What do you think?
Rate this book
Bakeshop at Holiday Bay #1
Black Forest Mystery
Set in the charming town of Holiday Bay, Maine, Bakeshop at Holiday Day follows Piper Fairchild, a spirited event planner who moves to town with her lovable dog, Penelope.
After connecting with Cricket and Marnie Abernathy, owners of All About Bluebells, Piper meets Paisley Bradford, a young woman with a dream of opening her own bakeshop. The two quickly form a bond and join the warm, welcoming courtyard family—including Lou, Cricket, Marnie, and the rest of the crew you know and love.
In book 1 in the series, Piper manages to land a job planning an exclusive black-tie event to be held at a local estate only to find a body in the bedroom just hours before the first honored guests are due to arrive.
After connecting with Cricket and Marnie Abernathy, owners of All About Bluebells, Piper meets Paisley Bradford, a young woman with a dream of opening her own bakeshop. The two quickly form a bond and join the warm, welcoming courtyard family—including Lou, Cricket, Marnie, and the rest of the crew you know and love.
In book 1 in the series, Piper manages to land a job planning an exclusive black-tie event to be held at a local estate only to find a body in the bedroom just hours before the first honored guests are due to arrive.
- GenresCozy MysteryMysteryCozy
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2025
352 people are currently reading
2580 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Daley
357 books1,788 followersKathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 17, 2025
Great book!!!!
This a great start to this series!!!!!!
Piper had been in Holiday Bay for her friends wedding and realized how much she liked it, and went back to her high-profile job in New York quit her job and moved in Holiday Bay to start her own business. She stayed at the Inn at Holiday Bay. Abby introduced her to Marnie and Cricket, then Paisley that owns a bakery.
Piper has started a catering business, and she has just landed her first big job, at Xander Homewood's black tie gala.
She has Paisley help her cause she didn't realize how much there was to do, as they are in the kitchen putting things in order, poker's dog Penelope gets out of the dog carrier and Piper has to chase her through the house and ends up in the master suite and finds and unconscious man on the bathroom floor.
She hide in the closet cause she hears someone coming when she gets out of the ,loser the body is gone.
She goes back to the kitchen tells Paisley, they leave and calls Alex the acting police chief. Alex has her go on with the gala, but has several friends go help her to keep their eyes and ears open to find out clues.
Now there is a lot of drama in the Homewood house hold.
There are alot of suspects, jealousy, greed, members of Chicago mob, loyal staff to certain members of the family and an illegitimate children.
Now you have to get this book to find out all the twists and turns to find the missing body!!!!!
This a great start to this series!!!!!!
Piper had been in Holiday Bay for her friends wedding and realized how much she liked it, and went back to her high-profile job in New York quit her job and moved in Holiday Bay to start her own business. She stayed at the Inn at Holiday Bay. Abby introduced her to Marnie and Cricket, then Paisley that owns a bakery.
Piper has started a catering business, and she has just landed her first big job, at Xander Homewood's black tie gala.
She has Paisley help her cause she didn't realize how much there was to do, as they are in the kitchen putting things in order, poker's dog Penelope gets out of the dog carrier and Piper has to chase her through the house and ends up in the master suite and finds and unconscious man on the bathroom floor.
She hide in the closet cause she hears someone coming when she gets out of the ,loser the body is gone.
She goes back to the kitchen tells Paisley, they leave and calls Alex the acting police chief. Alex has her go on with the gala, but has several friends go help her to keep their eyes and ears open to find out clues.
Now there is a lot of drama in the Homewood house hold.
There are alot of suspects, jealousy, greed, members of Chicago mob, loyal staff to certain members of the family and an illegitimate children.
Now you have to get this book to find out all the twists and turns to find the missing body!!!!!
September 5, 2025
This is the first in a new cosy mystery series by Kathi Daley, a prolific cosy mystery writer. It's another spin-off from The Inn at Holiday Bay series, this time, set in the Bakeshop at Holiday Bay. At its centre is the Bakeshop, in the same courtyard of shops where the Bookstore, Florist, and Deli are located, the same courtyard where the Bookstore at Holiday Bay is set.
