regarding Lana’s age increasing by 9 years over a 6 week time period lol.) The fact that each novel takes place mostly in an international tourist destination adds several layers to the plot, too, and allows us to travel to Budapest and Paris – and soon, Amsterdam – without having to fuss with passports or actual travel. A win-win for those of us who prefer only to travel to places we can reach by car.

Much of the way the story progressed in Death By Baguette was laying a foundation as to who would be murdered and, of course, whodunnit. The actual murder takes place a lot later in the story than I’m used to, but I didn’t mind it because a) the story is entertaining all on its own and b) it kept my clue-gathering mind buzzing throughout.

Bottom Line: Alderson has once again treated readers to a vicarious international tour, complete with vivid settings, delectable food, intriguing & quirky characters… and murder. Poor Lana just can’t catch a break when it comes to the tours she’s leading, and while you’ll love Lana as a character you probably won’t want to book a tour she’s in charge of or work alongside her! haha! This Valentine’s cozy mystery is a bit slow to get to the murder, but you won’t mind – thanks to the easy writing style and smooth voice. A fun new cozy series to book for your next reading adventure!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
Profile Image for LORI CASWELL.
2,863 reviews327 followers
February 22, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts

What could be better than Valentine’s Day in Paris?

Lana Hansen has guided a few tours since New Year’s Day in Hungary. She is also dating again but Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Tours has scheduled her to take a group of five married couples to Paris for Valentine’s Day and train a new guide. Boyfriend Chad also has to be out of town on business anyway. She is thrilled that her friend Willow will be on the tour. Willow surprised her partner, Jane by booking them on the trip.

After the long flight, Lana can’t wait to see the sights. She is shocked though to see Chad in the hotel lobby . . . with his wife . . . and they are one of the couples on HER tour!

Cursing the online dating app she decides to let the other guide handle Chad but finds it is impossible to steer clear of him with such a small group. She also learns he is a restaurant critic, not a website developer as he had led her to believe, and has left a lot of women in his wake. He also quickly rubs many in the group the wrong way with his critiques and pronouncements.

Soon after the tour group sits down for a picnic near the Eiffel Tower, Chad keels over dead, poisoned. Texts on his phone reveal his relationship with Lana and land her at the lop of the suspect list. She is joined by a few other members of the group.

Until they try to lock her up, the tour must go on. While visiting some breathtaking museums and gardens Lana is on high alert to find the real killer . . . but the killer has her in their sights. Can she survive this trip to the city of lights or will this be her final Wanderlust tour?

____

Just like in the first book of this series the author takes her readers on a wonderful literary vacay with a great mystery to solve. She creates such imagery with her words. I have never been to Paris but I could easily visualize every step the characters took and every place they visited. Imagining the food was so easy too.

Lana is a terrific amateur sleuth, she is savvy and smart and has mastered the art of eavesdropping very well. She also doesn’t give up. Because she was an investigative reporter she has friends in the right places and the skills needed to ferret out a killer. She also has the trust of her boss to do the right thing, Dotty also has the right connections when trouble arises for her employees and guests.

Ms. Alderson also knows how to serve up a terrific story in less than 200 pages. Because the murder takes place later in the story we have time to get to know her characters. They are very well-developed for a novel of this length. Sadly all the couples were dealing with something and had come on the trip for a chance to set things right. I really liked the way Lana tuned into each couple to make the experience special for each of them, especially after the murder with a killer in their midst.

Death By Baguette features a beautiful city, decadent meals, interesting characters, and a fun mystery. I was captivated by the entire story. With the “Travel Can Be Murder” theme, the possibilities are endless. I hope this series continues for a long time.

The third book in the series, Death by Windmill, will take readers to the Netherlands. It will be released on May 22, 2020. My virtual bags are already packed.
Profile Image for Tripfiction.
2,045 reviews216 followers
May 1, 2020
Cozy murder mystery set in PARIS



This is the second volume in the Travel Can Be Murder series by Jennifer S Alderson. It is “A

Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris”.

Lana Hansen will be taking a tour group to Paris, to coincide with Valentine’s Day. She has started dating a slightly older man. At an early romantic picnic they share that both of them are shortly to be out of town and both look forward to picking up with each other when they get back.

