What a great mystery! I really enjoyed Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant. It takes place at Halloween where lots of activities are taking place. Including a live ghost hunt by a television team of ghost hunters. A murder takes place and the main character, Lindsey, and her friends decide they need to help solve the crime.

The book is well written and fast-paced. Lindsey is smart and nice, and her BFF Kennedy is really funny. There is lots of talk of food, with detailed descriptions throughout the book (and lots of pumpkin recipes at the end). The series takes place around Lindsey’s bakery. It’s a really good book, and series. Fast-paced, well thought out, and great characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books/Cozies for this terrific ARC. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I will post this review to my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, & Amazon accounts on the publication date, 7/25/23.

This is the 4th installment in Darci Hannah’s Lighthouse Bakery cozy series. While it could be read as a standalone, I think any reader would benefit from starting with the earlier books in the series. There’s so much going on with this mystery that there’s almost no space for further character development. If you enjoy getting invested in the characters personalities, you’ll definitely enjoy this book more if you start at the beginning.

That being said, Darci Hannah is a fun writer who threw so many red herrings into this mystery. I had no idea who the murderer was until the reveal. Though clever, I also felt that the most engaging part of this series (the personalities and relationships) was lost. There just wasn’t any room for the characters to grow here. If you prefer mysteries over characters, this won’t be a problem for you. I personally really enjoy feeling like the characters from cozy mysteries are my friends, and historically that warmth is a specialty of this author.

I still loved the book, and recommend it if you already love the series. Otherwise, start at book 1, and fall in love with this gang!

My thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Darci Hannah for sharing a digital ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Cozy mysteries are becoming my favorite. Even though a character dies and the main character usually finds themselves in danger, the stories are lighter and even fun to read. Darci Hannah’s ‘Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant’ is another gem in the series.

Lindsey Bakewell, a bakery owner who lives and works in a old, haunted lighthouse, is at the center of the Halloween festivities. When a ghost hunting podcast on Halloween night ends with finding a dead body, Lindsey, her man friend Rory, and her friend Kennedy find themselves is a murder investigation. With no suspects at first, their ‘snooping’ turns up several possibilities. When they get too close, however, they must also fight for survival.

This is a fun series to read. It has the usual cast of interesting characters and subplots, along with descriptions of several tasty treats. The lighthouse ghost adds some ‘spooky’ flavor to the story.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Cozies, for letting me read and review this book.

I loved #MurderatthePumpkinPageant #NetGalley.
Lindsey is a great character and her family and friends add a delightful bit of color to this series.
As Halloween approaches, strange events begin taking place at the bakeshop, but Lindsey just thinks it's all Halloween pranks.
When a traumatic discovery takes place, Lindsey is determined to find the answers, refusing to let the culprit get away with murder.
If you haven't read this series by Darci Hannah, you're really missing out on a terrific series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER AT THE PUMPKIN PAGEANT (Book 4 of the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries) by Darci Hannah in exchange for an honest review. Lindsey Bakewell is happy. Her parents and her best friends have settled into the Beacon Harbor, Michigan community. However, all is not perfect. As Halloween and the Pumpkin Pageant approach, the Beacon Bakeshop has been plagued with practical jokes perpetrated by local teens. Additionally, Lindsey has reluctantly agreed to allow her best friend to host a ghost hunting podcast featuring the lighthouse ghost. When the ghost hunt leads to the discovery of a fresh corpse, it looks like Lindsey's holiday baking will have to be postponed for another murder investigation.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring bakeries, family, and doggy sidekicks.

#MurderatthePumpkinPageant #NetGalley

The characters get better and better! The mystery was so well done and I didn't even come close to guessing who the killer was!

This book was fun yo read. I like a good copy mystery especially when it deals with holidays. It dealt with Halloween. One of the best parts is thee was food involved. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

Loved reading this book and series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books I suggest reading it in order.

Been sick, so this book and others kept me entertained during recovery. Love this little lighthouse bakery, haunts and all. Wonderful characters, great setting and well written. Halloween theme is the icing on this cake.

This is the 4th book in the series and I was a little lost with the various characters but the mystery itself is stand-alone.

This was my first Darci Hannah book but it won't be my last. I'm already planning on starting at the beginning of this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Kensington Books.

Book 4 in Darci Hannah's Beacon Bakeshop is a great cozy mystery. Was good to be back in the world of Lindsey Bakewell and friends.

Every cozy mystery series, it seems, has to have a Halloween edition. It makes sense— murder goes well with spooky, but, inevitably, the Halloween book is always my least favorite. I don’t care much for spookiness or the occult, so the light haunting of the lighthouse was a stretch for me, but ghost hunters, clairvoyants, and mediums took it a step too far for me. The characters and story continued to be charming and compelling, but this was my least favorite of the series so far.

I enjoyed this book. Parts of it are definitely spooky, and some parts are scary. The story is intriguing. The identity of the killer is a mystery until the end. #MurderatthePumpkinPageant #NetGalley

Halloween, a haunted lighthouse and murder. Lindsey Bakewell’s Halloween starts with mannequins being hung in a tree at her lighthouse home and bakery. She’s tired of the shenanigans and is told by the local realtor Betty to speak to a high school teacher, Leslie Adams. Meanwhile, Kennedy sets up a ghost investigation of the lighthouse with a tv crew for her vlog. While running from the investigation, Kennedy runs into a body hanging in the tree. Lindsey, Kennedy and Lindsey’s boyfriend Rory try to figure out the murderer and the reason for the crime.

This was the first book I’ve read in the A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. I adored it. I will go back and read the rest of the series but this can be read as a standalone. I love the characters especially Welly and Trixie. The mystery was written so I believed many times that I knew who the murderer was only to be proven wrong. Great writing, fun story, perfect setting.

Lindsey Bakewell is getting her bakery ready for Halloween, but she’s not anxious for the season to bring out the ghost hunters who believe the lighthouse she lives in is haunted. She’s only reluctantly letting her friend and podcaster, Kennedy to host a live ghost hunt on Halloween night. Lindsey isn’t afraid of ghosts, she’s afraid people will learn that her ghost is real. But things take a sinister turn when Lindsay discovers that the creepy clown hanging in the tree by her house is no dummy…… A fun series for those who like their mysteries on the cozy side