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Hungarian Tea House Mystery #1
Death in a Budapest Butterfly
Hana Keller serves up European-style cakes and teas in her family-owned tea house, but when a customer keels over from a poisoned cuppa, Hana and her tea-leaf reading grandmother will have to help catch a killer in the first Hungarian Tea House Mystery from Julia Buckley.
Hana Keller and her family run Maggie's Tea House, an establishment heavily influenced by the family's Hungarian heritage and specializing in a European-style traditional tea service. But one of the shop's largest draws is Hana's eccentric grandmother, Juliana, renowned for her ability to read the future in the leaves at the bottom of customers' cups. Lately, however, her readings have become alarmingly ominous and seemingly related to old Hungarian legends...
When a guest is poisoned at a tea event, Juliana’s dire predictions appear to have come true. Things are brought to a boil when Hana’s beloved Anna Weatherley butterfly teacup becomes the center of the murder investigation as it carried the poisoned tea. The cup is claimed as evidence by a handsome police detective, and the pretty Tea House is suddenly endangered. Hana and her family must catch the killer to save their business and bring the beautiful Budapest Butterfly back home where it belongs.
Hana Keller and her family run Maggie's Tea House, an establishment heavily influenced by the family's Hungarian heritage and specializing in a European-style traditional tea service. But one of the shop's largest draws is Hana's eccentric grandmother, Juliana, renowned for her ability to read the future in the leaves at the bottom of customers' cups. Lately, however, her readings have become alarmingly ominous and seemingly related to old Hungarian legends...
When a guest is poisoned at a tea event, Juliana’s dire predictions appear to have come true. Things are brought to a boil when Hana’s beloved Anna Weatherley butterfly teacup becomes the center of the murder investigation as it carried the poisoned tea. The cup is claimed as evidence by a handsome police detective, and the pretty Tea House is suddenly endangered. Hana and her family must catch the killer to save their business and bring the beautiful Budapest Butterfly back home where it belongs.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 30, 2019
81 people are currently reading
3084 people want to read
About the author
Julia Buckley
31 books801 followersJulia Buckley is a Chicago-area writer. She has written three mystery series with Berkley Prime Crime, including the best-selling Writer's Apprentice Series, which Mystery Scene calls "engaging, enjoyable, and surprising," while Kirkus dubs it "pleasantly old-fashioned." The Library Journal called Buckley "a writer to watch."
Buckley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Chicago Writers Association. She blogs about writing and mysteries at Mysterious Musings, where she has interviewed almost 200 other mystery writers about their work.
She teaches high school English and enjoys reading, playing Words With Friends, and spending time with her husband and two sons, along with their menagerie of animals.
Buckley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Chicago Writers Association. She blogs about writing and mysteries at Mysterious Musings, where she has interviewed almost 200 other mystery writers about their work.
She teaches high school English and enjoys reading, playing Words With Friends, and spending time with her husband and two sons, along with their menagerie of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
June 18, 2019
Vasorrú Bába!
Hungarian folklore, European high tea, and just a touch of the paranormal come together to make DEATH IN A BUDAPEST BUTTERFLY a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series!
Three generations of the Horvath/Keller family run Maggie’s Tea House in suburban Chicago. Hana, her mother Maggie, and grandmother Juliana are shaken when a guest is poisoned to death at one of their events. With a murderer on the loose and their business in danger, Hana is willing to help Detective Erik Wolf with his investigation and do a bit of sleuthing on her own.
The Hungarian history, culture, and myths blended throughout this book made for an enjoyable and unique cozy mystery. I also loved the budding romance between Hana and Erik. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
P.S. How amazing is that book cover!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Penguin’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.
Hungarian folklore, European high tea, and just a touch of the paranormal come together to make DEATH IN A BUDAPEST BUTTERFLY a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series!
Three generations of the Horvath/Keller family run Maggie’s Tea House in suburban Chicago. Hana, her mother Maggie, and grandmother Juliana are shaken when a guest is poisoned to death at one of their events. With a murderer on the loose and their business in danger, Hana is willing to help Detective Erik Wolf with his investigation and do a bit of sleuthing on her own.
The Hungarian history, culture, and myths blended throughout this book made for an enjoyable and unique cozy mystery. I also loved the budding romance between Hana and Erik. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
P.S. How amazing is that book cover!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Penguin’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2022
Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley is the first book in the cozy Hungarian Tea House Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries this first book does contain it’s own mystery to solve so it could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so. The character development however will carry over from book to book for those continuing the series.
The Keller family own and operate Maggie’s Tea House, which specializes in a European-style traditional tea service influenced by their Hungarian heritage. Hana Keller works along side her grandmother who also gives tea readings to their customers. Hana’s noticed that lately the readings have gotten a little more ominous but Hana never expected to find a guest is poisoned at a tea event. Hana knows she needs to find the murderer quickly to save the family business.
While Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley is a cozy mystery it did have a touch of paranormal involved with the tea reading which for me is a plus as I love crossing genres. While I did enjoy getting to know the characters in this first book of the series I felt that it wasn’t quite as quirky and over the top as I’m drawn to but still a promising beginning to a solid mystery read. I’d rate this first edition at three and a half stars and would be interested to read more in the future from this series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The Keller family own and operate Maggie’s Tea House, which specializes in a European-style traditional tea service influenced by their Hungarian heritage. Hana Keller works along side her grandmother who also gives tea readings to their customers. Hana’s noticed that lately the readings have gotten a little more ominous but Hana never expected to find a guest is poisoned at a tea event. Hana knows she needs to find the murderer quickly to save the family business.
While Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley is a cozy mystery it did have a touch of paranormal involved with the tea reading which for me is a plus as I love crossing genres. While I did enjoy getting to know the characters in this first book of the series I felt that it wasn’t quite as quirky and over the top as I’m drawn to but still a promising beginning to a solid mystery read. I’d rate this first edition at three and a half stars and would be interested to read more in the future from this series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
April 20, 2021
I really loved this book! For more of my thoughts on this book subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1
I will be interviewing This author may 15th. So excited!! It will be live on my channel @2pm, so please join us, the discussion, and the fun!!
https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1
I will be interviewing This author may 15th. So excited!! It will be live on my channel @2pm, so please join us, the discussion, and the fun!!
July 7, 2019
2.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hana works at her family's Hungarian tea house and loves her job. When the Magyar Women, a group of older Hungarian women, rent out the space for an afternoon tea, she expects it to be gossip, “when you going to meet a nice boy” talk, and friendship sharing, she does not expect murder.
With the reputation of their tea house on the line, Hana and her mother and grandmother work with Detective Wolf to help solve who wanted Ava Novak dead. Hungarian myths, legends, magic, food, and new and old mysteries swirl around as Hana wonders who could do such a thing and if maybe she should let a Wolf into her heart.
“They’ve got poor Mrs. Kalas out there, looking all deflated and nervous. Can you really picture one of these old ladies committing murder?”
“Of course I can. They’re a scary batch of Old Country women, full of superstition and paprika-scented resentment.”
The first in a new series, Death in a Budapest Butterfly, introduces us to Hana. She's of Hungarian descent and even though she is American, the Hungarian culture plays a big part in her life. She helps her mother and grandmother run Maggie's Tea House, a business that has been in her family for generations. When Hana sees that one of the members of the Magyar Women is drinking from her very rare Butterfly tea cup that was only supposed to be a for looks center piece, she makes a move to rescue it. When she sees a Hungarian message about a witch written inside the cup, she immediately searches for Ava, the woman drinking from the cup, and discovers her dead in the bathroom. This starts off the mystery of who could have poisoned a woman in such a public setting and why.
