Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest

[cornerofmadness]

Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest by Jennifer S. Alderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is one of those loss leader giveaway books to get you into the series and in this case, it worked. I enjoyed this mystery. Lana Hanson is at the end of her rope. Her marriage ended. Her career imploded. And it's her first Christmas without her husband. Her friend Dotty offers her a plum job, step in as a tour guide for the guide who got injured. After some debate about not being sure she can do it as she's only done day tours in kayaks before this, Lana goes to Budapest to pick up the tour. (Where are my friends who suddenly need tour guides in historic places?!?)

Lana, previous to this, was an investigative reporter whose source hung her out to dry and instead of getting the whistleblowing case of a life time, she was vilified and fired. I have to say her former job makes her as an amateur sleuth much easier to believe. Once she gets to Budapest, she has to work with Dotty's other guide, Carl. She knows him, thinks he's kind of sleazy but Dotty's friend Sally just got engaged to him.

I will say it takes slightly over half the book before someone is killed (three guesses who) and the killer has to be someone on the tour. The police naturally pick Sally based on Carl's con artist, womanizing ways but Lana and Dotty believe otherwise. Despite no crime happening in the first half, the set up was interesting enough that I didn't mind. Nor did I mind solving the case before Lana as I enjoyed the characters. I would like to see more of this series.



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