Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley

Greetings!  A Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs releases on July 31.  It is the second novel in The Oystercove Guest House series.  Pride, Prejudice and Poison by Elizabeth Blake will be out on August 13.  It is the debut of A Jane Austen Society Mystery series.  All He'll Ever Need by Loree Lough publishes on August 27.  It is the premiere of A Little Child Shall Lead Them series.  How do you keep track of book that you want to read?  Notebook, Goodreads, or a spreadsheet?

Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley takes readers to Riverwood in September.  Hana Keller co-runs Maggie’s Tea House with her Hungarian mother and grandmother which features the European-style tea service.  They are hosting a tea for St. Stephen’s Magyar Women group that day, and Hana will be featuring her newly acquired Anna Weatherley butterfly teacup in the decorations.  Hana uses the butterfly teacup as the centerpiece to the table where her grandmother, Juliana will be reading tea leaves for the guests.  While the guests are enjoying the scrumptious pastries and drinking their tea, Hana notices Ava Novak sipping from her butterfly cup.  Ava is later found outside the ladies’ room by Hana and she has indulged in her last cup of tea.  Detective Erik Wolf quickly arrives and takes charge of the investigation.  The butterfly teacup is taken away as evidence when a warning is found written inside it and Detective Wolf shuts down Maggie’s.  When the ladies start getting cancelations, they know they need to solve Ava’s murder, or their business will go down the drain like day old tea.  

Death in a Budapest Butterfly is the first novel in A Hungarian Tea House Mystery series written by Julia Buckley (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series).  Hana Keller is twenty-six years old and of Hungarian descent.  Hungarian food and the culture are a big part of the family’s lives.  We get a comprehensive account of the various Hungarian dishes prepared. It was interesting to learn more about the Hungarian culture, cuisine, traditions and folklore.  I wish, though, that the Hungarian words had come with a pronunciation guide (next to each word).  Hana works with her mother (Maggie Keller) and her grandmother (Juliana Horvath) to run Maggie’s Tea House which features high tea and delicious pastries made by Francois, a French culinary student.  I enjoyed hearing about Hana’s teacup collection.  The mystery starts off with a bang early in the book.  Since many of the suspects are Hungarian, Detective Wolf asks them to be present while he conducts interviews to help with translations.  This allows readers to be introduced to various characters plus we find out what they knew about the victim.  Hana stays involved in the case as she uncovers information and relays it to Det. Wolf.  While I was able to pinpoint the who, I did not know the why.  Clues are revealed as Hana talks to various people in the community. I appreciated that we are given all the details of the murder for a complete wrap-up.  There were instant sparks between the single Hana and the fetching detective.  Hana’s grandmother is happy to give them nudge or two since she would like to see Hana wed.  Erik Wolf needs more fleshing out because I thought he was one-dimensional (lacks life).  There is a hint that Hana and her grandmother have special psychic abilities.  I hope this will feature more prominently in future books.  Julia Buckley is a detail oriented writer.  She needs to find a balance between not enough and too much which would greatly help the flow and pacing of the book (in my opinion).  My favorite phrase was when Detective Wolf said to Hana, “You’ve got the bug, haven’t you?  Solving puzzles exhilarates you.”  I can certainly understand the feeling.  There are recipes at the end for Chicken Paprikash, dumplings and stuffed cabbage.  Death in a Budapest Butterfly has Hungarian charm, dainty teacups, a poisoned patsy, a canny killer, a dashing detective, and a neophyte sleuth.

Death in a Budapest Butterfly will be out on Tuesday, July 30 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will share my review of Mrs. Morris and the Ghost by Traci Wilton tomorrow.  I hope you have a stellar day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley

Welcome!  An Orphan's Wish by Molly Green is out today.  A Spell of Murder by Clea Simon and Batter Off Dead by Maymee Bell  come out on December 11. I am going back in time with today's review.  I did not have the opportunity to feature A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley when it came out in August. 