Once in Paris she meets up with her group and has a discombobulating encounter with one of the group. The tourists comprise several couples and in order to fill numbers, her personal friends Jane and Willow have come along. They are at an argumentative point in their couple relationship, debating whether to become parents and wondering whether Jane, as a medic, is working too hard. Lana has to try and manage their bickering; yet another task for a very busy and committed tour guide. She also has to manage Randy, her rookie guide, who is learning the ropes from her.

However, these are simple matters compared to the group dynamics. One man in particular seems to be rather tyrannical, a gourmet who is known to write excoriating reviews which send his victims over the edge. Another couple, she discovers, are now new age folk – and are very good at the healing crystal thing – but she inadvertently discovers that this is only a recent incarnation. Do they have something to hide, she wonders? They clearly have a ‘different’ history which is at odds with the image they are promoting on this tour.

The author quite obviously delights in literary travel, enabling her readers to really travel by book and enjoy visiting the sights of Paris. This is great armchair travel, from a cruise on the Seine to the Marché des Enfants Rouge, to the Jardin Des Plantes and a day trip to Chartres. And her group enjoys a French baking course, of course! It is at a picnic in the Champ de Mars by the Eiffel Tower that Lana is required to test her mettle. One of her group dies. Naturally the police have to get involved and there are many grudges and motives festering away in her group. Can there really be a murderer among them?

If you like the stories of M C Beaton and the Marion Chesny Agatha Raisin series, then the Travel Can Be Murder series is waiting for you!
Profile Image for Elizabeth Lloyd.
759 reviews44 followers
February 2, 2020
Death by Baguette is the second murder mystery involving quick-witted Lana Hansen. A helpful, efficient tour-guide, she takes small groups of wealthy American tourists on organised visits to popular destination. This is also Lana’s first visit to Paris, but she is well prepared and nothing phases her, except discovering her new boyfriend, Chad, is one of the guests and he’s married! Visiting Paris, the city of love, in time for Valentine’s Day sounds idyllic for the couples she accompanies but most of them have relationship problems, including Lana’s friend Willow and her partner Jane. Luckily Lana’s new assistant Randy Wright is very helpful, if rather nervous.
The plot is gradually revealed as we travel with the group, viewing the Louvre, the Rodin Museum and the cathedral at Chartres. Most of these places are familiar to me but I enjoyed the vivid but not over long descriptions of the attractive features. In fact, the book would be an excellent introduction to anyone planning their first encounter with the city.
As many of the group become increasingly antagonistic towards each other there are plenty of suspects when Chad suddenly collapses, poisoned during a picnic under the Tour Eiffel. Even Lana and her friends are persons of interest to the French detective. She turns her mind to investigating everyone in the party, aided by a journalist friend back in Seattle, but in the dramatic denouement Lara depends on the help of others.
Like the first book in the Travel Can Be Murder series this cozy mystery is fast moving, entertaining reading and I am hoping that in future episodes Lana will have more success in finding a successful romantic partner.
Profile Image for Janice Richardson.
Author 11 books101 followers
February 15, 2020
Valentine's Day is for lovers. But on this tour to Paris, there are more squabbles than kisses between the couples Lana is overseeing as a tour guide. The City of Light is rife with arguments, snubs and temper tantrums between the couples on this Wanderlust tour.
The author doesn't slam the reader with the murder in the first few chapters. Rather, she gives the reader a chance to know each character thoroughly before one of the group is murdered. With plenty of history, background and information unfolding, one has the opportunity to enjoy the chance to get to know the characters and try to figure out who the murder might be.
A delightful read, as always, from this award-winning author.
Profile Image for Christine.
1,338 reviews20 followers
February 3, 2020
Tour guide Lana Hansen has signed on to an online dating service and met a charming man named Chad. Imagine her surprise when she meets him again on her Wanderlust Tour in Paris and discovers he is married. Death by Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson is the second in the Travel Can Be Murder series. With complaining couples bickering and arguing throughout the tour, the Valentine-themed tour in Paris is anything but romantic, especially when someone gets killed. Great descriptions of the sights in Paris make you want to fly right over.