I liked the beginning way the author started off the mystery, the murder happens fairly quickly and then we get relaying of events with each chapter having a specific character giving their account to Detective Wolf. This helps to introduce us to the characters, set the scene, and engage the reader in who is and isn't telling the truth while shifting through the character's testimony.
While I thought the layout of the murder mystery started off strong, I would have liked to have felt like I knew Hana and her family better. It is not until the latter half of the story that I finally felt like I “knew” them, cared, and felt settled in their world. The murder mystery is obviously the highlight of the story but I like to care about the main characters we are following along with.
“You’re falling prey to an illusion. They’re elderly, and they have accents, but they’re not automatically harmless.”
My stomach felt sick. “Jekyll and Hyde,” I said.
“You bet. And it’s my job to find Hyde. In everyone.” His face was solemn.
The relationship between Erik Wolf and Hana was a bit too immediate. Wolf's character was very dry and not fleshed out enough for me; he felt like a blank slate. I did like how the author created a plausible excuse for Hana to be somewhat involved in the investigation, her and her family translate Hungarian to English for him and explain some Hungarian cultural norms and structures.
The story structure reaches out from Hana and her mother and grandmother, this was a matriarchal cozy mystery. There was some supernatural or mystic elements added with Hana inheriting “gifts” or “sight” from the female line in her family. The Jekyll and Hyde theme is threaded throughout with the how could the killer be a “little old woman”?
Later, I realized it was because we had innocent hearts, and my grandmother had always told me that the innocent heart cannot see the evil one, but that evil could see evil because “they live in the same darkness, and they learn to see in the dark.”
I thought the mystery was wrapped up well, the author gave us meaning and backstory for reasons and it wasn't all Scooby Doo dumped at the end. I did think this had a little bit of a heavier feel than the usual light cozy mystery. The inclusion of recipes at the end was delightful as the author will make you hungry with all the descriptions of food throughout the story.
Detective Wolf was too much of a blank slate for me and his romance with Hana lacked depth in its immediacy. The murder mystery started off strong, lost some steam in the middle, but had a satisfactory explanation, and sad one. Hana's family supernatural abilities added a fun twist and all the Hungarian folklore, food, and culture additives gave this a special feel. A pleasing start to a series where I'll look for more depth to certain characters and relationships when the next mystery pops up.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hana works at her family's Hungarian tea house and loves her job. When the Magyar Women, a group of older Hungarian women, rent out the space for an afternoon tea, she expects it to be gossip, “when you going to meet a nice boy” talk, and friendship sharing, she does not expect murder.
With the reputation of their tea house on the line, Hana and her mother and grandmother work with Detective Wolf to help solve who wanted Ava Novak dead. Hungarian myths, legends, magic, food, and new and old mysteries swirl around as Hana wonders who could do such a thing and if maybe she should let a Wolf into her heart.
“They’ve got poor Mrs. Kalas out there, looking all deflated and nervous. Can you really picture one of these old ladies committing murder?”
“Of course I can. They’re a scary batch of Old Country women, full of superstition and paprika-scented resentment.”
The first in a new series, Death in a Budapest Butterfly, introduces us to Hana. She's of Hungarian descent and even though she is American, the Hungarian culture plays a big part in her life. She helps her mother and grandmother run Maggie's Tea House, a business that has been in her family for generations. When Hana sees that one of the members of the Magyar Women is drinking from her very rare Butterfly tea cup that was only supposed to be a for looks center piece, she makes a move to rescue it. When she sees a Hungarian message about a witch written inside the cup, she immediately searches for Ava, the woman drinking from the cup, and discovers her dead in the bathroom. This starts off the mystery of who could have poisoned a woman in such a public setting and why.
I liked the beginning way the author started off the mystery, the murder happens fairly quickly and then we get relaying of events with each chapter having a specific character giving their account to Detective Wolf. This helps to introduce us to the characters, set the scene, and engage the reader in who is and isn't telling the truth while shifting through the character's testimony.
While I thought the layout of the murder mystery started off strong, I would have liked to have felt like I knew Hana and her family better. It is not until the latter half of the story that I finally felt like I “knew” them, cared, and felt settled in their world. The murder mystery is obviously the highlight of the story but I like to care about the main characters we are following along with.
“You’re falling prey to an illusion. They’re elderly, and they have accents, but they’re not automatically harmless.”
My stomach felt sick. “Jekyll and Hyde,” I said.
“You bet. And it’s my job to find Hyde. In everyone.” His face was solemn.
The relationship between Erik Wolf and Hana was a bit too immediate. Wolf's character was very dry and not fleshed out enough for me; he felt like a blank slate. I did like how the author created a plausible excuse for Hana to be somewhat involved in the investigation, her and her family translate Hungarian to English for him and explain some Hungarian cultural norms and structures.
The story structure reaches out from Hana and her mother and grandmother, this was a matriarchal cozy mystery. There was some supernatural or mystic elements added with Hana inheriting “gifts” or “sight” from the female line in her family. The Jekyll and Hyde theme is threaded throughout with the how could the killer be a “little old woman”?
Later, I realized it was because we had innocent hearts, and my grandmother had always told me that the innocent heart cannot see the evil one, but that evil could see evil because “they live in the same darkness, and they learn to see in the dark.”
I thought the mystery was wrapped up well, the author gave us meaning and backstory for reasons and it wasn't all Scooby Doo dumped at the end. I did think this had a little bit of a heavier feel than the usual light cozy mystery. The inclusion of recipes at the end was delightful as the author will make you hungry with all the descriptions of food throughout the story.
Detective Wolf was too much of a blank slate for me and his romance with Hana lacked depth in its immediacy. The murder mystery started off strong, lost some steam in the middle, but had a satisfactory explanation, and sad one. Hana's family supernatural abilities added a fun twist and all the Hungarian folklore, food, and culture additives gave this a special feel. A pleasing start to a series where I'll look for more depth to certain characters and relationships when the next mystery pops up.
August 13, 2020
This is my first book by Julia Buckley and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised. I picked up this book because I had no idea what a Budapest Butterfly was and was curious. But it turns out, there’s quite a lot of interesting things about this book.
First off, this is a first in a new series and it has a real focus on the Hungarian culture. I’m always a big fan of series that do this. Not only do you get something interesting to read, but you can also learn about different cultures as well. Another book that this reminded me of are Vivien Chien’s book, which covers the Chinese culture. I think it’s great to see the diversity in books and I hope more books do this.
Secondly, I really like how family was such a big part of this book. I love learning about the different generations and relationships. It gives the characters and also the mystery something even greater to work with.
So, although this book was my first by Buckley, it will definitely not be my last. I am looking forward to the next books in the series and the other books by this author.
August 10, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Welcome to Maggie’s Tea House where Hana, her mother Maggie, and grandmother Juliana, serve cakes and tea focused on the family’s Hungarian heritage. A real treat is that Juliana can read tea leaves and predict the future. The ladies have a vast tea service collection for their customers and Hana has a private collection too. She just added a beautiful butterfly cup, one that she has put on display at their latest event.
With the event well underway Maggie notices her cup is not where she left, but on a table being used by a woman, she doesn’t recognize. Her grandmother is busy reading leaves and Hana overhears some ominous predictions. She looks back to see the woman who was using her cup hurrying off to the bathroom. After a few minutes, Hana heads that way to find the woman dead.
