Publisher: Kensington
Published: February 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1496731722Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Print from Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address: Gina myreviewbooks@aol.com
FIVE HEARTS
After walking in on her fiancé with his assistant in a compromising position in his famed New York restaurant kitchen Lindsey Bakewell quit her high powered job and moved to Michigan where she bought a lighthouse. Not just any lighthouse but the old, run down Beacon Point Lighthouse. Lindsey doesn’t see a crumbling structure. What she sees is a chance to live out her dream of having a bakery where she can indulge in her passion for cooking. As she sets about restoring the old lighthouse along with her loveable New Foundland, Wellington, she meets many of Beach Harbor’s townsfolk and quickly becomes a member of the community. On the recommendation of her real estate agent and all around community cheerleader Betty, Lindsey hires Dylan who turns out to be an amazing baker and all around hard worker. She also meets and begins to spend some significant time with her hunky neighbour, Rory Campbell. Even the rumoured lighthouse ghost is on board with Lindsey being successful. Everything is moving along and looking toward a successful opening of the lighthouse bakery including the arrival of Lindsey’s best friend, Kennedy who is a major social media influencer. When opening day dawns a crowd is ready to enjoy the tasty treats. But there is a fly in the ointment…Lindsey’s former fiancé and his current girlfriend, Mia, are also in the crowd and they aren’t there to celebrate Lindsey’s success. Mia immediately begins disrupting the celebration but within minutes of doing so she collapses, dead. Given Lindsey’s connection to the dead woman it doesn’t take the local police long to take aim at her as their number one suspect. Not one to take things lying down, Lindsey begins to dig into just who killed Mia.
I read Darci Hannah several years ago, the Exile of Sarah Stevenson which also features a lighthouse. As someone enthralled with lighthouses, traveling out to our nearby Point Reyes Lighthouse at least once a year just to admire its beauty, when I saw Hannah’s new series, the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries, and that they feature a lighthouse I had to read it. Not only does the series center around a lighthouse—it has a hunky hero side kick, a loveable dog and a ghost! Not only are the elements I just can’t resist, there are some fantastic characters that will hopefully continue to appear in the books as the series continues.
Hannah gives her readers a good mystery—who killed Mia and why? There are just enough red herrings and clues to who the killer is to keep you turning the pages without wanting to put the book down. Her characters are all terrific…even slimy, ex-fiancé, Jeffrey, is enjoyable to read. Rory Campbell is a dream hero—good looking, smart and loves dogs. Cozies seem to have a rule that somewhere along the way there is a love triangle that usually shows up around books three or four. I can see the start of one in this series and hope it doesn’t deteriorate into that direction. In my book club if there is one thing that turns us off on different series is when that annoying love triangle shows up.
Lindsey’s friend Kennedy is a hoot. She lives in New York and loves that fast paced world but I hope we see more of her in future stories. Normally my favorite character in any book is when there is a dog or cat, especially if they add to the story but in this case, I have to say Lindsey is the best. She’s smart, creative, practical and pragmatic. She’s the kind of character you wish was a real friend in your life.
With some recipes that seem simple to make as well as delish included this series is off to a great start and I can’t wait for book two.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
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