Someone has been pranking Lindsey and the old tree outside her bakeshop. She wants her Halloween decorations to be light and fun, but someone has other ideas. Someone is hanging mannequins in her tree! Everyone knows the lighthouse is haunted, but Lindsey. In an effort to stop the pranks, Lindsey invites the seniors of the local high school to the bakeshop to carve pumpkins. She has the opportunity to meet their teacher.

Halloween arrives and there is a parade with the teacher dressed as a clown along with her little dog. That night, against Lindsey's better judgement she allows a ghost busting team to tape their adventures in the lighthouse and her friend joins in with a podcast. The ghost spooks everyone and as they all scatter, Kennedy her friends runs under the tree and smack into the body of the beloved high school teacher. Now Lindsey and her friends are on the case trying to figure out who would want to murder such a well loved teacher.

Lots of twists in the cozy, which made it lots of fun. Lindsey and her friends are a crazy, fun loving lot and the ghost of the captain is kind and protective. The story is engaging and enjoyable.

I've never read a cosy mystery before only standard murder mysteries and I really wanted to try one for the first time. This particular book seemed like the perfect choice for me given that it has to do with Halloween and also baking, two of my absolute favourite things. I loved the atmosphere and the sweet and lovable characters. The murder mystery itself was also quite fun and cleverly done. All in all I really enjoyed this novel, however, I think I realized that my taste in mysteries lean toward the darker side of things. But if you're a fan of cosies I can highly recommend this little gem!

First of all, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant has me craving fall baked goods – pumpkin donuts, pumpkin spice cheesecake, pumpkin scones. And apple dumplings, but those weren’t in the book.

Lindsey runs her bakery out of a remodeled lighthouse and lives in the keeper’s section. It’s Halloween and in addition to the town festivities, Lindsey’s best friend, Kennedy, has invited the Ghost Guys to come to the lighthouse to film an episode for their show. Lindsey knows the lighthouse is haunted, which makes her even more nervous about the Guys showing up with all their equipment and tech gadgets. The whole things goes horribly awry when a local teacher is found dead, hanging from a tree just outside of the lighthouse.

This is the third in the series I’ve read. I like Lindsey and her family and friends a lot. They’re caring, loyal, and the appropriate amount of quirky. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues, suspects, and red herrings. I liked how well the plot fit with the lighthouse and its history, too.

It’s a perfect fall read, with costumes, tricks, and treats. It’s funny and a just a bit spooky.

Murder At The Pumpkin Patch book in the A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.

Lindsey is busy baking in her bakery, located in her, the former lighthouse keeper. Lindsey loves Halloween, but she could do without some teenagers pranking. A customer suggests that Lindsey talk with Leslie Adams, a teacher at the local high school. A group of students arrives at the lighthouse to carve pumpkins, and Lindsey has a chance to talk with the students about who might be behind the pranks.

Teddy, Lindsey’s assistant baker, and Kennedy, her BFF, have arranged for The Ghost Guys to come and see if they can communicate with any ghosts. Kennedy plans on doing a livestream podcast at the same time as The Ghost Guys start to get some readings of the presents of a supernatural being. Then an unknown voice utters danger, and a few seconds later utters evil afoot. Then a bright, eerie light appears that sends everyone running. Lindsey watches Kennedy’s podcast as she runs outdoors and sees Kennedy come to an abrupt halt and fall backward. When Lindsey reaches Kennedy, she sees that Kennedy had run into the body of Leslie Adams, hanging from a tree limb.


Lindsey liked Leslie and couldn’t understand why anyone would want the well-respected teacher dead. Lindsey will call on her boyfriend, Rory, Kennedy, and, hopefully, Kennedy’s boyfriend, Tuck, a member of the local police department, for help finding the murderer. Lindsey soon discovers that there is no shortage of suspects.

This book is the best in the series. The book is well-written and plotted. Ms. Hannah wrote so descriptively that I had “goosebumps” several times. The book moves at a good pace and was hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns that I kept guessing until the end of the book as to the killer's identity.

There are delicious-sounding recipes included in the book.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the beautiful series.

MURDER AT THE PUMPKIN PAGEANT is the fourth book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah. From the eye-catching cover to the ghost-hunting premise to the tricks-and-treats on the pages, this newest Halloween cozy mystery proved to be a scary-licious delight! Halloween fever has arrived in Beacon Harbor and protagonist Lindsey Bakewell is gearing up for the town’s annual Halloween Bash shenanigans. With her lighthouse bakery known for its resident ghost, Lindsey’s bff, Kennedy, signs them up for a live streaming Ghost Guys’ ghost hunting investigation. This provides a great opportunity for all sorts of mayhem and mischief. I love the strong descriptive voice the author uses to bring the chills and thrills to life. Along with the great characters, the action leaps from the pages, drawing the reader in, and I found myself unable to put the book down.

