Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh

Travel Can Be Murder #4

by Jennifer S. Alderson

When a trip to Scotland ends in tragedy, travel guide Lana Hansen must sleuth out who murdered her guest before she ends up paying the piper.

Lana hasn't seen her ex-husband, Ron, since their divorce was finalized eight months earlier. So when they bump into each on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, she is not exactly jumping for joy.

To make matters worse, Ron threatens a member of her tour group—a beloved and respected magician named Presto! The Amazing. Ron is convinced Presto stole one of his magic tricks—the same act that propelled the famous magician into stardom—and swears he will get his revenge.

After Presto is scared to death by a group of well-meaning bagpipers, the police suspect he was first poisoned—and that Ron is the culprit!

As much as Lana would love to let her ex-husband rot in prison, she soon discovers that he is not the only one who would prefer to have Presto vanish.

Did Ron poison the magician? Or did one of several family members accompanying Presto on the trip use this vacation to knock off the domineering patriarch?

When another guest is murdered, Lana must decide how far she is willing to go to save the man who broke her heart.

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Travel, Cozy, Ebooks, Summer

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2020

About the author

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

What should have been an idyllic trip to Scotland is ruined by first one murder and then another.

Magician Presto has arranged a tour to Scotland for his family. Lana soon learns the family is highly dysfunctional but she never imagined their patriarch would be killed and that her ex-husband Ron, who she hasn’t seen in months, would be tapped as the prime suspect. Ron does have a history with the deceased by Lana can’t believe he would resort to murder.

Then another member of the family group is killed. With Ron in custody, Lana fears she is traveling with a killer.

Lana’s patience is really tried in this Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery. The family is a bunch of spoiled brats expecting their father/grandfather to dole out cash for their every need and want. Ms. Alderson has created a wonderful group of unlikable characters. They are each unique with their own issues and easily envisioned from the author’s descriptions. Lana and Presto’s personal secretary are the only ones besides one of the deceased that have any redeeming qualities.

The roots of evil in this mystery are money and greed and Lana has a plethora of suspects including her ex. The author has put her protagonist in a difficult situation. She sees and overhears things, things that make her realize she is in a prime spot to do some investigating. She uncovers many secrets and lies and in doing so she puts her own life in danger. I found the mystery to be very well-plotted with a nice pace and an exciting reveal.

Again Ms. Alderson takes her readers on a great virtual vacation. Her descriptive voice brings all the landmarks her characters visit to life. I just wish Presto’s family would have appreciated the extraordinary places they were visiting.

Death by Bagpipes was another Perfect Escape. I really am enjoying this series.

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt quite at home in this cozy mystery visiting Edinburgh and I was impressed with the good weather! Lana is a lively, intelligent travel guide, ideally suited to looking after groups of wealthy American tourists, but this mixed-up family are particularly trying. They all vie for their father or grandfather’s attention and money, and are totally self-centred. Famous magician, Presto, knows he neglected them as children but now he is trying to teach them to stand on their own two feet and learn to co-operate with each other. They enjoy their visit to Edinburgh castle but when they set out for Presto’s retirement dinner, they are increasingly antagonistic to one another. The characters of aging actress, Ursula, theatrical producer, Zach and Viola, the young art expert, are well drawn and the details of the tours round Edinburgh and Stirling castles are enticing.
Lana is hoping to escape the group as soon as possible so that she can join her boyfriend in London but when her ex-husband, Ron, turns up with his own agenda, everything becomes more complicated. Never one to leave things to the police, Lana starts to investigate Presto’s family, discovering several secrets and lies. When a second death takes place, she works out the identity of the murderer, putting herself in grave danger. This exciting murder mystery can easily be read as a standalone tale, though I enjoyed seeing Lana’s personal life continue to improve.

[Ira Therebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the series as it is a combination of what I like, cozy mystery and settings in famous places all over the world as the murders happen on a tour. But not all of the stories are good as in a few of them I figures out the murder very quickly. This wasn't the case in this story. This time Jennifer Alderson really kept me guessing and my first idea of where the story will go was far away from how it ended. Once again great characters, this time pretty unpleasant people who all want to inherit from the head of their family and all seem bad enough to be the killer. It takes a place in Edinburgh, a place I have never been to but really would like to visit after the book.

