It’s always delightful returning to Beacon Harbor, Michigan, and Darci Hannah’s Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. I love the small town aspect of the series, as well as the individual characters. The author has crafted intriguing plots, and that is definitely true for this book.

Lindsey prefers to keep her Halloween celebrations lighthearted and fun, but this year the holiday turns gruesome when a body in a clown costume is found hanging from the tree near her lighthouse and bakery. And if that isn’t enough, there’s a ghost hunting investigation team on site to try and capture the Lighthouse’s resident ghost, so the murder victim is caught on their live stream podcast.

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant kept me immersed in the story from start to finish. It was definitely one of those unputdownable books - I read it in one sitting!

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy. I’m happy to leave my honest opinion for one of my favorite authors.

Lindsey is preparing for Halloween night at the Beacon Bakeshop. When teenagers start leaving ghoulish surprises, and a film crew wants to prove whether the lighthouse is haunted, Lindsey is tested. But, when a dead body is left hanging from a tree, Lindsey may need help to solve this Halloween mystery.
I really enjoyed reading this wonderful mystery filled with likeable characters, a gorgeous setting, and a suspenseful plot that kept me turning the pages until the very end. The culprit was a real surprise to me as I thought another character was the murderer. The only drawback for me was the length of the story, I felt that it was a bit too long. I hope to enjoy another book from this series soon. I wish to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the privilege of reading this ARC.

Synopsis:

The latest installment in Darci Hannah’s delicious Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series set in small-town Beacon Harbor, Michigan, featuring a baker heroine who lives in the local lighthouse with her beloved Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .

The segment is uneventful—until things take a terrifying turn. The team freaks out. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens’ creepy clown costume hanging from a tree. But when Lindsey’s dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim discovery: the clown is no dummy. It’s a corpse.

Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder—and see another Halloween . . .

Praise for Murder at the Blueberry Festival

“You’ll never see the end coming in this delightfully zany tale.”
--Kirkus Reviews

Includes Delicious Recipes!

Review:

Lindsey and her best friend, Kennedy, are getting ready for Halloween. But someone is playing a prank on her by hanging Freddy Krueger by a noose on her oak tree. But that was not the worst prank she had to endure. That would have been the body hanging from the same tree, the body of a beloved teacher. Now there is another murder to solve and it will not be easy.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Give this book a try, you will not be disappointed.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) written by Darci Hannah. I wasn't familiar with this author or her books, but after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. I was delighted when I found out I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I didn't realize that this cozy mystery was the fourth book in a series until I started reading it. However, this book could really be read as a stand alone book as the author does a relatively good job at bringing the reader up to speed on the characters. I will say that I did have trouble keeping some of those characters straight in my mind, but the majority of them were likable.

The author did a phenomenal job with the twists and turns along with having plenty of suspects. There were three different people that I suspected, but one of them I had a gut feeling about being the actual murderer in the story. I just wasn't entirely sure of this person's connection to the victim, so that is why I suspected a couple of other people as well . . . they had more of a connection to the victim. The author definitely kept me second guessing myself!

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, and it put me in the mood for Halloween. A few of the recipes sounded yummy, so I will give those recipes a try this fall. At some point, I will read the other books in the Beacon Bakeshop series. Four out of five stars is what I gave Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) written by Darci Hannah.

Lindsey dreads the upcoming Halloween season. Living in a true haunted lighthouse, she has way too many teens and others wanting to get inside to see the resident ghost. Reluctantly, she allows her best friend Kennedy, a podcaster, to host a live ghost hunt Halloween night. Will they connect with the ghost? When things go topsy turvy, Kennedy makes a discovery she wish she hadn't. Will Lindsey find out who killed the beloved teacher and bring peace back to her lighthouse? I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It would be a great book to read on a long cool night in a warm comfy chair. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Murder At The Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah

Lindsey Bakewell is perfectly happy with being the owner of a bakery located on the site of a haunted former lighthouse… most of the time anyway. While she’s come to terms with the resident ghost, the start of spooky season inspires several locals to prank the property where she both works and lives. The joke of choice seems to be stringing up effigies of various fictional horror characters in her trees. Lindsey isn’t thrilled about this, but figures it’s part of her ongoing initiation into the village community of Beacon Harbor, Michigan.

