Jennifer S. Alderson

Missing masterpieces, Nazi blackmailers and a pesky amateur sleuth. When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery - rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer - he pays with his life, leaving a treasure trove of modern masterpieces buried somewhere in Amsterdam, presumably lost forever. That is, until American art history student Zelda Richardson sticks her nose in. After studying for a year in the Netherlands, Zelda scores an internship at the prestigious Amsterdam Museum, where she works on an exhibition of paintings and sculptures once stolen by the Nazis, lying unclaimed in Dutch museum depots almost seventy years later. When two women claim the same portrait of a young girl entitled Irises, Zelda is tasked with investigating the painting's history and soon finds evidence that one of the two women must be lying about her past. Before she can figure out which one and why, Zelda learns about the Dutch art dealer's concealed collection. And that Irises is the key to finding it. Her discoveries make her a target of someone willing to steal - and even kill - to find the missing paintings. As the list of suspects grows, Zelda realizes she has to track down the lost collection and unmask a killer if she wants to survive. The Lover's Portrait was Chill With A Book's January 2018 Book of the Month, chosen as one of TripFiction's 10 Favorite Books set in Amsterdam, and won the Silver Cup in Rosie's Book Review Team 2017 Awards, Mystery category. The Lover's Portrait also won a Chill With A Book Readers' Award, Readers' Favorite 5 star medal, was one of The Displaced Nation magazine's Top 36 Expat Fiction Picks of 2016, and came in at 14 in BookLife's 2016 Prize for Fiction in the Mystery category. It was also one of Women Writers, Women's Books magazine's Recommended Reads for April 2017. Set in present day and wartime Amsterdam, this captivating mystery is not just about stolen paintings, but also the lives that were stolen. This amateur sleuth mystery describes the plight of homosexuals and Jewish artists in Europe during World War II, as well as the complexities inherent to the restitution of artwork stolen by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. All four mysteries in the Adventures of Zelda Richardson series are stand-alone novels and can be read in any order.

An Art Mystery

The Lover's Portrait

When Zelda Richardson decides to leave her stressful computer programmer job she signs up as a volunteer to teach English in Kathmandu. When her students laugh her out of the classroom and she is publically humiliated by the headmaster she flees into the arms of the charming and sexy Ian. However, the two soon find themselves entangled with an international gang of diamong smugglers.

Adventures in Backpacking

Down and Out in Kathmandu

Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries

Who knew a New Year's trip to Budapest could be so deadly? The tour must go on - even with a killer in their midst... Recent divorcee Lana Hansen needs a break. Her luck has run sour for going on a decade, ever since she got fired from her favorite job as an investigative reporter. When her fresh start in Seattle doesn't work out as planned, Lana ends up unemployed and penniless on Christmas Eve. Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Tours, is also in a tight spot after one of her tour guides ends up in the hospital, leaving her a guide short on Christmas Day. When Dotty offers her a job leading the tour group through Budapest, Hungary, Lana jumps at the chance. It's the perfect way to ring in the new year and pay her rent! What starts off as the adventure of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. Was it murder or accidental death? Suspects abound when Lana discovers almost everyone on the tour had a bone to pick with Carl. But Dotty insists the tour must go on, so Lana finds herself trapped with nine murder suspects. When another guest turns up dead, Lana has to figure out who the killer is before she too ends up floating in the Danube... Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly. Feel-good stories about friendship, travel, and celebrating new experiences. Available now: Book Two - Death by Baguette: A Valentine's Day Murder in Paris and Book Three - Death By Windmill: A Mother's Day Murder in Amsterdam Coming soon - Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh, Book Four in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series!

A New Year's Murder in Budapest

Death on the Danube

Who knew a trip to Budapest could be so deadly? Tour guide Lana Hansen must sleuth out who is killing her clients before she too ends up floating in the Danube! Book 1 in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series - heartwarming stories about friendship, travel, and celebrating new experiences.

Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest

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 both men 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?

A Saint Patrick's Day Murder in Dublin

Death by Leprechaun

Lana Hansen's trip to Venice is brought to an abrupt halt when her boyfriend is arrested for murdering the owner of a cruise ship. Can she sleuth out the real killer before her partner's visit to the Floating City becomes permanent?

Death by Gondola: A Springtime Murder in Venice

When tour guide Randy Wright is arrested in Rome, Lana Hansen has to sleuth out who really killed his ex-girlfriend-before his visit to the Eternal City becomes permanent. Book 5 in the popular Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series!

A Christmas Murder in Rome

Death by Fountain

Lana hasn't seen her ex-husband Ron since their divorce was finalized six months earlier. So when they bump into each on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, she is not exactly jumping for joy. To make matters worse, Ron threatens a member of her tour group - a beloved and respected magician named Presto the Amazing. Ron is convinced Presto stole one of his magic tricks - the same act that propelled the famous magician into stardom - and swears he will get his revenge.

Jennifer S. Alderson

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