Profile Image for Nola Arganbright.
1,592 reviews32 followers
August 3, 2020
Food for thought

A very entertaining read. A tour group tours Paris in what is planned as a romantic week. There is a great amount of squabbling and drama within the group as when one guest falls dead there is no shortage of suspects.
Profile Image for Fee (Ebook Addicts).
1,471 reviews45 followers
February 20, 2020
I loved the first book in this series Death on the Danube so I couldn't wait to read this next adventure for our tour guide Lana Hansen.

Lana is back and this time she is taking a tour to the most romantic city in the world for Valentines - Paris, France. After her last tour despite the death, her life is looking up, she has a job that she loves and even her love life is on the up and up. Though she is sad she wont be able to spend it with her new beau Chad, she is shocked to discover that he is on the tour..... with his wife!!

It is clear that Lana and Chad haven't been honest with each other, they only went out on a few dates so I wasn't anything series but after her husband cheated on her she is a appalled that she has essentially became the other women. She decided to remain professional and treat Chad as tour guest and ignore him as much as possible.

As the tour progresses we learn a bit more about each person and it becomes clear that Chad is a food critic back in Seattle that writes such scathing reviews that goes as far as closing businesses down, so when he collapses and dies whilst on a picnic tour the suspect list starts to pile up even a french chef who was ruined due to Chad's scathing review is on the list!

I loved how this story played out, everyone had a motive to kill Chad and when the police discovered that Lana was dating him she even became a suspect! I thought I had it figured out but the author did a great job of keeping me guessing until all was revealed.

I am really enjoying this series, and cant wait for book 3!!

5 stars
Profile Image for Ira Therebel.
731 reviews47 followers
February 17, 2021
I was a bit disappointed with the first book in the series because I figured out long before it happened who did it. This time soon after I started I thought it will be the same. My arrogant mystery loving self was sure I knew who will be killed, how, who did it and why. Well turned out I only knew whom and partially how. With the rest Jennifer Alderson really managed to confuse and surprise me.

Besides that the book is again written in a very entertaining way. I loved the characters and their personalities and once again the setting. Lane being a tour guide took us this time to Paris and it was really fun to read the descriptions of the city and details of places they visited knowing what I will want to do when I go there myself one day.
Profile Image for Victoria Bennison.
41 reviews13 followers
February 21, 2020
As always Jennifer S. Alderson's descriptions tantalized and fulfilled. Leaving us with both the desire to visit Paris...to experience it, and the feeling that we’d done just that.

Also, for those of us who enjoy a cozier life, she takes us on the tour we would choose for ourselves. Good food, beautiful gardens, famous galleries and museums fill the pages like a Holiday wish list. Leaving us to feel, as though life and adventures need not end at a certain age, but continue to change and grow with new relationships, businesses and ventures.

I really can imagine spending time with most of these characters, and developing new friendships! They can be quirky, have their secrets and issues to resolve, but then most interesting people do.

An intriguing mystery, with an intense ending...Death by Baguette left me wanting more. And I can't wait to join Jennifer J. Alderson and Lana on their next trip.
Profile Image for Valerie Poore.
Author 26 books92 followers
February 19, 2020
This terrific cosy mystery has a really good puzzle to be solved. In true Agatha Christie tradition, a group of people travelling together on a tour of Paris are all suspects in the death of one of their number. The method is not in dispute, but since several of them have a motive, finding the murderer is a challenge for group leader, Lana, and the French police. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it has such a great sense of place and the wonderful sights of Paris are brought vividly to life. The complex interpersonal relations also make it a great mystery. I am now looking forward to the next in the series.
Profile Image for Sandy  McKenna.
775 reviews16 followers
February 9, 2020
An excellent read.

