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
more
Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is first in the A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. This is a start to a great new series.
Lindsey Bakewell has moved to Beacon Harbor, Michigan from NYC to open a bakery and start her life over after a bad broken engagement. Opening day has finally arrived along with her ex, his girlfriend, Mia, and Mia’s entourage. Set on causing a scene, Mia storms into the bakery grabbing doughnuts from customers and stuffing into her mouth. She chokings on one and dies. When it’s discovered it was not an accident, Lindsey becomes the top suspect and she sets out to prove her innocence.
There are plenty of plot twists with a great cast of characters, along with a lovable dog, Wellington. There is also humor and romance with a jaw dropping end.
I was given an ARC by Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review. .
Bring your appetite and your thinking cap when you dive into this story.
I pretty much wasn’t able to put this book down when I was reading it… only when the food descriptions were so heavenly that I had to stop and make myself a snack (this may have happened more times than I care to admit).
The plot and mystery were perfect for the cozy mystery genre. Likeable narrator, quaint town, suspicious about everyone else, precious pooches, a possible haunting … wait what?! Yes! A possible haunting! That’s what made this story even more fun for me.
I’m going to be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series because I honestly wasn’t ready to leave Beacon when I reached the end.
Side note: many of the delicious foods mentioned within the story are given as recipes at the end of the book.
About the book:
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 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 caf 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-fianc Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Wong 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..
This is the 1st in a new series, I absolutely loved this story, the characters were great! I love how it all turn out, the setting is brilliant! I loved the mystery in it I’m looking forward to the next one in this series. I loved the surprise at the end I thought I knew the killer, it was a total surprise. I highly recommend reading this series.
There were many things I loved in this first in a new series. Overall, the mystery itself is fabulously plotted and executed. The characters, who are well defined, are very likable, and love the setting. There were also a couple aspects a little edgier than I usually prefer.
On Lindsey’s thirty-fifth birthday, she went to her fiancé Jeffery’s trendy Manhattan restaurant and found him with his pastry chef, Mia. She broke their engagement, gave up her lucrative investment banking career, and moved to Beacon Harbor, Michigan. She found, and bought, an old, partially renovated lighthouse in which to open a bakeshop café. It is a short drive from Traverse City, the cherry capital of the world, and has wonderful childhood memories of her grandparents. Lindsey arrived with her huge, loveable, furry Newfoundland, Wellington. They live in part of it, with the café in another part.
Lindsey continues to make new friends, hired capable staff, and met Rory, the handsome retired SEAL. She also met Fiona, who with her gang of seven, is set on driving Lindsey out of the lighthouse. They want the lighthouse turned into the historic landmark it once was. Lindsey also learns that the lighthouse may be haunted by the first lighthouse keeper murdered in the 1800’s.
Opening day arrives, with Lindsey’s best friend Kennedy in town to help market the grand evebt. The bakeshop is full, and they can’t pull lattes and fill the bakery case fast enough for the amazing crowd of locals and tourists. Fiona and her friends begin to protest outside, then a hotel bus arrives with guests from the Big Apple. Jeffrey, Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend, is in the group, as is Mia, the pastry chef who she caught with him. Mia grabs pastries from customers’ plates and throws them against the cases, tastes some and complains. Fiona and her crew of protestors come in and do the same. Amidst the melee, Mia grabbed someone’s latte; she and Fiona make a bigger mess. After Rory escorts Mia outside, she collapses…and dies. The cause is found to be cyanide in the latte she sipped from. The latte wasn’t prepared for her, however, it was for Betty, the local Realtor and everyone’s friend.
Rory is the first suspect until a second person dies by cyanide, and Lindsey moves to the top of the list. With her dream shop shut down and possible arrest pending, Lindsey is determined to find out who was set to do people in and frame Lindsey before she has to serve coffee in prison orange. Betty doesn’t have any enemies in town with the possible exception of the second person who died after drinking a soda intended for Betty.
This fabulously fun and intriguing mystery is very well executed! There is nothing easy about this mystery, and I certainly couldn’t figure it out. The mystery and the setting are amazing! While I couldn’t bake to save my life, living in a lighthouse in my home state would be a dream come true! The characters are defined well through actions and realistic conversations. Whodunit was a total surprise, and everything was resolved. It is a little edgier than I prefer regarding some language and sexual discussions and innuendo. Other than that, I highly recommend this to cozy mystery lovers who appreciate historic settings, baking and recipes, and lovable dogs.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from Goodreads First and Amazon, and this is my honest review.
