I really enjoyed this installment of the Beacon Bakeshop series! I skipped the second book to read this one, as it was a Netgalley ARC that I never got to.

I'll definitely be catching myself up on book 2.

I did predict the killer, however, the reason behind the killing blew me away. Typically in these cozy mysteries, I enjoy them but they are predictable all the way around. NOT THIS ONE!

Loved it so much! :D I'll read this series as long as it's coming out!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Lindsey's life has found a rhythm in Beacon Harbor. She is up early to make all the goodies for her bakery and goes to bed listening to the waves of Lake Michigan. She is also on the committee for the upcoming Blueberry Festival which takes up more time than she thought. In addition to the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting, there will be a blueberry pie bake-off, a parade, a 5k race that Lindsey's significant other Rory is in charge of, a fashion show with clothes from Lindsey's mother and her BFF Kennedy's shop, Ellie & Co., and more.

But there appears to be a "prankster" in town. First, local real estate agent, Betty Vanhoosen finds her yard filled with FOR SALE signs belonging to other realtors, then water balloons fly at one float during the parade, but then the pranks aren't so funny when they are played at the race, bake-off, and fashion show. But things turn tragic when a man dressed as a Viking is found in a boat near Lindsey's lighthouse. That is no prank!

It is all hands on deck as Lindsey, Rory, and more try to uncover if the prankster is now a murderer or if someone else has taken advantage of the chaos and used it to muddy the waters of a murder.

_____

I love the characters Ms. Hannah has created for this series. Lindsey is a fantastic protagonist with a curious nature. She loves living and having her bakery in a lighthouse. Her parents have made Beacon Harbor their home for part of the year. Her dad helps her at the bakery every day and her ex-supermodel mom has opened a clothing boutique with Lindsey's best friend Kennedy. Having Kennedy around is great for Lindsey. She is a partner in crime or someone to sleuth with when needed. Plus she is a lot of fun. Lindsey's relationship with former Navy SEAL boyfriend, Rory is evolving realistically. Her giant Newfoundland, Wellington is just so darn lovable and in this story, he makes a new friend. We also have Captain Willy Riggs who died at the lighthouse in the 1800s but is still making it his home which makes for some interesting happenings.

Something I really loved about this story is the meeting place the bakery has become. Rory has coffee every morning with a friend, then meets a group of military veterans there every Friday morning. Many bring their dogs who enjoy some free Beacon Bites while their owners have some coffee and something delicious from the bakery while swapping stories. Others gather daily with friends. It's also the place to come if there has been a murder but you never know if Lindsey's is going to stay mum or share any info she may have learned. My parents ran a tavern for many years and later a little cafe and like Lindsey's bakery they were community meeting places. I think even once there was a murder to discuss.

The murder mystery Ms. Hannah has written is very complicated with several suspects. Lindsey, Rory, Kennedy, and others tried to pull the clues together to make sense. It wasn't until Lindsey found a certain item that things started to fall into place. It was then that the story took an emotional turn and my heart ached. There was an unexpected plot twist that rocked the community of Beacon Harbor. The author did a great job writing about a hard topic that affects so many people and families these days.

While Murder at the Blueberry Festival included a heavy subject it was also filled with an abundance of humor and one really creepy thing that still eventually made me laugh. It is also filled with entertaining characters and blueberries, lots and lots of blueberries. There are seven blueberry recipes too!

With each book in this series, I become more invested in these characters. I am excited to jump into Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant soon. I am bound and determined to get caught up on this series before Murder at the Lemonberry Tea is released on November 26.

Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah is the third book in the cozy Beacon Bakeshop mystery series. As with most cozy series each book in the Beacon Bakeshop series will have it’s own fully solved mystery so readers can read each as a standalone or in any order. However, there is some character development that will carry over from book to book for those that read the series from the beginning.

Lindsey Bakeswell had that “safe” career that she thought she should have and a boyfriend that she thought may have been the one. When Lindsey’s relationship crumbled when she caught her celebrity chef boyfriend with another woman she decided to ditch the safe career and follow her dreams of owning her own bakeshop. Lindsey packed up and moved to her childhood vacation destination of Beacon Harbor, Michigan where she bought the old lighthouse intending to convert it into a bakery and home for herself and her dog, Wellington.

Now Lindsey is settled in Beacon Harbor and her lighthouse turned bakery and is preparing for the upcoming blueberry festival where she will be hosting a pie eating contest at her bakery. However, just as the town prepares for the festival a series of pranks begin to take place around town and seem to be never ending. Just as Lindsey and her friend, a former Navy Seal, begin to investigate the pranks things turn deadly when a body of a man dressed as a Viking is found murdered.

The cozy Beacon Bakeshop mystery series is one that I have been following from the beginning after reading a couple of other cozy mysteries from author Darci Hannah. The series has all of my wants and needs in a cozy series with some quirkiness and a lot of laughs along the way wrapped up in a fun mystery to follow. As always there were plenty of twists and turns along the way with this current mystery and I enjoyed every turn of the page.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a great cozy mystery about Lindsay who owns a bake shop and her dog Welly. I love pets, small towns and lighthouses in books like this one. I didn’t realize it wasn’t the first book in the series, but I was able to catch on quick who everyone was in the story.

I am new to this series and lovvvvedddd the storyline that left me on the edge of my seat, has great characters, and I felt like I was one of their neighbors there helping them solve the murder.. Can’t wait read more books in the series. Kudos to Darci Hannah.

4.5 Stars: Murder at the Blueberry Festival is the third book in The Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. This is another cozy mystery series set in Michigan which I love. Lindsey Bakewell loves her life living in a lighthouse and running her bakery café in Beacon Harbor. The Blueberry Festival is planned and going to be a lot of fun for everyone, but when the festival is disrupted by pranks and even a murder, all their lives are put at risk. Who will be the next recipient of a prank and will it be a deadly one?

I love the characters and setting of this series. Who wouldn't love a baker with the surname of Bakewell? I enjoyed several of the pranks in this book, even though it is easier to laugh when you are not the recipient. Many of them were funny, yet also mean at the same time. When the victim, a man dressed up as a Viking on a burning boat was found, it wasn't funny anymore. Lindsey and her boyfriend, ex Navy Seal, Rory were a great team. They followed the clues, and sometimes the red herrings, to figure out what was going on. Lindsey is a smart cookie, who is able to make deductions that helped solve the crime. Lindsey's friend Kennedy helps with information from her boyfriend, who is the chief of police. This was a complicated and twisty mystery with several suspects. Figuring out the motives will help solve the crime and that was what did it. Of course, Lindsey's dog, Welly, adds to the story in several ways with some humor and fun. The ending was a bit bittersweet, but I don't want to give that away. This was a wonderful addition to the series and I am impressed with how Darci Hannah inserted a serious issue into this story. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley. She is a performer who I have listened to many times and I enjoy her voice, expression and tone when she narrates. I recommend this book and series to those who enjoy a good cozy mystery.

Murder at the Blueberry Festival is a cozy mystery you won't to miss. It is easy to recommend. This title is one in a series but works well as a read alone.

Lindsey operates a bakery in a former lighthouse on Lake Michigan in the small town of Beacon Harbor, Michigan. She is busy preparing to host a pie-eating contest during the upcoming blueberry festival. When the festival begins, all is not pie and ice cream.
The festival is plagued by a series of pranks, and before the weekend is over, a man is dead. Lindey’s beau Rory begins investigating the pranks and looks for a connection to the suspicious death.
This is the third book in the Beacon Bakeshop series. I did not read the first two and found this could stand alone. The characters, with the exception of Rory, were a little flat. I struggled to engage with the plot. The author's narrations of Lindsey’s food preparation were too long. I wouldn’t recommend this book.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I enjoyed the first 2 books of this series, so I was looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint. It is one of my favorite books from last year, one of my favorite cozies ever. I loved how Darci Hannah dealt with some pretty sensitive and emotional topics, and I love how she shows justice being balanced with love and respect.

I remember when I read the first book in this series I wasn't sure how I felt at it at first. Thankfully, I kept going, because now it's a definite favorite and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment! I'm totally attached to Lindsay and her crew and her delightful bakery that I wish I could visit! It's time for the annual Blueberry Festival in Beacon Harbor, which the residents are all eagerly anticipating and which Lindsay has been baking her buns off to prepare for. But a series of pranks gone wrong takes the fun out of the event, and when a man is found dead, it's no longer mischief...it's murder. Which Lindsay and her hunky boyfriend must investigate, natch.

Great characters, great setting, and delectable baked goodies make this a series sure to delight cozy fans!

Four and a half stars....rounding up

Delightful and delicious series featuring Lindsey Bakewell, an ex-Wall Streeter, moved to Michigan to open a bakery in an historic haunted lighthouse. In this third book in the series, someone is pranking the annual Blueberry Festival. The pranks are basically amusing, until one turns deadly. With engaging characters, including a bedazzled goat, the story immediately takes off drawing you in while the pages fly by. Can be read as a standalone. But why miss the joys of the series.

Fantastic cozy mystery! The setting sets the stage for a delightful romp into the whodunnit. Quirky characters make you laugh out loud. Enjoy!!

Such an enjoyable and fun cozy!! With a good mystery and a touching ending. I enjoyed myself throughout this read, and I’ll be reading the rest of the series!

Lindsey owns a bakery in a lighthouse in Beacon Harbor. There's a blueberry festival in town and Lindsey has been volunteered to head up the pie eating contest. Rory her hunky boyfriend is also helping with the festivals 5k. As the festival starts pranks start plaguing the events. Then a dead body is found on a viking ship near the lighthouse.

This book made me crave all the blueberries. I'll definitely be making a gf blueberry buckle. This is the 3rd book in the series and my first. I was a tad confused at the beginning and had a hard time connecting with the characters. Best to read the books in order. I'll definitely be going back to read the first two.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

Such a fun series. I adore the setting, story, and core cast of characters both two and four legged.

There is just so much about this series and this book to love. The relationships and friendships are so much fun to watch. I adore festivals and the Blueberry Festival is somewhere I would definitely go. I am not a big fan of pranks, so I don't think I would have taken them as well as some in the town. I did not know of the bat who the murderer was. As it got later in the book, I did figure out the who but not the why. That blew me away. This book made me laugh out loud at several points but that end, the ending hit me hard right in the feels.

Great job Darci, and I cannot wait for book 4. I hope to see more of Clara the goat afloat in a boat.

I love a good cozy mystery and lighthouses.
This book gave me both.
Recommended for fans of the Clambake series by Ross.

I have enjoyed the books in the Beacon Bakeshop series. I love the setting of a bakery in a lighthouse. The characters are well developed and their relationships are fun to see. The murder mystery is handled well. And all of the antics that lead up to the actual murder will have you chuckling at the creative way each is carried out. Delicious recipes are sprinkled throughout the book and will have your mouth watering for a delicious blueberry treat. While you might figure out who committed the crime, the reason why is a shocker!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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