Oh, I didn't want this book to end. It is equal to the first in this fabulous cozy mystery series, and this time is set in Paris.
Lana takes a group on a Valentine's day tour to the city of romance, visiting lots of the popular tourist attractions which are described so well, the reader is taken along on the journey with them.
A very cleverly constructed story of lies and deceit which leads to murder.
I cannot recommend it highly enough, and am looking forward to reading more in this series.
Profile Image for Caitlin C.
511 reviews14 followers
February 8, 2021
I am absolutely devouring these books. They remind me a lot of the Passport to Peril books. In this installment, Lana Hansen is on her way to Paris, the city of love and romance. She has just started dating a fellow named Chad and is missing him on her trip. With her new romance just kicking off, she is quite surprised to find out that Chad is one of the group members on her trip....as is his wife. As a true professional, she keeps it together and gives her group members a true tour of the city. That is until one them ends up murdered. I love the information Lana provides on her tours, but also the quirky group members that accompany her on each trip.
Profile Image for Emmalynn.
2,936 reviews29 followers
April 22, 2024
Solid 3.5 Lana is back and training a new guide. Nothing says love and romance like bickering couples and murder on a valentine’s trip to Paris. Lana has her work cut out for her navigating the relationships between the couples including the two-timing “boyfriend” she just started dated who showed up on the trip with his WIFE!! When he turns up dead there’s no shortage of suspects.
Profile Image for E.J. Bauer.
Author 3 books68 followers
February 20, 2020
I do love a cozy mystery and this one was located in Paris which made it even better. A murder set amongst some of the city's most famous destinations, well drawn if somewhat tetchy characters and a determined sleuth in the form of tour guide Lana combine to make this, the second in the series Travel can be Murder, a Valentine's Day to remember. For all the wrong reasons. Definitely a cozy read.
Profile Image for Jessica Robbins.
2,598 reviews50 followers
March 15, 2020
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

Travel anyone?? This book will take you on a fantastic trip to Paris. Lana is a tour guide for some pricey trips and this time they are going to France for Valentine's. Before leaving she has a date with a new man she is seeing. Things seem great until the trip starts nd the same man shows up with his wife. Talk about a surprise for Lana. She is just grateful that things didn't get very far between the two of them. He does make the trip difficult when he starts fighting with others in the group. As the drama rises in between day trips it really gets interesting and then he is found murdered making Lana a suspect. Investigating while on a trip gets difficult real fast. Makes for a fun read full of French places we all know and love. Perfect for cozy fans that want a slightly older MC. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Profile Image for Leeanne  G.
311 reviews17 followers
July 18, 2024
Paris is a place I would love to go someday so exploring this city with Lana and her travel group was very fun. They visited many places I’ve written down as places I would like to visit if I get the chance to go to Paris.

The mystery in this book was much more engaging than in the first book. I also liked the characters more. Randy, a new guide for Wanderlust Tours, is awesome and I hope he returns for future books!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
570 reviews7 followers
February 17, 2020
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 By Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson is a complex mystery filled with renewed love and deception.
Who hated the food critic enough to kill him?
Lana Hansen
Lana is our travel guide and, of course, our sleuth. She hasn't traveled much, but she does her homework and does a fabulous job of managing the tours normally. However, occasionally one of her charges may end up murdered. Yet, Lana keeps the tour group moving. She tries her hardest to appear as everything is perfectly fine. 

I like Lana, and I see her growing from the first book. She seems to have more confidence, and she is good at keeping the group on task. I marvel at how she manages to navigate Paris, deal with the transportation, different personalities, and the last minute requests of those in her charge. Honestly, I would love to have her job, but maybe without the dead bodies.
Death by Baguette CRMystery
On this specific tour, Lana finds out that the man she has been dating is married and part of her tour group. This group is supposed to be a romantic Valentine's tour of Paris, but the couples on the trip aren't getting along with each other or the other guests. Their behavior is terrible. Lana handles it well for the most part, but when her friend is accused of killing the food critic, she must figure out who the culprit is. She calls in some favors from her newspaper days and learns about who has the biggest motives. However, she needs to find the murder before they find her. 
Five Stars
Death By Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson is a magnificent mystery. Ms. Alderson continually surprises me with motives and means of murder. She has also made me want to visit some botanical gardens and learn more about herbal medicine. Who knew there were so many plants that can kill a person? Oh, yes, my rating for Death By Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson is five stars. I am enjoying this series, and I recommend it to all mystery readers out there.  


