On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
(Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Italy
Independently published (December 10, 2020)
Paperback : 174 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8579480453
Kindle ASIN : B08BF53KKL
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 shows up at his hotel, 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.
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.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
I will be reviewing Death by Leprechaun next Tuesday when the Great Escapes Book Tour stops here!
About Jennifer S. Alderson
Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before settling in the Netherlands. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.
Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning mystery series—the Zelda Richardson Mysteries and Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries—and standalone stories.
Author Links
Website – Goodreads –Facebook – Twitter –LinkedIn – BookBub
Books 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Books 8 – 12 – Coming Soon!!
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