Naturally, things go wrong… very wrong during the live streaming ghost hunt. What Lindsey thought was a prank—a creepy clown hanging in the trees by the lighthouse—turns out to be a murder victim, and it’s all captured by the videographer. The victim turns out to be a well-loved teacher in town and no one can understand why she’d been targeted. Ms. Hannah does an admirable job crafting the plot so that the pieces of the puzzle—which include a hidden treasure—come together in a most satisfying way. As Lindsey and her crew investigate, I sat back and enjoying the ride, instead of trying to guess and second guess myself. While there were lots and lots of suspects, there was one group that was targeted simply for being different and having different beliefs than the townspeople. With a ghost living in the lighthouse, I would have thought the author would have treated the group with more sensitivity, given their beliefs. But, it’s only a small quibble and the rest of the story was a hoot!

Owning a bakeshop, there are SO many mouthwatering treats and food on display throughout the book. Be prepared to drool over the mouthwatering descriptions. There are several seasonal recipes included at the back of the book for the home cook to make.

This ghostly cozy is exemplary with great characters and interesting plot points that tell both a good central story and side plots that converge nicely. It's a solid entry in a series that has been steady and enjoyable.

This series just keeps getting better. This is a perfect kick off to fall, filled with pumpkin recipies and pumpkin carving. The bakeshop is doing well, Lindsay's family is getting acclimated to town and her relationship with Rory is geting stronger. Kennedy has invited The Ghost Guys, a paranormal investigation team to come to the Lighthouse, however she may have forgotten to tell Lindsay. Lindsay graciously allows them to stay over on Halloween, where they are live broadcasting the event. Things go horribly wrong and Lindsay and crew find themselves face to face with another murder to solve.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own

I'm liking this series more and more as I read it and the characters/relationships all grow and develop. That Teddy that Lindsey hired as her baking assistant's such a hoot, and I just love his character! He's what the shop needed, and I'm sure he and Lindsey's dad had fun baking together and sharing dad jokes, lol.

It appeared the good Captain Riggs wasn't too crazy about having his lightroom overrun with ghost hunters, but he still helped out in the end. I've always enjoyed this little touch of ghostiness, just enough for a cozy creep factor but nothing ever scary! Capt. Willy does seem like a protector ghost. While I hadn't guessed the perp, it didn't come as a huge surprise since that person was one of the perps on my list.

The showdown was tense and a little long but that made it super exciting--I couldn't read fast enough to see how Lindsey and Kennedy were gonna get themselves out from this situation alive! Thanks to them, some others were also gonna live who might not have made it. There was some bittersweet news at the end, but I'm sure by the next book, it'll be back to normal. Can't really say anything without spoiling it.

My fave type ending always happens in this series with food, family and fellowship. Ellie and Lindsey definitely know how to throw parties! All that food sounded amazing especially anything pumpkin. Can't wait to read the next book that comes out early 2024!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant is book #4 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah.

This is a fun Halloween-themed book. I like Lindsey and her friends. Lindsey discovers it isn’t a good idea to have ghost hunters in her home and things get worse when a body is found outside. It enjoyed the investigation and the twists that kept me guessing. I’ll definitely be trying out the pumpkin recipes at the back.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was a fine enough cozy mystery. Not the best I’ve ever read (though I did enjoy it more than the second book in this series). The first book is still my favourite from the bunch.

This would be an enjoyable read if you’ve looking for something cute and easy to read for spooky season.

This is my favorite in the series so far. I love the ghost hunt and getting more information about the ghost in the lighthouse. The characters are fun and add an element of humor to murder investigations. Halloween settings are always my favorite for cozies and with the addition of the old mystery, this one checked all the boxes for me. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next (and how the cliffhanger-ish ending is resolved).

I had a fun time reading Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant. I loved reading another story based on the Beacon Bakeshop. All of our regulars characters were present and it's Halloween time! This was an amazing cozy mystery perfect for reading to get you in the Halloween spirit! I loved reading all the bakery recipes and I would definitely try them. Once again thank you so much NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity. I will continue to support anything Darci Hannah publishes in the future.

It’s Halloween weekend and Beacon Harbor, Michigan, has a packed schedule of events, including the Pumpkin Pageant, featuring humans and their canine counterparts. For treats, there’s plenty of pumpkin goodness from bakery/café owner and local lighthouse resident Lindsey Bakewell. But someone wants to spoil the fun with a deadly trick . . .

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost-hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .
Lindsey does it again, She keeps me on my toes with each book, in this book she gets into more trouble when she ends up with the killer. I was going down the wrong path for several chapters then I knew but did I ever think it would end the way it did no!! Everyone should have a boyfriend like Lindsey. She also keeps her ghost safe.

Welly is the very best!! Also Lindsay has the very best recipes. There was lots of good spooky mysterious events for Lindsay and her crew to investigate. I did guess who it was, but I changed my mind in the middle because there was a really good red herring! Lindsay did make some assumptions about the teenagers that were questionable, but she learned from it and that reinforced what Leslie was saying. So I ended up really liking the way the school, students and teachers were portrayed. There was a part at the very end that surprised me and I didn’t like it. But I have hope that there will be a larger story arc there, so it will be worthwhile,

What a fantastic book. The perfect fall and spooky vibes to be added to all fall reading lists. This series just gets better and better. The combination of fun Halloween activities (costumes, pumpkin caring) and spooky ghosts all coming together at a dark murder kept me on the edge of my seat. There are a few different possible storylines and explanations for Lindsey and her friends to wade through to find the truth; all while trying to stay safe and also not anger their resident ghost. I enjoyed the entire story and am so attached to these characters now. I enjoyed every bit and cannot wait for more!

