Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome

Travel Can Be Murder #5

by Jennifer S. Alderson

Rome – the city of churches, marble, … and murder? For one American tourist, a famous fountain will become her final resting place.

Wedding bells are ringing, and Lana Hansen could not be happier! Wanderlust Tours guide Randy Wright and his Italian girlfriend are tying the knot in Tuscany, right after he and Lana finish leading a Christmas-themed tour around Rome.

Unfortunately for Randy, his ex-girlfriend is still convinced they are meant to be together. When she tracks him down in Saint Peter’s Square, they have a nasty fight, and Randy threatens to harm her if she doesn’t leave him be.

After her body is found in the Trevi Fountain, Randy is immediately arrested. Lana is convinced he didn’t do it, yet none of her other guests seemed to have wished the young women ill.

With a shortage of suspects, Lana must dig deep in order to sleuth out who really killed Randy’s ex-girlfriend—before his visit to the Eternal City becomes permanent.

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, Christmas, Cozy, Travel, Amazon

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 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

Christmas in Italy! What could be more romantic? That is exactly what Wanderlust Tours guide Randy Wright and his Italian girlfriend thought and have planned their wedding take place immediately following the Christmas-themed tour Randy and Lana Hansen are leading. Most of the people on the tour are Randy’s friends and in addition to seeing the sights, they hope to have a great time with Randy before his wedding takes place in an undisclosed Italian location.

All the plans are ruined when an ex-girlfriend of Randy’s shows up in Rome and at the exact hotel, where the tour group is staying. She believes Randy will leave his bride at the altar to be with her. That is not going to happen but they have a very public fight where Randy tells her to go away with a threat if she doesn’t. Not long after the ex is found dead in the Trevi Fountain and Randy is behind bars. Lana believes he is innocent but she can’t find any other suspects that would have wanted the woman dead. She doesn’t have much time to clear his name if she is going to get him to the church on time.

Oh! This was such a fun read. I always have a great time on my virtual vacays with Lana. She and Randy make a fantastic team. I love that this tour was all leading up to Randy’s monumental day. Cue the crazy ex and she was one crazy woman. Rachel, the ex has been tormenting Randy for a while and Randy has dealt with it all without mentioning it to Lana so she is completely caught off guard by the woman’s appearance. Rachel is the reason the location of his wedding has been kept secret. But she is in Rome and she is following him everywhere.

Ms. Aldenson has plotted out a wonderful mystery. She puts Randy in the vicinity at the time of Rachel’s death and readers are taken on a great chase trying to find out who else was near the Trevi Fountain with a motive for wanting the woman killed. I was on the trail with Lana every step of the way. Is the murderer part of her group? That is the natural place to start but she just can’t find the tie she was looking for and neither did I until all was revealed.

I always enjoy Ms. Alderson’s descriptions of the places she travels. They are detailed so readers can easily visualize the building, church, fountain, hotel, streets without getting overly wordy. It is quite a pleasure to virtually travel with her and her group made even better when there is an intriguing mystery to solve. Death by Fountain is a merry addition to this series! I am thrilled the author has many more travel mysteries planned.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining relationship listening. ✨🎎🎉

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 5 of 10

Lana is on a tour in Rome, Italy with friends and a wedding on the 24th of December. Then a woman dies, is it an accident or murder? Lana is involved in the investigation leading to the truth and arrest. The wedding takes place on schedule.

I would recommend this series and author to readers of romantic family and friends relationships travel mystery novels. 2024

[Caitlin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devour these books and this one took it to the max!! Lana and her group are in Italy, but this time the tour group is Randy and his friends and Randy is getting married! Lana feels that she and Randy have a pretty good relationship and are friends (especially since she's dating his brother), so she is surprised when Rachel, his ex-girlfriend shows up. She learns that Rachel may have had something to do with the fall that caused Randy's injury, and that Rachel is not just a regular ex-girlfriend, but a full on stalker who has made Randy's life a living hell for the last couple years. Randy has gone so far as to keep his wedding location a secret in case Rachel were to try to get the info out of someone. As Randy is running to the train station to meet his fiance, Lana notices that Rachel is trailing him. She runs after Randy and Rachel, but loses them in the crowd. She finds out shortly thereafter, that Rachel drowned in the Trevi Fountain and Randy becomes the main suspect. I am so excited for the next one to come out!

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altra veloce, ma piacevole lettura con belle descrizioni di Roma. Sinceramente non conosco la tradizione per cui gli sposi devono rompere un bicchiere o comunque un contenitore di vetro... sicuramente non è tipica della Toscana, dove è ambientato il matrimonio di cui si parla qui!