[Sarka B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I like that it combines travel and mystery. In this book we follow main character and tour guide Lana to Scotland.There she must solve not just one but two subsequent murders. The book is well written and engaging. Looking forward to read other books from this nice serie.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

La cosa che amo di più in questa serie sono le accurate descrizioni dei luoghi visitati: in questo caso si tratta di Edimburgo, una città che ho visitato alcuni anni fa e che mi è rimasta nel cuore. Inoltre, il mistero è ben congegnato e sono rimasta nel dubbio su chi fosse il colpevole fin quasi la fine.

[Bonita Slovinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tour guide, Lana Hansen, is traveling with Presto! a magician and his family on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. Presto! is known around the world and is being honored in Scotland and has brought members of his family with him. He is a man full of surprises, has supported his. children and grandchildren to the point that, he is reveling that as he retires he will not be as supportive of all of them so that they can live life without that support. Lana witnesses the families reactions and relationships between Presto! and those she is guiding through Scotland. When Presto! is murdered, Lana’s ex-husband is a suspect. Her ex, Ron, worked with Presto! and claims that Presto! has stolen an act from him. When a second member of the group dies, Lana now must sleuth out the murderer to not only help Ron, but to possibly stop another death.
This is the second AI story I listened to. I disliked the narration more than my first experience. The tone of the voice rarely changed. More so, one of the characters name was pronounced either Viola or Veola through the story.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant murder mystery.

Can bagpipes really kill someone?
This well written murder mystery takes the reader on an incredible journey to Scotland for a tour of Edinburgh and beyond.
Tour guide Lana is taking a family group on an outing, when one of the party suddenly dies. Is it a heart attack or murder?
I cannot recommend this series highly enough; not only for the fabulous descriptions of the places visited, but also for the many twists and turns along the way.

[DaShannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this one turned up on my Kindle but it was enjoyable. It kept my interest but got a bit heavy on details and drama instead of substance. This is #4 and I haven't read any of the others but I might try some more in the series. I like the premise of the main character being a travel agent.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've given this more stars, but there are two deaths & only one is solved. Once the main death was solved, the secondary one seemed to have been forgotten. It made it seem like that character's death was just to ramp up excitement & tension, but served no other literary purpose.

I found some of the plot points to be repetitive as well; just reiterating parts of the plot, which had me yelling, "Yes, I know! You said that three pages ago!"

Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. It was fun being able to travel vicariously to Edinburgh & Stirling Castle. I kept having to stop & google the places the tour group visited (they're all real places!)

I also felt bad for Lana, having to deal with this utterly childish & selfish family. I wanted to yell at them, "You idiots are missing out on beautiful Scotland & you'll regret it later."

I would definitely continue with this series. I like that Lana actually snoops around & asks suspects questions (I've read some cozies that don't hardly have any sleuthing), & that the travel sights are real places.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Bagpipes by Jennifer S. Alderson is filled with murder, greed, bad manners, and beautiful scenery. I loved it.
Will Lana figure out who killed Presto? Does she care if her ex rots in jail for the devious act?
Lana is helping Dotty evaluate a possible new tour guide who is also the grandson of one of Dotty's long-time customers. Although Lana is doing the tour to help Dotty, she needs some time away to make a big decision about her future. I think that Lana is scared to put herself out there again completely, but she really likes Alex. But is he moving too fast for her?

Lana isn't one of those sleuths that trip over dead bodies, but she is around when people in her tour group are murdered. I like Lana, and sometimes I feel bad for her. It's not like she sets out to be there when other people choose to commit murder. This one is really hard for her as her ex-husband has been arrested for the murder. She doesn't want to help him because of everything that he did to her. However, when Dotty asks, she feels obligated to figure it out.

Lana uses her investigation skills to comb through each suspect's past and then asks them the appropriate questions. I think she does a good job of cracking her cases. This one was tough, but I figured it out before Lana, although not by much.

Four Stars
My rating for Death by Bagpipes by Jennifer S. Alderson is four stars. I enjoyed the mystery, but not as much as the previous one I read. I do, however, recommend it to all cozy readers out there. Ms. Alderson does a fabulous job of bringing Scotland to life.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death by Bagpipes by Jennifer S. Alderson.

