“About that,” Alex said as he reached into his pocket.
Lana grabbed his arm, her voice stricken with panic. “Don’t you dare propose to me, Alex Wright. I’m still getting used to living with you!”
“I’m just teasing. I know better than to push you into any further commitments this year.” His eyes twinkled. “I got you a keychain while I was in Portugal.”
Lana released his hand, feeling less relieved than she had expected. “Oh.”
“It’s of a flamenco dancer. I know how much you wanted to go to southern Spain last year, and when I saw it in a shop’s window, I thought of you. It’s not the same as visiting, but I figured it was better than nothing.”
Lana took the small keychain and examined it. The metal figurine was brightly painted in the traditional red and white polka dot dress, and held a fan in one hand and castanets in the other. There was even a lacy fan sticking out of the tiny flamenco dancer’s hair.
“It’s adorable; thank you!” Lana said and pulled her boyfriend in for a long kiss.
“Isn’t that cute?” Dotty said. “That reminds me, Lana, I’ve scheduled you to lead a trip through Andalucía next Easter.”
“That’s wonderful. What a great Christmas present, Dotty.” Lana released her boyfriend and gave her boss a quick hug.
“We are a couple guides short right now, so you are going to have a busy spring—at least until I can hire a few more with experience. I’ve got you down for tours in Vienna, Dublin, Oslo, and London before then. Alex, I hope you don’t mind Lana being out of town so much.”
“Of course not, it’s her job,” Alex scoffed. “Besides, I can’t complain—mine keeps me on the road for half of the year, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I hope you don’t mind, Lana,” he said and snuggled closer to her.
“I love you just the way you are, Alex Wright. You don’t have to change for me. Our lifestyle might be different than most, but we make it work—that’s all that matters.”
Alex kissed her cheek. “I do love you, Lana Hansen.”
Lana wrapped her arm around her boyfriend’s waist and looked out across the garden, filled with laughter and love. Being surrounded by friends and family really is the best way to spend the holidays, she thought.
THE END
Follow the further adventures of Lana Hansen in Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin—Book Six of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series!
When an old friend is arrested in Dublin for murdering a disgruntled coworker, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to clear him of the crime.
CLICK HERE to preorder Death by Leprechaun now.
Thanks for reading Death by Fountain!
Reviews really do help readers decide whether they want to take a chance on a new author. If you enjoyed this story, please consider posting a review on BookBub, Goodreads, or with your favorite retailer.
I appreciate it! Jennifer S. Alderson
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my wonderful family for helping me create the time and space to write, even with the lockdowns and school closures.
My editor, Sadye Scott-Hainchek of The Fussy Librarian, continues to do an excellent job polishing this series, and I am grateful for her excellent work and advice. The cover designer for this series, Elizabeth Mackey, constantly amazes me with her gorgeous and fun designs. Both women are truly a pleasure to work with!
Rome was the first European city I ever visited and continues to hold a special place in my heart. Luckily, my son and husband love visiting it as much as I do! In fact, our last family vacation abroad was to The Eternal City. Like many, we look forward to visiting again soon, once this pandemic is behind us. Stay safe, dear readers. For now, ciao!
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 finally 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 Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her standalone stories.
Book One of the Zelda Richardson Mystery series—The Lover’s Portrait—is a suspenseful whodunit about Nazi-looted artwork that transports readers to WWII and present-day Amsterdam. Art, religion, and anthropology collide in Rituals of the Dead (Book Two), a thrilling artifact mystery set in Papua and the Netherlands. Her pulse-pounding adventure set in the Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, and Turkey—Marked for Revenge (Book Three)—is a story about stolen art, the mafia, and a father’s vengeance. Book Four—The Vermeer Deception—is a WWII art mystery set in Germany and the Netherlands.
The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries follow the adventures of tour guide and amateur sleuth Lana Hansen. Book One—Death on the Danube—takes Lana to Budapest for a New Year’s trip. In Death by Baguette (Book Two), Lana escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to Paris. In Book Three—Death by Windmill—Lana’s estranged mother joins her Mother’s Day tour to the Netherlands. In Book Four—Death by Bagpipes—Lana accompanies a famous magician and his family to Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival. In Book Five—Death by Fountain—Lana has to sleuth out who really killed Randy Wright’s ex-girlfriend—before his visit to Rome becomes permanent. Book Six—Death by Leprechaun—will be released in May 2021.
