Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah (Beacon Bakeshop Mystery #2) 4 stars

Holidays, Lights, Food - all are highlighted here in this book. Lindsey Bakewell is getting ready for the holidays; putting Christmas lights on her Lighthouse/Bakeshop, cooking up dozens of holiday treats and having her family and best friend join her. Usually Christmas is a bit of a disaster for Lindsey, but she is determined that Christmas will be perfect this year. Until...she is volunteered?? to participate in the towns Christmas Cookie Bake Off. Before you can say Happy Holidays, she is called to make cookies for most of the businesses that volunteered?? for the contest. A foodie celebrity is going to be one of the judges for this contest and people will make it into the finals by having people vote for their favorite cookie. To make this situation worse, Lindsey needs an assistant baker before she faints from exhaustion. Luckily, Mrs Nichols shows up to bake up an avalanche of cookies. However on the day of the Bake Off, the celebrity judge is found dead with his head bashed in. Who had means, motive and opportunity to do the deed, it is up to Lindsey and company to help find the culprit.

This is the second in this series and I didn't read the first one. But this one was so good, I will go back and find the first one in this series. I enjoyed the food details and found that Lindsey is no ordinary baker. She left her Wall Street career to follow her bakery dreams and found a home in Beacon Harbor. The supporting cast is delightful and there is a paranormal element in this series. Most of the obvious suspects were harboring secrets and Lindsey had to sort through a lot of information to find the murderer. This book was a fun read and I look forward to the next one in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Lindsey Bakewell has problems - some good and some bad. The good problem - she has so much business in her Beacon Harbor Bakeshop, right before Christmas, that she needs to hire another employee but she can't find anyone. and she's entered in a cookie bake-off judged by a nationally known food critic. The bad problem - she's right in the middle of a murder mystery and this may be her last bake-off, if she doesn't uncover a killer!

This book was so much fun and had me in the Christmas spirit in August! The main character, Lindsey was such a "down to earth" person and was easy to relate to. The mystery was fast-paced and had the perfect amount of humor and sentimental moments. The addition of Lindsey's "holiday helper" was such a joy and I found myself smiling as I finished the book. The surprise Lindsey's parents and her best friend had for her was perfect!

I'm ready for more sleuthing in Beacon Harbor!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

A perfect Christmas cozy. A new to me author but beyond amazing. Perfect to put me in the Christmas mood.

I love Darci Hannah so much! I loved the first book so much and this only made me fall harder. This cast of characters is so witty and I love the banter. It made me hungry while also keeping me on the very edge of my seat. I need more books in this series!

Lindsey Bakewell is a busy woman as she keeps the display cases filled with baked goods at Christmas time. She’s excited that her family is coming for the holiday and is excited to decorate her lighthouse in festive lights. What she wasn’t planning on was participating in a cookie bake-off that would add even more work to her already overflowing plate.

While Lindsey wasn’t planning on more work, she REALLY wasn’t expecting a murder to happen at the bake-off finals. Now Lindsey has to add sleuthing to her overfilled plate and hope she can figure it out before Christmas turns from a festive occasion to Bah Humbug.

This series had me at Lighthouse when it first came out and I keep coming back for more. With a newfie, some quirky characters and a protagonist after my own heart with her New York attitude and trying to keep it under control, how can I not love this series? Be sure to check out the recipes at that are included at the end of the book, they’re delicious and a great way to share with friends when you give them some cookies and a copy of the book.

Lindsey Bakewell is looking forward to her first Christmas in her historic lighthouse bakery. All the family is coming and she has dreams of a sugarplum holiday. But murder intrudes and Lindsey and company want to find the killer so Christmas is not ruined. A great second book in this series!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah in exchange for an honest review. Lindsey Bakewells owns the Beacon Bakeshop in a lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. Lindsey is going overboard in putting Christmas lights around the lighthouse. The town is having a cookie bake off and Lindsey is going crazy with so many Christmas items to bake. Then a retired baker drops by to help, who just happens to look like Mrs Claus. There is a cookie judge in town, who is a womanizer. Then Lindsey finds him dead.
What a cute cozy mystery. It was a lot of fun to read and made me want to do some holiday baking, only it's still summer!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Kensington Books, Kensington and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A lovely, quaint cozy mystery perfect for the holiday season. Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is a fun holiday themed read.

It’s Christmas time in Michigan, and as the town of Beacon Harbor goes all out to celebrate the death of a celebrity food critic puts the whole town as suspects. A fun cozy mystery that will keep you guessing.