This is a fun read with a great mystery and some mouthwatering recipes. The plot was well crafted and the cast of characters were quirky and fun. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. This is a great cozy mystery and a wonderful start to a new series. This is my first read by Darci Hannah and I can’t wait to read more.
I received a free copy of this book via #Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fabulous first in a new series!!! This book will get your mind off of whatever is bothering you. Darci Hannah has done a superb job writing this cozy mystery and her characters are everything to “write home about”. This is a wonderfully entertaining and fun book which everyone must read. Enjoy!
I received an ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.
I am so excited to share the first book in A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series with you! It truly was a pleasure reading Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah.
I rarely laugh at cozy mysteries and when people say in their reviews that they couldn’t stop laughing, I wonder if I really am that jaded from reading so many thrillers and horror books. While I wasn’t LOLing at Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop, I was amused by some of the dialogue and scenes, which for me is basically rolling on the floor with laughter.
Then having the location be in Michigan with a possibly haunted lighthouse on the shores that now houses a bakery with renovated living quarters, which would be a dream living spot for me, is a great choice. Add in a BFF who is an influencer for clothes and skin care, who also has a British accent and is super feisty with a heart of gold, a hunky next door neighbor that loves animals, a young cop that is very easy on the eyes, and a town of caring folks that really want your business to succeed, and you have a recipe for a great cozy.
Oh, and speaking of cooking cozies, this one is spot on. The food descriptions are delectable and the recipes at the end all sound soooo good. I may not make the donuts, because I’m lazy like that, but the omelet and cookies are ones that I really would like to make.
Then there’s the animals in the cozy! For most of the book it’s the big, loving Wellington, aka Welly, for short. Who is loyal and loves food, including fresh lake fish. Towards the end we also get to meet two little dogs, Brinkley and Ireland, who are adorbs. And the way Brinkley and Ireland come to be in the story is touching, and they along with two other people will add even more fun and depth to future books.
And…. And! I recently put this in a review that I was hoping a cozy mystery would have the killer be this type of person, but I figured it wouldn’t be done. Well, Darci Hannah, you did it, and now you have a fangirl for life.
This story is sure to make you hungry. Lindsey Bakewell leaves New York City and her cheating fiance to a quaint small town on Lake Michigan to open her own bakeshop. Little did she know she was going to be in more danger than she ever experienced in NYC.
A charming setting with interesting characters and a well plotted ending make this a well rounded cozy. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
Murder At The Beacon Bakeshop
Beacon Bakeshop, Book 1
Darci Hannah
5 Stars
Synopsis:
In the first of a new series, after Lindsey Bakeswell catches her celebrity chef fiance sizzling in the arms of another woman, Lindsey leaves 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 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 cafe 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-fiance Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Wong 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… (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Lindsey is a smart hardworking woman who has left Wall Street behind and is going to make a go of her lighthouse bakery. Her friend Kennedy is very willing to help her, since she is a social media influencer. Rory, a neighbor, is also willing to help. And Wellington, Lindsey’s dog, was quite cute. When a dead body turns up, they not only have to make a go of the bakeshop, they have to find out who the murderer is before Lindsey gets charges with a murder she did not commit.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sort through with a few red herrings thrown in to complicate things. I had no idea who the culprit was until it was revealed at the end.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait to see what the next adventure is for Lindsey and her friends.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Wow! This book is incredible! It is fast-paced, witty, very cozy-mysterious, full of twists and turns as well as many OH MY GOSH WHAT JUST HAPPENED moments! Every time I picked up “Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop”, I was whisked away, put on my sleuthing-hat, and have found another favorite cozy-mystery author.
This is the first book I have read by Darci Hannah, and it certainly will not be my last! Her storytelling is spectacular! She truly knows how to hook the reader from the first page to the last, and she brilliantly brings the location of her story to life. I could envision the lighthouse, the small town, the water, and each and every moment springs to life right off of the page. Her characters are all so distinct, and you feel as if you get to know them all. Secrets and clues are revealed in exactly the right moment they need to be to push the plot forward, and the plots has so many surprises I felt like I was on a roller-coaster while reading!
Lindsey moves to Beacon Harbor, Michigan, to follow her dream and start her own bakery. Never could she possibly have imagined the chain of events that will occur upon her arrival, and what they lead to.