Jennifer is also the author of two thrilling adventure novels: Down and Out in Kathmandu and Holiday Gone Wrong. Her travelogue, Notes of a Naive Traveler, is a must-read for those interested in traveling to Nepal and Thailand. All three are available in the Adventures in Backpacking box set.
For more information about the author and her upcoming novels, please visit Jennifer’s website or sign up for her newsletter.
Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book One of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series
Who knew a New Year’s trip to Budapest could be so deadly? The tour must go on—even with a killer in their midst…
Recent divorcee Lana Hansen needs a break. Her luck has run sour for going on a decade, ever since she got fired from her favorite job as an investigative reporter. When her fresh start in Seattle doesn’t work out as planned, Lana ends up unemployed and penniless on Christmas Eve.
Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Tours, is also in a tight spot after one of her tour guides ends up in the hospital, leaving her a guide short on Christmas Day.
When Dotty offers her a job leading the tour group through Budapest, Hungary, Lana jumps at the chance. It’s the perfect way to ring in the new year and pay her rent!
What starts off as the adventure of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. Was it murder or accidental death? Suspects abound when Lana discovers almost everyone on the tour had a bone to pick with Carl.
But Dotty insists the tour must go on, so Lana finds herself trapped with nine murder suspects. When another guest turns up dead, Lana has to figure out who the killer is before she too ends up floating in the Danube…
Available as paperback, eBook, and in Kindle Unlimited. CLICK HERE to pick up your copy!
Death on the Danube
Chapter One: A Trip to Budapest
December 26—Seattle, Washington
“You want me to go where, Dotty? And do what?” Lana Hansen had trouble keeping the incredulity out of her voice. She was thrilled, as always, by her landlord’s unwavering support and encouragement. But now Lana was beginning to wonder whether Dotty Thompson was becoming mentally unhinged.
“To escort a tour group in Budapest, Hungary. It�
��ll be easy enough for a woman of your many talents.”
Lana snorted with laughter. Ha! What talents? she thought. Her resume was indeed long: disgraced investigative journalist, injured magician’s assistant, former kayaking guide, and now part-time yoga instructor—emphasis on “part-time.”
“You’ll get to celebrate New Year’s while earning a paycheck and enjoying a free trip abroad, to boot. You’ve been moaning for months about wanting a fresh start. Well, this is as fresh as it gets!” Dotty exclaimed, causing her Christmas-bell earrings to jangle. She was wrapped up in a rainbow-colored bathrobe, a hairnet covering the curlers she set every morning. They were standing inside her living room, Lana still wearing her woolen navy jacket and rain boots. Behind Dotty’s ample frame, Lana could see the many decorations and streamers she’d helped to hang up for the Christmas bash last night. Lana was certain that if Dotty’s dogs hadn’t woken her up, her landlord would have slept the day away.
“Working as one of your tour guides wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, Dotty.”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I had any other choice.” Dotty’s tone switched from flippant to pleading. “Yesterday one of the guides and two guests crashed into each other while skibobbing outside of Prague, and all are hospitalized. Thank goodness none are in critical condition. But the rest of the group is leaving for Budapest in the morning, and Carl can’t do it on his own. He’s just not client-friendly enough to pull it off. And I need those five-star reviews, Lana.”
Dotty was not only a property manager, she was also the owner of several successful small businesses. Lana knew Wanderlust Tours was Dotty’s favorite and that she would do anything to ensure its continued success. Lana also knew that the tour company was suffering from the increased competition from online booking sites and was having trouble building its audience and generating traffic to its social media accounts. But asking Lana to fill in as a guide seemed desperate, even for Dotty, and even if it was the day after Christmas. Lana shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. I’m not qualified to—”
Dotty grabbed one of Lana’s hands and squeezed. “Qualified, shmalified. I didn’t have any tour guide credentials when I started this company fifteen years ago, and that hasn’t made a bit of difference. You enjoy leading those kayaking tours, right? This is the same thing, but for a while longer.”
The older lady glanced down at the plastic cards in her other hand, shaking her head. “Besides, you know I love you like a daughter, but I can’t accept these gift cards in lieu of rent. If you do this for me, you don’t have to pay me back for the past two months’ rent. I am offering you the chance of a lifetime. What have you got to lose?”
***
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