Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Murder at the Blueberry Festival (Beacon Bakeshop, Bk 3) on + 705 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
Lindsey's life has found a rhythm in Beacon Harbor. She is up early to make all the goodies for her bakery and goes to bed listening to the waves of Lake Michigan. She is also on the committee for the upcoming Blueberry Festival which takes up more time than she thought. In addition to the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting, there will be a blueberry pie bake-off, a parade, a 5k race that Lindsey's significant other Rory is in charge of, a fashion show with clothes from Lindsey's mother and her BFF Kennedy's shop, Ellie & Co., and more.
But there appears to be a âpranksterâ in town. First, local real estate agent, Betty Vanhoosen finds her yard filled with FOR SALE signs belonging to other realtors, then water balloons fly at one float during the parade, but then the pranks aren't so funny when they are played at the race, bake-off, and fashion show. But things turn tragic when a man dressed as a Viking is found in a boat near Lindsey's lighthouse. That is no prank!
It is all hands on deck as Lindsey, Rory, and more try to uncover if the prankster is now a murderer or if someone else has taken advantage of the chaos and used it to muddy the waters of a murder.
I love the characters Ms. Hannah has created for this series. Lindsey is a fantastic protagonist with a curious nature. She loves living and having her bakery in a lighthouse. Her parents have made Beacon Harbor their home for part of the year. Her dad helps her at the bakery every day and her ex-supermodel mom has opened a clothing boutique with Lindsey's best friend Kennedy. Having Kennedy around is great for Lindsey. She is a partner in crime or someone to sleuth with when needed. Plus she is a lot of fun. Lindsey's relationship with former Navy SEAL boyfriend, Rory is evolving realistically. Her giant Newfoundland, Wellington is just so darn lovable and in this story, he makes a new friend. We also have Captain Willy Riggs who died at the lighthouse in the 1800s but is still making it his home which makes for some interesting happenings.
Something I really loved about this story is the meeting place the bakery has become. Rory has coffee every morning with a friend, then meets a group of military veterans there every Friday morning. Many bring their dogs who enjoy some free Beacon Bites while their owners have some coffee and something delicious from the bakery while swapping stories. Others gather daily with friends. It's also the place to come if there has been a murder but you never know if Lindsey's is going to stay mum or share any info she may have learned. My parents ran a tavern for many years and later a little cafe and like Lindsey's bakery they were community meeting places. I think even once there was a murder to discuss.
The murder mystery Ms. Hannah has written is very complicated with several suspects. Lindsey, Rory, Kennedy, and others tried to pull the clues together to make sense. It wasn't until Lindsey found a certain item that things started to fall into place. It was then that the story took an emotional turn and my heart ached. There was an unexpected plot twist that rocked the community of Beacon Harbor. The author did a great job writing about a hard topic that affects so many people and families these days.
While Murder at the Blueberry Festival included a heavy subject it was also filled with an abundance of humor and one really creepy thing that still eventually made me laugh. It is also filled with entertaining characters and blueberries, lots and lots of blueberries. There are seven blueberry recipes too!
With each book in this series, I become more invested in these characters. I am excited to jump into Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant soon. I am bound and determined to get caught up on this series before Murder at the Lemonberry Tea is released on November 26.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Darci Hannah, Kensington, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Lindsey's life has found a rhythm in Beacon Harbor. She is up early to make all the goodies for her bakery and goes to bed listening to the waves of Lake Michigan. She is also on the committee for the upcoming Blueberry Festival which takes up more time than she thought. In addition to the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting, there will be a blueberry pie bake-off, a parade, a 5k race that Lindsey's significant other Rory is in charge of, a fashion show with clothes from Lindsey's mother and her BFF Kennedy's shop, Ellie & Co., and more.
But there appears to be a âpranksterâ in town. First, local real estate agent, Betty Vanhoosen finds her yard filled with FOR SALE signs belonging to other realtors, then water balloons fly at one float during the parade, but then the pranks aren't so funny when they are played at the race, bake-off, and fashion show. But things turn tragic when a man dressed as a Viking is found in a boat near Lindsey's lighthouse. That is no prank!
It is all hands on deck as Lindsey, Rory, and more try to uncover if the prankster is now a murderer or if someone else has taken advantage of the chaos and used it to muddy the waters of a murder.
I love the characters Ms. Hannah has created for this series. Lindsey is a fantastic protagonist with a curious nature. She loves living and having her bakery in a lighthouse. Her parents have made Beacon Harbor their home for part of the year. Her dad helps her at the bakery every day and her ex-supermodel mom has opened a clothing boutique with Lindsey's best friend Kennedy. Having Kennedy around is great for Lindsey. She is a partner in crime or someone to sleuth with when needed. Plus she is a lot of fun. Lindsey's relationship with former Navy SEAL boyfriend, Rory is evolving realistically. Her giant Newfoundland, Wellington is just so darn lovable and in this story, he makes a new friend. We also have Captain Willy Riggs who died at the lighthouse in the 1800s but is still making it his home which makes for some interesting happenings.
Something I really loved about this story is the meeting place the bakery has become. Rory has coffee every morning with a friend, then meets a group of military veterans there every Friday morning. Many bring their dogs who enjoy some free Beacon Bites while their owners have some coffee and something delicious from the bakery while swapping stories. Others gather daily with friends. It's also the place to come if there has been a murder but you never know if Lindsey's is going to stay mum or share any info she may have learned. My parents ran a tavern for many years and later a little cafe and like Lindsey's bakery they were community meeting places. I think even once there was a murder to discuss.
The murder mystery Ms. Hannah has written is very complicated with several suspects. Lindsey, Rory, Kennedy, and others tried to pull the clues together to make sense. It wasn't until Lindsey found a certain item that things started to fall into place. It was then that the story took an emotional turn and my heart ached. There was an unexpected plot twist that rocked the community of Beacon Harbor. The author did a great job writing about a hard topic that affects so many people and families these days.
While Murder at the Blueberry Festival included a heavy subject it was also filled with an abundance of humor and one really creepy thing that still eventually made me laugh. It is also filled with entertaining characters and blueberries, lots and lots of blueberries. There are seven blueberry recipes too!
With each book in this series, I become more invested in these characters. I am excited to jump into Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant soon. I am bound and determined to get caught up on this series before Murder at the Lemonberry Tea is released on November 26.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Darci Hannah, Kensington, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
