This novel has it all and I absolutely adored it!
Taking place in a a community facility, where Birdie and the "older" folks reside, there is definitely something going on that Birdie needs to figure out.
Fifty years past, Birdie's love and best friend was murdered and it was considered a "suicide". But, Birdie knows better and is still haunted by the memories of this tragedy and needs closure.
Now... there have been some recent killings in this area and they have not been solved.
Who did this? Who is safe?

Well... Birdie will find out and is on a mission to try to get some retribution for past and present murders.
Stay tuned! You will be right in the middle of this journey!

I loved this book!
It has heart, friendship, mystery and laugh out loud moments at times.
This truly needs to be a movie!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Lake Union Publishing for this terrific ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

In The Beautiful Dark
Synopsis
We follow Birdie as she goes through life, digging through her memories. She lost her mother to suicide when she was young. This has haunted her throughout her life as she never felt close to her mother. She struggles to make sense of the world around her.

Thoughts
The first few pages have a really interesting twist, I thought the story was going to go differently. The writing flows nicely and there are no jumping around in terms of plot. The plot makes sense and the characters develop a lot. I liked the mixture between talking and descriptions. I really like it so far, There’s a poem included in the middle of the novel which is an interesting insertion. The ending surprised me! I enjoyed the book and can’t wait for more by the author.

Audience
This book is definitely 18+. I would not recommend this book to younger audiences, even young adult. New adult would be a fine choice. This book could be marketed to a wide arrange of people. If you like crime and mystery books, this one is for you.

5 stars, thanks to the author and publisher for getting me this book.

Are you looking for your next thriller? Pick up In the Beautiful Dark by Melissa Payne. This book kept me interested until the very end.

Birdie Allen is the newest resident of Sunny Pines Retirement Community. After a losing battle with her son, Birdie starts what he hopes to be her new life with new friends and new adventures. But Birdie is still haunted by her dark past, of a deep loss she can’t let go of. Her son, Felix, hopes this will be exactly what Birdie needs to finally move forward, but weird things start happening at Sunny Pines that bring Birdie’s past barreling into the present.

In the Beautiful Dark starts out with a mild pace. So much so that I wasn’t entirely sure how much I would end up liking the book. However, each Chapter piqued my interest more and more until I found myself not wanting to stop. This book was such a surprise and the story was so well done up until the very end.

I truly enjoyed every character and it’s probably the most I’ve liked characters in a book in a very long time. Melissa Payne is so good at character building that Birdie and her gang of friends seemed to jump off the pages, easily coming to life in my mind.

Having a soft spot for the elderly, I was so entertained by this ragtag bunch. I also thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this went beyond your normal thriller/mystery and also had elements of family bonds, unlikely friendships, and a true love story.

Being the first I’ve read by Melissa Payne, it certainly won’t be my last. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me the joy of reading In the Beautiful Dark. I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone I know!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I liked the perspective being from an older generation and seeing how secrets and things of that nature were looked at from that POV. I think it was a good pacing and the writing of the book were also good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

In the Beautiful Dark by new to me author M. Payne, published by Lake Union Publishing, is a full length, stand alone. A story that spans decades.
Starting in 1972 when Birdie and Allison and her son Felix have something wonderful. But in the blink of an eye Allison isn't anymore and Birdie and Felix are left behind.
Fasdt forward in 2024 Birdire is the newest resident in a retirement home, when it seems history is repeating itself when another young woman is found lifeless.
An intriguing read full of susupense, drama and danger. I greatly enjoyed reading this wonderful book.
Blurb: At Sunny Pines Retirement Community, where the “Sixty-Two and Better!” share their golden years, secrets abound. Some scandalous, some haunting, and some dangerous. For Birdie Allen, a retired business owner and grandmother, her secret is the only thing she’s got left. Getting old isn’t the hardest part about life. It’s the memories from more than fifty years ago of the death of her unrequited love. And Birdie’s abandoned quest to root out the criminal.
With retirement comes a lot of time to revisit old ghosts, so when Birdie ties together a string of recent crimes, and a woman disappears, she’s drawn into the same chase she gave up decades earlier. But this time she has the help of an eccentric community of eager new friends. And they’re not alone. Restless souls are watching, including Birdie’s lost love, and they sense the danger that lies ahead. They’re not leaving Birdie’s side until she finishes what she set out to do. But will Birdie’s pursuit finally free her of regrets and allow her to embrace the beauty of the life she’s created?

The exquisite melancholy cover art and title drew me to this novel. I was hooked from the first page. This tale of past and present is rich with drama, humor, intrigue, character development, and depth.

Welcome to Sunny Pines Retirement Community home to a hodge podge of residents from all walks of life. Be aware that this is a little darker than some of the 'seniors solving crime' books that are out there. The older a person is the more time they have to amass secrets, and some are heavy.

I liked the main character Birdie right out of the gate flaws and all. She is the kind of self-made woman who cares about others and is willing to put herself in precarious situations when she feels like she can make a difference. Fifty years ago, Birdie found her roommate and unrequited love Allison dead in their bathroom. Police judged Allison's lifestyle and ruled her death a suicide without much of an investigation. Even when it's obvious a serial killer is active in their area, police refuse to take a harder look at Allison's death. Birdie never accepts that she took her own life.

When a string of disturbing events begins to occur around Sunny Pines, Birdie puts her investigating skills to test again. This time she has made friends in her community, and they lend their abilities to help uncover the truth. There is a mystery here to solve, but at its core this is a book about relationships, soul searching, and coming to terms with our mistakes to press forward. There's a wide variety of characters and I enjoyed them all whether I was side eyeing them with suspicion or laughing at their antics. I was so wrapped up in the drama and even their daily lives that I didn't want this one to end!

Stick around for the author's note her inspiration for the novel was touching. This one was engaging and tugged at my heartstrings.

This book was a delightful mix of suspense and humor, with a 60-something heroine, Birdie, who investigates a series of murders in her retirement community. The characters, especially Birdie and her quirky friends, bring a lot of charm to the story, making it both entertaining and full of heart. Loved it!

I absolutely adored this book. I read it all in a day I was so invested in seeing what happened. The characters were amazing and it really reminded me of a golden girls episode with some serial killer mixed in. I loved Birdie and Everly. Nan was a firecracker.

It’s so nice to pick up a book where the heroine is not 25 years old. Payne’s heroine is a 60 something woman living in a retirement community known as Sunny Pines; Birdie isn’t Spinnaker time, crocheting and rocking chair, though. She’s investigating a series of recent murders and the connection to a case she’d failed to solve years earlier. An engaging read that shows that life begins at 60☺️

In the Beautiful Dark is a delightful mix of suspense, humor, and heart. Melissa Payne has created an engaging story filled with twists and an intriguing long-unsolved mystery that keeps you hooked. The vibrant, sometimes nosy residents of Sunny Pines add a charming layer to the narrative, making the setting feel alive and unforgettable. With its perfect balance of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt emotions, this novel offers a unique reading experience that will leave you both entertained and moved. A must-read for fans of mystery, relatable characters, and a touch of humor.

Melissa Payne has a strong writing style for this type of book and enjoyed the feel that I was looking for from the description. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel in the genre. I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the overall package.