[Jerry Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many wonderful fountains in Rome. This is a wonderful setting for the next mystery and a holiday destination wedding. So much for Lana to juggle on a budget Wanderlust Tours for friends and family of Randy, fellow guide.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in Rome

This book will be my travel guide if I ever go to Rome. Add a touch of Murder, and for what more could one ask.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Death by Fountain by Jennifer S. Alderson is a fast, holiday-filled mystery set in Rome.
Will Lana figure out who killed Rachel before Randy misses his wedding?
The setting for this installment is terrific. I love the descriptions of the sites in Rome. The scene at the coliseum makes me want to head to Rome to view it myself. The cafes, the fountains, and the history are so amazingly wrapped around the murder of Rachel, Randy's ex-girlfriend. I felt so sorry for him. His wedding is coming up at the end of the week, and he is stuck in jail.

Lana does a fabulous job of breaking down the suspects, revealing their backgrounds, how they tie to Randy and Rachel and what motives they might have. Ms. Alderson does such a fantastic job writing this one that I felt like I was in Rome with Lana solving the crime.

Although, Alex was a bit overprotective of his brother. I think he could have reeled in his anger better. Especially when assisting Lana in questioning their suspects/friends. As for Randy, I would think that he would be more careful in his choice of friends since the whole stalker thing happened. Although his first thought was to protect Gloria, his bride-to-be, that was nice.

Four Stars
Death by Fountain by Jennifer S. Alderson is four stars. I enjoyed the mystery, the sites, and the history tie-ins to Christmas. I recommend this cozy mystery to all.

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

Until the next time,

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sempre più americanate i romanzi di questa serie, in cui Lana Hansen è diventata da un giorno all'altro una guida turistica esperta e un'investigatrice più abile di tutti i detective delle polizie d'Europa (e non posso dire che non sia credibile che si comporti così, perché lo sappiamo benissimo cosa succede quando degli americani commettono dei reati in Italia e pretendono di essere trattati come delle superstar sempre innocenti). Sì, Lana è una ex giornalista con alle spalle inchieste giornalistiche importanti, ma non è che dove va lei la polizia debba essere per forza sprovveduta (e credere, per esempio che una videocamera di sorveglianza sia rotta solo perché il direttore dell'albergo in cui è piazzata dice così...)
Stendiamo un velo pietoso sulla traduzione, con una consecutio temporum terrificante e diversi orrori di grammatica che non credevo una AI di ultima generazione potesse fare...
Continuerò a leggere la serie perché mi diverto a fare la turista. Certo, da Fontana di Trevi alla Stazione Termini a piedi e sotto la pioggia è un bel tour de force!

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you fancy a tour of Rome describing the best features, this is the book for you. Lana is the best guide, aware of the features to highlight but allowing for her group’s interests. It’s nearly Christmas and this should be an enjoyable tour since the group is made up of the best friends of her fellow guide, Randy, but there is friction amongst the members and one uninvited guest ruins the break for everyone.
As Randy is about to tie the knot with his lovely fiancé Gloria, his old flame, Rachel arrives to make trouble. When Rachel is discovered dead, video evidence from a hotel security camera seems to incriminate Randy but Lana believes that one of his friends might be the murderer. Her investigations reveal motives for most of the party but no solid evidence. She and Randy’s brother, Alex, are persistent so hopefully they may save the day.
Another enjoyable read from this popular series of murders round the world!

[Erin (Bellah Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cozy mystery was one I picked up for free and isn’t one of my usual genres. I honestly only got it to fulfill one of my holiday bingo squares! But it was quick and easy and I did enjoy it.

This is technically part of a whole series of cozy mysteries but I didn’t have any problems reading it as a standalone.

I enjoyed how fast and easy this was to read. This particular story took place in Rome just before Christmas and I always like books that take place in interesting cities! The premise was maybe a little far fetched but the plot was fast paced and it was easy to keep track of who was who and what was going on.

This certainly isn’t an award-winning piece of literature and was more novella-like in terms of character depth, but I didn’t go in thinking it would be and it lived up to exactly what it is so I can’t complain!

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reasonably entertaining book, but at times it reads more like a travelogue on Italy than a murder story.

There are a lot of characters, but they are not well developed. The descriptions of Rome are well written, but they detract from the flow of the story. The reader, who wants to follow the investigation of the murder, has to wade through passages of detailed descriptions of all Rome’s tourist attractions, before getting to the point of the plot.

The death of Rachel has to be solved rapidly, so that an Italian girl, Gloria, can be married to her American fiancé in her home village. However, he is being held by the Italian police as a suspect in Rachel’s murder.

The conclusion is pretty predictable and allows for a happy-ever-after ending.

[Martie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roam Rome

Ms. Alderson has done it again and given her readers a fun fast moving adventure, this time in the beautiful city of Rome. If you’ve never been to Rome you’ll get lost in Ms. Alderson‘s description of this awesome city and if you have visited Rome you’ll be able to re-live all your wonderful memories through her phenomenal descriptive abilities. This is a must read folks.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randy and Lana have finished the tour they were conducting. Now welcoming Randy's friends to Rome to attend his wedding to Gloria. The one problem with the great time they are looking forward to is Rachel, his old girl friend showing up. She has been such a pain and now there too. She is found in the Trevi Fountain and the police think Randy killed her. Lana works to find out who really killed her.