Paisley is the new owner of the Bakeshop and Piper (who we met in Answers in the Ashes from the Inn at Holiday Bay series) runs her event planning business from the same shop, they also lease an apartment together.
In this first book, Piper gets a job organising a party for Xander Homewood at his home in Holiday Bay. Of course, she finds a body whilst looking for her dog, Penelope, who escapes her carrier. The story develops from there and includes many of the characters we know and love from other books by the same author.
There's a twist towards the end when Piper is sent an anonymous note. Does this relate to the body she found or something from her past?
A good start to another great series by Kathi Daley. I can't wait to read book 2.
Paisley is the new owner of the Bakeshop and Piper (who we met in Answers in the Ashes from the Inn at Holiday Bay series) runs her event planning business from the same shop, they also lease an apartment together.
In this first book, Piper gets a job organising a party for Xander Homewood at his home in Holiday Bay. Of course, she finds a body whilst looking for her dog, Penelope, who escapes her carrier. The story develops from there and includes many of the characters we know and love from other books by the same author.
There's a twist towards the end when Piper is sent an anonymous note. Does this relate to the body she found or something from her past?
A good start to another great series by Kathi Daley. I can't wait to read book 2.
October 1, 2025
Received as a Goodreads giveaway. At best this could be a rough draft. It needs editing. It needs to not use search and replace - the number of times “single bite appetizers” (7) and “black pants and brown shoes” (17) appeared was beyond ridiculous. A whole host of names is introduced for no reason except to continue with a highly-repetitive stream of consciousness style of writing. The police officer, Alex, shared every detail of the investigation with anyone who would listen or ask a question so you need to suspend disbelief. I found the ending unsatisfying, but to be fair, I was skimming by that time.
July 30, 2025
Piper Fairchild is just getting settled into her new home in Holiday Bay, and starting her own business as an event planner. Her first big job is at a big estate for a very rich man. While setting up the event, her little dog, Penelope, runs off and while searching for her, Piper finds a man on a bathroom floor. Dead or passed out, she doesn't know, but she is scared and needs to get away. With the help of her new friends can she stay safe and help the police...Great story for a new story set in Holiday Bay.
August 12, 2025
Awesome
Loving this new spin off of the Holiday Bay group. I absolutely love the crossover between series for most of the characters. Piper and Paisley seem to be great additions to Holiday Bay and especially the courtyard group. I can't wait to see what happens next after Piper discovered what she thought was a dead man while preparing her first big event as a planner. Kathi is always great at continuity in the storyline from each series to the others in that group. I absolutely recommend anything Kathi writes to anyone who asks.
Loving this new spin off of the Holiday Bay group. I absolutely love the crossover between series for most of the characters. Piper and Paisley seem to be great additions to Holiday Bay and especially the courtyard group. I can't wait to see what happens next after Piper discovered what she thought was a dead man while preparing her first big event as a planner. Kathi is always great at continuity in the storyline from each series to the others in that group. I absolutely recommend anything Kathi writes to anyone who asks.
August 13, 2025
New can be good!
Another adorable cozy mystery by Kathi Daley.
With three cozy mystery series already set in Holiday Bay, Piper and Penelope fit right in. A fairly similar cozy style that was different and interesting enough to keep reading and wanting to find out 'who done it'.
It's actually been enjoyable to have the different series from other point of view interacting with other main characters.
There's even a surprise character showing up from another spin-off series. The connections are so fun!
Another adorable cozy mystery by Kathi Daley.
With three cozy mystery series already set in Holiday Bay, Piper and Penelope fit right in. A fairly similar cozy style that was different and interesting enough to keep reading and wanting to find out 'who done it'.
It's actually been enjoyable to have the different series from other point of view interacting with other main characters.
There's even a surprise character showing up from another spin-off series. The connections are so fun!