First Book in the Series

Death on the Danube by Jennifer Alderson

Next Book in the Series...Coming May 22nd

Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson

Giveaway
Prize:  (1) Prize Package—A notebook with floral motif from the Rijksmuseum - 6 Romance-themed mini-bookmarks (U.S. Only)

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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death By Baguette by Jennifer Alderson. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,

Karen Signature

Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

Profile Image for Catherine.
480 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2020
Lana Hansen's life has taken financial and romantic turns for the better. She's gainfully employed in a job that includes luxurious travel, and has started dating again. Lana is about to embark on her fourth tour as a travel guide, leading a lovers-only trip to Paris for Valentine's Day. While she is excited about the destination, she doesn't relish spending Valentine's Day in one of the world's most romantic cities without her new boyfriend Chad . . .

So imagine Lana's surprise when Chad shows up in Paris for the couples tour with another woman—Miranda, his wife of thirty-six years. Lana is beyond shocked—she had no idea that the man she met online through the Seattle Singles dating app was married. Chad is just as stunned, and fears being exposed for his despicable behavior. Lana quickly recovers her professional demeanor, and the two agree to pretend that they have never met. But this is more easily said than done.

While Lana is busy catering to the needs of the guests and training a new tour guide, Chad is offending the other guests with his words and deeds. His superior attitude and competitiveness rub everyone—including his wife—the wrong way. In fact, Lana considers asking Chad to leave the tour, but Miranda begs her not to, confiding that her marriage will be over if that happens.

Clearly, the lovers-only tour is showing signs of passion, but not in the way originally intended. Sparks are flying, but they are generated by contempt rather than ardor. Lana is doing her best to provide an enjoyable experience for the guests, and hopes that a gourmet picnic under the Eiffel Tower will restore a more festive mood. But as the couples indulge in the picnic delicacies, Chad collapses, and dies at the scene.

The investigation of Chad's demise is led by Parisian Inspector Boucher, who determines that Chad was poisoned, and quickly sets his sights on the members of the tour group for a culprit. Although many in the group have strong reasons for wishing Chad harm, has one of them actually killed him? It's up to Lana to prove the innocence of Boucher's lead suspect and establish her own guiltlessness in the process. Is Lana's life as a tour guide over?

Death by Baguette is a lively romp through the streets of Paris with stops at many famous landmarks along the way. In addition to a satisfying mystery filled with quirky characters and effective red herrings, readers are treated to visits of well-known sites, complete with lavish descriptions so evocative that you feel you're on the actual tour. I have visited Paris twice, and loved reliving my own experience through Alderson's descriptions. At the same time, I can imagine what it must be like to "explore" the sights for the first time through the author's words. Case in point, I googled one of the attractions I hadn't seen before—the Stravinsky Fountain—and watched several lovely YouTube videos that show the fountain in all its glory. This was such an unexpected bonus.

As with Death on the Danube, the first book in the series (for my review click here), this second installment is a winning combination of mystery meets travelogue. The series is ideal for those who enjoy travel, like to travel vicariously, or just need an escape to an international location without having to pack a suitcase, carry a passport, or endure long security and customs lines. Books in the Travel Can Be Murder series can be read as stand-alones—one need only pick a desired destination. The next port of call is Amsterdam, the setting for book three, which is another tour I'm looking forward to.
Profile Image for Diane Hernandez.
2,478 reviews44 followers
February 23, 2020
What can be more romantic that a Valentine Day trip to Paris, the City of Lights and Love? Well for Lana the tour host, finding her new boyfriend is on the tour—with his wife—is not the best day in her life. But the tour must go on. When one guest is killed, Lana feels she must discover who the killer is in Death by Baguette, the second book in the Travel can be Murder series.

In the first book in the series, Death on the Danube, Lana is a new tour host for her landlady’s company, Wanderlust Tours. Now working her fourth tour, Lana is experienced enough to be training a new host, Randy. They plan to visit many of Paris’ most famous sites beginning with a dinner tour on riverboat traveling up the Seine.

I haven’t been to Paris since I was in high school but I have been to most of the locations in the novel. They all ring true to me. You can tell that the author is well-traveled. I also felt the disappointment with the squalor when riding in from the airport. It’s sad that it must still look exactly the same. The description of Notre Dame after the fire was sad too.

