Book 101, 2024
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I stayed up a little bit late last night to finish reading Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah. This is the 4th in her "Beacon Bakeshop" mystery series, featuring the owner/operator of the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey Bakewell.
The town of Beacon Harbor is getting ready for Halloween, and this year one of the events is the Pumpkin Pageant--a parade/costume contest for people and their pets. Since Lindsey's mother, former supermodel Ellie Montgomery, is hosting the Pumpkin Pageant, Lindsey and her cohorts dress up as pirates. She even puts a pirate hat on Wellington, her Newfoundland. In addition to participating in the pageant, Lindsey is busy at her bakeshop, creating sweet, seasonal treats for her customers. She's kept her decor more Autumn-themed than Halloween-themed which has prompted some of the local teens to prank her by hanging various ghoulish characters in the oak tree outside the lighthouse. As if she wasn't busy enough, Lindsey's BFF, social influencer Kennedy, has arranged for a live-streamed ghost hunt at the lighthouse on Halloween night. It all ends in disaster when Kennedy and the crew of Ghost Guys get spooked and run outside, only for Kennedy to run into a body hanging in Lindsey's oak tree--an actual, dead body. Lindsey is horrified, making her determined to find out who murdered the victim and why the body was left almost literally on her doorstep. With the help of her friends, Lindsey closes in on a killer, but the killer is closing in on her, too.
This was fast-paced, gripping, and creepy. And delicious. Hah! Seriously, who wouldn't want to try some of those baked goods? Lindsey has a knack of getting people to talk to her, while customers tend to impart tidbits of gossip and information. Characters were three dimensional, and I enjoy reconnecting with familiar ones as well as with their pets. The mystery/main plot was interwoven with plenty of humor and romance, as well as a touch of angst.
Favorite lines:
♦ I loved fall. I truly did.
♦ "What's not to love about a couple of guys with a lot of ghost tech poking through an old, spooky building in the dead of night?"
♦ "Is it just me, or are you having a bad Harry Potter flashback as well?"
♦ She stomped a fluffy bunny slipper to make her point. The trouble was, it was a fluffy bunny slipper.
♦ "People have been primping up poodles since the invention of poodles."
♦ "I survived Stink Pickle Creek and the Grim Reaper."
♦ She reminded me of a middle-aged superhero preparing to face an insurmountable task, like trying to figure out what baked good to order today."
Entertaining and perfect for the season. Five stars.