Death by Bagpipes by Jennifer S. Alderson #BookReview Travel Can Be Murder: 4

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.

My Review

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.

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.

Death by Bagpipes at Amazon Uk

My Review of Death on the Danube the first in this series