September 9, 2025
I won an e-copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a nice short cozy mystery read. The storyline did start a bit abruptly right in the middle of finding a body. I struggled to connect with the main charater's friend group as there wasn't much time spent explaining why they are so close and why they are so intent on being involved to solve the murder. Piper is an event planner and there wasn't much time spend in the bakeshop which was a little confusing as i expected the bakeshop to play a bigger role in the setting. Overall, a fun read, but not very intriguing.
This was a nice short cozy mystery read. The storyline did start a bit abruptly right in the middle of finding a body. I struggled to connect with the main charater's friend group as there wasn't much time spent explaining why they are so close and why they are so intent on being involved to solve the murder. Piper is an event planner and there wasn't much time spend in the bakeshop which was a little confusing as i expected the bakeshop to play a bigger role in the setting. Overall, a fun read, but not very intriguing.
August 1, 2025
Good first book
I am glad that Ms. Daley has started a new series with characters from the rest of the Inn series books. You are already acquainted with most of the characters but a couple new ones to get it started. Although the main character seemed a little on the whimpy side, she still came through to catch a killer. With the catering business there should be many more opportunities for murder and mayhem.
I am glad that Ms. Daley has started a new series with characters from the rest of the Inn series books. You are already acquainted with most of the characters but a couple new ones to get it started. Although the main character seemed a little on the whimpy side, she still came through to catch a killer. With the catering business there should be many more opportunities for murder and mayhem.
August 10, 2025
A little confusing…
I love all of this authors series but for some reason I felt like I dropped in the middle of a story with little background for this new character and then directly into a family tradgedy who seemed very disjointed and ended up in the air and off to another completely different line. Hopefully the next book will help clarify and bring this all together. I’ll give it time.
I love all of this authors series but for some reason I felt like I dropped in the middle of a story with little background for this new character and then directly into a family tradgedy who seemed very disjointed and ended up in the air and off to another completely different line. Hopefully the next book will help clarify and bring this all together. I’ll give it time.
September 29, 2025
I enjoyed this first book in this series. I wish I had a paperback version because I needed to refer back to the character list a couple of times. But I was very thankful for that list. This story was interesting since there seemed to be a body and then there wasn't and then it appeared somewhere else. It took me a bit to be comfortable with the characters, I had to get to know them. But it was a fun, easy read.
August 1, 2025
New spinoff series
Piper now has an event planning company, and on her first big event, she discovers a man in the bathroom laying on the floor. She hears someone coming and hides in the closet. Lots of confusing family dynamics, and it is never revealed who left her the threatening note.
Piper now has an event planning company, and on her first big event, she discovers a man in the bathroom laying on the floor. She hears someone coming and hides in the closet. Lots of confusing family dynamics, and it is never revealed who left her the threatening note.
August 7, 2025
new series for holiday bay
Very cute cozy starting an event planner.
The only loose string I found is what was up with the threatening letter about “returning what was taken”. Letter mysteriously dropped off on the event planners desk, she gets spooked, but then no mention or tie in to the story. Otherwise I enjoyed it. Only reason I gave it 4 stars
Very cute cozy starting an event planner.
The only loose string I found is what was up with the threatening letter about “returning what was taken”. Letter mysteriously dropped off on the event planners desk, she gets spooked, but then no mention or tie in to the story. Otherwise I enjoyed it. Only reason I gave it 4 stars
August 10, 2025
it was a killer party.
Well, there was a body. Who wasn’t dead when first seen as a body, but then ended up very dead,
Baptism by fire for Piper as she learns, food, dogs, wine and friends are always served with a side of murder here in Holiday Bay. Not as intrigued either this series as Inn, Bistro, or Bookshop in Holiday Bay.
Well, there was a body. Who wasn’t dead when first seen as a body, but then ended up very dead,
Baptism by fire for Piper as she learns, food, dogs, wine and friends are always served with a side of murder here in Holiday Bay. Not as intrigued either this series as Inn, Bistro, or Bookshop in Holiday Bay.