Detective Erik Wolf arrives on the scene, the butterfly cup is bagged as evidence and he and his partner start getting everyone’s information. When he does start questioning witnesses he asks for Hana, Maggie, and Juliana’s help because they are familiar with the woman and the Hungarian language. With their business labeled as a crime scene, they agree but that doesn’t stop them from doing some snooping on their own.
This series is off to a fine start!
Hana Keller is 26 years old and still single much to her mother and grandmother’s dismay. She lives with her cats Anthony & Cleopatra and she has a passion for promoting her family’s Hungarian culture. Her mother Maggie is the force behind the tea house, but her grandmother is also very involved. I really enjoyed getting to know them, but feel we have just scratched the surface of who they are. There is a thread that purposed that Hana may have a gift similar to her grandmother that seems to have skipped her mother’s generation. I am interested to see how this is featured in future stories.
We are also meet several women/suspects from the neighborhood, the hunky Detective Wolf and his partner. Detective Benton. We are also introduced to pastry chef Francois, Hana’s brother Domo, and her dad too. It is a large cast but the author takes time to make each unique and has left plenty of room for growth. There are some sparks between Hana and Detective Wolf but it is very early in the series and hard to classify as a relationship YET, but we know where they are headed. 🙂
The mystery was filled with intrigue. I did like that Hana and Detective Wolf stayed in constant communication and she passed on everything she uncovered. I was also pleased that the family was not automatically pegged as suspects and were treated with respect whenever they needed to answer questions. There were twists and turns too and clues were released in unique ways. The author’s detailed writing style played well for this type of plot.
The Hungarian theme and language continued throughout the story. I had known a little about the culture and was happy to learn more. When Detective Wolf was around it was necessary for words to be translated and as a reader, not familiar with the language that was appreciated. I love that recipes are included in the back of the book. To learn that Grandma Juliana is partly based on the author’s grandmother brought me even more joy about this book. What a wonderful to pay tribute to someone important in her life.
I found Death in a Budapest Butterfly to be delightfully entertaining. I want to get to know these characters better and visit the tea room again soon.
Welcome to Maggie’s Tea House where Hana, her mother Maggie, and grandmother Juliana, serve cakes and tea focused on the family’s Hungarian heritage. A real treat is that Juliana can read tea leaves and predict the future. The ladies have a vast tea service collection for their customers and Hana has a private collection too. She just added a beautiful butterfly cup, one that she has put on display at their latest event.
With the event well underway Maggie notices her cup is not where she left, but on a table being used by a woman, she doesn’t recognize. Her grandmother is busy reading leaves and Hana overhears some ominous predictions. She looks back to see the woman who was using her cup hurrying off to the bathroom. After a few minutes, Hana heads that way to find the woman dead.
Detective Erik Wolf arrives on the scene, the butterfly cup is bagged as evidence and he and his partner start getting everyone’s information. When he does start questioning witnesses he asks for Hana, Maggie, and Juliana’s help because they are familiar with the woman and the Hungarian language. With their business labeled as a crime scene, they agree but that doesn’t stop them from doing some snooping on their own.
This series is off to a fine start!
Hana Keller is 26 years old and still single much to her mother and grandmother’s dismay. She lives with her cats Anthony & Cleopatra and she has a passion for promoting her family’s Hungarian culture. Her mother Maggie is the force behind the tea house, but her grandmother is also very involved. I really enjoyed getting to know them, but feel we have just scratched the surface of who they are. There is a thread that purposed that Hana may have a gift similar to her grandmother that seems to have skipped her mother’s generation. I am interested to see how this is featured in future stories.
We are also meet several women/suspects from the neighborhood, the hunky Detective Wolf and his partner. Detective Benton. We are also introduced to pastry chef Francois, Hana’s brother Domo, and her dad too. It is a large cast but the author takes time to make each unique and has left plenty of room for growth. There are some sparks between Hana and Detective Wolf but it is very early in the series and hard to classify as a relationship YET, but we know where they are headed. 🙂
The mystery was filled with intrigue. I did like that Hana and Detective Wolf stayed in constant communication and she passed on everything she uncovered. I was also pleased that the family was not automatically pegged as suspects and were treated with respect whenever they needed to answer questions. There were twists and turns too and clues were released in unique ways. The author’s detailed writing style played well for this type of plot.
The Hungarian theme and language continued throughout the story. I had known a little about the culture and was happy to learn more. When Detective Wolf was around it was necessary for words to be translated and as a reader, not familiar with the language that was appreciated. I love that recipes are included in the back of the book. To learn that Grandma Juliana is partly based on the author’s grandmother brought me even more joy about this book. What a wonderful to pay tribute to someone important in her life.
I found Death in a Budapest Butterfly to be delightfully entertaining. I want to get to know these characters better and visit the tea room again soon.
May 4, 2019
The first book in the Hungarian Tea Shop mysteries is fun read where it explains family life in a Hungarian family. Hana Keller works alongside with her Mother and Grandmother in the family business, Maggie Tea House. The story is a cozy mystery with a twist of paranormal as the woman in the family have inherited the gift of sight. It is refreshing to read a book will the police are willing to work with the protagonist.
Hana has a collection of teacups which treasures highly. She receives a gift of a Hungarian teacup, a Budapest teacup that is decorated with a butterfly. Hana uses it to decorate the tea room when they are hosting a Hungarian group of ladies. Someone uses the cup, adds tea, a poison, and hands to the victim, Ava Norvak. She drinks some of the tea and collapsed. Hana aids the police providing information on the Hungarian background. The homicide detective is named Wolf. What does the name mean in Hungary? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Recipes from Nana's kitchen are included.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Hana has a collection of teacups which treasures highly. She receives a gift of a Hungarian teacup, a Budapest teacup that is decorated with a butterfly. Hana uses it to decorate the tea room when they are hosting a Hungarian group of ladies. Someone uses the cup, adds tea, a poison, and hands to the victim, Ava Norvak. She drinks some of the tea and collapsed. Hana aids the police providing information on the Hungarian background. The homicide detective is named Wolf. What does the name mean in Hungary? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Recipes from Nana's kitchen are included.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
March 5, 2021
I really liked this first in a new series from Julia Buckley. I was especially intrigued by the Hungarian folklore aspects.
September 15, 2019
Got a third of the way through and could not finish it.
I've tried to like the "cozy mystery" type books, and hoped this would be better than previous ones I'd tried. The blurb and preview seemed promising, and the Hungarian elements appealing, but I was sorely disappointed once again. Banter between characters feels forced. Characters in their late twenties/early thirties think and behave like naive white high schoolers.
I specify white here in particular because holy smokes, the main character, Hana, has an eugenics-level obsession with ethnicity. It's understandable to be wrapped up in her own Hungarian heritage, especially with the event for the Magyar Women. But she's commenting constantly on others: the French pastry chef, the detective who must be Norwegian because his name is Erik with a "k," the friend whose family name was French yet whose parents studied Russian literature (utterly inexplicable to her, apparently).
I was curious about the outcome of the mystery, but not enough to make up for the ridiculous (and a little unnerving) flaws. My reading list is too long to labor through the other two-thirds of this one.
Edit: I can't believe I forgot to mention the weird subplot with the brother's girlfriend. Immediately upon meeting her, he worked to insert himself into her life and disrupt it because he felt she was just too shy; she was a "social challenge" for him to fix, essentially, and did things like schedule outings with social goals for her, which was a big YIKES.
I've tried to like the "cozy mystery" type books, and hoped this would be better than previous ones I'd tried. The blurb and preview seemed promising, and the Hungarian elements appealing, but I was sorely disappointed once again. Banter between characters feels forced. Characters in their late twenties/early thirties think and behave like naive white high schoolers.