Lindsey is such a strong, brave, intelligent, and hard-working protagonist who wants the best for those around her. She believes in doing what is right, even if it means possibly putting herself in harms way. I can’t say too much about other characters in this review as it would spoil a lot of what happens in the book, so, I will simply say, you must read this book as it is soooo good! Also, I just adore Wellington, Lindsey’s dog! He is so smart and adorable and cute and sweet!
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages guessing what would happen next, and, (no spoilers!), I thought I had the mystery figured out quite a few times…oh my gosh… I did not see the outcome coming AT ALL! I was SHOCKED!
Thank you so much to Kensington Books for the ARC of this book, it is so good! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
What a fun idea to open a bakeshop in an old lighthouse. Lindsey leaves her old life in New York, including a cheating fiance and a big city Wall Street job for the small town of Beacon Harbor, Michigan. She has fond memories of the place where she visited with her grandparents. Lindsey loves to bake and has decided to leave all the negativity behind her and follow in her grandparents footsteps. She meets some really nice people including a promising hunk and she meets some really nasty people like the woman who wants her business to tank so she can restore the lighthouse to it’s original history.
At the opening festivities, her ex-fiance shows up with the woman he cheated with. When the girlfriend dies of cyanide, all fingers point to Lindsey. So to save her dream she has to find out what really happened.
This is a fun cozy and the setting sounds idyllic. Include a goofy Newfoundland puppy name Wellington, Wellie for short and a myriad of characters and twists along the way. This is very entertaining.
Thank You to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest review.
I kept seeing this book pop on Goodreads and decided to read it and am glad that I did. The story includes some great, interesting and likable characters in a fun setting and murder mystery plot. After discovering her celebrity chef and fiancé with his pastry chef, Lindsey Bakewell left her successful Wall Street career behind her to pursue her dream of opening a bakeshop and café in an old lighthouse on the shores of a lake in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. Her grandparents had a bakery in a nearby city years before and she has fond memories of spending time with them. On opening day after lots of work on the building, hiring a staff, and preparing lots of yummy goodies, the day is ruined when her ex and his lover as well as some protesters against her purchase of the lighthouse show up with the patrons causing problems. But the worst is when the pastry chef falls dead, due to cyanide in the latte she grabbed from the realtor who sold the property to Lindsey. Thus ensues a long investigation she, her hunky, former Special Ops neighbor Rory Campbell and her best friend Kennedy Kapoor begin along with the police. Lots of people are suspect, including Lindsey, Rory, and others. This is a fun mystery to unravel and weed through through the clues and has an interesting resolution that kept me turning the pages. I am looking forward to the next story and look for a little romance to add to the mix.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
Murder At The Beacon Bakeshop is the first book in the A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.
Lindsey Bakewell, I love her last name, having caught her fiancee, Jeffery Pank, a renowned chef, in a compromising position with his pastry chef, Mia Long, has decided to leave her high-paying job in the financial district of New York City. Googling real estate properties, Lindsey found a lighthouse and keeper’s house for sale and bought it sight unseen. When she arrives in Beacon Harbor and sees her lighthouse, she wonders if the purchase was a mistake, as the condition is not attractive as the pictures on the internet. Lindsey soon decides it will make an excellent bakery.
As she is getting the renovation underway, she meets her neighbor, Rory, when her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, enters Rory’s yard and eats the fish he had caught that morning. Rory is happy with Lindsey’s repurposing of the lighthouse and enjoys Lindsey’s company.
Renovations are completed, a staff in place, and Lindsey is ready to open her bakery. The day before the grand opening learns that her barista has sustained an injury, and Lindsey recruits Rory to fill in. Shortly after the doors open, the bakery is packed with customers. Lindsey is thrilled until she looks up and sees her ex and his girlfriend, along with an entourage of Mia’s friends. Mia begins to make a scene in the bakery and takes a coffee cup out of another customer’s hand. Mia takes a dring and exclaims how terrible it is, and collapses. Rory immediately begins to perform CPR on her. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Mia is pronounced dead. An autopsy will show that Mia died from poisoning.
Lindsey will become a person of interest due to her history with Mia and Rory. As will Rory, as he was the one preparing the coffees. Kennedy, Lindsey’s best friend from NYC, has joined Lindsey for the grand opening to help Lindsey and Rory clear their names.
