Book Review: Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams

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Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams is the first book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series and is set in western Virginia at a charming resort called Storyton Hall. This unique resort is designed specifically for book lovers who want to escape, unwind, and immerse themselves in their favorite stories. The resort’s manager, Jane Steward, decides to host a themed “Murder and Mayhem Week” inviting mystery enthusiasts to gather, role-play, and solve fictional crimes. However, the event takes a dark turn when one of the guests is found dead in his suite and a valuable prize goes missing. Jane must uncover which guest is responsible for the murder before the retreat is ruined . Before picking up this novel, I had only read one other book in the series. I decided to start from the beginning as part of my New Year’s resolution to finally read books I purchased years ago. I’m so glad I did. Starting with the first installment allowed me to fully appreciat...
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Book Review: Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) by Darci Hannah

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Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) by Darci Hannah is set in Beacon Harbor, Michigan and opens with Lindsey Bakewell finding a dummy hung from a tree outside her haunted home and workplace, a lighthouse that has been converted into a home and bakery.  Determined to keep this from happening again, Lindsey has the seniors from the local high school over for a pumpkin carving contest.  On top of that, one of her employees told a reality show that they could film the lighthouse for their show.  During the taping, the ghost makes his presence known, and everyone flees the building only to find that one of the high school teachers hanging from a tree.  Lindsey and her friends are determined to find the answer.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) written by Darci Hannah.  I wasn't familiar with this author or her books, but after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book.  I was delighted when I found out I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I didn't realize that this cozy mystery was the fourth book in a series until I started reading it.  However, this book could really be read as a stand alone book as the author does a relatively good job at bringing the reader up to speed on the characters.  I will say that I did have trouble keeping some of those characters straight in my mind, but the majority of them were likable.

The author did a phenomenal job with the twists and turns along with having plenty of suspects.  There were three different people that I suspected, but one of them I had a gut feeling about being the actual murderer in the story.  I just wasn't entirely sure of this person's connection to the victim, so that is why I suspected a couple of other people as well . . . they had more of a connection to the victim.  The author definitely kept me second guessing myself!

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, and it put me in the mood for Halloween.  A few of the recipes sounded yummy, so I will give those recipes a try this fall.  At some point, I will read the other books in the Beacon Bakeshop series.  Four out of five stars is what I gave Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (Beacon Bakeshop, #4) written by Darci Hannah.

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