The Beacon Lighthouse is back! As someone from Michigan, I love hearing about the town of Beacon. The gang is all back and Christmas is in the air. Reading about all the cookies really made me excited about all the baking I will be doing. The Christmas mystery was a fun ride and Mrs. Nicholas added to it. I can't wait for the next installment.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for this advanced read.

Not quite as enjoyable as the first book, which was a real shame. It was very repetitive and there wasn’t much of a plot.

But I do enjoy the setting and the characters a lot. Plus, the baking competition idea was a lot of fun!

This was a really fun way to kick off my holiday reading thanks to NetGalley and Kensington. I enjoyed how cozy and funny this was. There were some really good laughable scenes and relatable character moments. Although it is the second in the series, I read it as a stand-alone and that worked out just fine. There were plenty of clues to propel you and throw you off the mystery. It is filled with delicious descriptions and even recipes at the end. I didn’t like some of the choices towards the ending, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this Christmas Cozy. This is the second book in the series and the second one I have read. Christmas has come to Beacon Harbor and the town is hosting a Christmas Festival with a Bake-Off complete with a celebrity judge. When the judge is found dead Lindsey sets out to solve it. This is a fun read. There is a lot of Christmas spirit and lots of cookies. I really enjoy the bakeshop setting, the characters and the town. The mystery was good with lots of suspects. The solution made sense. Enjoy the Holiday read

What a fun and cozy holiday read - I had a blast with this story and the characters. These cozy mysteries are just so perfect with a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace.

Although not a book I will be ordering in my professional life, it is a title that I will be recommending in my personal life! Love this series!

#Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off#NetGalley
By: Darci Hannah
Review By: I Love to Read

Lindsay is determined to pull off the perfect Christmas celebration. The owner of a bakery located in a former lighthouse in a resort area, she sets out to decorate the lighthouse in enviable style with hundreds of twinkling lights. Pushed to keep up with her holiday baking schedule and special Christmas orders she learns a neighboring business owner has concocted the idea of a Christmas Cookie Bake-Off for the community. A famous food critic is invited to the town as the cookie judge. A murder occurs during the live bake-off pitting each baker against the other as they speculate who could have committed the murder and ruined the festive cookie bake-off for everyone.
Lindsay seeks to find the murderer. The local police are on the case, as well. A cute who-dunnit, with a Christmas background, the culprit is finally brought to justice. The author has generously added recipes for the cookies offered in the bake-off at the back of the book. A cute, well-crafted read with holiday spirit.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off: A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery
By Darci Hannah
Kensington
October 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

Despite a history of ovens breaking down, decorated trees falling over, and cakes being eaten by a Newfoundland puppy, Lindsey Bakewell is determined that this year will be the year that the family Christmas is perfect. Clark Griswold-level outdoor lights, delicious holiday baking, happy visiting parents, the works. Running the Beacon Bakeshop out of a lighthouse on the shore of Lake Michigan definitely has her running on all cylinders, especially since she’s short an assistant baker during one of the busiest times of the year. Throwing yet another wrench in Lindsey’s plans to avoid chaos is the surprise announcement by an ebullient Felicity Stewart that there will be a town Great Beacon Harbor Christmas Cookie Bake-Off; in just one week. As the owner of the year-round Christmas specialty Tannenbaum Shoppe, Felicity goes overboard during “her” time of the year, and for this holiday she has brought in celebrity food critic Chevy Chambers to judge the event. Seeing this more of a tourist-attracting promotional event than wanting to actually compete in the televised bakeoff competition finale, many store owners quickly inundate Lindsey and her bakery for specialty cookies to offer as entries. There are definitely those vying for the blue ribbon though, and a lecherous Chevy Chambers seems to have no problem offering ways to influence his vote.

Lindsey’s dreams for her first perfect Christmas are in dire jeopardy when cookies are stolen and a frenetic Felicity attempts to get her disqualified. In what seems to be another attempt to lock Lindsey out of the competition, she is locked in a storeroom and nearly misses the winning announcement. It turns out that the decision will never be made though, as a romantic interlude under the mistletoe with her beau Rory Campbell instead has the couple discovering Chevy’s dead body. A note and one of Lindsey’s signature lemon cookies were used as bait to lure Chevy to his death, so she can’t help but feel that she as much as Chevy were targeted. With her young assistant shop clerks able to help run the shop while an absolute treasure of Mrs. Nichols as the new assistant baker, Lindsey has the time to investigate the shenanigans of a less-than-honorable television cooking show host. Her best friend Kennedy Kapoor enthusiastically enables Lindsey as they question contestants and rivals, but this is as much to taunt and torment Rory as it is to help Lindsey. Lumberjack-looking Rory good-naturedly joins along in their escapades, while Lindsey’s parents and neighbors become a senior Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mashup.