If you have always wanted to go to Paris or want to revisit it after a previous trip, Death by Baguette is a great travel guide. However, the best part of the book is the characters. They are all well-rounded and feel genuine. You want some of them to do well—and others, well, perhaps they got what they deserved. I thought this book was much better than the first book in the series though both were good. This one receives 5 stars for its perfect setting, realistic characters, and absorbing mystery! I’m looking forward to the next in this series.

Thanks to the author and Great Escapes Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for JoAnne.
3,147 reviews32 followers
February 17, 2023
Read my review on NovelsAlive.com by clicking the link below. It is also posted in full.

https://novelsalive.com/2023/02/17/4-...


Death By Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris is the second book in the Travel Can Be Murder series by Jennifer S Alderson. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in this series so I can vicariously travel to locales around the world as we get to see the sights and solve a murder or two. The book begins and ends in Seattle.

This cozy mystery is set in Paris, and while I have no interest in ever traveling there, this book made me feel like I was there. There are so many scenic depictions of the various tourist attractions and the city as a whole. It was one adventure after another, even though the advertised romantic getaway isn’t filled with love since the couples have more angst and arguments than anything. So much for being happily married!

Lana is thrown for a loop when she realizes she knows one of the clients more than she should. It could be an interesting week, to say the least!

Lana is leading the tour, and this time she is training Randy. They balance each other nicely, especially when there’s a death that has to be reported.

Dotty, who is Lana’s landlord and also the owner of the tour company, is back, as are her pets and Lana’s cat. We get more involved in their lives and get to know them better. As always, multiple stories are told, and they are woven together, each detail being important. There are clues sprinkled throughout the story of whodunnit, and once again, amateur sleuth Lana pieces them together, putting herself in danger more than once.

There is closure in solving the crimes, and I liked the reveal of whodunnit. The cover is spot on, and I enjoyed the titles for each chapter.

Death by Baguette is a cozy mystery. There are many clues, and the story is set in a city that many find filled with romance. I was engrossed in the story throughout to see what would happen next.
Profile Image for Julie Howard.
Author 2 books31 followers
April 13, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It was fairly slow and the murder didn't happen until about half way through the book but that was because the author was setting up the scene, the suspects, motives and clues to finding the killer. And boy was there a lot! There was so many opportunities for the killer to deliver the poison and like the main character I was left wondering who was responsible. I did put the clues together and came up with the right answer. The characters were an interesting if a challenging mix with all there drama and it made a number of them possible a killer. The story might have been set around the most romantic time of the year but there certainly was no love lost around this group. The author backed up the story with lots of interesting tourist locations and sights and it was like you were part of the tour group too. I wonder where we will be visiting next?
Lana latest tour guild tour is around Paris for Valentine's day with five happy couples, one of which is her best friend and wife. The problem is nobody seems to have told them. Three college friends seem to want to spend more time with each other than with there husbands, even Lana's own friends can't stop bickering. Has Paris lost it claim to fame of being the most romantic place in the world? It certainly turns out that way when after a taste testing one of the most disagreeable guests is poisoned. But which dish killer him? The police think it is Lana's friend and are quick to take her in for questioning before she can flee. Lana knows she and her friends aren't responsible but what about the other guests? To save her friends marriage she will have figure it out and find the killer.
360 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2022
In a series, if you like the first, you always hope the second won't disappoint. Sadly, this one did. Second in the “Travel can be Murder” series, this tale has all the rich patina of place and savory ambience of experience that give it a very enjoyable “you are there” quality. That said, the mystery itself is a little thin in motive, perp, and reveal. And as has been pointed out by another reader, there is a careless error of detail about Lana that should have been caught. It is now clear that Alderson is following a formula: someone on the tour is thoroughly dislikable and gets bumped off; several fellow tour participants, at least one or two equally dislikable have reason to do the deed; and tour guide Lana has a complicated relationship with several of them. That’s okay; many mystery writers have formulas. But as is the case with so many “cozy” mysteries, the only way the perp is revealed here is in a “confesses all” spiel—to someone that the perp will also have to bump off to keep from getting nailed—and in the midst of tourist throngs in a crowded “must-see” destination! So here is yet another “I-don’t-know-how-I’m-going-to-account-for-what-has-been-driving-the-entire-narrative-and-get-the-perp-identified” copout by the author. Will I give this series another chance? Yes, I am going to read #3 and hope that Alderson has figured out a better way for the perp to get fingered and the motive to be a little more compelling.
Profile Image for Georgiana 1792.
2,401 reviews161 followers
February 3, 2025
Un cozy mystery molto banale, con un viaggio esclusivo a Parigi organizzato per San Valentino, con delle coppie che dovrebbero essere innamorate e festeggiare l'amore, e invece stanno a litigare per tutto il tempo, soprattutto grazie a un elemento di disturbo, ovvero uno dei partecipanti, che spara a zero su tutti e con cui nessuno riesce ad avere un buon rapporto, neanche la stessa Lana Hansen - la nostra protagonista e tour guide - che lo ha frequentato (ma fortunatamente senza avere un legame più intimo) dopo averlo conosciuto su un social per single di Seattle (quando invece lui era sposatissimo, e infatti si trova in vacanza con la moglie). Anche se per oltre il 60% del romanzo non muore nessuno, è chiaro che sarà lui, Chad, la vittima. E, proprio per questo, il romanzo si legge prestando molta attenzione ai possibili indizi e sospettando del colpevole da prima addirittura che Chad muoia. E poi, naturalmente, il tour continua come se nulla fosse, persino per la moglie, tranne che per gli sfortunati sospettati dalla polizia, che vengono tenuti sotto custodia in attesa di ulteriori indagini. Improbabile.
Mi diverto a leggere questa serie, anche se non è nulla di che. Certo, quella simile di Blake Pierce era più interessante, con la crociera fluviale e dei piccoli cliffhanger legati alla vita privata della protagonista, mentre qui so che, se dovessi saltare uno o due romanzi, non mi sarei persa nulla.
Profile Image for Genevieve.
1,353 reviews11 followers
August 5, 2022
Lana Hansen’s future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend. Regrettably she won’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her new beau, Chad. Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France. Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her. Things go downhill when Lana’s new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour—with his wife. Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.