Kindle Copy from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It is Christmas season and a cookie bake off seems like a charming activity. Lindsey cannot keep up with the demand at the bakery and at the same time dishing out tempting entries for the contest.

But things soon turn deadly when one of the judges is found dead with Lindsey’s signature cookie crumbs all over. Now she has to deal with a murder and clear her name.

It will have you craving cookies as you enjoy this yummy cozy.

Lindsay Bakewell is up to her elbows in cookie dough, and the last thing she needs is to become involved in a murder investigation. Lindsay is desperate for an assistant baker, and when her prayers are answered, she is determined to make the best of things.
When her wonderful assistant baker seems to good to be true, Lindsay is distraught to think she would be capable of murder.
This has all the elements of an excellent cozy mystery. A fun read, and a lighthouse bakery sounds interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
Talking about this book? Use #MurderattheChristmasCookieBakeOff #NetGalley.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. Easy to pick up and hard to put down I finished in an afternoon. A good mystery.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah is the second book in her A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. A Christmas cookie bake-off is no place for a murder but that's where amateur sleuth Lindsey Bakewell and her beau Rory Campbell find the dead body of the judge no one seems to like. How they, along with their friends and Lindsey's parents ferret out the murderer is a fascinating read. I really like the characters in this series and I look forward to their further adventures.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Lindsey Bakewell left wall street to open a bakery in an old lighthouse on Lake Michigan in the town of Beacon Harbor, Michigan. Just days before Christmas, one of the Chamber of Commerce people, store owner Felicity Stewart, pushes through the "Great Harbor Christmas Cookie Bake-Off." Stores will be giving away samples and people will vote. Guest foodie personality from Chicago, Chevy Chase, will host the Bake-Off with the top four bakers. Various store owners ask Lindsey to bake their favorite cookie recipe so they can give away samples and increase their stores sales. Lindsey is short of an assistant baker and then blows in Carol Nichols and Lindsey is able to keep up. Then there is a murder and Lindsey and her visiting family and her male friend Rory find themselves involved. There is a nice small town holiday atmosphere in the story and a bit of magic in the presence of Captain Willy Riggs, resident lighthouse ghost. A relaxing read for the holidays that might have a reader craving cookies and hot chocolate. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a cozy mystery sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. The characters are quirky and likeable. Mayhem and mystery...romance and friendship...this is anwiick read...enjoyed it...that being said, at times the bake-off seem to be a stoeynthat was slow.

Second in the Beacon Bakeshop mystery series, this book is as captivating as the first. Lindsey wants to win the cookie bake off but the judge is found dead with evidence pointing to Lindsey. Engaging characters and a good plot make this another hit! Can't wait for the next book! Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF (Book 2 of the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries), by Darci Hannah, in exchange for an honest review. Lindsey Bakewell is happy in her new life in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. Her bakery is successful and has become a town hub. Lindsey’s relationship with Rory is progressing nicely. Now, Lindsey intends to achieve her dream of having a perfect sugarplum Christmas. When the town counsel springs a last-minute cookie competition on the town merchants, Lindsey starts having doubts about how she can possibly meet all of her obligations and provide her family with perfect Christmas. Then, there’s a cookie napping and a murder. Lindsey and her friends find themselves, once again, hunting a killer. This is certainly Lindsey’s busiest time of the year!

I liked this book as well as the first in the series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, bakeries, dogs, cooking competitions, and Christmas.

#MurderattheChristmasCookieBakeOff #NetGalley

I received an advance copy of, Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, by Darci Hannah. A Christmas cookie bake off, what could go wrong. The competition is fierce and fearless. A great mystery for the holidays.

Great book and author. One of new favorite authors and series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so. Read the books in order

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bakeoff by Darci Hannah is an excellent cozy mystery that is the second book in the wonderful series: Beacon Bakeshop. This book is just wonderful.

This is such a great series and it keeps getting better and better. This one has a delightful Christmas theme to it, and it also has some beyond amazing cookie recipes that really have inspired me for baking this week (as well making my tummy grumble).

This adorable Michigan lake town is just the perfect location. I love the collection of town inhabitants, shop owners, and the shops themselves. Lindsey Bakewell, her family, Kennedy, Rory, Wellington, and the whole gang are just hilarious. The one-liners, snappy dialogue, likable characters, and the narrative really are a perfect balance to the murder/mysteries. I actually had no clue who did it! That almost never happens!!!!

I loved the addition of Mrs. Nichols to this story line, and I will never be able to get enough of Wellington and his soulful eyes and furriness. I can’t wait to see where this series located in Beacon Harbor takes me next. (And the gingerbread muffins will be tested out!!!!!)

Highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful 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.