This turned out to be a very enjoyable cosy set in and around a bakery in an old lighthouse. Even better the lighthouse is haunted though we never see the ghost, just smell his tobacco smoke.

Lindsey Bakewell (what a great surname) is the owner and chief baker although she has staff and her dad to help her. The scene is set at the annual Blueberry Festival and there are heaps of delicious blueberry recipes throughout the book. Unfortunately the festival this year is ruined by a succession of pranks and ultimately a murder.

Lindsey and her partner Rory investigate and after a heap of red herrings she finally picks the murderer. I was not surprised by who it was ( I read far too many of this kind of books!) but the why was a total surprise!

An excellent and well written story with delightful characters most of whom I have not managed to mention here. Well worth reading.

There was a prankster loose at the Blueberry Festival. However, when someone ends up dead, Lindsey and crew are left wondering if it was purely a prank gone too far or murder.

The story is set in a charming lighthouse on Lake Michigan with a cast of interesting characters that make it an enjoyable cozy. The best part, though, was the thought-provoking and touching ending.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is a fun series, set in an old lighthouse on the lake in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. Lindsey Bakewell left the hustle and bustle of NYC working on Wall Street to open a bakery in the lighthouse. She lives upstairs and even has a light room on the top with a great view and the ghost of a sea captain. It is blueberry season and that means the annual festival time. Her life is full with her Beacon Bakeshop, her hunky, former Navy SEAL boyfriend, Rory, large pup, Welly, her parents living in town part of the year, her best friend, Kennedy staying with her and working with Lindsey''s mom. Life is good. But someone wants to spoil the festival, pulling pranks to spoil the different events. No one is hurt, just humiliated and aggravated after working hard. Then the murdered body of a local older man is found floating in his boat, a cool Viking boat he built. His goat was on it with his body. Now to find the killer with help from Rory, Kennedy, and others. Kennedy's boyfriend and deputy Tuck listens in and contributes with what he is able. This is one complicated mystery to unravel and many suspects to check out. I went from suspecting one person to another. This is a story with humor and fun but one that took on a different and sad turn. The author was able to end on a somewhat uplifting and compassionate note. Recommended for cozy mystery lovers and those who enjoy blueberry recipes. Expect to want to do some baking with the delicious berry.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This is the third installment in Darci Hannah’s lighthouse cozy mystery series. I truly enjoyed the first two, and was happy to see a third.
I enjoyed the little detour this story took from the traditional cozy mystery format (murder within the first few pages). The book built up with a cute series of pranks played during the town’s blueberry festival, and the ensuing story wraps beautifully around the set up.
With the exception of Lindsey’s (the main character) BFF, each side character is enjoyable and well-developed. I find Kennedy’s personality hard to like, but she is my only complaint about this book and series. I’m happy to have a series a bit off the traditional cozy path to recommend to patrons.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for access to a digital ARC in exchange for an early review.

I was beginning to wonder if the murder mystery was going to appear. Thinking that the suspense was only going to involve tracking down a prankster, and decided that I would be ok with that if the pranks remained funny. Then the body appeared, leading to Darci Hannah becoming too obsessed with what sounded like a Dr. Seuss rhyme. After the verse ran its course, things settled a bit, but there were more questions to answer.

Unfortunately, the answers came after a drawn-out repetitive book which had the reader wondering if the author had a direction or resorted to throwing ideas out in the hope something would eventually stick.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one completely missed the mark.

Such fun! This series is really starting to hit its stride with an interesting mystery, plenty of red herrings, and lots of sleuthing. My only complaint is it feels a tad long; could have been a bit more condensed and cut a few chapters. But still a great read.

The Blueberry Festival is fun until it's not. And it's really not fun when Lars, a member of the veterans group headed by Lindsay's sweetie Rory is found dead in a Viking costume in a Viking boat- with a goat. Rory, a retired Navy SEAL wants answers and he, along with Lindsay, her friend Kennedy, her ghost Capt. Willy, and, of course her dog Welly set out to find them. Lindsay's parents are also in town, adding to the action. This is a cozy that wraps in more serious real life issues but keeps a sense of humor along the way. I'm a fan of Capt. Willy, the pirate ghost in Lindsay's light house-know that he never gets too woo woo but he's a hoot and a help. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm a fan of the series and I think this will be fine as a standalone. AND - recipes!

Most cozy mysteries I read start with the murder early in the book. This one was fun because instead of a murder, it started with a bunch of pranks. Nothing dangerous, but definitely disruptive! Eventually, I was lulled into a false sense of thinking, "Oh, there won't be a murder. How nice!" But then, the murder happened. :-)

I enjoyed how Darci and her characters kept me on my toes. While I did guess who the murder is very soon after the murder was discovered, I didn't guess the motive.

It's clear this book is part of a series, but I didn't find that it detracted at all from enjoying this book on its own. As a matter of fact, I may just have to go back and find some of the earlier installments!

Thank you Darci Hannah, Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes you read a cozy mystery because they always have a happy ending and you know the main mystery will be happily wrapped up before the last page. Sometimes, you get a gut punch where you feel sad for everyone from the victim to the killer and everyone in between. This was one of those stories- through all the pranks and the craziness of an aborted Viking funeral, it tackled some hard issues beautifully. Though I won’t go to far into it, as there would be too many spoilers, every sad moment was worth it for a fantastic payoff.

If you have not started this series, do it! You will love it! I really enjoy the work Darci Hannah is doing to bring this world to life for her readers. The plotting is great and the characters are so engaging. I can’t wait for book four!

Another great cozy in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah! As I mentioned for the first two books in this cozy mystery series, what makes this series so good is the detailed descriptions of the food, town, and the well developed characters who quickly feel like friends.

The location is in Michigan with a haunted lighthouse on the shores that now houses a bakery with renovated living quarters, so the reader gets a touch of the paranormal with a lighthouse ghost that warns Lindsey of danger. There’s also a feisty, BFF influencer, a hunky neighbor that loves animals, and parents that are there to help out.

Not only does the reader get all that but adorable dogs, Welly, Brinkley, and Ireland, along with soooo many great food and baking scenes. With some cooking cozies the food seems to be an afterthought or a marketing ploy, but not in this series. The story is infused with the cooking and baking, along with recipes at the end.

I really thought the killer in this book was unique, and could make for some interesting discussion if you read this one for a book club. I knew who the killer was early on, but the clues and reasoning I had thought I found was not even close to the real reason.

I highly recommend the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries and can’t wait to see what Hannah comes up with in book four.

Wow another great addition to A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series...
I was so excited to read this...I love returning to Beacon Harbor, Michigan.
We return to the Beacon lighthouse which is owned by Lindsey Bakewell and she in turn has turned part of the building into a bakery...which we find Lindsey waking up well before dawn to make & bake everything she needs for her patrons.
The bakery is a beehive of activity and the Blueberry festival is on the horizon..so Lindsey is making some new delights featuring you guessed it blueberries. But someone has decided to play some practical jokes on the festivities planned for the festival. There is a murderer in Beacon Harbor and Lindsey is going to find out who it is...
Darci Hannah really knows how to spin a story and keep you reading. If life didn't get in the way of reading I would have finished this in one sitting it is that good. But life interrupted several times...
Darci touched on a topic that has effected my life twice and it's a hard one to deal with. I won't go into detail because I don't like to give the story away. But I promise you will understand when you read the book.
As far as characters they are a mismatched group but even mismatched they blend together to make a wonderful story come alive. I love Lindsey and Rory together...they are a great couple who care for each dearly.
Highly recommend this series

Thank you to @Netgalley and @Kensingtonbooks for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of Darci Hannah's book for an honest review....these are my words and my words alone

MURDER AT THE BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL is the third book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah. I think this series just gets better and better with each book and this newest release captivated me. Throw in a lighthouse bakery, a blueberry festival being derailed by pranksters, a mysterious Viking boat containing a dead Viking, and a bedazzled “unicorn” goat, named Clara... stir it up, and you’re left with an entertaining, laugh-out-loud escapade that has protagonist Lindsey Bakewell up to her eyeballs in shenanigans. With witty dialog, the humor highlights the characters’ personalities, both human and animal alike. I especially enjoyed Clara, along with Lindsey’s Newfoundland dog, Wellington. They both stole each scene they were featured in. Another bonus is the close, caring relationships the core characters have with each other. And now that Lindsey’s parents are living in town, there’s another avenue to getting to know her and her family even better.

Of course, this is a murder mystery, although it takes place much later in the book than typical cozy mystery fashion. However, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story since there was so much going on to keep me entertained. Once the body is found and Lindsey begins investigating (after law enforcement states they’re not sure it’s murder or not), the plot kicks into high gear. There were enough suspects to keep me guessing and several twists that touched on an all too familiar heart wrenching reality for so many families. Ms. Hannah uses a sensitive touch with the inclusion in the story and with an ending I didn’t see coming, leaves the reader with thoughtful reflections.

Running a bakeshop plus being involved in the blueberry festival means there are SO many scrumptious mentions of food throughout the story. Luckily for the blueberry-loving reader, there are several recipes at the back of the book to try at home.

This is a fun cozy mystery that kept me entertained the whole time. I loved the silliness spread throughout the book and it kept me guessing until the end.

This is the first book of this series that I have read and it didn't hold me back at all. This could easily have been read as a standalone book which is nice for readers to jump in the middle without being lost.

I definitely plan to read more of Daci Hannah's books.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A great addition to the series! I loved getting to know more of the community in this one, and more of who Rory's friends are. The mystery was interesting and the pranks sounded like fun (since I didn't have to deal with any of the aftermath). The mystery definitely kept me guessing and the conclusion was a surprise. The writing flows well and kept me reading into the night. And I enjoyed the introduction of Clara and hope that she's a permanent fixture.

Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah is the third book in her Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. It's Blueberry Festival time in Beacon Hill, Michigan. What usually was a fun weekend gets turned topsy-turvy by pranks disrupting the festival events. Them a body is found. Are the two related?

I really enjoyed this book. The storyline is complex, fast-paced and full of mystery and fun. I really enjoyed the antics of Clara the unicorn,em... err... goat. The ending was a total surprise for me. I really like this author's voice and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is such a fun stories, a small lakeside town in Michigan, a lighthouse bakery and help from a ghost in solving mysteries? Sign me up! This was more than I could have hoped for and I loved this story. This is the third book in the Beacon Bakeshop series, but I had no problems jumping right in!

The captain who haunts the lighthouse is just right- exactly the right amount of help/ warning. If I lived in a haunted lighthouse, I’d appreciate that kind of ghost. Ha ha! Seriously, I really enjoyed this story and I thought the ending was satisfying. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery. Now, I’m off to find the first two books in the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington publishing for an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Murder at the Blueberry Festival ” by Darci Hannah the 3rd instalment in the "A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery" series. I loved visiting Beacon Harbor, Michigan again and really want to visit the area now!

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…

I love this series, Lindsey and her co-workers at the Beacon Bakeshop are lots of fun to hang out with. Enter Rory the ex Navy Seal and the rest of the small town and you have the makings of a community you want to belong to. I enjoyed seeing how the characters of Lindsey, her parents and Kennedy lives have progressed since the last book and look forward to learning more about the townsfolk etc.

I love furbabies in my cozies, so when you throw in a goat named Clara into the mix along with a Newfie named Wellington and the “Models” two Westies … (awww) I hope we see Clara in other books

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Lindsey did. Plus all the descriptions of the blueberry baked goods made my mouth water. ( recipes included in back of book)

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 4!

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Kensington and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Once again Darci Hannah has done a wonderful job in 'Murder at the Blueberry Festival.' Lindsey Bakewell and her cast of characters are so engaging that reading is just a delight. It has an 'I can't put it down' quality with 'I don't want it to end!' I actually feel as if I visited Michigan, and can't wait to go back. Fortunately there are perfect hints as to more in the future. I highly recommend this series.

I* received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I love festivals and after reading about this one I’m ready for some blueberry something. The food and drink they had available. Yum!! You’ll find some recipes included at the end of the book. I loved this storyline. A few surprises always makes for interesting reading. The characters are great. You have to love Clara and Welly. Who wouldn’t want a friendship like Lindsey and Kennedy? I can’t wait to go back to Beacon Harbor and catch up with everyone again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.