Author: Julia Buckley
Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781984804860
Berkley Publishing
288 Pages
$6.81; $7.99 Amazon
June 1, 2021
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Along with her mother and grandmother, Hana Keller has achieved renown serving tea and cakes with a European flair, but when a local professor is killed, she uncovers a serving of suspects instead...
Hana Keller is getting ready for a lovely holiday season. When she receives a rare tea set as a birthday gift, she decides to host a tea at her apartment for her closest friends. During the cozy get-together, one of Hana's friends gets word that a murderer is on the loose. Hana soon learns that the victim was Sandor Balog, a professor of Hungarian Studies at the local college.
With her growing psychic ability, Hana senses that she is going to be pulled into the investigation of the professor's death somehow. With her sexy boyfriend Erik on the case, Hana finds the Tea House steeped in suspects. She studies the smiling faces celebrating the season, but the real killer is good at hiding the truth and putting Hana in the hot seat...
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Hana Keller works at her family's Hungarian tea house. She loves it, along with her family, her cats, and her new beau, homicide detective Erik Wolf. It's coming on Christmas, and she knows she needs to shop for gifts, so while she's waiting for her car to warm up, she sees a familiar figure that she can't quite place. The young man is without a coat, and they meet eyes for just a second. When Hana leaves, she can't get the image out of her mind.
When she gets to work she discovers that a professor at the nearby university has been murdered that morning. She mentions the strangeness of the man's actions, going in and out of an alleyway, and tells Erik that he needs to check the dumpster. Now, with evidence found, Hana is well and good into another murder investigation. She also discovers that Professor Balog had an extensive collection of Hungarian art himself, a priceless collection, that sets people to wondering how he could afford it all.
But it's not long before Hana sees some of the suspects -- other professors who claim to like the dead professor but still had issues with him, and it leaves Erik with suspects aplenty. Along with this, Erik's sister is having problems of her own, and Hana's life is about to get more interesting and complicated at the same time.
Her Uncle Zoltan sends her a beautiful set of Hungarian teacups and teapot that have Chinese lizards on them for her approaching birthday, and she's wanted them since she was young, and immediately starts having tea parties at her apartment to show off her prize. But something in the design starts to make her think about life, and it bothers her...
She's also using her newfound psychic skills to try and help Erik, but knows she can only do so much. It's the tea set that starts her thinking, and when she starts her own investigation, seeing some of the professors here and there, little does she know that eventually it will all come full circle and a surprising killer will emerge...
This is the third book in the series and I have loved every one of them. Ms, Buckley gives us a beautiful story of murder -- believe it or not -- and Hana's thoughts are first and foremost. She finds true joy in the Christmas season and ponders life and death, and everything is just lovely to read. Yes, we have a mystery in trying to find a murderer, but it is in this in between that brings it all together one piece at a time.
Many things are happening at once - and I am loath to tell you what they are since it would definitely be too many spoilers - but I will say that this book itself is magical. It brings you pleasure in just reading it. There are so many things that are intriguing within, and it makes the Christmas season more beautiful than it already is. As a matter of fact, I intend to read this book again at Christmas, just because I love it so.
I am also extremely pleased that the author presented us with a truly captivating murder mystery without politics (as some authors are now wont to do), and gives us nothing but a truly delicious murder to dig into and try and discover the killer.
While trying myself to put the pieces together, it came as a surprise to both Hana and I at the same time who this person was. The reasons for the killing were sad in itself but who knows what another person thinks? All in all, the tapestry came together one thread at a time, and was woven superbly together. My only lament is that this series is too few and far between. I love the characters, the setting, learning Hungarian phrases and lore (history is all so stimulating to me). Hana's family are quirky and loving, and her relationship with the quiet detective is progressing nicely. Also, as a lover of cats, I can't get enough of Antony and Cleopatra. Brava, Ms. Buckley, for giving us another look into Hana's life. Highly recommended.
More on Julia Buckley's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/julia-buckley/
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