After catching her celebrity chef fiancé sizzling in the arms of another woman, Lindsey Bakewell left big city Wall Street for small town Beacon Harbor, Michigan to pursue her own passion as a pastry baker—and gets mixed up in someone’s sweet taste of revenge . . . More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey’s breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place … always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She’d spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington.
But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won’t have the lighthouse’s history sugar coated by lattes and cakes—and a protest group crashes Lindsey’s Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Long arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies.
An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia’s bloodstream and Lindsey is the police’s prime suspect. To clear her name, she’s going to need to combine ingredients found in the town’s checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer . . .
Includes Delicious Recipes!
Advance praise for MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP
“Darci Hannah mixes spicy characters, a sweet bakeshop, and a possibly haunted lighthouse into a charming beachfront Michigan village and serves up a mystery as delectable as the bakeshop’s treats and as twisty as the lighthouse stairs.”
—Ginger Bolton, author of Boston Scream Murder
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Lindsey Bakewell, fresh off of a breakup with her cheating ex-fiancé Jeffery, impulsively buys an old lighthouse and its attached carriage house in the place where she used to spend her summers with her beloved grandparents. She’s an ex-investment banker, and begins renovating the place to open a bakeshop, which has always been her dream.
With new employees in place, and a temporary barista in the form of her hunky neighbor Rory Campbell, everything seems to be going smoothly — until a bus load of people arrive, including her ex and his girlfriend Mia, who begins causing trouble by grabbing food and drink from paying customers, and throwing donuts against the display cases. Shortly after Rory unceremoniously escorts Mia outside, she collapses on the ground, and it’s soon discovered that she was poisoned.
Now, with the bakeshop temporarily closed, Lindsey and her best friend Kennedy, an top-rated influencer, are tasked with finding out who poisoned the woman. Then when another tragedy occurs, the investigation ramps up, but not without the help of Rory, her dog Wellington, and maybe even a little ghostly influence in the form of Captain Willy, who haunts the lighthouse…
This is the first book in a new series, and I have to say that I am sorry that I waited so long to read it. I absolutely love the fact that while Lindsey runs from New York after a breakup, she isn’t broke and moving back in with her parents. In fact, this new protagonist is quite wealthy and can stand on her own two feet. I also loved the fact that when she learned something, she turned it right over to the police, instead of keeping the information to herself. A clue that she was indeed an intelligent woman instead of someone who needed to ‘prove herself just as good as the police.’
I did like the characters in the book quite a bit. Lindsey, of course, has proven herself to be smart, capable, and willing to take risks, while also turning information over to the authorities. Kennedy is a complete hoot, and I would love to see her in later books. Rory is the hero-anti-hero, who doesn’t flaunt his past and just wants to live his life; while the others in the town are all worth getting to know. I love that there’s no ‘evil nemesis,’ and that the police chief doesn’t hate her.
These make for quite an interesting book, one I just couldn’t put down once I started reading. The plot was done very well, and the writing is extremely good. There are no stereotypes in the mix, and the descriptions of everything surrounding Lindsey make it so nice that I would like to vacation in this little place (but not live there as I really don’t care for snow!).
I love to cook and bake, so I don’t even mind the descriptions of food or the recipes. Although I do realize not everyone enjoys this, it is a culinary mystery, so they are to be expected. And the recipes in the back sound completely yummy.
When Lindsey starts investigating, she can’t pin down who would set out to sabotage her — after Jeffery declares he didn’t kill anyone — and wonders if she, herself were the real target or if it were someone else. When she starts digging, she also begins to become interested in her resident ghost’s past and his untimely demise, and wonders what happened to him, and why. But what she discovers is that there are more secrets in this town than she could ever imagine, and finding them out could get her killed…
When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it is both sad and unexpected, which is the way it should be in a mystery. The pieces fit together nicely in the puzzle, and there is a very good climax scene that I didn’t see coming at all, and made everything before it worthwhile. This is a very good start to a new series and I will read the next. Highly recommended.
I received a copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is the debut of A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. I thought this was a delightful story. It is well-written with developed characters. The author took the time to introduce us to Lindsey Bakewell and her dog, Wellington. After catching her fiancé with his pastry chef, Lindsey is given the advice to follow her dream. Thankfully, Lindsey invested well and has a solid portfolio. It allows her to purchase a rundown lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan that she renovates into living quarters, bakery, and café. Lindsey is smart, loyal, independent, and has a good heart. She is also an excellent baker. I love Wellington. He is a large, fun, friendly dog. We are introduced to the charming town of Beacon Harbor and its friendly (most of them) residents. Unfortunately, Fiona Dickel is not happy with Lindsey purchasing a historical landmark and improving its appearance. The mystery was entertaining. A bruhaha on opening day leads to the death of Lindsey’s ex-fiancé’s lover. Lindsey finds herself at the top of the suspect list and her bakery closed. She has no choice but to investigate. With help from her bestie, Kennedy Kapoor and her new friends, Lindsey asks questions, does research, and looks for clues. There are several good suspects in this whodunit along with subtle clues (you have to pay close attention to details to find some of them). I enjoyed piecing together the clues and figuring out who is behind the poisoning. There is action that kept the book moving rapidly forward toward the conclusion. The conclusion was eventful and complete. There is a hint of paranormal in the story. It is said that the ghost of Captain Willy Riggs haunts the lighthouse. I enjoyed the ghost legends and how it was incorporated into the story. Lindsey and her neighbor, Rory Campbell hit it off from their first meeting. He asks her out to dinner right away. I did feel there was a wee bit too much romance (for a cozy mystery) and that it was happening too fast (I prefer the romance to play out slowly over the course of the series). Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop is a delightful cozy mystery with delectable donuts, a wandering Wellington, an enticing neighbor, a fashionista friend, a guileful ghost, and a busy baker.