The book is an excellent beginning to this fascinating new series. The book is well-written and plotted. The book has an enjoyable cast of believable characters. I particularly enjoyed the antics of Wellington. There plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
The Beacon Bakeshop is open for business! Author Darci Hannah has assembled a fantastic group of characters in a cozy mystery filled with savvy plot twists taking place in a dreamy beach setting.
When protagonist Lindsey Bakewell purchases an old, rundown lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, MI, she has no idea it comes with a pirate ghost. Many townspeople wanted it torn down, while others wanted it preserved for its historical significance. Lindsey leaps forward with her plans to open a Bakeshop and Cafe despite the callousness of some of the locals. The Grand Opening is a success until someone from Lindsey’s past drops dead.
I loved Lindsey’s spunkiness, and her best friend, Kennedy provides a source of much humor with her energizer bunny ways! Welly, Lindsey’s Newfoundland, is a mischievous pup and the source of introduction to handsome neighbor, Rory Campbell.
Sgt. Murdock is a surprising character I really enjoyed! Tough as nails…with a sweet tooth. Before the story’s end; there are three murders to contend with and not much evidence to go on. The exciting conclusion is a hot mess, and I enjoyed every second of it! Delicious recipes included. This debut story is now a favorite on my 2021 cozy list! Enjoy!
I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
I was thrilled to be able to start with the first book in a new series. Having read this book, I am anxiously waiting the next installments-this book was so good.
Our protagonist Lindsey Bakewell was a wealthy Wall Street financier who catches her celebrity chef fiancée having sex with his pastry chef. Being broken hearted and after too many drinks, she goes internet shopping and buys (sight unseen) a lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan to follow her dream of having a bakery/cafe. She has fond memories of Beacon Harbor as a child and it’s there she goes for refuge and a fresh start.
Lindsey works hard to get the cafe up and running. Her best friend Kennedy Kapoor, an influencer, arrives from New York and blogs about the cafe and on opening day it is packed. Unfortunately there are a few troublemakers-the head of a local preservation society who is upset that the lighthouse was sold to Lindsey and turned into a cafe, and her exfiancee with the pastry chef girlfriend Mia with their posse of friends.. They both try to trash the place and disrupt the customers and suddenly Mia starts choking on a donut and dies. And given their history, Lindsey is a suspect when they discover she was poisoned.
So, in order to prove that she’s innocent, she and Kennedy band together to dig deeper with help from their new acquaintances.
The characters in the books are great and well fleshed out, I loved Kennedy and hope she makes the move to Michigan from NYC.. Also enjoyed Betty Vanhoosen, the real estate agent who sold the lighthouse to Lindsey, next door exSEAL neighbor Rory, .the workers at the cafe and especially Lindsey’s parents.
The mystery was well written and kept me guessing as more clues are uncovered. And the murderer and motive was a complete surprise.
I was lucky to get an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinion expressed is totally my own.
Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is the first book in her Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. This is an exciting, action-packed whodunit. There’s the ghost of the first keeper of Beacon Harbor Lighthouse, Captain Willy Riggs. There’s a death at the grand opening of main character Lindsey Bakewell’s bakery cafe. Lindsey purchased the old lighthouse in Beach Harbor, Michigan with plans to turn it into a bakery cafe. Since Lindsey was a suspect in the murder that took place at her bakery cafe on opening day she knew she had to find the actual murderer to prove her innocence. I like how Lindsey and her Newfoundland named Wellington were such good buddies. And I liked how Welly helped bring Rory Campbell into Lindsey’s life. This was a fun read and I look forward to the next book in the series, Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off.
After a few disappointing reads by new to me cozy mystery authors, I was hesitant to try another. Darci Hannah has been on my TBR list with her previous series, so I thought I would take a chance. I’m happy to say that I found Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop to be a delightful debut in this new series. The reasons I was drawn to this series was the culinary aspect but also because it is set in my home state. I always think it is fun to read a book set in my home state, especially when the author also lives here as well. For me, it adds to the overall enjoyment. Linsdey Blackwell is a terrific main character. I like that she knows who she is and goes after her dream of opening a bakery. She is surrounded by a cast of secondary characters that complement the story nicely, including a new romance developing in future books. I loved her dog, Wellington – you can’t go wrong combining a culinary cozy with a pet. There is a hint of the paranormal, in a possible ghost that haunts the lighthouse, and while this is not a paranormal cozy, I think there is potential for this storyline down the road.