I specify white here in particular because holy smokes, the main character, Hana, has an eugenics-level obsession with ethnicity. It's understandable to be wrapped up in her own Hungarian heritage, especially with the event for the Magyar Women. But she's commenting constantly on others: the French pastry chef, the detective who must be Norwegian because his name is Erik with a "k," the friend whose family name was French yet whose parents studied Russian literature (utterly inexplicable to her, apparently).
I was curious about the outcome of the mystery, but not enough to make up for the ridiculous (and a little unnerving) flaws. My reading list is too long to labor through the other two-thirds of this one.
Edit: I can't believe I forgot to mention the weird subplot with the brother's girlfriend. Immediately upon meeting her, he worked to insert himself into her life and disrupt it because he felt she was just too shy; she was a "social challenge" for him to fix, essentially, and did things like schedule outings with social goals for her, which was a big YIKES.
December 8, 2020
Review to post soon
November 27, 2024
So for the mystery 3.5 I thought the romance felt a little rushed. But I listened to the audio book and hated it. 2/5 if possible I recommend reading it. I will just wait for the ebook from my library next time I was just anxious to read it and didn't want to wait the 2 weeks.
August 13, 2019
I loved this book! Certainly I have enjoyed other books by Julia Buckley, but in this one I was immediately drawn into the story and in love with the characters. Hana, her mother and grandmother run a teashop specializing in European high tea when there is a death there during a tea for a Hungarian Ladies group. Charmingly written and immersed in Hungarian culture. There's even a touch of the paranormal as Hana realizes she has a touch of extreme intuitiveness like her grandmother. Highly recommended!
February 17, 2022
I'm not a huge fan of cozy mysteries. I like the edge-of-your-seat thrillers more, but there is something about a mystery with food, cats, and a bit of romance that's comfortable and a nice change of pace sometimes. I enjoyed the tea house parts, as well as the Hungarian language and culture. The mystery of who killed Ava wasn't that exciting to me and felt more secondary to the plot. What was really cool was Hana's family's abilities to sense things like danger, sickness, and emotions. I wish I had an extra sense like that!
Hana and Erik were kind of cute, but I agree with Domo that their relationship seemed a bit fast. At least he seemed on board with the extra senses and was interested in Hana's culture. I don't know that I'll continue the series, but it's an easy, light read.
Hana and Erik were kind of cute, but I agree with Domo that their relationship seemed a bit fast. At least he seemed on board with the extra senses and was interested in Hana's culture. I don't know that I'll continue the series, but it's an easy, light read.
January 5, 2022
I loved all of the cultural elements of this cozy mystery so much! I was also pleasently surprised that the author included so much Hungarian mythology and folklore! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
July 28, 2019
Death in a Budapest Butterfly is the first novel in A Hungarian Tea House Mystery series written by Julia Buckley (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series). Hana Keller is twenty-six years old and of Hungarian descent. Hungarian food and the culture are a big part of the family’s lives. We get a comprehensive account of the various Hungarian dishes prepared. It was interesting to learn more about the Hungarian culture, cuisine, traditions and folklore. I wish, though, that the Hungarian words had come with a pronunciation guide (next to each word). Hana works with her mother (Maggie Keller) and her grandmother (Juliana Horvath) to run Maggie’s Tea House which features high tea and delicious pastries made by Francois, a French culinary student. I enjoyed hearing about Hana’s teacup collection. The mystery starts off with a bang early in the book. Since many of the suspects are Hungarian, Detective Wolf asks them to be present while he conducts interviews to help with translations. This allows readers to be introduced to various characters plus we find out what they knew about the victim. Hana stays involved in the case as she uncovers information and relays it to Det. Wolf. While I was able to pinpoint the who, I did not know the why. Clues are revealed as Hana talks to various people in the community. I appreciated that we are given all the details of the murder for a complete wrap-up. There were instant sparks between the single Hana and the fetching detective. Hana’s grandmother is happy to give them nudge or two since she would like to see Hana wed. Erik Wolf needs more fleshing out because I thought he was one-dimensional (lacks life). There is a hint that Hana and her grandmother have special psychic abilities. I hope this will feature more prominently in future books. Julia Buckley is a detail oriented writer. She needs to find a balance between not enough and too much which would greatly help the flow and pacing of the book (in my opinion). My favorite phrase was when Detective Wolf said to Hana, “You’ve got the bug, haven’t you? Solving puzzles exhilarates you.” I can certainly understand the feeling. There are recipes at the end for Chicken Paprikash, dumplings and stuffed cabbage. Death in a Budapest Butterfly has Hungarian charm, dainty teacups, a poisoned patsy, a canny killer, a dashing detective, and a neophyte sleuth. 3.5 out of 5 stars
June 24, 2021
I want my money back, and I want to buy the book that the other reviewers read! I obviously got the wrong book because this was one of the most horrible cozies I have ever read.
The crime itself and wanting to know who did it kept me skimming; also, learning about my Hungarian heritage kept me skimming, and those are the ONLY reasons I kept reading this book.
Here is one issue I had: the main character is in her mid-twenties...what person in their mid-twenties would know the term "sock it to me"??? I'm 62, and I barely remember Laugh-In!
Hana is indeed an annoying character, one minute young and frivolous, and the next minute is acting like she is in her 70's and the fact that this crime is on their tea house property is trite cliche and annoying. Actually, ALL of the characters seemed to be out of place, stilted in their conversations, and not described very well. Some things are overly described, some things that need more get nothing.
The romance seems to appear out of thin air and should have gone a little more slowly, like maybe wait until the second book for "making out"(another expression that I don't think modern young people use) sessions.
You need to stretch your imagination muscles to the nth degree to believe that the cop in charge of the murder (and Hana's love muffin)needs three generations of the same family to help him with his case without his boss's approval.
I was so happy to see a book about my heritage that I ignored the fact that EVERY review is glowing; I read the preview and went for it...I very nearly bought the upcoming books too. I am so glad I waited.
Oh, I did learn a little about Hungarian cuisine (nothing I didn't know being a second-generation), but it will be interesting for a non-Hungarian. I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about porcelain.
But to each his own and you may love all the things I hated so happy reading!
The crime itself and wanting to know who did it kept me skimming; also, learning about my Hungarian heritage kept me skimming, and those are the ONLY reasons I kept reading this book.
Here is one issue I had: the main character is in her mid-twenties...what person in their mid-twenties would know the term "sock it to me"??? I'm 62, and I barely remember Laugh-In!
Hana is indeed an annoying character, one minute young and frivolous, and the next minute is acting like she is in her 70's and the fact that this crime is on their tea house property is trite cliche and annoying. Actually, ALL of the characters seemed to be out of place, stilted in their conversations, and not described very well. Some things are overly described, some things that need more get nothing.
The romance seems to appear out of thin air and should have gone a little more slowly, like maybe wait until the second book for "making out"(another expression that I don't think modern young people use) sessions.
You need to stretch your imagination muscles to the nth degree to believe that the cop in charge of the murder (and Hana's love muffin)needs three generations of the same family to help him with his case without his boss's approval.
I was so happy to see a book about my heritage that I ignored the fact that EVERY review is glowing; I read the preview and went for it...I very nearly bought the upcoming books too. I am so glad I waited.
Oh, I did learn a little about Hungarian cuisine (nothing I didn't know being a second-generation), but it will be interesting for a non-Hungarian. I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about porcelain.
But to each his own and you may love all the things I hated so happy reading!
June 17, 2019
A Budapest Butterfly china teacup is a thing of
beauty but can it be turned into a weapon of death??