A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley takes us to Blue Lake, Indiana.  Lena London along with her employer, Camilla Graham have returned from England to Graham House.  Lena is thinking about her father’s upcoming visit when she gets a call from her friend, Allison Branch asking her to rush over.  Allison has found mail carrier, Eddie Stack dead at the back of her property with Sam’s letter opener in his chest.  It looks like the killer is trying to set up Sam to take the fall for Eddie’s murder.  When they look at Sam’s surveillance footage to see how the guilty party obtained the letter opener, they see a figure in black break into Sam’s home.  The individual took the unique letter opener along with a piece of paper.  Lena along with Camilla delve into the case.  But then Lena receives threatening notes and someone breaks into Camilla’s home.  Lena is even more determined to identify the killer.   What did Eddie see that got him killed? 

 

A Dark and Twisting Path cannot be read as a standalone.  You need to read the book in A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series in order.  The mystery that has been in all three books is coming to a head in A Dark and Twisting Path. It involves Sam, his ex-wife (Victoria), Victoria’s missing daughter (Athena) and the ruthless Nikon Leandros Lazos.  I was happy that to see that this particular thread is wrapped up.  I thought the mystery was complex and multilayered.  Information is revealed a little at a time as the story progresses.  However, the mystery plays out in the background.  Other issues seem to overshadow it (unfortunately).  The writing is good, but the pace is a little slow.  The pacing does pick up near the end.  Lena is a developed character.  She is smart, engaging, loyal and creative.    Lena, along with the other characters, are relatable and likeable.  There is quite a bit going on in A Dark and Twisting Path.  There is the murder, threatening notes, the kidnapped child, burglary, Lena’s father visiting, Lena and Camilla working on a new book, lunches, romance, dinners, adorable animals, and some man with a beard keeps popping up.  I felt A Dark and Twisting Path was the best book in this series.  At the end of the book, there is a hint at the mystery to come in the next A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery.  I am giving A Dark and Twisting Path 3.5 out of 5 stars.    

The next A Writer's Apprentice Mystery is Death Waits in the Dark which comes out on April 2, 2019.  The first two books in A Writer's Apprentice Mystery series are A Dark and Stormy Murder and Death in Dark Blue.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis.  I hope you have a satisfying day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Pudding Up with Murder: An Undercover Dish Mystery

Salutations!  Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier is the latest A Lucy Stone Mystery novel (Book 24). Lucy Stone and her husband, Bill are going to be alone this holiday.  But you can count on Lucy to stir up excitement when she finds a body while training for the Thanksgiving 5K.  Turkey Trot Murder will be released on September 26.

Pudding Up with Murder by Julia Buckley is the third cozy mystery in An Undercover Dish Mystery series.  Lilah Drake works as a secret chef in her spare time (when not working at Pine Haven Caterer’s).    Lilah along with her dog, Mick are attending the birthday party of Marcus Cantwell.  She prepared a rice pudding for her client, Ellie Parker to take to the event.  After speaking with Marcus, Lilah is given a tour and the dish on the family by Cash Cantwell.  When Lilah goes back to the kitchen, people are enjoying the rice pudding.  Marcus enters the kitchen with an empty bowl of rice pudding and collapses.  Thankfully, Detective Maria Grimaldi was on hand to secure the scene and quickly gather evidence.  Who disliked Marcus enough to murder him?  When Cash ends up being a prime suspect, Lilah starts looking at the extended family to find the real killer.

I found Pudding Up with Murder to be easy to read and it had a decent pace.  The mystery was straightforward and one detail gives away the identity of the murderer.  I could pinpoint the killer early in the story.  I felt the romance dominated the book (I like a little romance, but I this was over-the-top).  I quickly tired of Lilah mooning over Jay and Jay’s jealousy over Angelo Cardelini (it was ridiculous).  I wanted more investigation and less day-to-day activities.  There is cooking, walking the dog, dates, friends, and work.  These elements make up a significant portion of the book.  My rating for Pudding Up with Murder is 3 out of 5 stars.  I do not quite buy into concept of a secret chef.  Why would anyone be ashamed about not cooking or not wanting to cook? What am I missing?  I was not enthralled with Lilah, but I did enjoy Mick, the dog (a cutie).  Pudding Up with Murder can be a standalone.   For cozy mystery readers who prefer the emphasis on cozy, then you will appreciate Pudding Up with Murder.  The first two books in An Undercover Dish Mystery series are The Big Chili and Cheddar Off Dead.

I really appreciate you visiting and reading my latest book review.  On my next visit (Monday, September 18), I will share my thoughts on The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter. May you have a very relaxing and enjoyable Saturday.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader