This is a fun and interesting read for everyone, if you like baked goods, if you like fashion, if you like glass art, if you like fishing, if you like goats, and especially if you like blueberries and good mysteries this book has something for you! While all our favorite characters are deeply involved in the Blueberry Festival, pie eating contest, road race and a fashion show someone is having fun pranking all the events and drawing huge laughs from growing crowds. It's all fun and games until Lindsey and Rory find a Viking boat afloat on the lake, in the middle of the night, with a bleating goat and a dead body. All is not what is seems in this wonderful mystery.

Lindsey is loving her new life in Beacon Harbor on the shore of Lake Michigan. She lives in a Lighthouse above her bakery and at this time of year everything revolves around the annual Blueberry Festival.

Just before the festival starts the local realtor gets pranked. She wakes up to find her garden full of for sale signs from everywhere.

When the Festival parade is pranked with water balloons, the community is thinking there is a pattern.

The sabotaged 5K and the goats at the fashion show confirm that someone is trying to ruin their Festival.

But things get really serious when Lindsay and her boyfriend find a dead body. What is going on here?

I loved the twists and turns. This book was never dull.

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley.

Living in a lighthouse with her dog, Lindsey Bakewell is lulled to sleep at night by the sound of Lake Michigan’s waves—and gets up at the crack of dawn to start the day at her bakery café. But someone in Beacon Harbor is about to rock the boat with murder . . .

First of all I felt like this book was so slowly paced. The amount of time it took to get through all the events of the Blueberry Festival and to actually start working to solve the murder was too long in my opinion. For a 300 and some page book it read more like a 500 page book.

The characters were enjoyable easy to get to know and relatable. I liked the story and wanted to find out the ending. I was surprised by the ending and enjoyed the twists that it took to get there.

But due to the pacing issues I don't know if I would read another one from this series.

This series has become one of my favorites and this one didn't disappoint. Between the lighthouse and the dog and the bakery's treats, it always captures my attention from the start. This time, we are enjoying the Blueberry Festival at Beacon Harber.

The pranks begin and people are trying to guess who the prankster is. However, once murder is involved, things get a bit more serious. Lindsey can't help to investigate since she and Rory were the ones to discover the boat, goat and body.

This kept me reading late into the night. I can't wait for the next one!

If you loved the first two books in the Beacon Bakeshop series you will definitely enjoy this one! The author has created endearing characters, a memorable setting, and a well-planned mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I also enjoyed the recipes included at the end!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series

In the third title in Darci Hannah''s Beacon Bakeshop series, The Murder at the Blueberry Festival, Lindsey Bakewell the owner of the Beacon Bakeshop and everyone in town is getting ready for the start of the annual Beacon Harbor Blueberry Festival. The plans are finished and then pranks begin. Realtor Betty Vanhoosen finds 50 For Sale signs in her yard (none of which were hers). During the Blueberry Festival Parade Mayor Jeffers and his choir are water bombed and Lindsey fears other Festival events have been targeted. The pranks seem harmless until Lindsey and her hunky neighbor, Rory Campbell find the body of Lars Jorgenson in the water near the lighthouse in what seems to be a Viking styled funeral pyer skiff. They review all the pranks to see what led up to Lars' death and who did it. Well crafted storyline/characters. Recipes included, as the book creates a strong desire for blueberries!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Murder at the Blueberry Festival: A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery
By Darci Hannah
Kensington
August 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Maybe it was her name or that she used to work with “dough,” but former Wall Street investment banker Lindsey Bakewell has found herself perfectly settling in as the owner of the Beacon Bakeshop in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. The Lake Michigan town is gearing up for its biggest and oldest festival, August’s Beacon Harbor Blueberry Festival, and as one of the committee members Lindsey is prepping the entries for the pie-eating contest. Although taste may not be the priority in the race to down as many pies in as short a time as possible, Lindsey will also be busy serving the influx of tourists from both her bakery and her new pup café. Her life has gotten even more rewarding now that her parents have moved to Beacon Harbor, with her father helping her out in the bakery while her former model mother now runs the flagship branch of her clothing store in town. The festival has barely started when a series of pranks start to plague the town, and although they start off as childish and annoying they quickly become progressively destructive. It comes to an alarming head when not only is a goat stranded on a boat in the middle of the lake, but with an accompanying Viking-attired corpse that seems to make it an attempt at a Viking funeral.

Despite Lars Jorgenson having appeared hale and hearty the night before, local police are reluctant to call the death as something other than natural. So despite having a bakery to open, a pie-contest to organize, and stop a prankster from further shenanigans, Lindsey takes it upon herself to determine Lars’s nearly-epic demise. She has assistance from her super-hot neighbor Rory Campbell, a former Navy SEAL whose manuscript of a military suspense thriller barely disguises itself as a terrifying memoir. So as much as Lindsey relies on Rory’s intelligence and knowledge of Viking practices, she also wants to help him adjust to a non-combative, normal lifestyle. Lindsey is definitely having a busy fall with her 150-pound giant Newfoundland, pranks that infuriate not only her neighbors but her own mother, and a possible murderer on the loose.

This latest in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series will have readers eager for the fall season and its many delicacies. It’s in the title, so one naturally expects – and anticipates – recipes and detailed descriptions of Lindsey creating sugary blueberry buckles, crumb cakes, and of course pies. While new readers can easily jump into this third entry, loyalists will be rewarded by appearances by Lindsey’s exuberant Influencer best friend Kennedy, who makes the most of her partnership in the clothing store by giving a trend-setting makeover to a goat. While the antics of Lindsey and her supportive friends are undeniably delightful, the novel takes a more somber tone as it delves not only into Rory’s PTSD but the tragic motivations behind the crimes. Excellent writing, adorable pets, and elaborate descriptions of baking make this a very entertaining escape to close out the summer.

Another entertaining and enjoyable story in this lovely series. I was happy to catch up with the likeable characters and found the solid mystery entertaining .
I couldn't guess the culprit and the twists surprised me.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed the story. I thought decorating the goat like a unicorn was a little ridiculous, but each to their own. I love Lindsay and Rory together and I love that Lindsay's family is there helping out. Fun story. Kind of sobering ending, but really good read.

Darci Hannah finds Lindsey from her Beacon Bakeshop trying to find the prankster who is spoiling the Blueberry Festival and then there is Murder at the Blueberry Festival. Good humoured cozy with good eats and Wellington a friendly huge Newfoundland dog make this mystery a pleasant summer read. Enjoy.

What's better than a blueberry scone from the Beacon Bakeshop and Lighthouse owned by Lindsay Bakewell? A whole festival devoted to the blueberry and lots of delicious treats! However, the town is in an uproar when pranks ( small and large) occur and a local man, who was well-liked, is murdered. Lindsey , Kennedy, Rory and even Welly are back to sleuthing!

What a fun book! The characters are relatable and lovable Welly has his "hero" moment. There's always humor, in the series, and the addition of Clara the goat was perfect. The mystery kept me reading and the "red herrings" kept me guessing. The book has delicious recipes as an extra added bonus! Yum!!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lindsey has moved to small town Beacon Harbor to open a bakery and live in a lighthouse with her dog and a ghost. But when someone pranks the annual Blueberry Festival, she finds herself in the middle of an investigation, especially after she finds a body floating on a Viking ship and accompanied by a pet goat. Can she and her boyfriend Rory and fashionista friend Kennedy solve the mystery?
This novel started out slow, but it gained momentum about halfway through. The ending was quite emotional and touching. Wow!
As an addiction recovery advocate, the amount of drinking is disturbing. And there are a few sexual innuendos but nothing racy.
There are plenty of recipes. Yummy!
While this book is the third in a series, it can stand alone. There's enough backstory to introduce the characters and help their relationships and roles in town make sense.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because the ending is emotionally touching and quite surprising.

(Mostly) hilarious hijinks and bountiful blueberry goodies take center stage in the Beacon Harbor Blueberry Festival, unfortunately so does an unscheduled Viking burial at sea. Lindsey Bakewell hates to see her guy, Rory, unhappy so she does what she can to help him get to the bottom of his Scandinavian friend’s demise. Thankfully she isn’t alone and has a nice group of cozy friends and family who are ready and willing to help sleuth. She also has a cozy companion, Welly, a very big, and often wet, Newfoundland who sometimes steals the show, he is a dog apparel model after all. The story was as well-crafted as the recipes found at the back of the book. I would suggest picking up a quart of blueberries to have on hand when you take a look at the yummy recipes, in case you want to make a little something to snack on or share while you enjoy this cozy.

This is a fun trip back to the Beacon Bakeshop. Lindsey Bakewell and crew are back at it while they have another murder mystery to solve. While I enjoyed this book it took a little too long for the murder to actually occur. The motive for the murder took an interesting and heartbreaking turn that I never saw coming. This is a very well written story and I am excited to try out some of the recipes included.

Such an awesome series. I love the characters, the setting and I seriously wish I could be a taste tester in the bakery! I've enjoyed watching the characters grow and how far they have come since book 1. I also love the relationship between Lindsey and Rory and Kennedy's budding relationship.

I found this one to be interesting as it started off with our beloved Betty being pranked at her own home. Then all of the Blueberry Festival board members are pranked. It becomes apparent that someone has it out for the Blueberry Festival. I enjoyed visiting some old characters from past books and meeting some new ones. And who could forget, the amazing addition of Clara the goat! I enjoyed her antics! I am looking forward to the next one in the series!

