Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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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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