An enjoyable addition to great series with plenty of seasonal touches and a mystery that will have you guessing until the end.

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah is the fifth in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series and takes place at Halloween. Perfect, because Lindsey lived and had her bakery in an abandoned and haunted light house. She lived there with her friend, Kennedy, her dog, Willie, often Tucker, Kennedy’s beau and a police officer, or Lindsey’s boyfriend, Rory. It had been disconcerting because the past several nights she had discovered various costumer apparitions, clowns and such, hanging in her oak tree. Everyone agreed it was simply a prank but Lindsey had had enough and asked for help from a local high school teacher who agreed to bring the seniors out for a pumpkin carving contest and food. Maybe it would stop if they met her, and liked her. It went well. The next major hurdle was the camera crew arriving to film an episode of their ghost hunting show for the Travel channel. Kennedy was to be a part of it, wearing a Go-Pro camera. Lindsey would have preferred to leave her resident ghost, Captain Willy, to entertain himself, but it was all planned, along with parades and other celebrations. It was all OK until Kennedy had her wits scared out of her when she ran headlong into another hanging apparition. The problem was this was a dead body: the high school teacher who had helped Lindsey.

This really set everyone off, for different reasons. Rory was frightened for her safety, the police were unhappy with a murder, the high school was devastated: Leslie Adams had been very popular. There were so many possible suspects that the police were overwhelmed as were Kennedy, Lindsey, and Rory, who had helped the police previously. This was a scary story, no doubt, perfect for Halloween. There were all these outsiders in town. And Leslie’s dog was missing. It turned into a good mystery with the oddest reasons for the killing. Lots of mis-clues and wrong assumptions. It was not as polished as some cozies, but every bit as good. A terrific Halloween read, full of pumpkins and pumpkin spice.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #DarciHannah #MurderAtThePumpkinPageant

Loved it! How does Darci Hannah do it? Do what you ask? How does she make me say this is the best book in the series except I have said that with all of them!

The characters are amazing and the storyline is so good. I absolutely enjoyed every page. It took me 72 hours to read this one only because life gets in the way. I would have devoured it within 24 hours if I had the chance to sit down and read all day! Darci pulls you into the story and I absolutely love "A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery" series.
Lyndsey has been in her lighthouse/bakery for a few years now and the lighthouse is haunted or so they say. When Lyndsey's best friend, Kennedy, wants to do a podcast on Halloween night for her listeners Lyndsey isn't too keen on it. But Kennedy has another surprise she has been in contact with Ghostbusters guys to do a show on the lighthouse. What could go wrong?? One question you shouldn't ask. I'm not going to give it away because I hate spoilers. Just know that this is the best book in the series.
Highly recommend this book and the series!
LOVED IT!

In book #4 of A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery , Halloween is upon the small town of Beacon Harbor , Michigan . Lindsey the owner of the Beacon Harbor lighthouse Bakeshop becomes the victim of Halloween pranks by a group of the local High School students . When Lindsey finds dummies in her trees dressed as various fictional characters ,our baker becomes spooked and asked for help from the school's favorite teacher . Lindsey never imaged that the next body found hanging from the tree on property would be the teacher dressed as a clown . Lindsey and friends decide to set out and find out who wanted her dead and why .

A great mystery and wonderful additional to the series , it had me guessing until the very end ..

I especially loved the added touches that Darci Hannah adds to her series - the recipes sound delicious,,also her resident ghost Captain
Willy all add to a fun read .


I just reviewed Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah. #MurderatthePumpkinPageant #NetGalley

Lindsey has renovated an old lighthouse into her home and bakery. It's Halloween, the festivities are starting, and Lindsey is baking up lots of pumpkin-flavored treats! Everyone knows Lindsey's lighthouse is haunted, and this year, a group of teenagers has tried to break in to get a peek at her ghost. Lindsey has also reluctantly agreed to let her best friend do her podcast from the lighthouse with professional ghost hunters in tow. But things go sideways when they all stumble upon a fresh corpse in Lindsey's yard.

What an entertaining series, and it's quickly becoming a fave! The atmosphere in these books is so fun, with a lighthouse bakery setting that is charming and cozy despite being haunted--although this seems to be a fairly friendly ghost! The food always sounds delicious, Lindsey is likable, and the secondary characters are fantastic, from Lindsey's mom, a former well-known model, to Lindsey's hunky boyfriend to her perceptive and precious Newfoundland pup. The story was well-written, with good pacing and an intriguing plot, including some danger, shenanigans, humorous dialogue, and enough red herrings that I was kept guessing until close to the end. I loved all the Fall vibes and Halloween fun, and the book included several delicious recipes, many for yummy pumpkin treats! Cozy mystery lovers and anyone looking for a charming mix of murder, ghosts, cute dogs, and amazing food will want to add to your Fall tbr!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!