A Mother’s Day trip to the Netherlands turns deadly when a guest plummets from a windmill. Was it an accident or a murder? For Lana Hansen, the answer will mean freedom or imprisonment for someone close to her… investigative reporter. So when Lana’s boss invites Gillian to join her upcoming Mother’s Day tour to the Netherlands, Lana is less than pleased.
What could be worse than spending ten days with her estranged mother? Lana is about to find out…
The tour begins on a high note when the majority of guests bond during their visit to the Keukenhof flower gardens and a cruise around the picturesque canals of Amsterdam.
Despite her initial reservations, Lana thinks this might be the best group she had ever led. Until she discovers one of her guests—a recent retiree named Priscilla—is the person who destroyed her career in journalism.
All Lana can see is red. But circumstances dictate that she figure out a way to lead the tour, make peace with her mother, and not murder her guest. She doesn’t know whether she can handle the pressure.
Lana needn’t worry. Shortly after their fight, Priscilla falls off the balcony of a historic windmill at Zaanse Schans. Was she pushed or simply careless? The investigating officers suspect murder—and topping their suspect list is Lana’s mom!
Can Lana save Gillian? Or will her mother end up spending the rest of her days in a Dutch prison?
The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Books One and Two — Death on the Danube and Death by Baguette — are available now. Coming soon – Book Four!
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Wunderlust Tours is off to the Netherlands for a Mother/Daughter trip over Mother’s Day. Lana is excited that a couple of the Fabulous Five from her first tour will be on the trip with their daughters but is surprised when her boss Dotty joins the trip with her best friend. Before they get on the plane she learns why. Dotty has invited Lana’s mother Gillian to come along in hopes that this mother/daughter combo can heal the rift between them. She has even added Randy as the head tour guide to be sure Lana has whatever time she needs to be with her mother. What Dotty didn’t count on is that one guest could throw the whole trip into a tailspin by her relationship to Lana. When the guest ends up dead, falling off a historic windmill, Lana and her mother both find themselves on the investigator’s suspect list.
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I really love this series. A former investigative reporter, Lana Hansen has the skillset and instincts needed to be a great amateur sleuth. This time the victim personally did something to hurt her and she learns other hurtful things as she investigates but she sticks with it all while doing her job as a tour guide too. The woman can think on her feet as she takes on everything thrown at her.
Ms. Alderson’s character development is top-notch. The recurring characters grow book to book and all the characters continue to evolve within the pages of this story. The mystery she has created for them is excellent as well. Her attention to detail shines and kept me guessing right up until the end. I had an idea of where she was going but wasn’t sure until it was spelled out for me.
I really enjoyed the mother/daughter theme, their interactions added so much to the story. The virtual vacay to Amsterdam was great too. The author continues to take me places I will never actually be able to travel to and her descriptions make every place we go so easy to visualize.
Every book in this series has been a Perfect Escape. I can’t wait for Death by Bagpipes coming September 18 and Death by Fountain coming December 18 for my next virtual vacations with Lana and Dotty. Sans the dead bodies they are so much fun!
I am loving this series, and this one did not disappoint.
Tour guide Lana takes a group on a Mother’s Day tour of Amsterdam.
There are several surprise guests, a murder or two, and a delightful tour around some of Amsterdam’s famous landmarks.
Well written and entertaining from beginning to end.
Highly recommended.
Binge-worthyYou are hooked as soon as you start reading…
Very anxious to read more . . .
Next please More and more difficult to put down . . .
Lana and Randy, along with boss Dotty, are off to Amsterdam for a Mother’s Day adventure. The group consists of mothers and daughters and lots of bickering. The tour location descriptions were so wonderful and detailed that I was excited to include them on a future dream vacation and then sadly read at the back of the book that the museum is now permanently closed due to covid. But reading the travels does make me feel like I’m right there with Lana. As a surprise for Lana, Dotty has invited Lana’s estranged mother along so they can make peace. This is not a pleasure trip for Lana at all especially when you tries to identify a killer to clear her mom. Lots of suspects and lots of surprise twists. Looking forward to the next adventure.
Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson is a murder mystery with sadness, protection, and truth-telling.
Who killed Priscella, and why?
Lana Hanson
Lana is our sleuth and fabulous main character. So, we have some lifestyle changes for Lana in this installment. She is off to tour Amsterdam on Mother’s Day with a group of mother-daughter combinations. As a special surprise, her boss Dotty has invited Gillian, Lana’s estranged mom on the tour.
I like the tension between Lana and her mother. It fits with the nonexistent relationship they currently have.
Gillian
Gillian is Lana’s mom. She dresses in bold colors, runs a successful advertising company, and misses her daughter. Although, Gillian has a secret that she doesn’t want Lana to know. It is part of the reason that Gillian stopped talking to Lana.
I like Gillian’s character and understand that losing touch with a child happens. However, perhaps Gillian should have trusted Lana with the truth ten years ago.
The Mystery
The group of mothers and daughters are all a little different. Yet, most of them have one thing in common; at least one in each couple hates Priscella. So, when Priscella falls from the top of the windmill, Gillian’s bride colored clothes put her near the scene at the top of the windmill.
This book is a good mystery that is well-plotted, and I enjoyed the character growth for Lana. There are lots of changes for Lana, and it looks like there will be more to come in future installments. I figured out the murderer in the last third of the book. So, the bread crumb clues worked out well.
Five Stars
I loved the descriptions of the cities in the Netherlands; it made me feel like I was there. The story is well put together well, and it is captivating. My rating for Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson is five stars. I recommend this book to all you cozy readers out there.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson.
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
There are a few things that set apart the Travel Can Be Murder series from other cozy mysteries – and explain why it’s quickly become one of my favorites!
First, each book takes us to a new setting abroad & over the course of the novel the author seamlessly weaves a travel guide into the story too. We know where to go, what to see, where to eat & shop, where most definitely not to break the rules, etc., as well as being given savvy tips to keep in our figurative back pocket should we ever find ourselves in Budapest, Paris, or (in this case) Amsterdam! (That flower market sounds divine! And I was so sad to read in Alderson’s author note at the end of Death By Windmill that one of the tourist attractions that features prominently in the story closed its doors forever just before publication, a casualty of the pandemic.)
Second, the murder usually happens much later in the book than is typical of this genre, and the author uses that time to really lay a solid foundation for suspects & motives. Less time overall is spent on solving the murder (I had only about 30 minutes left in my kindle read of Death By Windmill when the crime solving began in earnest, though I do read faster than most) but we still get enough time to watch Lana’s past as an investigative journalism aid her in narrowing down the who & the why of each book’s murder. I especially enjoyed the author filling in the blanks in this book on how that past career came to a rather inglorious end – and all the emotional complications that went with it. It feels like we’re at the culmination of something for Lana & I’m eager to see where the author takes her – and us – next.
Bottom Line: If your inner travel bug is getting a bit twitchy with the inability to go anywhere, then you really need to check out this fun travel-themed cozy mystery series! Lana is a great heroine, genuine & likable even when she’s at her worst. And her close friendships are full of so much warmth (even when they drive her crazy – as we all understand lol) that it just makes your heart smile. In Death by Windmill, while the culprit & motive were fairly easy to figure out early on, the twists & turns & impromptu game of “who hates Priscilla more” still keep things interesting. Not to mention the setting which is absolutely delightful & dynamic to the story. A touching (and sometimes sad) mother-daughter theme & a swoonilicious, sparks a’sizzling romance for Lana rounds out the mix!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
The Travel Can Be Murder series takes us to the wonderful Netherlands in the latest instalment – Death by Windmill. Take a tour to the beautiful and famous tulip fields, the flower markets and don’t forget the iconic Windmills as Lana and her tour go a Mother’s Day tour to remember – for all the wrong reasons!
This tour see’s Lana and her estranged mother reunite for this trip thanks to Dotty, though the reason for her estrangement soon becomes clear as the story progresses and how the others on the trip are all at least connected by some form of 6 degrees separation – and once the murder takes place the list of suspects is long and even includes Lana’s mother!
In a bit to clear her mother’s name, Lana does her own investigation of the other suspects and discovers some startling information pertaining to a piece of journalism that cost her her job and reputation. Could this murder be a chance for Lana to reconnect with her mother and gain her reputation as a journalist back?
I am loving this series, and found myself wishing I was there seeing the sights right alongside the tour, so much so that during reading I would stop and google the locations they were visiting, and I honestly can not wait for the next book in the series as it set in Edinburgh and I look forward to seeing what trouble with follow Lana in my home country.
A 5 star cozy mystery series for sure!
Well, Miss Alderson has done it once again! She’s delivered a thoroughly entertaining mystery while giving us a guided tour through the Netherlands. I especially liked that she showed us a deeper side of her main characters. Give this book a read, you won’t be sorry.
This entertaining mystery is the perfect light read to transport you from your armchair to foreign parts, in this case, the delightful city of Amsterdam. The city comes to life as tour guide and amateur sleuth, Lana Hansen, shepherds her group of American tourists around the sights. Some characters have featured before in the series and there are new ones, but the book worked for me as a stand-alone story. The author writes with a light touch, but issues of family love, loyalty, and forgiveness are explored along the way.