I had fun reading this book. The characters were quirky, easy to like, and different. The plot is easily followed and the story is a good one.
Before I get into my review, I want to say that I purchased this book at a local B&N and it’s missing about 30 pages (a fairly large chunk of a mystery if you as me). For some reason it seems the publisher accidentally replaced these pages with ones from a completely different book. Now I won’t let this ruin my rating because I was able to purchase a kindle copy for only $0.99 but I implore those who have had the same issue to either purchase the eBook on sale or go back to the store you got it and see if you can get another copy. It sure is frustrating!
With that out of the way I have to say that I absolutely ADORED this book! I was a little disappointed to find out who the killer was though as it was someone I can to LIKE in the story but it certainly surprised me! A lot of cozies are a little too easy to figure out but this one truly stumped me. Not only that, the friendship, the community, and the delectable desserts made this book a huge winner for me. The author even adds some of the more popular recipes at the back of the book. I know I’ll be trying out a few in the near future.
If you enjoy culinary cozy mysteries then I highly recommend reading this one! I can’t wait to grab the next one when it comes out at the end of September.
:
• Cozy Mysteries
• Culinary cozies and shop owners
• Authors like Joanne Fluke, Eve Calder, and Maddie Day
: (4.5
Fun cozy mystery set in a lighthouse in Michigan. While the author didn’t go in great detail about Michigan, she did make me want to visit the state and check out the lighthouses. I liked the characters. I love that the dog played a real role in the story and wasn’t just laying in the background. The mystery involved a couple of murders and an old murder. I was guessing most of the way through the book. It only took a few hours to read which makes this an awesome pick for an afternoon of reading. I’m looking forward to book two.
Murder At The Beacon Bakeshop is the first book in a new culinary-based series, with hints of paranormal. It features a bakeshop in an old lighthouse that may or may not be haunted. Lindsey, the main character, is young, a bit immature, and at times, doesn’t stop to think before she jumps in. These can be good and bad traits. Other characters, such as Lindsey’s friends, and neighbors all have issues that blend well with Lindsey. The location is enjoyable and easy to picture.
The murder of Lindsey’s ex’s new girlfriend is a bit unexpected, especially as it takes place in a crowded room. Unfortunately, the blame is placed squarely on Lindsey. Some of the storyline is questionable. For instance, how would Lindsey have planned to murder her ex’s girlfriend when she didn’t even know that she would be at her shop’s grand opening? Why her ex and girlfriend showed up in the first place is never really explained, or why they brought other people with them. I question if the people who are in the shop at the time of the murder could even fit in a lighthouse all at the same time. And, if you are going to introduce a ghost into the story, why wasn’t he at the opening wreaking havoc along with everyone else? There are suspects, evidence that readers will follow, but the killer’s identity will surprise most.
Lindsey’s dog is a nice addition to the cast, and a few other characters help the story progress and make it interesting. The love interest, however, is too soon, and he may not be the best choice. The lighthouse is an excellent backdrop for a bakeshop. The ghost would be a great character as long as the character can be given a more defined role. Lindsey needs to do some growing up, and her friends may not be the best people for her to take advice from. Overall, I liked most of Murder At The Beacon Bakeshop, the mystery was done well, but I did find that the book, in general, had some issues. This is not, however, unusual in a new series. Characters will grow and deepen, plots will tighten, and the stories will become more attractive. I will be reading the next book in the series to see where the author takes these unusual characters.
This is a great start to a new series set in a lighthouse on the shores of Michigan. I loved the small town setting and the characters. Lindsey leaves her Wall Street career behind and impulsively buys a decommissioned lighthouse, sight unseen, after a bad break-up. Once she arrives, she realizes that things are not quite as she expected. Most people in town welcome her and are excited about the bakery that she plans to open but there is one person that is opposed to her plans and is very vocal about it. On opening day things seem to be going well, except for the protest and then a death. Lindsey must get involved to solve the mystery. Not only is she a suspect, but she is in danger of losing her dream and she isn’t OK with that. This was a lot of action in the story and it moved at a good pace. I loved Wellington, Lindsey’s Newfoundland, who adds a little extra to the story. And lets not forget about the lighthouse keeper that is supposed to haunt the lighthouse. The recipes included at the back of the book were an added bonus. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Lindsey.
This cozy comes with a strong and opinionated heroine, a mysterious and sexy next-door-neighbor, a wildly supportive best friend, and…a ghost. The Beacon Bakeshop was supposed to save a historic landmark while bringing a delicious bakery back to town. Too bad someone had other plans for the opening, like murder. The story was well-paced with delightful twists, entertaining characters, and a haunting history. I look forward to book 2!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for free and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
What a great start to a new cozy series. Lindsey has had enough of the New York financial world having made a lot of money but now with a broken heart when she catches her fiance doing the horizontal tango with his pastry chef, Mia. While drowning her sorrows, Lindsey happens upon a real estate ad for a charming Michigan light house. Perfect – chuck New York, move to Lake Michigan and open a bakery in the light house and also live on site. As they say, best laid plans and all that….let’s just say that the lighthouse has great bones and potential and needs oodles of cash to bring it back to its glory. On the big day, the grand opening is marred by a group of local protestors who would rather the lighthouse remain as it was intended. Add to that? Her ex and the pastry chef, Mia, show up and soon pastry is being used as artillery and Mia meets a sticky end. By poisoned donut. Let the investigating begin. Might there be a real, honest to goodness ghost joining the team to uncover the killer?
I was hooked on this mystery from the first page and enjoyed every page. The characters, the setting, the ghost and a sweet, big goofy dog. And yummy donuts, too. What was there not to like?
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.