Another cozy mystery in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries Series.

A blueberry festival gone awry, with pranks and murder. Lindsey and her friends investigate, along with various dogs and even a goat.

This book was a lot of fun, right from the beginning.

During the Blueberry Festival, during each of the activities, certain things go wrong, and then it is ended with a death.

This is my first book I’ve read of this series, but I can't wait for the next book.

I received a free review copy from the publisher, via Netgalley - thank you!

I would best describe this book as saturated in blueberries with a dash of Dr. Seuss.

Lindsey Bakewell is gearing up for her first Blueberry Festival, including baking the pies for and sponsoring the pie eating contest that will cap off the weekend. After each event has a series of pranks associated with it, including humiliating the committee member spearheading the event, the townspeople are nervous but the festival-goers delight in the misfortune of others. Until a dead body turns up in a carved wooden boat dressed as a Viking...with a goat. (this would be the Seuss part and it will come up A LOT - but still funny). Lindsey dives into the mystery of who would want to murder a nice old man.

I am allergic to blueberries so I tend to avoid them, even in prose. However, I adore these bakeshop books and didn't want to skip it. I'm glad I didn't read it but the mentioning of all things blueberries was enough to give me hives! However, if you enjoy them this book has you covered for what I presume would be delicious recipes. I do hope there will be more in this most charming book series!

A Recipe for Murder

What started with a fun festival, ends in the death of a Viking. No, not a football Viking, a local beloved man descended from Vikings. Darci Hannah’s third book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series opens with the beginning of the Blueberry Festival, and a series of pranks that escalate at each of the town’s events, and ends with a Viking floating on the lake in a Norse-inspired, handcrafted boat.

Lindsey and her friends get involved when she and her boyfriend Rory find Lars floating in his boat, with his goat, dead. At first no one knows how he died or if he was murdered. Lindsey and company begin investigating the pranks themselves, which mysteriously ended with the death of Lars. Was he the prankster? Several of the prankees were furious with the pranks, but swear they never harmed Lars.

I’ve been a fan of the first two books in this series, so I was glad to get back to Beacon Harbor. In my opinion, the story was slow to build to the murder that needed to be solved, but by the end, I was fully invested in the story.

I really enjoy these characters, and like seeing how their lives progress through the course of the series. The author does such a good job of helping readers delve into the story so as to feel they are a part of the town. The setting descriptions are vivid, and make me wish I were in that part of Michigan, getting to be friends with Lindsey, Rory, Kennedy, Officer Cutie Pie, and the rest of the gang.

I don’t want to give away the murderer and why it happened, but I will say I had all the feels in this plot. The author did a thorough job of building up the plot, and I commend her way of handling it.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read this enjoyable book.

CONTENT WARNING: murder, death of a parent, grief

It’s no secret that I love this series, and I look forward to each new book release, not just because it gives me an excuse to read through all the previous books. Each time I read these, I fall in love with the characters and the town of Beacon Harbor a little more.

Darci Hannah has built an adorable little small town with Beacon Harbor, Michigan, complete with historical lore, quirky characters, and bustling little shops that have plenty of charm. Not to mention the festivals. This type of town wouldn’t be out of place in a small-town romance, but it’s also the perfect setting for a cozy mystery series like this one.

The characters are what makes this story. Yeah, I adore the main character, Lindsey Bakewell and her crew: her ex-Navy SEAL boyfriend Rory Campbell, her influencer best friend Kennedy Kapoor, her former model mother Ellie Montague Bakewell, and of course her adorably goofy Newfoundland dog Wellington (also known as Welly). But the rest of the characters are pretty awesome as well. In this story, her parents have moved to the town to be close to Lindsey, although they live in Florida during the winters.

I especially enjoyed that we learn more about Rory in depth a bit more. He’s struggling to adjust to civilian life after his time in the military, and it offered his character more depth, which was refreshing.

While cozy mysteries are known for being light, fun, and relatively fluffy, this one talks about a more sensitive issue that is increasingly prevalent. Hannah handles it in a sensitive way, and I thought she managed it very well. I can’t talk too much about it, because it’s somewhat of a spoiler, and you know I don’t do those, but just know that it’s handled beautifully.

As for the central mystery, I honestly tried my best to figure out who it was behind the pranks and the murder, and couldn’t figure it out. The story is fast paced and has a lot of red herrings throughout, but all of my guesses were wrong until everything was spelled out for me. Although there weren’t a lot of gasp-worthy moments in the story, I was absolutely hooked, and read this book in a single sitting. I flew through the read, and enjoyed every single moment of it. There’s a lot of cute, funny moments, but prepare yourself and have some baked goods on hand, because you’re definitely going to get hungry while reading.

Of course, I loved visiting Beacon Harbor again and especially during the Blueberry Festival! There are so many yummy blueberry recipes and several interesting events. We get plenty of time to visit with Lindsey, Betty, Kennedy, Rory, and Wellington. So the setting and characters are what I have come to expect in this series.
The pranks take up a significant portion of the book, so the important information to crack the case happens later in the story. The suspects made me flip flop various times about who could have committed the crime. There is another twist to come late in the book when we found out who committed the crime. When I got all of the information, I was completly surprised.
There are lots of great blueberry recipes. The festival and the pranks are light and fun. The solution to the mystery is compelling. This might be my favorite in the series.

This is book 3 of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series, but the first I have read. I will defintely be going back to read the first 2 books! This is a fun, quick read, with just the right touch of likable characters, a quirky mystery to solve, and a fun summer fest/parade, to get you in the vacation mood! Who would be willing to sabotage the town's Summer fun? And why? It's a mystery that Lindsey and her new pet will get involved in, in more ways than one! You'll be reading to cook up some blueberries when you finish this book, so get ready to go a pickin after you pick up this book!

Lindsey Bakewell left a high-stress job on Wall Street to move to Michigan and buy a lighthouse, which she proceeded to turn into a bakery. The town loves her cooking, and her shop is a success. She also has a boyfriend in Rory Campbell, an ex-Navy SEAL who is still trying to figure out what he wants to do after leaving the service. Then there's Wellington, her Newfoundland dog who thinks he's small, and her best friend Kennedy, a media sensation, who's sticking around because she's fallen for one of the cops there.

Everyone in town is getting ready for the Blueberry Festival when Lindsey receives a visit from Betty Van Hoosen, the town's top realtor. She's upset because she was awakened by car horns and finding 50 realty signs all over her lawn. Thinking it was just a prank, everyone tells her to laugh it off. But when the 5K run is also pranked, they start to wonder who's doing this. Then every event is pranked in one way or another, and soon Lindsey is worried that her blueberry pie-eating contest is going to be sabotaged, too.

But she has something in store -- the sound of a goat bleating, and the discovery of a dead man in a boat. Now it looks like murder, and Lindsey and Rory, along with the local police, are out to find a killer...

This is the third book in the series and I have read them all. I have also enjoyed them all, with each one being better than the first. Ms. Hannah has created characters that come to life on the page, and with each book we learn a little more about them, and this book is no different.

With the festival taking center stage, everyone is on edge wondering if they're going to be next, but then a local is murdered, and the focus takes a different turn. It's entertaining watching them try to pick up clues and find out who is responsible; and of course, Kennedy, with a personality all her own, is on board to find clues. She also does something quite funny that doesn't please Lindsey too much, but still, it's something I find humorous and would never have thought of myself in her situation. Kudos to Kennedy.

Without giving too much away (I have said very little above that wasn't already in the blurb) I have to say that once the mystery gets going, it's definitely worth the time to read. There are a lot of questions, and several people that pop up as suspects. Each one had a motive, and none had a true alibi.

But when the ending comes and the killer is revealed, I found it rather sad; but murder is what it is, and you can't mask it. There is also a hint of what is going to be in the next book, and I am grateful for that, hoping that we don't have to wait too long to read it. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I love this series!!!!! it just keeps getting better and better.

Fun and fast read and great recipes..... I think I keep gaining weight just reading the recipes.

If you haven't read this series yet, please do. I love the characters and how they are developing.!!!!!

Thank you Netagalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and share my review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ACR for an exchange for an honest review.

Its a cute little murder mystery, highly recommend it.

It won't spoil your enjoyment of this mystery to learn that it involves a goat afloat in a boat with a Viking. There's also a ghost. A fun collection of characters, a convoluted plot with plenty of surprises, and huge amounts of blueberries make this a rollicking read.

The book includes a little romance and a bunch of recipes, too.

I'm not sure if it is my mood or what but I can not connect with this book. I'm about halfway through and I am not interested in any of the characters. I can't even keep them straight. This has all the elements of a great cosy mystery so I'm going to assume it's me and hope all of the 5 star reviews wipe mine out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Murder at the Blueberry Festival is the third installment of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah. Lindsay Bakewell, owner of the Beacon Bakeshop which is situated in a lighthouse, is busy making blueberry treats for the annual blueberry festival, and someone else is busy pulling pranks, mostly pranks that aren’t serious, such as dozens of real estate signs on the lawn of a realtor, mice coming out of the blueberry pies, and goats ruining the fashion show. However, when a local resident is found murdered in a boat with his goat, and discovered by Lindsay, someone must seriously investigate.

The characters in this fun cozy are well-developed and likeable. They all seem like regular people similar to people most of us are actually acquainted with. The setting is charming, and the pets in the story are endearing. The food references are mouthwatering; I ran out to purchase a bunch of blueberries and prepared a couple of the recipes which are included and which turned out delicious.

While this is a bona-fide cozy without graphic violence, language, and sex, it’s well-written and will keep the interest of cozy murder mystery readers of all ages. There is a bit of romance, as well as plenty of twists and turns. Reading this fun book will inspire readers to pick up the previous novels in the series and to also anticipate subsequent novels. The recipes that are included are easy-to-follow and blueberry lovers will enjoy making them.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This is a new author for me and I'm so glad I found her. Interesting characters, cozy town, blueberry plot tightly written. One of my new faces
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Lindsey runs a bakery and hosts a blueberry festive complete with delicious blueberry pies. Just what is needed for the summer.

Unfortunately, a host of shenanigans begin - a float is drenched with water balloons - and the mischief escalates to the point where a man dressed as a Viking is murdered.

A mystery, a welcoming community and some laughs are all to be found in the summertime cozy mystery

Murder at the Blueberry Festival is the third book in the Beacon Bakeshop Series. The town is having the annual Blueberry Festival and a person is pulling off pranks at the different events over the weekend. The main character, Lindsey, and her friends and family get involved in trying to keep the pranks from continuing and finding out who is behind them. When someone turns up dead under weird and suspicious circumstances, Lindsey and her friends get really involved trying to solve who the prankster, and possibly murderer, is.

The book is well written and fast-paced. Lindsey is smart and nice, and her BFF Kennedy is really funny. Lindsey has a steady boyfriend, an adorable dog, and great parents. Her relationship with the police force is good, though they don’t interact too much. There is lots of talk of food, with detailed descriptions throughout the book (and lots of blueberry recipes at the end). It’s a really good book, and series. Fast-paced, well thought out, and great characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this wonderful 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, 7/26/22

Another winner by Darci Hannah: Murder at the Blueberry Festival!

This book is chock-full of details and recipes About Blueberries. You will definitely crave blueberries by the time you're done reading this book. This is the third book in the series and I really enjoy reading the story and characters. The Mysteries in this book was written well, along with the romance between the protagonist and her boyfriend.

Note: reading this book along with any book in the series will definitely make you hungry. The author also does an excellent job of bringing descriptive details about cooking, baking, and along with the recipes in the book as well. I'm a fan of this series, and I highly recommend this book to readers!

Thank you NetGalley, Darci Hannah and Kensington Books for the ARC of Murder at the Blueberry Festival. This is my personal review.
I have to say this series gets better and better with each new book in the series.
When you add all the things together this book has in it- baking yummy treats, a wonderful dog and a perfect location I knew it was going to live up to the series! And when the pranks were tossed in and the murder happens Lindsey has her hands full to try to solve this mystery.
I am looking forward to the next in this series.

This is the third book in the cozy series "Beacon Bakeshop" set in a charming lighthouse . I highly recommend this series for all cozy readers. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley. My review opinion is my own.

Lindsey loves her new life living in a lighthouse and creating wonderful bakery treats in her lighthouse kitchen.
She has made friends and loves her dog and activities. When the town is planning a blueberry festival Lindsey sponsors a pie eating contest and is excited for the festivities. When pranks start causing trouble for the festival everyone is concerned that someone will be hurt. Soon Lindsey finds a dead body and everyone is a suspect.

I enjoy the charcters, the setting and of course the charming lighthouse setting for Lindsey. Her dog adds to the story for all animal lovers. The sleuth was intriguing to conclusion.

WARNING: Partial spoilers

"But the juicy mystery [of who's pranking the Blueberry Festival events] takes a bitter turn when a man—dressed up as a Viking—is found dead in a boat, and it’s no longer mischief but murder . . ."

There are lots of things I like about this book, including the characters, the individual scenes, and the resolution of Lars' death. A Viking boat, a bedazzled goat, and some pranks that are pretty spectacular also add to the fun of the book.

But a couple of things knock it way down on my enjoyability scale. First, it's Chapter 14 before anyone dies. That's 1/3 of the way through the book, and it's too far in, in my opinion. Second, all the way up until the sad solution of this mystery, everyone's wondering if it's murder or not. I realize they wouldn't know for sure until pathology and toxicology are done, etc. But when a dead man is found dressed as a Viking, afloat in a Viking-style boat, and a flaming arrow has been shot into that boat, it seems like the default assumption would be that it IS murder, unless something indicates otherwise. Yet the authorities haven't even been to the dead man's house several days or a week after the death! The constant reminders that "We still don't know that Lars was murdered," and "I think we'd both like to know whether Lars Jorgenson was murdered or if he died of natural causes," etc., almost up to the end of the book, drain most of the tension out of the story for me.

Although the death turns out not to be murder in the stereotypical sense, I think it would be a much stronger book if the assumption all along was that it IS murder. Instead, the story limps along a bit because if it wasn't murder, why am I reading a book I chose because it's a murder mystery.

The solution to the mystery is both clever (explaining some of Lars' strange behavior during the festival pranks) and heartbreaking. It deserves a much better lead-up than a wishy-washy maybe-it-was-murder-but-maybe-not approach.

I enjoyed Ms.Hannah’s Murder at the Blueberry Festival. She gives us likable characters and delightful descriptions of the places in the town of beacon. The festival and parade descriptions are spot on for a small town, as are the one for her characters. She mixes a bit of humor and romance with her intrigue and touches on a subject that many debate. I recommend to all cozy lovers, especially those fond of culinary. The recipes sound delicious and I plan to try a few of them soon.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC and offer my opinion gratis.