Traveling to new places and learning about other cultures and customs is what I love to do most. All of my mysteries and thrillers are strong in setting because I want to transport readers to fascinating locations around the globe. When I decided in 2019 that I was ready for a new writing challenge, I ended up creating a character-driven series within the framework of a whodunit-style mystery.
Because I love to travel, a cozy mystery series based around a tour guide turned amateur sleuth was ideal! Deciding on the name of the series—Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries Series—was surprisingly easy once I knew tour groups and at least one murder would feature in each story.
The star of my series is Lana Hansen, an adventurous forty-year-old who loves being a tour guide. The first six books take readers to Budapest, Paris, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Rome, and Dublin. Lana’s next two tours will take her to Seville and Venice. At this point, I have nine planned out but am having so much fun writing them, I’ll probably extend the series.
Lana’s tours are set in cities I personally enjoyed visiting. Because I don’t want these novels to turn into travelogues, the confrontations, eavesdropping, and sleuthing take place during the group’s day tours, so readers get a mystery and trip in one.
Writing these cozy mysteries is a great way to relive my own travel experiences, especially now that travel is discouraged. I truly hope they inspire others to visit the cities I describe—when it is safe to do so. Until then, this series is a great way to travel by book!
Deciding on which places Lana’s group will visit during their trip is quite challenging, but also part of the fun of writing the series. I think the hardest part is narrowing down the list because in most of my initial drafts, I try and describe far too many locations! I do try to tie the holiday theme of the book to the location, whenever possible. For example, Mother’s Day makes me think of flowers, which makes me think of Holland, which is why Death by Windmill is set in Amsterdam! Choosing the holiday for Death by Leprechaun was a no-brainer. If you are going to set a holiday-themed cozy mystery in Ireland, then Saint Patrick’s Day is the only real choice!
If you enjoy mysteries and traveling by book, I bet you will enjoy the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series!
Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series: Book 6
Publication Date:
When an old friend is arrested in Dublin, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to clear him of the crime.
Lana is thrilled her friend Jeremy and his wife are on her tour to Ireland. The couple are having the time of their lives exploring the country’s rich literary and cultural history, until they run into Guy Smith, a reporter Jeremy recently exposed as a fraud.
A tussle turns into a fight and leaves each man vowing to destroy the other. Yet cross words and dirty looks tell Lana that Jeremy is not the only client on her tour who has a grudge against the reporter.
When Guy is murdered at the same pub Lana’s group is present at, Jeremy is the police’s number one suspect. But did he really murder the reporter? Or was it one of her other guests?
Lana keeps their tour going and her ears open for any clues that might help free her friend. Can she discover the true killer’s identity before their trip to the Emerald Isle draws to a close?
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.
Books in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series:
Book 1 – Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book 2 – Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 – Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 – Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 – Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 – Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Books 8-12 – Coming Soon!!
Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries: Books 1-3
Travel, anyone? Here is your passport to murder – three clean cozy mysteries set in Budapest, Paris, and Amsterdam! Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.
This collection includes Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest, Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris, and Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam.
http://getbook.at/TravelMurder3Books
Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in the Netherlands. Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and standalone stories. 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.
August 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 18 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
August 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 19 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
August 20 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
August 21 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 23 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 24 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
August 25 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
August 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
August 30 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
Thanks so much for sharing my books with your readers! I really appreciate it. Love your layout and graphics on your website and blog, by the way! Looks great! Take care, Jennifer
You’re most welcome, Jennifer, and thank YOU for the compliments to the site!
Since real travel is so restricted its fun to go on a adventure through reading this series.
This book sounds fun, intriguing, mysterious and so much more. Love books like this.
Would love to read & review this book in print format. Love the book cover.
I’ve got to ask, What made you choose DEATH BY LEPRECHAUN for the title for this book?
The title catches my interest right away and makes me want to read it.