Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Death by Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson

Today I'm participating in the Death by Baguette Blog Tour.  In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review.  And be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a prize package.  

About the book . . .

 

Death by Baguette: A Valentine's Day Murder in Paris

Travel Can Be Murder Series
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Traveling Life Press (February 7, 2020)
Print Length ~200 Pages
Digital ASIN: B0819YNSJL

Synopsis . . . Paris—the city of love, lights . . . and murder?  Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to France.  Unfortunately it will be the last trip for one passenger . . .

Lana Hansen’s future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend.  Regrettably she won’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her new beau, Chad.  Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France.  Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her. 

Things go downhill when Lana’s new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour—with his wife.  Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.

After Chad drops dead during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, a persistent French detective becomes convinced that he was poisoned.  And the inspector’s sights are set on several members of the tour—including Lana!

While escorting her group through the cobblestone streets of Montmartre, the grand gardens of Versailles, and the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges market, Lana must figure out who really killed Chad before she has to say bonjour to prison and adieu to her freedom.

Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series.  Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences.  Book One—Death on the Danube—is available now.  Coming soon: Books Three (Death by Windmill) and Book Four!

My review . . . Lana Hansen's life has taken financial and romantic turns for the better.  She's gainfully employed in a job that includes luxurious travel, and has started dating again.  Lana is about to embark on her fourth tour as a travel guide, leading a lovers-only trip to Paris for Valentine's Day.  While she is excited about the destination, she doesn't relish spending Valentine's Day in one of the world's most romantic cities without her new boyfriend Chad . . .

So imagine Lana's surprise when Chad shows up in Paris for the couples tour with another woman—Miranda, his wife of thirty-six years.  Lana is beyond shocked—she had no idea that the man she met online through the Seattle Singles dating app was married.  Chad is just as stunned, and fears being exposed for his despicable behavior.  Lana quickly recovers her professional demeanor, and the two agree to pretend that they have never met.  But this is more easily said than done.

While Lana is busy catering to the needs of the guests and training a new tour guide, Chad is offending the other guests with his words and deeds.  His superior attitude and competitiveness rub everyone—including his wife—the wrong way.  In fact, Lana considers asking Chad to leave the tour, but Miranda begs her not to, confiding that her marriage will be over if that happens.

Clearly, the lovers-only tour is showing signs of passion, but not in the way originally intended.  Sparks are flying, but they are generated by contempt rather than ardor. Lana is doing her best to provide an enjoyable experience for the guests, and hopes that a gourmet picnic under the Eiffel Tower will restore a more festive mood.  But as the couples indulge in the picnic delicacies, Chad collapses, and dies at the scene.

The investigation of Chad's demise is led by Parisian Inspector Boucher, who determines that Chad was poisoned, and quickly sets his sights on the members of the tour group for a culprit.  Although many in the group have strong reasons for wishing Chad harm, has one of them actually killed him?  It's up to Lana to prove the innocence of Boucher's lead suspect and establish her own guiltlessness in the process.  Is Lana's life as a tour guide over?

Death by Baguette is a lively romp through the streets of Paris with stops at many famous landmarks along the way.  In addition to a satisfying mystery filled with quirky characters and effective red herrings, readers are treated to visits of well-known sites, complete with lavish descriptions so evocative that you feel you're on the actual tour. I have visited Paris twice, and loved reliving my own experience through Alderson's descriptions.  At the same time, I can imagine what it must be like to "explore" the sights for the first time through the author's words.  Case in point, I googled one of the attractions I hadn't seen before—the Stravinsky Fountain—and watched several lovely YouTube videos that show the fountain in all its glory.  This was such an unexpected bonus.

As with Death on the Danube, the first book in the series (for my review click here), this second installment is a winning combination of mystery meets travelogue. The series is ideal for those who enjoy travel, like to travel vicariously, or just need an escape to an international location without having to pack a suitcase, carry a passport, or endure long security and customs lines.  Books in the Travel Can Be Murder series can be read as stand-alones—one need only pick a desired destination.  The next port of call is Amsterdam, the setting for book three, which is another tour I'm looking forward to.

Giveaway . . .  Enter the Death by Baguette Giveaway of a prize package containing a notebook with floral motif from the Rijksmuseum and six romance-themed mini-bookmarks  (U.S. only) by clicking on this link.

About the author . . . 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: http://www.jennifersalderson.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JennifeSAlderson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferSAldersonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSAauthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/JenniferSAlderson
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-s-alderson


Purchase link . . . Amazon 

 

Tour participants . . .

February 17 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
February 17 – TBR Book Blog – REVIEW
February 17 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
February 18 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
February 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
February 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 19 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
February 19 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
February 20 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
February 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
February 21 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
February 22 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW  
February 23 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
February 23 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Death by Baguette from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other book-related blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated