Book 93, 2023

[chez_jae]

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Before lunch today, I finished reading Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah. It's the first in the author's "Beacon Bakeshop" mystery series. Main character is Lindsey Bakewell.

After catching her fiance cheating on her, NY financier Lindsey turns her back on her career in the big city to pursue her dream of owning a bakery. She purchases a dilapidated lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, ME and renovates it into a bakery and her new home. Lindsey is excited for her upcoming opening day, and even more pleased when her BFF Kennedy comes to town. Kennedy, a successful social media influencer, has already done a media blitz for Lindsey's shop. Not everyone is happy, however. The local preservation society crashes Lindsey's opening, causing a scene. The situation goes from bad to worse when her ex-fiance and his new tart show up as well and begin trashing the place. When Mia chokes on a donut and dies and it's later learned she was poisoned, Lindsey becomes the prime suspect in the eyes of the local police. Not willing to sit back, Lindsey begins her own investigation, along with Kennedy's help. It's up to Lindsey to prove her innocence and save her dream before it becomes a nightmare.

This was a lovely story, despite it following the cookie-cutter plot of far too many cozy mystery "first in series". Characters were fully realized, even the obnoxious Jeffery. The plot was fast paced and made sense. Lindsey didn't spend the entirety of the book investigating. She socialized with friends, cooked and baked, and went on a date or two. I enjoyed her dog, a big ol' Newfoundland, and the setting was marvelous.

What I didn't like was that Lindsey's bake shop was closed down as a crime scene long before Mia's cause of death was determined. For all anyone knew, she could have literally choked to death or had a medical emergency. Plus, it seemed like cause of death came back rather quickly for a small town with limited resources.

Favorite lines:
♦ This was the village idiot. He had to be. There was no other explanation for it.
♦ "Town downer and proverbial turd in the punch bowl."

Very good read, four stars.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? Yes, she's a baker.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? Yes, she does
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Well, she was interested in Officer Tuck, but so far the main romantic prospect seems to be Rory, an ex-Navy SEAL.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has a dog.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No, her BFF is a dynamo, but normal enough.
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes and no; Mia dropped dead in front of everyone, but Lindsey did find another dead body later.
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, her mother is absent (unitl the end)
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Kinda, sorta? The local realtor, an older woman, took Lindsey under her wing.
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes