Author: Julia Buckley
Series: Hungarian Tea House Mystery #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Romance, Contemporary
First published February 24, 2021
Book description: Hana Keller is enjoying a day off from serving up tea and delicious pastries at her family's Hungarian Tea House when her downtime turns deadly....
The only thing Hana loves more than a good cuppa is finding a delicate porcelain treasure to add to her collection. She's usually on the hunt for teacups but when she spots a rare wolf figurine at a local yard sale, she knows it's her lucky day. Hana also knows the wolf is valuable and tells the seller that he's charging too little for it. His reaction is peculiar--he says he received the wolf from someone he doesn't trust and he just wants it out of his life.
Hana is inspecting her new prize when she finds a tiny microchip attached to the bottom of the porcelain wolf. When she shows the figure to her police detective boyfriend, Erik, Hana is shocked to learn that the chip is actually a tracking device. They decide to confront the seller about the sneaky sale but when they arrive at his house, they find him dead. Erik and Hana now must hunt a calculating killer who has no intentions of crying wolf when it comes to murder.
Review:
Hana Keller and her family run Maggie's Tea House, an establishment heavily influenced by their Hungarian heritage and specializing in traditional European-style tea service. Recently at a yard sale, she found a rare wolf figurine and two paintings, which was a great find. However, when her detective boyfriend, Erik, found a tracker on the figurine, they went to confront the man in charge of the yard sale. When they arrived at the man's house, they found him dead. Erik and Hana are determined to solve the case, especially when they realize that Hana is the killer's next target. And that's how the start of the second installment.
At least this was a quick read. The atmospheric ambiance is great. I love the Hungarian traditions, food, and folklore intertwined into the plotline. There were enough suspects, clues, and action to keep readers on their toes. And make it hard to put the book down.
Overall, this is a charming paranormal cozy, with strong female characters, heartwarming family relationships, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. The downside was the force romance it just keep getting to the forefront of the story.
Used for the challenge:
Buzzwordathon
Continue/Complete Series
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