Her influencer best friend Kennedy Kapoor has an even more ghoulishly enthusiastic response to Halloween, much to Lindsey’s chagrin. Kennedy has leveraged her connections to invite a team of paranormal investigators to film their popular show at the lighthouse, with the proceedings to stream live on her podcast as well. Lindsey resigns herself to spending Halloween night with her boyfriend Rory Campbell instead of at home while Kennedy and the Ghost Guys are filming. But since Lindsey is a supportive friend, she, Rory and Kennedy’s boyfriend Tuck McAllister all watch the livestream from Rory’s place as the crew investigate the haunted lighthouse.

Lindsey isn’t exactly surprised when spectral lights and noises begin to be captured on-screen, but Kennedy and the Ghost Guys are certainly taken aback, if not downright frightened by the dire pronouncements of the lighthouse’s ghost. The investigators scramble away in fear, splitting up in their haste. Kennedy takes the fastest route out of the lighthouse via the kitchen while the rest go out the front door, which means that she’s the only one to run smack dab into the latest figure strung up on Lindsey’s property. That would be frightening enough, but this figure is no effigy. Hanging from the tree is the actual corpse of a Beacon Harbor resident.

Lindsey, Rory and Tuck immediately rush over, but they’re not the only people watching the livestream. Soon, it seems like half the town has come out with a quickness to see what’s happened, including many of the people the victim had close contact with. But the victim was well-liked by the community, leaving Lindsey baffled as to any possible motive. And why, she wonders, was the body hung near her lighthouse? It couldn’t possibly be a warning that Lindsey might be next… could it?

This fourth installment in the Beacon Bakeshop mystery series was excellently plotted, with clues laced subtly throughout the story. I was genuinely surprised by the identity of the murderer, and definitely wondered if any one person had been the real life inspiration for the killer. But even more than by the mystery, I was moved by Kennedy’s bittersweet decision at the end of the novel, and honestly hope she changes her mind.

There were eight recipes for fall-inspired food and drinks included here. Since my mom and aunt are currently staying with me, and since they love scones, I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Prep time: 15 minutes. Bake time: 20-25 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (one stick) cold butter, cubed
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Maple glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon maple extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the cold butter until small pea-sized crumbs form.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin purée, egg, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is moist, adding pecans if desired. (If the dough is too sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time.)

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into a 9-inch circle that is approximately 1-inch thick. Using a floured knife, cut the dough into 8 even pieces. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until done. Scones should be crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Remove to a cooling rack.

In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together. Once the scones have cooled, top each scone with the maple glaze. Let the glaze set, then enjoy!
END QUOTE

Aside from my ongoing presentation difficulties – at a glance, my scones could easily substitute for fried chicken breasts topped with gravy – these were the perfect baked treat! Despite being nice and firm on the outside, the pumpkin puree keeps them moist and flavorful on the inside, and that’s even before adding the delicious maple glaze. The scones honestly don’t take too long to put together either, and the recipe doubles beautifully if you want to use up as much of your can of pumpkin puree as you’re able to in one go. My family, including my discerning aunt and mother, was definitely impressed by this.

Next week, we head back to the East Coast and bake up a more summery teatime treat while investigating what may amount to much, much more than a tempest in a teacup. Do join me!

Someone has been pranking Lindsey and the old tree outside her bakeshop. She wants her Halloween decorations to be light and fun, but someone has other ideas. Someone is hanging mannequins in her tree! Everyone knows the lighthouse is haunted, but Lindsey. In an effort to stop the pranks, Lindsey invites the seniors of the local high school to the bakeshop to carve pumpkins. She has the opportunity to meet their teacher.

Halloween arrives and there is a parade with the teacher dressed as a clown along with her little dog. That night, against Lindsey's better judgement she allows a ghost busting team to tape their adventures in the lighthouse and her friend joins in with a podcast. The ghost spooks everyone and as they all scatter, Kennedy her friends runs under the tree and smack into the body of the beloved high school teacher. Now Lindsey and her friends are on the case trying to figure out who would want to murder such a well loved teacher.

Lots of twists in the cozy, which made it lots of fun. Lindsey and her friends are a crazy, fun loving lot and the ghost of the captain is kind and protective. The story is engaging and enjoyable.

I've never read a cosy mystery before only standard murder mysteries and I really wanted to try one for the first time. This particular book seemed like the perfect choice for me given that it has to do with Halloween and also baking, two of my absolute favourite things. I loved the atmosphere and the sweet and lovable characters. The murder mystery itself was also quite fun and cleverly done. All in all I really enjoyed this novel, however, I think I realized that my taste in mysteries lean toward the darker side of things. But if you're a fan of cosies I can highly recommend this little gem!