I requested an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd installment in the Beacon Bakeshop mystery series. Lindsey Bakewell is now making her home in Beacon Harbor Michigan where she has converted the lighthouse into her home and bakery. She is finding success and is serving on the annual blueberry festival committee and will be hosting the blueberry pie eating contest. As the events of the festival get underway each event has pranks played. The local realtor Betty storms in when she has over 50 for sale signs on her yard and the road has been closed and cars have been diverted thru her driveway. Next at the parade, an impromptu water balloon fight breaks out, and the next 3 events are also pranked so Lindsey who is hosting the last event is troubled by what the prankster is up to. The night before her event the light is on in the lighthouse which is typically the ghost of the Captain (the first lightkeeper) is sending a warning to Lindsey. At 3am she hears a goat crying only for her and Rory (her boyfriend) to find a goat in a boat on Lake Michigan. Lindsey’s dog Wellington jumps in Lake Michigan after the goat, so they go and get Rory’s boat to save both Welly and the goat. When they reach the boat, they are shocked to find the goat is not alone in the boat but they also find the body of Lars Jorgensen. Lars was dressed in full Viking gear and the boat is a replica of a Viking boat and it appears that someone also tried to set the boat on fire with an arrow. Was this a prank gone bad or murder. The police are called and once again the chief is not thrilled that Lindsey has once again found a body and now they have to find the prankster and a potentially murderer. Lars was well liked in the community and a group of veterans that Rory was meeting with weekly so he is really broken up and breaks the news to his son. Lindsey has some strange dreams (messages from the Captain) and she is convinced Lars was murdered but no one can find a motive or how they could have gotten such a large man in all the Viking fear. Lindsey takes custody of Lars goat Clara and that proves to be very humorous as Kennedy (her friend from New York who is a social influencer) Clara initially as the blueberry pie eating contest gets underway. That is really comical. Lindsey, Rory, Kennedy and even Lindsey’s parents and other friends help solve the crime. The relationships and the whole town makes this a great series. This was a quick read that kept me engaged and I looking forward to what trouble the gang can get into in the next installment. Highly recommend.

It's time to visit the Beacon Bakeshop and Lighthouse again. It's blueberry season and the town of Beacon is gearing up for its Blueberry Festival. There's a parade, a race, a bake-off, and plenty of other fun activities planned. But the fun doesn't last when each event is interrupted by unknown pranksters...and then the body of a local resident is found floating in a boat (with a goat) in the water behind the lighthouse. Lindsey and her crew will need to be on their toes to figure out what's happening in their town.

This was such a fun and interesting cozy mystery. I was captivated from the very first page and until the last. And the twists and turns had me guessing whodunit. As always, the recipes included sound incredibly delicious.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

The Beacon Bakeshop is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. I really enjoy Lindsey, Rory, and the rest of the Beacon Bakeshop crew. This story kept me entertained. I have some feelings about the end of the book, but don't want to give away any spoilers. The author dealt with a sensitive topic, and while the mystery had closure, she avoided giving an opinion on the sensitive topic brought up in the book.

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

Blueberries are everywhere! And a blueberry festival sounds tasty. Until someone decides what this festival needs are pranks and a dead Viking. Murder at the Blueberry Festival is a fun-filled mystery with a great plot and the latest addition to the “ Beacon Bakeshop Mystery” series.

When Lindsey volunteers to run the pie eating contest and volunteers her boyfriend to run an event at this year's blueberry festival, she never suspected that it would turn into crazy pranks and murder. But before the festival even gets underway, the prankster hits, and everyone starts looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be next. There are water balloons, stolen real estate signs plastered all over a lawn, goats ruining Lindsey’s mom's fashion show and a vendors food tent and rerouting the event Rory is in charge of so that the runners end up in the lake. The fun stops when a man shows up in a Viking ship dead, and people fear what will happen next. Lindsey and Rory investigate and what they find shocks them beyond belief.

Characters in this series are delightfully normal. Lindsey’s dog Welly is by far the star of the show. The location works on every level, and having spent some time in Michigan; I have fond memories brought back by the author's descriptions. The pranks are at first light-hearted, a bit mean but still on the funny side. The murder is a head-scratcher and will take the reader's sleuthing abilities to the max. Once the killer is revealed, there will be moments when readers will feel as though they have been kicked in the gut. The death of an old man, dressed like a Viking and found in his own handmade Viking ship, is original; I can honestly say I haven’t read anything like it before in a cozy.

Murder at the Blueberry Festival is a charming who-dun-it with moments of inspiration. Readers will enjoy imagining the pranks and all of the blueberry desserts. The recipes are sumptuous, but then I love blueberry anything! The death of the Viking will give readers pause for reflection. Is there a good way to die, honestly? Who is to say that being put afloat on a Viking ship and sent out to sea in a flaming finale isn’t the best way to reach Valhalla? I believe readers will enjoy this book immensely, and turn the last page craving a blueberry muffin.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the eARC kindle version for review. This is the 3rd book in the series and can be read as a standalone. I did not find this book to be an engaging read. First, a dead body didn't appear till over a quarter way into the story. The pranks were a mystery and interesting. Not enough to hold my interest as I started skimming quite a few paragraphs. The cast of main characters didn't seem to connect for me. Talk of friendship and love let me know if each person's relationship with another. Yet a knowing look here & there wasn't enough to show how close a connection was amongst any of them. I'm afraid this cozy just didn't do it for me.