Title: Death in a Budapest Butterfly
Author: Julia Buckley
Series: A Hungarian Teahouse Mystery
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Pages: 304
Book Source: NetGalley
“Hana Keller and her family run Maggie’s Tea House, an establishment heavily influenced by the family’s Hungarian heritage and specializing in a European-style traditional tea service. But one of the shop’s largest draws is Hana’s eccentric grandmother, Juliana, renowned for her ability to read the future in the leaves at the bottom of customers’ cups. Lately, however, her readings have become alarmingly ominous and seemingly related to old Hungarian legends…
When a guest is poisoned at a tea event, Juliana’s dire predictions appear to have come true. Things are brought to a boil when Hana’s beloved Anna Weatherley butterfly teacup becomes the center of the murder investigation as it carried the poisoned tea. The cup is claimed as evidence by a handsome police detective, and the pretty Tea House is suddenly endangered. Hana and her family must catch the killer to save their business and bring the beautiful Budapest Butterfly back home where it belongs.” – Amazon
Kim’s Review:
I was drawn to this book because of the teahouse. I’m studying to become an herbalist, and making tea is a daily event for me, so I love reading stories that revolve around it. And this being the start of a new cozy mystery series made it that much more enticing!
Also, I read and really enjoyed the first book, A Dark and Stormy Murder, in A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series by Buckley, so I was pretty confident this would be a good book.
I know nothing about Hungary or it’s legends, so that aspect was also very interesting to me. Legends and folklore always add a unique layer to fiction, and learning about cultures this way has always fascinated me. And
I always look at the recipes at the end of cozies, but have never made any of them. With the Hungarian recipes that Buckley has included though, they actually seem pretty easy to make and super tasty. Maybe I’ll finally make something.
For me, cozies need to have good character development, and Buckley has a real talent for it. I enjoyed watching the different generations interact with each other, and you could see the love that Buckley has for her own heritage through these characters. I’m excited to read more about Hana and her family, and see where Buckley takes this series next.
So often in cozies, the heroine is not believed by the police and greatly discouraged with their investigating. Buckley did something I really like, and have been seeing more of recently in newer cozies, the detective actually worked with Hana and didn’t tell her continually to stop investigating. Det. Wolf even told her a couple of times she should become a cop because she has such an inquisitive nature. This is such a refreshing change.
Even better, Det. Wolf believed Hana and her grandmother when they started sharing information that came to them from their feelings and psychic powers. He didn’t believe them right away, but came around quickly enough, and didn’t ever make them feel like they were crazy. It is nice to see open channels of communication and encouragement in a cozy mystery.
Buckley also handled the romance part of the book well, not only between Hana and Det. Wolf, but with all the other couples. It was sweet seeing older couples still in love, and Hana’s brother trying to encourage his girlfriend to become more part of the world. I’m happy that Buckley doesn’t make use wait forever to see if Hana and the detective will be together, and am looking forward to see how everyone’s relationships continue.
As for the mystery itself, Buckley had me guessing through most of the book. The clues and red herrings she left were the perfect amount. And the final reveal was handled really well. I’m excited to see what Buckley comes up with for the next book in the Hungarian Teahouse Mystery series!
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