I had read the first one in this series a while ago and had forgotten how good this series is. I really like Lana she is a great tour guide with compassion but also the guts to call the hard shots like asking a client to leave if they didn't shape up.
The story line was great and I loved hearing and seeing Paris through out this book and it made me want to go back and visit. Even though I had guessed early on who the killer was the story was well written and there were a lot of red herrings to get through before the ending revealed the murderer.
I really hope that Lana finds a good guy and that we see more of Randy. Lana's trainee tour guide. He seems a nice guy and a character worth expanding on.
Profile Image for  Olivermagnus.
2,476 reviews65 followers
January 17, 2023
This is the second book in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series featuring tour guide, Lana Hansen. Things have been looking up for Lana. She's managed to save some money, she enjoys her new job, and she's even met a great new guy. Unfortunately, Lana runs into her new boyfriend and his wife on the trip. Even worse, they are on her Valentine Lover's Tour of Paris. Things proceed to get worse. It seems like most of the group has relationship problems, including Lana’s friends Willow and her partner Jane. As members of the group become increasingly antagonistic towards each other, there are plenty of suspects when Chad suddenly collapses, poisoned during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower.

Lana herself is an engaging character and the fact that each novel takes place mostly in an international tourist destination adds several layers to the plot. There are great descriptions of tourist sites and delicious gourmet food without going on too long and making it a travel brochure.

This Valentine’s cozy mystery is a bit slow to get to the murder, but is definitely worth picking up, especially if you enjoy travel, mixed with a good mystery.
Profile Image for Sheila.
3,351 reviews57 followers
September 8, 2022
Lana leads a group to Paris for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, everyone in the group seems to be fighting with his or her partner. It also turns out that one of the men in the group is Lana's beau. How can things get any worse? As the couples travel through Paris, their arguments can worse until someone is murdered. Why? And whodunit?

I enjoyed this story. It is amazing how every member of the group was angry about something. What a Valentine's Day! I liked Lana. She's doing her best to get the group through the trip but she's refereeing arguments between her friends; she's learning more about the tour group than she wants to know; and she has to keep to the schedule. She's made unscheduled trips to the hospital and police station. She is trying to ferret out the truth before the truth brings tragedy to her. I needed the why which Lana found out as well as the who. I look forward to reading more of this series. It was a fun read.
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