First of all, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant has me craving fall baked goods – pumpkin donuts, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin scones. And apple dumplings, but those weren’t in the book.

Lindsey runs her bakery out of a remodeled lighthouse and lives in the keeper’s section. It’s Halloween and in addition to the town festivities, Lindsey’s best friend, Kennedy, has invited the Ghost Guys to come to the lighthouse to film an episode for their show. Lindsey knows the lighthouse is haunted, which makes her even more nervous about the Guys showing up with all their equipment and tech gadgets. The whole things goes horribly awry when a local teacher is found dead, hanging from a tree just outside of the lighthouse.

This is the third in the series I’ve read. I like Lindsey and her family and friends a lot. They’re caring, loyal, and the appropriate amount of quirky. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues, suspects, and red herrings. I liked how well the plot fit with the lighthouse and its history, too.

It’s a perfect fall read, with costumes, tricks, and treats. It’s funny and a just a bit spooky.

Murder At The Pumpkin Patch book in the A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.

Lindsey is busy baking in her bakery, located in her, the former lighthouse keeper. Lindsey loves Halloween, but she could do without some teenagers pranking. A customer suggests that Lindsey talk with Leslie Adams, a teacher at the local high school. A group of students arrives at the lighthouse to carve pumpkins, and Lindsey has a chance to talk with the students about who might be behind the pranks.

Teddy, Lindsey’s assistant baker, and Kennedy, her BFF, have arranged for The Ghost Guys to come and see if they can communicate with any ghosts. Kennedy plans on doing a livestream podcast at the same time as The Ghost Guys start to get some readings of the presents of a supernatural being. Then an unknown voice utters danger, and a few seconds later utters evil afoot. Then a bright, eerie light appears that sends everyone running. Lindsey watches Kennedy’s podcast as she runs outdoors and sees Kennedy come to an abrupt halt and fall backward. When Lindsey reaches Kennedy, she sees that Kennedy had run into the body of Leslie Adams, hanging from a tree limb.


Lindsey liked Leslie and couldn’t understand why anyone would want the well-respected teacher dead. Lindsey will call on her boyfriend, Rory, Kennedy, and, hopefully, Kennedy’s boyfriend, Tuck, a member of the local police department, for help finding the murderer. Lindsey soon discovers that there is no shortage of suspects.

This book is the best in the series. The book is well-written and plotted. Ms. Hannah wrote so descriptively that I had “goosebumps” several times. The book moves at a good pace and was hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns that I kept guessing until the end of the book as to the killer's identity.

There are delicious-sounding recipes included in the book.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the beautiful series.

MURDER AT THE PUMPKIN PAGEANT is the fourth book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah. From the eye-catching cover to the ghost-hunting premise to the tricks-and-treats on the pages, this newest Halloween cozy mystery proved to be a scary-licious delight! Halloween fever has arrived in Beacon Harbor and protagonist Lindsey Bakewell is gearing up for the town’s annual Halloween Bash shenanigans. With her lighthouse bakery known for its resident ghost, Lindsey’s bff, Kennedy, signs them up for a live streaming Ghost Guys’ ghost hunting investigation. This provides a great opportunity for all sorts of mayhem and mischief. I love the strong descriptive voice the author uses to bring the chills and thrills to life. Along with the great characters, the action leaps from the pages, drawing the reader in, and I found myself unable to put the book down.

Naturally, things go wrong… very wrong during the live streaming ghost hunt. What Lindsey thought was a prank—a creepy clown hanging in the trees by the lighthouse—turns out to be a murder victim, and it’s all captured by the videographer. The victim turns out to be a well-loved teacher in town and no one can understand why she’d been targeted. Ms. Hannah does an admirable job crafting the plot so that the pieces of the puzzle—which include a hidden treasure—come together in a most satisfying way. As Lindsey and her crew investigate, I sat back and enjoying the ride, instead of trying to guess and second guess myself. While there were lots and lots of suspects, there was one group that was targeted simply for being different and having different beliefs than the townspeople. With a ghost living in the lighthouse, I would have thought the author would have treated the group with more sensitivity, given their beliefs. But, it’s only a small quibble and the rest of the story was a hoot!