August 15, 2025
Fun New Cozy Mystery
I love Kathi Daley's cozy mysteries! This is a new series in Holiday Bay that mixes new characters with other characters from other series based in Holiday Bay. I enjoyed seeing Holiday Bay from the eyes of Piper, the newest to the small town family. I recommend this book to any cozy mystery reader or a reader looking for something new and fun.
I love Kathi Daley's cozy mysteries! This is a new series in Holiday Bay that mixes new characters with other characters from other series based in Holiday Bay. I enjoyed seeing Holiday Bay from the eyes of Piper, the newest to the small town family. I recommend this book to any cozy mystery reader or a reader looking for something new and fun.
November 6, 2025
Black forest cake isn't to die for
Some food can be difficult to make but not black forest cake. But then murder can happen around it if you're not paying attention. Then with this family it's hard to keep track of who's who so maybe it was easy to get rid of some one? But at least the Fri evening block group get together was starting up.
Some food can be difficult to make but not black forest cake. But then murder can happen around it if you're not paying attention. Then with this family it's hard to keep track of who's who so maybe it was easy to get rid of some one? But at least the Fri evening block group get together was starting up.
July 30, 2025
Bake shop of Holiday Bay: Black Forest Mystery
A big event for her new business. A mystery with extreme amount of parts and clues to figure out a murder. Great characters and a great read.
A big event for her new business. A mystery with extreme amount of parts and clues to figure out a murder. Great characters and a great read.
August 9, 2025
Well written book with new characters blending with all the regular ones
That darn dog took off andvwas running amok through the huge house. Just when I thought she was cornered, she wasn't.
And then I saw the man lying there appearing to be dead.
That darn dog took off andvwas running amok through the huge house. Just when I thought she was cornered, she wasn't.
And then I saw the man lying there appearing to be dead.
September 14, 2025
I love this new series!
Kathie Daley has a great way of spinning off of a main series and yet keeping everything interesting and fun and connected throughout the series.
Piper and Paisley are going to make a great pair around the bake shop. I look forward to the next story.
Kathie Daley has a great way of spinning off of a main series and yet keeping everything interesting and fun and connected throughout the series.
Piper and Paisley are going to make a great pair around the bake shop. I look forward to the next story.
October 14, 2025
A new series set in Holiday Bay! I enjoyed meeting the new residents of Holiday Bay, Piper and Paisley, and getting to see old friends in the other shop owners in the courtyard. A nice mystery with quite a few twists that kept me guessing until the end.
July 30, 2025
Lovely
It as ice to know more about characters we had already met, all the people in the shops around the courtyard. And the new ones Piper and Paisley. I will enjoy the next one.
It as ice to know more about characters we had already met, all the people in the shops around the courtyard. And the new ones Piper and Paisley. I will enjoy the next one.
August 1, 2025
wonderful story
I thoroughly loved the story and new series characters. I can’t wait for the next book so I get to visit Holiday Bay again.
I thoroughly loved the story and new series characters. I can’t wait for the next book so I get to visit Holiday Bay again.
August 4, 2025
It's always nice to read a book with new characters, but one that includes characters you are already familiar with. I enjoyed this book, and look forward to the next one.
August 7, 2025
absolutely needs editing
I read all the various series spin offs in this book universe, so I was unpleasantly surprised by how poorly written this book was. Definitely a DNF.
I read all the various series spin offs in this book universe, so I was unpleasantly surprised by how poorly written this book was. Definitely a DNF.
August 16, 2025
My review for Bakeshop at Holiday Bay
I really enjoyed it. A bittersweet ending, but an excellent story. Another interesting series. I look forward to the next book.
I really enjoyed it. A bittersweet ending, but an excellent story. Another interesting series. I look forward to the next book.
August 27, 2025
Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
September 9, 2025
Enjoyed
I enjoyed this book, its a good cozy mystery. Kathy Daley knows who to cause charters to come to live as you read her stories.
I enjoyed this book, its a good cozy mystery. Kathy Daley knows who to cause charters to come to live as you read her stories.
September 15, 2025
Good characters and nice story line. Enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews