Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah
Series Name: Beacon Bakeshop #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: February 23, 2021
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More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey’s breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She’d spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won’t have the lighthouse’s history sugar coated by lattes and cakes—and a protest group crashes Lindsey’s Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Long arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies.

An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia’s bloodstream and Lindsey is the police’s prime suspect. To clear her name, she’s going to need to combine ingredients found in the town’s checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer . . .

Includes Delicious Recipes!

Dru’s Musing:
A solid and finely tuned drama that captured my attention immediately, quickly becoming a page-turner as I had to know the outcome. Lindsey starts an investigation when she becomes the prime suspect in a murder and the need to clear her name and business. The author knows how to spin a tale of intrigue and suspense that kept me immersed in all the details necessary in telling this story. There was so much going on from meeting a few of the characters, some a bit quirky, an adorable dog with an unusual feeding habit, and a town where a few were not yet ready for Lindsey and what she wanted to do. The more Lindsey searched for clues, the more it became apparent something was amiss and as the story moved towards its conclusion, the pacing quickened and I devoured everything, especially when the killer’s identity was revealed, amid misdirection by the author, and the motive. Boasting a lovable cast of characters, visually descriptive narrative, engaging dialogue, and a small-town atmosphere, this was a fun and enjoyable whodunit and I look forward to more adventures in this delightfully entertaining series.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.