Owning a bakeshop, there are SO many mouthwatering treats and food on display throughout the book. Be prepared to drool over the mouthwatering descriptions. There are several seasonal recipes included at the back of the book for the home cook to make.

This ghostly cozy is exemplary with great characters and interesting plot points that tell both a good central story and side plots that converge nicely. It's a solid entry in a series that has been steady and enjoyable.

This series just keeps getting better. This is a perfect kick off to fall, filled with pumpkin recipies and pumpkin carving. The bakeshop is doing well, Lindsay's family is getting acclimated to town and her relationship with Rory is geting stronger. Kennedy has invited The Ghost Guys, a paranormal investigation team to come to the Lighthouse, however she may have forgotten to tell Lindsay. Lindsay graciously allows them to stay over on Halloween, where they are live broadcasting the event. Things go horribly wrong and Lindsay and crew find themselves face to face with another murder to solve.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own

I'm liking this series more and more as I read it and the characters/relationships all grow and develop. That Teddy that Lindsey hired as her baking assistant's such a hoot, and I just love his character! He's what the shop needed, and I'm sure he and Lindsey's dad had fun baking together and sharing dad jokes, lol.

It appeared the good Captain Riggs wasn't too crazy about having his lightroom overrun with ghost hunters, but he still helped out in the end. I've always enjoyed this little touch of ghostiness, just enough for a cozy creep factor but nothing ever scary! Capt. Willy does seem like a protector ghost. While I hadn't guessed the perp, it didn't come as a huge surprise since that person was one of the perps on my list.

The showdown was tense and a little long but that made it super exciting--I couldn't read fast enough to see how Lindsey and Kennedy were gonna get themselves out from this situation alive! Thanks to them, some others were also gonna live who might not have made it. There was some bittersweet news at the end, but I'm sure by the next book, it'll be back to normal. Can't really say anything without spoiling it.

My fave type ending always happens in this series with food, family and fellowship. Ellie and Lindsey definitely know how to throw parties! All that food sounded amazing especially anything pumpkin. Can't wait to read the next book that comes out early 2024!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant is book #4 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.

This is a fun Halloween-themed book. I like Lindsey and her friends. Lindsey discovers it isn’t a good idea to have ghost hunters in her home and things get worse when a body is found outside. It enjoyed the investigation and the twists that kept me guessing. I’ll definitely be trying out the pumpkin recipes at the back.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was a fine enough cozy mystery. Not the best I’ve ever read (though I did enjoy it more than the second book in this series). The first book is still my favourite from the bunch.

This would be an enjoyable read if you’ve looking for something cute and easy to read for spooky season.

This is my favorite in the series so far. I love the ghost hunt and getting more information about the ghost in the lighthouse. The characters are fun and add an element of humor to murder investigations. Halloween settings are always my favorite for cozies and with the addition of the old mystery, this one checked all the boxes for me. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next (and how the cliffhanger-ish ending is resolved).

I had a fun time reading Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant. I loved reading another story based on the Beacon Bakeshop. All of our regulars characters were present and it's Halloween time! This was an amazing cozy mystery perfect for reading to get you in the Halloween spirit! I loved reading all the bakery recipes and I would definitely try them. Once again thank you so much NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity. I will continue to support anything Darci Hannah publishes in the future.

It’s Halloween weekend and Beacon Harbor, Michigan, has a packed schedule of events, including the Pumpkin Pageant, featuring humans and their canine counterparts. For treats, there’s plenty of pumpkin goodness from bakery/café owner and local lighthouse resident Lindsey Bakewell. But someone wants to spoil the fun with a deadly trick . . .

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost-hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .
Lindsey does it again, She keeps me on my toes with each book, in this book she gets into more trouble when she ends up with the killer. I was going down the wrong path for several chapters then I knew but did I ever think it would end the way it did no!! Everyone should have a boyfriend like Lindsey. She also keeps her ghost safe.

Welly is the very best!! Also Lindsay has the very best recipes. There was lots of good spooky mysterious events for Lindsay and her crew to investigate. I did guess who it was, but I changed my mind in the middle because there was a really good red herring! Lindsay did make some assumptions about the teenagers that were questionable, but she learned from it and that reinforced what Leslie was saying. So I ended up really liking the way the school, students and teachers were portrayed. There was a part at the very end that surprised me and I didn’t like it. But I have hope that there will be a larger story arc there, so it will be worthwhile,