Until the next time,



 

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. With this series you get a different cast of characters and locations every time, so the stories stay fresh and totally different to the previous books. Well not totally different because they all contain a murder Lana has to solve. This book is also slightly different in the fact that it is usually the murder victim that we love to hate but this time around its the whole family and anyone of them could have turned out to have been the killer. A good way to keep you guessing and trying to figure it out. I like Lana as a main character and am glad she made the jump from magicians assistant to tour guild, it was fun catching up with her husband in this book. A fun series and a great way to travel and solve a few murders without leaving the comfort of your favourite chair, great for all you and chair detectives.
When a friend of Betty's, Presto! The Amazing, asks her to arrange a tour around Scotland for his family members and give his grandson the opportunity to prove he has got what it takes to lead a big four group, she sends her best tour guild Lana to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately the grandson doesn't seem interested in the job and the family can do nothing but fight, especially when he introduces them to his new fiancee and names his new successor to his magic secrets. What was supposed to be a celebration for Presto's magic career turns into a murder investigation, with Lana's own ex husband at the top of the list. Lana is in the perfection position to watch the family and find the real killer before the killer pulls off a trick of there own and disappears.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tour guide Lana Hansen has been asked to lead a famous magician and his family on a tour of Scotland. When the magician dies at a retirement roast held in his honour, Lana doesn't know which of his greedy entourage would benefit most, as they all seem to have good reason to want him dead, even his former doctor.

Even Lana's ex husband is a suspect, as he has always accuded Presto the magician of stealing his career making trick.

I docked this book a star because the author has committed what to me is the ultimate mistake - she has the protagonist wondering if she should confront the killer or go to the police. In this case she actually decides to call the police, but when the killer flees, she and the B&B own hop into his old truck and go chasing after them. She has already told the police who the killer is and where they were heading, so what is the point of chasing them herself? The owner of the B&B has an accident and could have been killed because of her foolishness.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un nuovo caso per Lana Hansen, la guida turistica impegnata questa volta nel tour di famiglia di un anziano e ricchissimo illusionista (in stile David Copperfield) di Seattle, Presto, che vuole andare in pensione e ritirarsi a vivere in un castello tra le Highlands. La sua numerosissima famiglia ha tante pretese: tutti bussano a soldi, tutti anelano a una fetta di eredità. Quando il vecchio mago muore, però, scoprono che nel suo testamento non tutto è come avevano immaginato.
Questa volta Lana incontrerà anche il suo ex-marito, Ron, un illusionista concorrente di Presto, che ha sempre sostenuto che l'uomo più anziano gli abbia rubato il suo trucco più strabiliante. E infatti sarà proprio lui a essere il primo sospettato dell'omicidio di Presto. Per fare un favore a Dotty - e non certo a Ron, che ora sta con un'altra donna, che è pure incinta - Lana indaga sulla morte di Presto.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lana is "assisting" on a family tour of Scotland as a favor to Dotty to evaluate a magician's grandson as being a possible tour guide so the grandson is supposed to be the lead on this tour. But poor Lana. The family does more bickering than touring and the grandson has no interest in being a tour guide making Lana's position very awkward. The family has more interest in the magician's money than in seeing the sights. Lana's old life catches up with her when he ex-husband is accused of murdering the magician and the ex's current girlfriend (the one he dumped Lana for) begs to help clear him. Glad to see Lana's old life finally wrapped up so she can move on with her new life as a tour guide, blogger, and be with Alex.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lana's boss, Dottie, asks her to change plans quickly—instead of leading a tour in Spain, she will be the backup on a family tour in Edinburgh, as the client's grandson basically auditions for a job. The client, a world famous magician known as Presto the Amazing, will be announcing his retirement and naming the person he has chosen to carry on his legacy. Another grandson hopes it will be him. The family appears to be extremely disfunctional; and then there's the fact that Lana's ex-husband insists the magician stole the trick that made him famous from him. So when Presto dies suspiciously there are plenty of suspects. All little over the top, but the vicarious glimpses of the Edinburgh's sites make up for it.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Money and inheritance makes some people do and say terrible things. After essentially supporting his grasping, never satisfied extended family for years, magician Presto the Incredible decides to take them to Scotland for one last vacation. He has some more surprises in store for his relatives, one of which is his new fiancee. Everyone is astonished especially when he tells them he is selling his mansion and moving to a castle in Scotland with Gwen. Lana Hansen finds herself acting as their tour guide and refereeing their squabbles, but when someone is murdered, her role changes. This travel series by Jennifer S. Alderson is always fun and the locations are exciting.

[Shelli Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a free download. I have learned to moderate my expectations of free downloads. This book was a light read, something to kill time. The plot was not unlike Agatha Christie's "Crooked House." There were some nice descriptions of Scottish landscapes, but the tour-guide-turned-sleuth character just seemed silly to me. And the lack of police follow-up with two murders is too far-fetched. I usually can't spot the villains in things I read; I don't usually try to. Maybe I just got lucky but it was apparent to me early on who the murderer was. I may have gotten the "why" wrong, but I fingered the doer. Overall, the book was mildly entertaining I would say.

