Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant is the 4th book in the Beacon Bakeshop series by Darci Hannah and is easily read as a standalone if you’re like me and haven’t read any of the previous books.
The main character, Lindsey, runs a bakery out of her converted lighthouse which is also rumoured to be haunted. When ghost hunters find the body of a local woman in Lindsey’s backyard while livestreaming a video podcast on Halloween night, Lindsey feels compelled to assist in investigating the murder. Not only is there a murder to solve, but the murder seems to be tied to sunken treasure, and Lindsey and her friend Kennedy are determined to find out if the rumors about the treasure are true and how it ties to the murder.
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant has the usual small town setting with lots of fun characters not least of whom is the ghost of Captain Willy, a former lighthouse keeper who tends to show up in the nick of time on several occasions. The characters were all interesting, with several who appeared to be suspicious, so the story kept me guessing who the culprit was and what their motive may have been.
This was a fun read, and being set in the fall and in a bakery, had mentions of all the fall pumpkin treats that you can imagine. There are even recipes at the end of the book, including one for easy Pumpkin Spice Latte. (I want to try the Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze, personally.)
I enjoyed reading Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant, and recommend it, especially if you curl up with a Pumpkin Pie Martini (another recipe from the book), while you read. I’ll probably go back and check out earlier books in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy of this book to review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant is available on July 25 2023.
Life, Tea, and Everything 