This second in the series by the prolific author of cozy and historical mysteries transports readers into this envious Beacon Harbor town during the Christmas season. Lindsey’s oversized Newfie pup Wellington is joined by her parents’ Westies Ireland and Brinkley, both who were named after the retired model’s famous rivals. The banter between Rory, Kennedy, and Lindsey are hilarious without being mean, perfectly establishing the bond between friends and their significant others. A particular highlight of this novel are the descriptions of Lindsey’s bakery creations, with recipes for the many cookie entries included at the end. The mystery spins into an unexpected direction that should catch readers completely off-guard and set up an unexpected ending and reveal. For readers who are always hungry for holiday foodie mysteries, this is a mouth-watering gift full of giggles, clever plot twists, and charming characters.

Lindsey is feeling overwhelmed at her bakeshop in Beacon Harbor. She has lots of orders to complete, she's in the middle of the busiest time of the year, there's a bake-off happening, and she is short an assistant baker. When one of the judges of the bake-off is found dead, Lindsey is determined to figure out what actually happened.

This book was so much fun! I really liked Lindsey and her friends. I find this series super cute. I was so convinced about who the killer was and I was super wrong. I loved the ride throughout this whole book and can't wait for what's next in the series!

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

What a book full of holiday cheer, holiday treats, and holiday murder! I have not read the first book in this series, but I had no problem easily jumping into this book with Lindsey and her friends as they raced against the clock and the holiday crowds to fill her lighthouse bakeshop with holiday delights. I loved reading about all her cookies and the cheery decorations. Add to that a cookie competition and bake-off; I could feel the frenetic energy coming off of her as she tried to juggle it all. Luckily she has some wonderful help; just in time to investigate the death of the visiting celebrity food critic who seemed to have a lot of enemies. It was so fun to see Lindsey team up with her friend Kennedy and hunky boyfriend Rory, plus her parents in this one. And Wellington is such a great furry sidekick. I do think that A LOT happened in this book and it did actually feel a bit overwhelming and all over the place at certain points. But I loved the atmosphere and was completely shocked by the reveal. I am looking forward to continuing this series!

In the second book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery, Lindsey Bakeswell is getting ready to spend her first Christmas running her bakery and living in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. The town is trying to get more tourists in during the winter months with a cookie competition with a celebrity chef as judge. With all the local businesses wanting their own signature cookie for the celebrations, Lindsey finds herself swamped and without an assistant chef. Just when Lindsey finds an older, white haired, sweet lady to try in the role, Felicity Stewart who runs a Christmas shop in town and feels she knows it all when it comes to the holiday, shows up threatening to get Lindsey disqualified from the contest. As the contest continues, with Lindsey a finalist, the judge is found murdered with one of Lindsey's cookies in his hands. Of course does everything she can to catch another killer, and once again, clear her name.

I really enjoyed this story. With great characters, lots of suspects, Christmas cheer, a burgeoning romance and even a ghost, this book has a lot to enjoy. I enjoyed this book even more than the first. There was more to it, lots of twists and red herrings to keep me guessing. It wasn't until the reveal that I knew who the culprit was and it fit well with the clues dropped along the way. This series has a bit of humour, some quirky characters, a great small town setting, a bit of a developing romance and well crafted mysteries to have me ready for my next visit to Beacon Harbor. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

I loved this murder mystery Christmas book! The plot keeps you guessing until the end and the Christmas theme is so much fun. It definitely got me into the holiday spirit and wanting to bake mode!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I was very excited to see this new book in the Beacon Bakeshop series.

I fell in love with the characters and the setting while reading the first and this one did not disappoint. I love the way the characters, friends and family) interact with Lindsey and the relationships that are being formed.

The book kept my interest from the first few pages even before the murder and kept me reading late into the night to finish the story.

I'm ready for the next one in the series!

I am a big fan of this series! The plot is very engaging with its surprising twists and turns. Most of the characters are very likable and add depth to the story. The introduction of Mrs. Nichols was unexpected, but totally delightful. This book is really well done and will draw readers in from the very start.

This was a fun Christmastime read that put me into the holiday spirit a little early this year. Super fun story with lots of twists and turns. Very entertaining!

