About the Book
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 drops dead during a party held in his honor, the police suspect he was 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.
Review
Lana is a dedicated travel guide and what better place to see than Scotland. The tour has only started when she runs into her ex-husband, Ron, as she is taking her charges on a walking tour. Presto, the guest of honor, who initiated this trip with his lawyer, his adult children and their adult children, and Ron get into it. Ron is suing Presto over a magic trick that Presto claims and Ron invented. Not a good situation, but at least to begin with, no one in the tour group seems to know she was the 'magician's assistant' for Ron until he found a younger substitute.
The story unfolds at the dinner where Presto is slated to receive a coveted magician award. And Presto dies before he can receive his award, announce his retirement, and hand off all his "tricks" to his successor. Ron snuck in and is the prime suspect. Lana is conflicted over the situation. She loved the man once and doesn't believe him capable of murder.
The characters are likable or not by intention. Alderson's portrayal of Lana's dilemma and her suspicions about all the family members with regard to the murder are orchestrated smoothly. The plot flows with increasing tension as the will is read and everyone is unhappy with the new will, except for Presto's new wife. As with others in the series, you also get a feel for Scotland and some of the castles viewed as part of the tour. By all means, take the trip.
Book 1 – Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book 2 – Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 – Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 – Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 – Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 – Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick's Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Book 8 – Death by Gondola: A Springtime Murder in Venice
Book 9 – Death by Puffin: A Bachelorette Party Murder in Reykjavik
About the Author
Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.
Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.
When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.
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