[Kathi Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line, lovely descriptions of Italy

This was my first time reading a book by Ms Alderson and even though it is the fifth in this series, I quickly caught on to who everyone was and how they fit into the story. Loved the mystery and all the great descriptions of Rome and Vatican City. It brought back wonderful memories of my trip to Italy. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Rome. 180 pp. Ho hum. Boring cozy mystery about a woman found dead in Rome and the plucky tour guide who solves the case. I wound up just skimming the last 50

Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome (Travel Can Be Murder, #5)

[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.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of the AI voice. It is just not the same as a real person. It pauses in awkward moments and inflections and tone are just all wrong. I understand the need to cut costs but the story loses its appeal when you’re constantly distracted by the strange pauses, etc. I enjoyed the story but I feel I’m going to pass on listening to the next one in the series if it is AI. maybe read the next one in old school style.

[Jess B · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was like it was trying to be intense, but was just juvenile.

The portion i read was good. The portion is listened to was unfortunate. It was narrated by Virtual Voice and was terrible. AI is not a good narrator. The cadence was off & there was no consistency.

The story, itself, was, as previously stated like the book was trying to be dark & intense but was instead juvenile. There was no connection to the characters. There was no character development.

I don't think I will read any more.

[Bookdragon (JT) · Rating 3 out of 5]

the problem with this book was all me a mystery book i can just jump into the series right. well technology yes. how this book had a fair few characters and for a while it took me along time to know who was who. if i started at the beginning of series I wouldn't have had the problem ah another name who are they.

sayig that it was a quick read i had a goodish time with I didn't hate it but didn't love it either.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quickly read mystery in this always quirky series. This time tour leader Lana is in Rome during the lead up to her co-worker Randy's wedding, the exact location of which he is keeping a secret due to a stalker. Lana notices tension among Randy's friends, but since she doesn't know any of them well, doesn't know the cause. And then an unexpected arrival throws everything into turmoil and involves Lana in yet another murder investigation.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great who-dunnit.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, and this did not disappoint.
Lana is in Rome with fellow tour guide Randy and his friends to do some sightseeing prior to Randy's wedding. Unfortunately, one of the group is found dead, and Randy is arrested.
An excellent murder mystery, and one which I can highly recommend.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fountains of Rome are the back drop for murder. When tour guide Lana Hansen leads a group of friends to Rome, one of them is murdered. Her tour guide partner Randy Wright is accused of the crime but Lana is positive he is innocent, yet she cannot see a motive for murder in any of the other travelers. The fifth book in the Travel Can be Murder series

[WyoGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started to read this, gave up after chapter 1

I haven’t read the other books in the series, and chapter one makes it clear that the reader should read the preceding books before this one. There’s a shopping scene with characters who are not clearly introduced and an upcoming wedding is mentioned. Pretty mundane and not compelling.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this travel series a lot. This one is a little different, because Lana is escorting only a small group of people all visiting Rome before going to Randy's wedding in a small Tuscany village. The sites are described so well that I felt as if I were there. The mystery was hard to solve; there was one part I figured out early on, though. I'm looking forward to the next books in the series.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read

I like to read this series at the holiday in which they are set. So I waited until this month to read the Christmas mystery. The author doesn't disappoint. Rome is a beautiful backdrop for this murder mystery. Tour guide Lana is on the trail of a murderer when her friend and fellow guide Randy is accused of murder on the eve of his Italian wedding.

[Ira Therebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery in the series was successful. I had no idea who was the killer. I did think I knew who will commit the murder but once it happened and all other details started coming up I had no idea any more. A very good story line and the setting in Rome during the Christmas time was beautiful. Was great to read when the events were taking place somewhere I have been before.

[Patty McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

wedding bells

Great story and a happy ending. Lana was on top of her game trying to figure who the killer was and still being a guide. Twists and turns up to the end left you guessing who did the murder. Alex was able to get to Italy in time to help Lana and be there for his brother Randy. Great story

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the last one in the series…maybe the plot moved faster or the characters were better developed. However, the number of redundant sentences is a bit of a turn off. The author states the same exact thing two to three times in the same paragraph. I would’ve thought that would’ve been collected in the editing process. Still enjoyed the book tho.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as the first four

This was a pretty good mystery, but I did enjoy the first four books in the series much more. I still believe it is a five star read or four and a half. Love the characters and locations of this series, but will wait awhile before getting number 6.

[Melanie Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story

I enjoyed this story, it was filled with interesting characters and had an engaging plot. It was an easy quick cozy mystery, I finished it in a little over an hour. Interested to see what else the author has written.