This is the 2nd installment in the Beacon Bakeshop mystery series. Lindsey Bakewell moved to Beacon Harbor Michigan and started her own bakery in the local lighthouse which is also her home and supposedly haunted. Lindsey is excited for her first Christmas in Beacon Harbor and celebrating it with her boyfriend Rory and her parents and best friend Kennedy who is in town for the holidays. Lindsey gets pulled into the Christmas cookie bake-off of the local businesses and after months of trying to get an assistant baker, Mrs. Nichols appears almost magically and offers to help as long as she is in town visiting a friend. Mrs. Nichols reminds everyone of Mrs. Claus and her baking is fantastic and helps Lindsey come up with her signature cookie for the contest. The town is having a good time with the cookie contest but things get out of hand once the judge and Chicago TV personality is on the scene and flirting with all the women in town. Lindsey is immune to his comments as she Is committed to Rory but others appear to be caught up in his schemes especially Felicity the owner of the year-round Christmas shoppe and she is so competitive that she even tries to get Lindsey disqualified from the contest. Lindsey is also the victim of her signature cookies being stolen by 3 women and only Mrs. Nichols is the witness. No one is sure who was behind this but Lindsey’s votes go way down and she almost does not make it into the finals. Lindsey along with Felicity and 2 other contestants make it to the finals. While at the contest the judge goes missing and Mrs. Nichols spots the cookie thieves and one even lock Lindsey in a storage closet. Once she gets out Rory and Lindsey stumble upon the missing judge Chevy who has been killed. Lindsey, her parents (her mother is a former 80’s model), and Rory and Kennedy each begin to investigate the death. There were lots of possible suspects as it appears her was a terrible person and tricked everyone. This was a good solid mystery and I love the occasional appearance or presence of the captain at the lighthouse. Love the scene with her This is a good solid cozy with likeable character and moves at a fast pace that keeps you engaged the entire time. Looking forward to the next in this series.

A solid addition to the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. All Lindsey wants is a nice, cozy, family holiday with her loved ones in he new home. Instead, what she gets is a out of control Christmas bake-off with a taste of murder.
A fun read for cozy mystery readers. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this digital ARC. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

This is such a fabulous cozy mystery series and is definitely worth adding to your Christmas TBR! I adored the first book in the series and I am very happy to report that book two is just as good as the first one. I adore the dog characters included in the book, and the people ones are pretty good too. The idea of a cookie bakeoff is a really fun one and the cookie descriptions made me want to start baking. Luckily recipes are included in the back of the book! The mystery was well done and I didn't guess the killer until the main character had figured out. Overall I really enjoy this series and I can't wait for book three!

All Lindsey wants in a perfect Christmas. But instead, she and her boyfriend discover a dead body. Even worse, the body belonged to the judge in the Christmas cookie contest Lindsey was competing in. And worst of all, the judge was covered in the crumbs of Lindsey's cookies. Lindsey needs to solve the mystery so she can focus on the perfect Christmas.

I enjoyed the latest in the Beacon Bakeshop mystery series. I did read the first book, but this book could be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off is my first read by Darci Hannah and I didn’t yet read book 1 in this series … but I couldn’t resist Christmas cookies and a small town bakeshop in an old lighthouse! I’m happy to report that it reads perfectly well as a standalone, though I definitely want to go back and read how Lindsey went from New York jilted fiance to Michigan bakeshop-in-a-lighthouse-with-a-ghost owner with a swoony new boyfriend.

Lindsey and her loyal Newfoundland dog Wellington are instantly likable, as is the Beacon Bakeshop & its staff. Of particular interest in this book is her new assistant baker Mrs. Nichols, whom I loved! I hope we get to see more of her in future books, even if it’s only seasonal. I didn’t connect as much with Lindsey’s parents or her BFF Kennedy but I didn’t not like them either. I would just rather hang out with Lindsey, Wellington, and Rory.

The mystery was very well done, with plenty of layers that revealed themselves a bit at a time and drew me in with some surprising twists! I was invested in the various players, too, and realized how much when some of those twists left me disappointed in this character or that one. But the icing on the Christmas cookie for me was the magical realism that showed up in a couple of different ways in this story – y’all know how much I love magical realism and this was a delightful & unexpected surprise for me in reading Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!

Bottom Line: Take a restored lighthouse bakeshop with a resident ghost, a bit of Christmas magic, and tons of yummy cookies… mix in some very likable characters and a whodunit that keeps you guessing… and you’ve got the recipe for a delightful cozy mystery! Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah has all of these ingredients, and I was invested in the story from start to finish. The mystery definitely had me in step with Lindsey & her crew of amateur sleuths (plus her swoony boyfriend who used to be Special Ops), rather than running ahead of them to the reveal. Not to mention all the times my mouth watered from the delicious-sounding Christmas cookies! A great read to kick off (or continue) your holiday reading!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)