Hana Keller sets up a special display for the Anna
Weatherley butterfly teacup in Maggie’s Tea House
for a function hosting a group of Hungarian women.
Somehow the teacup is removed from the display. A
Hungarian saying is written inside the cup, poison
added then the cup is served to one of the attendees
by a non employee of the Tea House. After drinking
from the cup, she dies. Who removed the cup, added
poison to the team and gave it to the woman???
This is a very informative read as the reader will learn
about Hungarian customs, folklore, common saying and
many delicious Hungarian food specialties.
Hana, her mother, her grandmother and her mother have
a paranormal gift of sight which will aid in the solving of
the murder.
Characters are vivid, very colorful, well define, quirky
and extremely interesting. There are several fur babies
that add to the story: Hana’s cats: Anthony & Cleopatra
(one black & one gray), Boris the wolfhound, Serena the
Siamese cat, Inspektor the store cat and a Major a house
cat.
The plot is complicated by mixing the past and present.
It is a fast moving story, intense with plenty of thrills and
chills, intrigue plus some humor and romance.
This is the first book in the A Hungarian Tea House Mysteries
series. A very enjoyable read!!!
Hungarian Recipes included at the end of book.
I volunteered to read Death in a Budapest Butterfly. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
beauty but can it be turned into a weapon of death??
Hana Keller sets up a special display for the Anna
Weatherley butterfly teacup in Maggie’s Tea House
for a function hosting a group of Hungarian women.
Somehow the teacup is removed from the display. A
Hungarian saying is written inside the cup, poison
added then the cup is served to one of the attendees
by a non employee of the Tea House. After drinking
from the cup, she dies. Who removed the cup, added
poison to the team and gave it to the woman???
This is a very informative read as the reader will learn
about Hungarian customs, folklore, common saying and
many delicious Hungarian food specialties.
Hana, her mother, her grandmother and her mother have
a paranormal gift of sight which will aid in the solving of
the murder.
Characters are vivid, very colorful, well define, quirky
and extremely interesting. There are several fur babies
that add to the story: Hana’s cats: Anthony & Cleopatra
(one black & one gray), Boris the wolfhound, Serena the
Siamese cat, Inspektor the store cat and a Major a house
cat.
The plot is complicated by mixing the past and present.
It is a fast moving story, intense with plenty of thrills and
chills, intrigue plus some humor and romance.
This is the first book in the A Hungarian Tea House Mysteries
series. A very enjoyable read!!!
Hungarian Recipes included at the end of book.
I volunteered to read Death in a Budapest Butterfly. Thanks
to Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.
March 3, 2020
2020 bk 75. A cute mystery with 'gifted' women in a family of Hungarian Americans. I forget how close in time the Hungarian emigration was (1950's -1980's) and this book reminded me of the fairly recent immigration patterns of eastern Europe. The mystery involves the death of the most recent immigrant in the tight knit community and the discovery that she was poisoned while drinking tea at the main character's tea house, after Hana's grandmother predicts dark things for her. I found it to be a typical cozy, with another handsome police detective thrown in. It was enjoyable - but took me four tries before I finally sat down and finished it. I think I found Hana a little naive and the side piece with her brother's girlfriend who is so introvert that she can't go to a store by herself - what was that all about anyway?
September 5, 2025
It was interesting to hear about Hungarian customs and food. I've never read anything about this culture. Hans, her mother and grandmother own a tea shop that holds various events. one being a get together of Hungarian women. One of those women is not well liked and dies during their luncheon. Hana finds her and gets involved in the investigation, but not as a nosy busybody, but just someone who remembers things and forwards all information that she comes across to the police. There is a bit of romance stating as well. Really enjoyed it.
February 27, 2020
This was a very pleasant surprise. I didn't really know what it was about, only that my friend had to read it for a cozy group she is in [that I got turfed out of] and she asked me to read it with her [and then she powered it out before me LOL] and it was already on my list so I figured why not and there was an audiobook so away I went.
This was absolutely delightful [minus the weird romance writing - I am not a romance fan, but I have read romance and this was cringe-worthy. I was tempted multiple times to just fast forward through these scenes] I hope that she works on that before the next one] and filled with some amazing facts, stories and fairytales [some which are quite horrifying] from Hungary. The narrator was good and did the Hungarian accents and pronunciations very well and the story was really good because of all these interesting tidbits. I was surprised by the killer and the why and I cannot say that the reveal is a "happy ending" with this one. It was very well done.
So glad I picked this one up.
This was absolutely delightful [minus the weird romance writing - I am not a romance fan, but I have read romance and this was cringe-worthy. I was tempted multiple times to just fast forward through these scenes] I hope that she works on that before the next one] and filled with some amazing facts, stories and fairytales [some which are quite horrifying] from Hungary. The narrator was good and did the Hungarian accents and pronunciations very well and the story was really good because of all these interesting tidbits. I was surprised by the killer and the why and I cannot say that the reveal is a "happy ending" with this one. It was very well done.
So glad I picked this one up.
January 4, 2025
4.75 rounded up to 5
June 24, 2020
Loved it!
I really enjoyed this one. I liked Hana and the rest of the characters. Hard to pick out a murderer in a roomful of little old Hungarian women. I don’t know much about Hungarian culture and it was fun learning about it. There could have been a little more translating on some of the Hungarian phrases. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Another good pick by #readforkimberly
I really enjoyed this one. I liked Hana and the rest of the characters. Hard to pick out a murderer in a roomful of little old Hungarian women. I don’t know much about Hungarian culture and it was fun learning about it. There could have been a little more translating on some of the Hungarian phrases. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Another good pick by #readforkimberly
Read
January 21, 2025Hana Keller, her mother, Maggie, and grandmother, Julia, run Maggie's Tea House, a Hungarian tea room serving up European pastries, tea and readings of tea leaves for customers. Hana is unsure about a group of Hungarian women coming to tea for some reason but chalks it up to anxiety. When her grandmother's tea leaf prediction turns towards the unsettling and Hana spies a guest sipping out of her decorative, rare, expensive Budapest Butterfly tea cup, Hana knows this event was not a good idea. When the guest using her decorative cup gets up to use the restroom, Hana is concerned. Soon, she discovers Ava Novák dead outside the restrooms. Detective Erik Wolf arrives to investigate but needs the help of Hana and her family to translate and explain the cultural nuances. Hana can't believe one of these little old ladies could be a murderer! Her grandmother's predictions tie into Hungarian folklore and a message written on the bottom of the tea cup in Hungarian certainly points to one of the ladies but how could that be? When Detective Wolf seems to uncover evidence Hana's grandmother was hiding something from the police, Hana decides to investigate herself in order to protect her family but as mysterious things start happening around the family, Hana decides to trust in Wolf after all. Can one of the sweet old Hungarian ladies actually be a killer?
The plot was pretty good. I didn't guess who the murderer was but going back over it, they did give themselves away right away with some clues. I found the conclusion very sad and it brought down the tone of the story. I didn't care for the romance subplot going from 0 to makeout session very quickly, followed by the usual misunderstanding. The tea shop should be right up my alley but the homemade decor that gets reused for each event, standard black tea and what sounds like tea bags on each table plus coffee urns and water bottles don't really make me want to go there. A proper tea room serves individual pots of loose leaf tea in addition to the pastries. I enjoyed learning about Hungarian culture and the language. It sounds similar to my Italian heritage. Lots of FOOD! The folklore of Hungary tends towards the dark and scary which makes this novel a bit more dark than your average cozy. I can tell, however, that this book was written by someone from within the culture and not based on stereotypes. The one thing I question is the timeline. The author says in her note she based the neighborhood on the one her dad grew up in 50 years ago and so it might seem anachronistic. Hana's great-grandfather was killed in the Hungarian Revolution but the family didn't immigrate until the 1980s and I thought that wasn't allowed.
