The Halloween spirit is alive and well in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. The decorations are hung and the revelry is underway with pumpkin pageants and costume parties. Lindsey Bakewell’s Bakeshop is housed in a historic haunted lighthouse and The Ghost Guys from the Travel Channel are in town to investigate. As the cameras start rolling, and best-friend influencer Kennedy starts recording for her podcast, something spooks the team and Kennedy finds herself running headfirst into a dead body in the fourth Beacon Bakeshop Mystery, MURDER AT THE PUMPKIN PAGEANT.

Lindsey is dismayed when she learns the identity of the corpse. Her first instinct is to see if the murder is related to local pranks occurring at her lighthouse before Halloween. What she finds is more questions and a long list of suspects. What is the popular author in town really working on besides a new story? Why is a family friend of the victim so overbearing? Who is the high school teacher with a secret?  And could a local witchtok group be involved? Can Lindsey answer all these questions and keep her bakeshop running before the grim reaper literally pays her a visit?

MURDER AT THE PUMPKIN PAGEANT is a fun-filled, top-notch cozy mystery that stands out in the genre. Lindsey lives with her dog Wellington in a picturesque lighthouse on Lake Michigan and runs a bakeshop. Lindsey is fast on her feet and logical as she tracks down clues with her best friend Kennedy and her love interest Rory. All the secondary characters are well-developed and enhance the story. The mystery itself is nicely layered with several suspects and possible motives for the murder. As a fan of Halloween, I enjoyed reading the details about the Halloween festivities and how the murder was integrated into the pranks occurring around town. Lindsey also faces some scary encounters with the grim reaper, and readers will be on the edge of their seats at the final showdown when Kennedy and Lindsey find themselves sinking into the cold waters of Lake Michigan. Great storytelling, a spooky setting, and intriguing characters make this a truly enjoyable mystery. Grab a pumpkin-spiced latte and a frosted pumpkin sugar cookie and enjoy!  Delicious recipes included!