The mystery was well done. Lindsey is the primary suspect in the murder of her former fiance’s girlfriend and has to do her own investigating to help clear her name. There are some good suspects for the reader to choose from and some cleverly laid clues, some of which I missed. The killer is revealed in a dramatic conclusion and I have to say I was surprised by the whodunit.
This book was a wonderful first book in a new series. It has good characters with a lot of potential for growth and a solid mystery that kept me guessing. I was engaged right from the start and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for her readers with future installments.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is a great cozy mystery novel that is the first in a new series: A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery.
I really think this is going to be a great series.
The main character, Lindsey Bakeswell, purchases an old lighthouse online in Beacon Harbor, Michigan (where she enjoyed childhood vacations with her grandparents). She makes this split-second decision after experiencing a life-altering change. She then plans to break away from her lucrative finance career into her passion: baking.
Lindsey and her Newfoundland are fish out of water as NYC transplants into small-town Michigan. As she works to create a new life for them, renovating her lighthouse and living quarters, and getting her bakeshop up and running, she gets to meet all of the fun and quirky characters that inhabit this adorable town. Some are more pleasant then others, however. Lindsey has a few obstacles and hurdles to overcome with some of the inhabitants that are not keen on change. Unfortunately, she also ends up ensnared into a murder/mystery when her cheating ex-fiance and his new girlfriend make their uninvited visit, and the girlfriend ends up murdered. Of course Lindsey is a prime suspect and must work to eliminate herself, solve the murder, and get her dream up and running. With her newfound friends, the plot, the large amount of potential material for future books, this series really starts off well.
I love the location, Wellington, and the full cast of secondary characters. Lindsey is smart, sassy, like able, and has my vote. What I enjoyed the most was the author’s style of dialogue. There was a wonderful flow and interaction between the characters. There was sarcasm, banter, wit, and in some cases, chemistry.
A great cozy mystery for what is sure to be a great new series.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
Michigan, rehabilitation, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, neighbors, amateur-sleuth*****
Good start to a new series! Lindsey is a wealthy New Yorker who has a meltdown and decides to buy a decommissioned lighthouse near where she spent summers with her grandparents in their bakery. She is an excellent baker as well, so the plan is to open a bakery/cafe. She has excellent friends both old and new, but she also has enemies old and new. I thought that the murder victim would be the nutcase who had other ideas about the lighthouse, but it turned out to be someone from the past and Lindsey is in the frame. Together with friends and the lighthouse ghost (who was murdered years ago) she learns to sleuth. Good story!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
After finding her celebrity chef fiancé cheating on her with his pastry chef, Lindsey Bakewell quits her successful Wall Street career in New York and buys an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor Michigan. Renovating the old lighthouse into living space and a bakery to follow her dream! Small town living takes a bit of getting used to but over the next few months she works her tail off getting things ready and perfecting recipes. Her BFF Kennedy. a social influencer, arrives a few days early to help with the final details and promotion. Thanks to Lindsey’s dog Wellington, she is also getting to know her hunky yet sometimes secretive neighbor Rory. Things are going well on opening day UNTIL, protesters (who don’t like what Lindsey has done with the lighthouse) and her ex Jeffery along with his lover Mia & friends arrive. All “H” breaks loose and Mia seems to be faking choking on donuts. She and others are escorted out but she collapses on the lawn and is later pronounced dead – poisoned with cyanide! The bakery is shut down. Lindsey is of course a strong suspect but can she clear her name and find a killer?
My thoughts: This is the first book by Darci Hannah that I’ve read and it won’t be the last! I LOVED IT! Yes, lots of yummy sounding food – and a few recipes at the end – but the story has so many levels to it. The lighthouse is supposedly haunted by a former keeper who was murdered there. Is he really communicating with Lindsey? Is someone play tricks on her or is it something more sinister? Her neighbor Rory is also a bit of a mystery. Is he really writing a book or could he be involved somehow? The small town and its residents have some secrets despite its friendly welcome to Lindsey. Sorting out who may have wanted Mia dead is interesting but it is so much more complicated and takes a lot of turns along the way! Ms Hannah keeps us guessing right to the big reveal. Still lots of questions to answer after that but she ties it all together nicely.