The characters really make this series. Hana is a 27-year-old Hungarian-American woman who is proud of her heritage and her independence. She keeps trying to explain independence to the old ladies LOL! Hana is Ok but she's a little bit hard to know. I love Hana's relationship with her grandmother and her great-grandmother but she has to be pretty clueless not to know about the family gift. It's kind of obvious. I could do without her moocher brother. Hana enables him by buying gifts for his shy, introverted girlfriend he's trying to change and everyone feeds him. He's supportive and nice but I'm not a fan. Hana's mother, Maggie, immigrated from Hungary as a child so she became more Americanized than her mother. Maggie is proud of her heritage but fully American in the way she speaks and acts. She's strongly trying to deny her birthright. Juliana, Grandma, is wonderful. She's a loving matriarch who makes sure her family knows about their heritage. Juliana and the old Hungarian ladies remind me of my Italian grandmother and great aunt. They were always trying to feed people and made enough food for an army. The cure for a cold is the same too. They seemed sweet but that was deceptive! They could be as catty and tart tongued as the ladies in the book. Juliana is not like that but she does try to push her granddaughter into a relationship and she gives dire predictions after reading the tea leaves. Is this really entertainment or something more? I think it sounds vague and she's not really predicting anything but I think she COULD intuit something. Hana's dad, a history professor, is very sweet and devoted to his wife. He's fully well aware of what he married into and seems to love his adopted Hungarian family quirks and all. Grandpa is adorable as well and a devoted, loving husband to Grandma.
Then there's François, the French culinary student/pastry chef. He's a little arrogant in the stereotypical French way and has big dreams. I'm not sure what to make of him. His story about overhearing an argument is a little too convenient. Erik Wolf, the detective, is tough but caring. He seems to know how to do his job. He's attracted to Hana and gives her special consideration. Juliana seems to think they belong together and pushes Hana to ask Wolf out. Benton, the second detective, is nice and he's quiet. He's a devoted family man and doesn't hesitate to believe Juliana's prediction. I loathed Hana's brother's relationship with Margie, a sweet, shy, introverted architect. Forcing her to be more extroverted and trying to change her is absolutely not OK. Hana's grandfather and father love their wives unconditionally for who they are. Margie should ditch Domo, especially if she realizes the man can't be bothered to remember little anniversaries that are important to her or choose gifts for her on his own. Hana's antiques dealer friend, Falken, is funny. He enjoys reading mysteries but doesn't get involved in this one.
Ava seemed like a nice lady, just more modern than the others. She immigrated recently and had a tragic past. She deserved happiness and didn't deserve to die. The Magyar Women are a hoot. They're so old world full of paprika and superstition and so much like the two old ladies I grew up with. Mrs. Kalas is mean and catty. She seems to be the ringleader of the group and was unfriendly to Ava. Just because Ava was modern doesn't mean she was bad. She wore lipstick (GASP), flirted (SHOCK) and dated (oooh!). She supposedly dated another woman's husband but since the pair were separated at the time and the wife didn't have a problem with it, that's not so bad. Yeesh. Mrs. Pincoczi is sweet. She's devoted to her family and amicably separated from her husband. She's already looking for a new man and doesn't seem to mind that Armin had dated Ava. Lili knew Ava better than Mrs. Kalas did and they seemed friendly. Mrs. Guliban is confrontational. She once had been friendly with Ava but the more time she spent with the woman, the more Mrs. Guliban disliked her. Joe Novak seemed to worship Ava and that made the other ladies jealous. Mrs. Kiraly, a neighbor of Ava and Joe's, seems to be the only one showing real sadness over another woman's death. Unlike the others, Mrs. Kiraly seems sweet. Sweet but a buttinsky. She praises Hana's intelligence to Wolf, clearly intending matchmaking.
Steve Sarká, Hana's dad's friend and Mrs. Sarká's brother-in-law, knew Ava and dated her before she married Joe. They wanted different things out of the relationship. He's a happy-go-lucky bachelor who prefers no strings attached and she clearly wanted to marry someone. That's OK. He doesn't seem upset about it. He's good with animals and works as a vet assistant and provides some crucial background information on Ava, while he's supposed to be working.
There are too many cats in this story for me. One or maybe two is OK but there aren't enough dogs.
I'll probably read the other two books in the series at some point.
The butterfly tea cup is very pretty!
Anna Weatherley Butterfly
This one is even nicer but not the one Hana has
Spring in Budapest
The plot was pretty good. I didn't guess who the murderer was but going back over it, they did give themselves away right away with some clues. I found the conclusion very sad and it brought down the tone of the story. I didn't care for the romance subplot going from 0 to makeout session very quickly, followed by the usual misunderstanding. The tea shop should be right up my alley but the homemade decor that gets reused for each event, standard black tea and what sounds like tea bags on each table plus coffee urns and water bottles don't really make me want to go there. A proper tea room serves individual pots of loose leaf tea in addition to the pastries. I enjoyed learning about Hungarian culture and the language. It sounds similar to my Italian heritage. Lots of FOOD! The folklore of Hungary tends towards the dark and scary which makes this novel a bit more dark than your average cozy. I can tell, however, that this book was written by someone from within the culture and not based on stereotypes. The one thing I question is the timeline. The author says in her note she based the neighborhood on the one her dad grew up in 50 years ago and so it might seem anachronistic. Hana's great-grandfather was killed in the Hungarian Revolution but the family didn't immigrate until the 1980s and I thought that wasn't allowed.
The characters really make this series. Hana is a 27-year-old Hungarian-American woman who is proud of her heritage and her independence. She keeps trying to explain independence to the old ladies LOL! Hana is Ok but she's a little bit hard to know. I love Hana's relationship with her grandmother and her great-grandmother but she has to be pretty clueless not to know about the family gift. It's kind of obvious. I could do without her moocher brother. Hana enables him by buying gifts for his shy, introverted girlfriend he's trying to change and everyone feeds him. He's supportive and nice but I'm not a fan. Hana's mother, Maggie, immigrated from Hungary as a child so she became more Americanized than her mother. Maggie is proud of her heritage but fully American in the way she speaks and acts. She's strongly trying to deny her birthright. Juliana, Grandma, is wonderful. She's a loving matriarch who makes sure her family knows about their heritage. Juliana and the old Hungarian ladies remind me of my Italian grandmother and great aunt. They were always trying to feed people and made enough food for an army. The cure for a cold is the same too. They seemed sweet but that was deceptive! They could be as catty and tart tongued as the ladies in the book. Juliana is not like that but she does try to push her granddaughter into a relationship and she gives dire predictions after reading the tea leaves. Is this really entertainment or something more? I think it sounds vague and she's not really predicting anything but I think she COULD intuit something. Hana's dad, a history professor, is very sweet and devoted to his wife. He's fully well aware of what he married into and seems to love his adopted Hungarian family quirks and all. Grandpa is adorable as well and a devoted, loving husband to Grandma.
