In 2010, as Budapest simmers with pre-election nationalism, a human head is discovered on Gellert Hill. In 1956, a woman disappears in the revolution that so briefly captures the attention of the world. The answer to both mysteries lies in the fabled tunnels under the city.

In the literary equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle, Under Budapest carves out the conquests, calamities, and anguish of two North American Hungarian families and those whose lives they’ve touched. Tibor travels to Hungary, recovering from a disastrous love affair, and finds himself embroiled in a criminal act; his mother, Agnes, journeys to unearth what happened to her long-missing sister; Janos, a self-styled schemer, conspires to make it rich. Their lives intertwine in a conflagration of events: the legacy of wartime violence, past allegiances, and long-buried rivalries.

At once a probing family drama, sterling crime thriller, and hypnotic ode to memory’s power, Ailsa Kay’s intimate spectacle demonstrates that the past is never far from the surface, and the stories we tell carry their own repercussions.

“The Budapest imagined by Kay is not the city that tourists frequent. There is no sitting in turn-of-the-century cafes, no walks along the Danube, and definitely no postcard scenes of church towers and the wildly ornate parliament buildings. Right from the start, this Budapest is nasty, vicious, callous and brutal. … Under Budapest is a page-turner whose author is a brilliant observer of realistic detail, an uncompromising presenter of some fascinating characters, and an interesting adapter of Hungarian slang. Kay is an exceptionally talented writer who moves with ease between past and present, and between the voices and perceptions, beliefs and deceptions of each of her characters.”
– Anna Porter

“In clean, often insightful prose, Kay’s narrative moves seamlessly between past and present.”
– Judy LeBlanc

“This story is very well told, deftly folding in long flashbacks to create a neatly paced and very evocative recounting of the heady, scary, exhilarating times for the idealistic young people who tried without success to rid their country of its Soviet overlords. … [A] fine sense of place with marvellous descriptions of the gritty venality lying beneath the city of postcards and travelogues, Kay’s Budapest is populated by schemers and connivers, corrupt police and casually cruel young people. The book will not make anyone want to visit, which is to its credit.”
– Patrick Davitt

“The result is her first novel spiced with suspence and history and with characters who linger on in the reader’s imagination when the story ends. … The author succeeds in her compelling novel, Under Budapest, to reveal much of what lies beneath. As her deftly woven story illustrates for the current generation, the past is rich in stories, secrets and lessons.”
– Janet Nichol

“Under Budapest becomes a riveting and tautly plotted historical drama. The author captures the frenzy and terror of the city as the Soviet tanks roll in, and the psychological impact the invasion has on her characters. Best of all, she never overplays the novel’s chief metaphor: Budapest’s tunnels, which act as stand-ins for the depths of human suffering and human endurance. Kay handles this symbolism like a seasoned pro.”
– Mark Sampson

“[A]n ambitious, multi-faceted plot, and a fast-paced ride through the dark side of Hungary that will leave you hungry for more of Kay’s work.”
– Chad Pelley

“Alisa Kay’s grasp of this understanding of history and story makes Under Budapest a compelling read. … her novel snakes like the Danube, with surprises around each bend.”
– Mike Landry

“[A] family drama, a crime thriller, and a war novel all in one. … an exceptional novel of family and war, of intimate loss and gain.”
– Kyla Neufeld