[Teresa Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

All is not as it seems

Lana accepts the unusual role of support tour guide to a celebrity's family of 9 on a trip to Scotland where their grandson is taking the lead guide position as part of his interview with Lana.
This family's dynamic is nothing like Lana has ever experienced. As events become sinister, Lana's role reluctantly evolves into investigator. There are many suspects, including Lana's ex-husband. This read will entertain you and like me, you'll be looking forward to Lana's next adventure.

[CHud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting, and complicated tale about an on edge family, and an unfortunate tour guide who gets embroiled in their inner workings. There is a constant barrage of incidents, arguments and innuendo throughout the trip. It all leads up to the celebration when the head of the family makes the big announcement of the successor of his very profitable and popular magic act. It turns out to be a tragic evening and the beginning of a series of disasters for the family members. With a tour guide who is desperate to keep the trip on an even keel.

[Tracy Blanchard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed #2 in this series, but like #1 in the series, the cast of characters was so off-the-charts vile that I just could not stand being around them. Couple that with some really patchy writing (hello editor?) and this was not a strong showing. I’ll probably try at least one more in the series, because I like the set-up of it and I like Lana, but this installment did not represent well for the series. There was absolutely no compelling reason for Lana to have stayed with this group so long after the reason for the tour was dead. I didn’t want to stay with these foul characters!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Magic

I enjoyed this story, the setting and plot, which was quite unique. However, I felt it was a bit unreal that after a death, or murder, the characters, family, would carry on touring. The second death was literally brushed under the carpet and forgotten about as the family carried on regardless. Otherwise, the story was quite engrossing and I was keen to find out who the murderer was, although it was not too difficult to work out what had been happening! Would recommend the book to others!

[Martie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book to read. Ms. Anderson’s descriptions of the tour’s travels in Scotland has me so wishing that I could go there. It’s better than watching a travel log on television. As always Lana has a crazy group of people that she’s trying to show through a country she has not seen her self. This group I think is the craziest we’ve run into I had to laugh at so many of their insane traits. Make sure you don’t miss this latest installment of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the Bagpipes might be Innocent

This was a very entertaining story with a lot of surprises, some good some not as good. Even the not so good ones were all a great adventure for the reader, me. I love twists in a story that keeps me on my toes. This book had mystery, murder, thefts, and so much more. Put a family together and anything can happen. There was also some romance.

[Carlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm definitely enjoying this series. Seeing Edinburgh and the Highlands again through the eyes of tour guide Lana Hanson was delightful. Even the haggis dinner which her group had the first night echoed my experience on my last night in Edinburgh (the bourbon sauce really helped!). I did not guess the murderer until Lana figured it out since each member of the magician's family had means, motive and opportunity.

[J Shu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lana is hired to take retiring magician Presto and his family to Scotland so he can show them his new castle and their inherited land holdings. Lana is to lead them to see the sights of the area. Before they leave Presto dies suddenly at his retirement gala after bagpipes begin to wail. Did the bagpipes really kill the man, or was something more sinister involved? Ms. Alderson really captures the less than desirable qualities of this disfunctional family - they are truly annoying.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable part of the “ Travel can be Murder” series. This time Lana is in Edinburgh. When I read these books I read them at the time of the year they are set . I just finished attending a Highland games so I was in the mood to read about all things Scottish.
Great location , and a whodunit that kept me guessing until the end. I was also glad that Lana finally dealt with her liar/ cheat of ex-husband, now her personal life can move forward in further instalments of the series.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to discover this new to me author and this fun series. I enjoyed the murder mystery as well as hearing about all the interesting places the tour is visiting. I like the tour guide Lana Anderson a lot. She’s genuine. Her friends and tour clients are fun and quirky. I highly recommend this book and the series. It is always a challenge for me to solve a mystery and this was also one I couldn’t figure out.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good addition to the series. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Edinburgh and the spots they visited. The characters were annoying, but they were supposed to be. I didn't guess the killer, so that's a plus. I like that Lana's life keeps changing with each book too. I'm ready for book #5!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner

Great setting with wonderful places described beautifully. Characters are wonderful, quirky but realistic. The plot was great using magic was a new twist and I loved it. A lot of twists and turns and many suspects with anyone of them liable to be the killer. A really great book!

[han · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about these cozy mysteries keeps me coming back. They’re low-stress comfort books, not overly emotional, and I love the details put into describing the travel locations. This one almost stumped me — the author has gotten better at hiding key details/not drawing obvious attention to them, but I still had to skim a few too-slow parts toward the end.