Then there's François, the French culinary student/pastry chef. He's a little arrogant in the stereotypical French way and has big dreams. I'm not sure what to make of him. His story about overhearing an argument is a little too convenient. Erik Wolf, the detective, is tough but caring. He seems to know how to do his job. He's attracted to Hana and gives her special consideration. Juliana seems to think they belong together and pushes Hana to ask Wolf out. Benton, the second detective, is nice and he's quiet. He's a devoted family man and doesn't hesitate to believe Juliana's prediction. I loathed Hana's brother's relationship with Margie, a sweet, shy, introverted architect. Forcing her to be more extroverted and trying to change her is absolutely not OK. Hana's grandfather and father love their wives unconditionally for who they are. Margie should ditch Domo, especially if she realizes the man can't be bothered to remember little anniversaries that are important to her or choose gifts for her on his own. Hana's antiques dealer friend, Falken, is funny. He enjoys reading mysteries but doesn't get involved in this one.
Ava seemed like a nice lady, just more modern than the others. She immigrated recently and had a tragic past. She deserved happiness and didn't deserve to die. The Magyar Women are a hoot. They're so old world full of paprika and superstition and so much like the two old ladies I grew up with. Mrs. Kalas is mean and catty. She seems to be the ringleader of the group and was unfriendly to Ava. Just because Ava was modern doesn't mean she was bad. She wore lipstick (GASP), flirted (SHOCK) and dated (oooh!). She supposedly dated another woman's husband but since the pair were separated at the time and the wife didn't have a problem with it, that's not so bad. Yeesh. Mrs. Pincoczi is sweet. She's devoted to her family and amicably separated from her husband. She's already looking for a new man and doesn't seem to mind that Armin had dated Ava. Lili knew Ava better than Mrs. Kalas did and they seemed friendly. Mrs. Guliban is confrontational. She once had been friendly with Ava but the more time she spent with the woman, the more Mrs. Guliban disliked her. Joe Novak seemed to worship Ava and that made the other ladies jealous. Mrs. Kiraly, a neighbor of Ava and Joe's, seems to be the only one showing real sadness over another woman's death. Unlike the others, Mrs. Kiraly seems sweet. Sweet but a buttinsky. She praises Hana's intelligence to Wolf, clearly intending matchmaking.
Steve Sarká, Hana's dad's friend and Mrs. Sarká's brother-in-law, knew Ava and dated her before she married Joe. They wanted different things out of the relationship. He's a happy-go-lucky bachelor who prefers no strings attached and she clearly wanted to marry someone. That's OK. He doesn't seem upset about it. He's good with animals and works as a vet assistant and provides some crucial background information on Ava, while he's supposed to be working.
There are too many cats in this story for me. One or maybe two is OK but there aren't enough dogs.
I'll probably read the other two books in the series at some point.
The butterfly tea cup is very pretty!
Anna Weatherley Butterfly
This one is even nicer but not the one Hana has
Spring in Budapest
June 11, 2019
Three generations of Hungarian women own and manage Maggie’s Tea House, specializing in the European high tea. Grandmother Juliana is known for her ability to read the future in a person’s tea leaves. The tea house is named from Hana Keller’s mother, Maggie. The three women are getting ready for a special event for the Magyar Women.
During the high tea, Ana Novak’s tea is poisoned. Detective Erik Wolf comes to investigate and through the course of inquiry learns that Hana and Juliana both have special abilities for sensing what’s going on around them. Hoping to help catch the killer before their business is ruined, Hana does her own sleuthing, feeding what she finds to Erik.
Julia Buckley incorporates the rich Hungarian culture throughout the story adding layers of interesting background on Hungarian food, art and mystical beliefs. Ms. Buckley fabricates an imaginative mystery with twists and a suspense driven pace. The first Hungarian Tea House Mystery is truly a treat to be savored.
During the high tea, Ana Novak’s tea is poisoned. Detective Erik Wolf comes to investigate and through the course of inquiry learns that Hana and Juliana both have special abilities for sensing what’s going on around them. Hoping to help catch the killer before their business is ruined, Hana does her own sleuthing, feeding what she finds to Erik.
Julia Buckley incorporates the rich Hungarian culture throughout the story adding layers of interesting background on Hungarian food, art and mystical beliefs. Ms. Buckley fabricates an imaginative mystery with twists and a suspense driven pace. The first Hungarian Tea House Mystery is truly a treat to be savored.
December 1, 2024
The mystery in this book was good, but I just could not bond with the characters. There was lots of background information, which is normal on the first book of a series, but that made for slow reading. There are nice recipes on the back.
August 14, 2019
What a great start to a new series! There are several things I like about it, including excellent writing, strong, gentle female characters, and a challenging mystery. It is the first one I can recall reading for a long time that I was in denial about who the real killer might be, even after the confession, because the person just didn't seem like a cold-blooded killer! I also enjoyed learning about the interesting ideals and backgrounds of those who immigrated from Hungary.
Hana's mother Maggie had been brought to America from Hungary when she was a child by her parents, Juliana and Joseph. Her maternal grandmother, Natalia, came with them also. Maggie and Juliana opened Maggie's Tea House almost 30 years ago, and it is very well-known in Riverwood, just outside of Chicago. Hana joined the family tradition of working at the tea house. She is learning about another family tradition of the women of the family who have intuition or even the ability to "see" where there is something to be concerned about in the future.
Her grandmother gives tea readings at some of the teas, and the monthly Magyar Women group sees the tradition upheld. One difference this time is that Hana's new treasure, the Budapest Butterfly, a costly collectible teacup with a butterfly handle is the central decoration at the tea reading table. It disappeared from the table during the time the ladies were eating their special sandwiches, then reappeared at the table of Ava Novak, a first-time visitor with the group who was sitting alone at a table. She was drinking from it, too!
Juliana had a warning for one of the ladies at the tea reading, that something bad is coming to one of her friends or family members. This is not a typical reading; they are often more for fun than anything serious. Hana went to Ava's table; Ava seemed to be heading to the restroom a short time earlier with an unhappy tummy and had not returned. Someone had written inside her treasured Butterfly in a wax pencil; when her mother and grandmother translated the terrible words, she went to find Ava. She was too late, as Ava was dead just outside the restroom.
This mystery is mind-boggling, as who could suspect any of the ladies present who were in their sixties and seventies? It will definitely require a few twists and turns to come up with more than one suspect for the murder of this lady who has only been in the US for a few short years! Hana decides to help the lead detective, Erik Wolf, as she finds information and understands Hungarians much better than he - and her analytical mind simply doesn't let her questions go without answers.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of the author and of well-written cozy mysteries, have an interest in Hungarian foods and ideals, and the possibility of romance.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel; a review was not required.
Hana's mother Maggie had been brought to America from Hungary when she was a child by her parents, Juliana and Joseph. Her maternal grandmother, Natalia, came with them also. Maggie and Juliana opened Maggie's Tea House almost 30 years ago, and it is very well-known in Riverwood, just outside of Chicago. Hana joined the family tradition of working at the tea house. She is learning about another family tradition of the women of the family who have intuition or even the ability to "see" where there is something to be concerned about in the future.
Her grandmother gives tea readings at some of the teas, and the monthly Magyar Women group sees the tradition upheld. One difference this time is that Hana's new treasure, the Budapest Butterfly, a costly collectible teacup with a butterfly handle is the central decoration at the tea reading table. It disappeared from the table during the time the ladies were eating their special sandwiches, then reappeared at the table of Ava Novak, a first-time visitor with the group who was sitting alone at a table. She was drinking from it, too!
Juliana had a warning for one of the ladies at the tea reading, that something bad is coming to one of her friends or family members. This is not a typical reading; they are often more for fun than anything serious. Hana went to Ava's table; Ava seemed to be heading to the restroom a short time earlier with an unhappy tummy and had not returned. Someone had written inside her treasured Butterfly in a wax pencil; when her mother and grandmother translated the terrible words, she went to find Ava. She was too late, as Ava was dead just outside the restroom.
This mystery is mind-boggling, as who could suspect any of the ladies present who were in their sixties and seventies? It will definitely require a few twists and turns to come up with more than one suspect for the murder of this lady who has only been in the US for a few short years! Hana decides to help the lead detective, Erik Wolf, as she finds information and understands Hungarians much better than he - and her analytical mind simply doesn't let her questions go without answers.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of the author and of well-written cozy mysteries, have an interest in Hungarian foods and ideals, and the possibility of romance.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel; a review was not required.
July 24, 2019
Series: A Hungarian Tea House Mystery - Book 1
Author: Julia Buckley
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Coffee/Tea Shop/Paranormal
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 304
Publishing Date: July 30, 2019
The first cozy book Death in a Budapest Butterfly in a new series “A Hungarian Tea House Mystery “from author Julia Buckley hits stores on July 30, 2019, published by Berkley.
This new series has stout, gifted women, tasty food, exotic teas, a delightful teacup collection, and a look at Hungarian culture. There are plenty of recipes and tasty treats for those who spend time at Maggie’s Tea House. The main character, Hana, is stubborn, set in her ways and at times naïve. Her mother and grandmother are special and love what they do. Hana’s budding relationship with Detective Wolf will be interesting to watch. With just a hint of the paranormal, this cozy book will make readers smile.
Although this is a sweet story and the murder itself intriguing, there was just a bit too much emphasis on the Hungarian side of the women’s lives. There are times when the reader may have to remind themselves that this book is set-in modern-day America. The cultural aspects are fun but seem to be used more for filler than real background information on the characters. I would like to see the paranormal aspects of the three women more defined and enlarged in future books as I felt this was one of the more engaging inclusions in the storyline.
Ms. Buckley knows how to write a cozy book. Her story is littered with twists and turns, insightful commentary, and heartfelt family values. Death in a Budapest Butterfly is a cozy book that will entertain readers of all types of mysteries.
I am looking forward to seeing the direction this series takes, and the continued development of the characters.
Author: Julia Buckley
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Coffee/Tea Shop/Paranormal
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 304
Publishing Date: July 30, 2019
The first cozy book Death in a Budapest Butterfly in a new series “A Hungarian Tea House Mystery “from author Julia Buckley hits stores on July 30, 2019, published by Berkley.
This new series has stout, gifted women, tasty food, exotic teas, a delightful teacup collection, and a look at Hungarian culture. There are plenty of recipes and tasty treats for those who spend time at Maggie’s Tea House. The main character, Hana, is stubborn, set in her ways and at times naïve. Her mother and grandmother are special and love what they do. Hana’s budding relationship with Detective Wolf will be interesting to watch. With just a hint of the paranormal, this cozy book will make readers smile.
Although this is a sweet story and the murder itself intriguing, there was just a bit too much emphasis on the Hungarian side of the women’s lives. There are times when the reader may have to remind themselves that this book is set-in modern-day America. The cultural aspects are fun but seem to be used more for filler than real background information on the characters. I would like to see the paranormal aspects of the three women more defined and enlarged in future books as I felt this was one of the more engaging inclusions in the storyline.
Ms. Buckley knows how to write a cozy book. Her story is littered with twists and turns, insightful commentary, and heartfelt family values. Death in a Budapest Butterfly is a cozy book that will entertain readers of all types of mysteries.
I am looking forward to seeing the direction this series takes, and the continued development of the characters.
December 5, 2020
As I mentioned in my review of "Death of a Wandering Wolf" it's unusual for me to read a series out of order when I am aware of the series order before adding the novel on GoodReads but my 'stash' of tbr novels has dwindled away as books have been my company for bedtime reading more than ever this year. For the multiple reasons listed in review of the 2nd novel of the series it was most enjoyable to meet the debut of the characters, setting, etc.
A true compliment to the series is that I'd love to visit Maggie's Tea House and I don't even like hot tea. Another reason why I find this series so pleasurable is that as I'm reading the different descriptions of the food Hana makes with her grandmother or as Hana is cooking for herself and/or her boyfriend/police detective Erik I remember different dishes served at family dinners and holidays that are very similar. The multiple generations are no longer here but taste buds remember the delectable bounty of offerings as part of a treasury of family memories when we were all together.
The mystery in the series opener takes place at a special event at Maggie's Tea House and once again armchair sleuth that I am I didn't put the clues together in time to solve one of Julia Buckley's mysteries. One of my favorite cozy authors that I'll continue to enjoy reading as I've tried three (3) of her series so far and love each one for distinctive reasons. If you love cozy mysteries, be sure to add Julia Buckley's name to your "to-read" list!
A true compliment to the series is that I'd love to visit Maggie's Tea House and I don't even like hot tea. Another reason why I find this series so pleasurable is that as I'm reading the different descriptions of the food Hana makes with her grandmother or as Hana is cooking for herself and/or her boyfriend/police detective Erik I remember different dishes served at family dinners and holidays that are very similar. The multiple generations are no longer here but taste buds remember the delectable bounty of offerings as part of a treasury of family memories when we were all together.
The mystery in the series opener takes place at a special event at Maggie's Tea House and once again armchair sleuth that I am I didn't put the clues together in time to solve one of Julia Buckley's mysteries. One of my favorite cozy authors that I'll continue to enjoy reading as I've tried three (3) of her series so far and love each one for distinctive reasons. If you love cozy mysteries, be sure to add Julia Buckley's name to your "to-read" list!
June 8, 2022
Well Julia Buckley has done it again! This is a great start to a new series with some fun characters. The main three are a Grandmother, mother and daughter who run a Hungarian tea house (with a fantastic pastry chef from France called François), on this day they are hosting a Hungarian Woman's club and as Hana (the daughter) has just purchased a stunning butterfly cup and saucer they decide to use that as the theme, the cup and saucer themselves will take pride of place on the table where Juliana (the Grandmother) will read tea leaves. Everything seems to be going smoothly until Hana sees that her precious butterfly cup is missing, the next thing is the death of one of the ladies and the arrival of the police!
Before Hana knows what has hit her she is dragged into the murder investigation, led by the seriously distracting Erik Wolf, can Erik and Hana find out whodunit before the tea shop goes under or someone else is hurt?
Before Hana knows what has hit her she is dragged into the murder investigation, led by the seriously distracting Erik Wolf, can Erik and Hana find out whodunit before the tea shop goes under or someone else is hurt?
August 31, 2020
4 stelle e mezza
Confesso che all'inizio sono stata un attimo travolta da tutto il folklore magiaro e le tante parole in ungherese, ma poi ho preso il via, anche perché è tutto spiegato quando si fa riferimento alle cose ungheresi. Anche il fatto che le donne della famiglia della protagonista abbiano tutte una specie di sesto senso mi ha un attimo perplesso, ma poi ci ho messo una pietra sopra. Anche perché mi piace il modo di raccontare che ha questa autrice. Morale della favola: libro promosso a pieni voti!
Confesso che all'inizio sono stata un attimo travolta da tutto il folklore magiaro e le tante parole in ungherese, ma poi ho preso il via, anche perché è tutto spiegato quando si fa riferimento alle cose ungheresi. Anche il fatto che le donne della famiglia della protagonista abbiano tutte una specie di sesto senso mi ha un attimo perplesso, ma poi ci ho messo una pietra sopra. Anche perché mi piace il modo di raccontare che ha questa autrice. Morale della favola: libro promosso a pieni voti!
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