Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️♥️

This story grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go—part mystery, part love story, and all heart.❤️
Birdie, our stubborn and deeply lovable protagonist, is living out her days at Sunny Pines retirement community, still haunted by the loss of Allison, the love of her life. Everyone else accepted Allison’s death as a suicide, but Birdie’s gut has never believed it. Years later, she’s still holding onto the truth she knows in her bones: Allison was murdered.
When strange things start happening at Sunny Pines, Birdie teams up with her fellow retirees—a ragtag group of sharp, funny, and fiercely loyal seniors—to dig into the mystery. What unfolds is equal parts suspenseful and touching, with a thread of Allison’s perspective from beyond the grave weaving through the story, adding this beautiful, almost magical layer of love and longing.
What I adored: ♥️Birdie’s voice—so full of wit, grief, and determination. The way her friendships with the other residents felt so real, ♥️♥️♥️This wasn’t just a whodunit; it was a story about how love lingers, how grief shapes us, and how it’s never too late to find your people.
If you like mysteries with soul, characters who feel like friends, and a love story that defies time, this one’s for you. I finished it with a lump in my throat and a smile on my face—always the sign of a great read.♥️

This book showed promise at first, but man it just dragged on and on in the middle. The author just kept repeating the same thoughts and story lines over and over again. I found myself skimming about 60% of the way thru just to get to the mystery solved. I love the idea of the seniors creating a club to solve the murders, but it took so darn long to get there! I enjoyed the writing as this is my first time reading this author. I even enjoyed the senior care home setting and the quirky characters. I didn’t quite understand the “ghost” chapters, it didn’t seem like it took the story to any better more interesting place. And I have to say the ending was pretty predictable. I guessed the killer pretty early on. I would like to say I’d recommend this book, but honestly, it’s just mediocre and there are so many other books more gripping and interesting. Thanks for netgalley for an advanced copy!

I love this cover so much. And the summary sounded perfect. But for some reason I wasn't feeling it. I thiink I was detached from the characters, which is a problem in a book like this.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for this arc.

If I’d read this book ten years ago, my reaction would be much different. I’ve watched relatives need to give up independence and seen the effect it has. Bodies don’t work as well, minds grope for words and memories that were once crisp, and younger people begin to take over and limit things in a senior’s life. Seeing Birdie and her new acquaintances dealing with all this is something I understand a bit more.

The people at the apartment complex are not just oldsters to be parked, though. Most of them have skills and knowledge to bring to Birdie’s investigation. They also have their own pride and when Birdie makes judgements and gets things wrong, I liked that these people call Birdie on it.

But while Birdie does make her share of mistakes, she’s held onto her belief that her friend didn’t die the way the police thought. This aspect of the book is both heartening and sad. Birdie’s 52 year old guilt has driven her to solve this case but at an emotional cost to herself and her adopted son and his family. It makes me think of all the cold cases out there that weigh on families and friends who can’t set their anger and grief aside yet. Brava that mental health is a focus here and getting help is viewed positively. However the radical 180 degree turns for a few characters, though nice to read, read as too much too fast.

Birdie’s strength and convictions are both a help and a hindrance in solving the case. She tends to make up her mind quickly about something and might not always be correct. Clues are scattered through the story but I began to narrow my gaze fairly early on. Still there are enough red herrings and deliberate miscues to keep certainty at bay.

One thing I was not too fond of is the slight paranormal element of the story. I didn’t think it really brought much to the book or the investigation and after a while, I sort of started to skip these short chapters.

The story shines a light on the fact that certain victims, then and now, tend to go missing and the disappearances are not rigorously investigated just because of who or what the victims are. Also that old age is limiting and painful but not a reason to put older people out to pasture just yet. Yay that Birdie sees justice done and also realizes her past mistakes and owns them. B-

Very enjoyable read. This story takes place at Sunny Pines retirement living center with all its quirky characters. I absolutely loved the main character, Birdie. This was the first book by Melissa Payne that I have read, and she did a great job with development of Birdie's character. I thought this was a good book it touched on intuition, lifelong regrets, mystery, friendships and community. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Last year I read The Wild Road Home by this author, and absolutely fell in love. I have another book of hers on my TBR as well. She does an amazing job of crafting beautiful stories with rich characters.

A beautiful story about grief, searching for the truth, and following your gut.

I loved Sunny Pines, the retirement community in which Birdie lives, and all the friends she makes there. I especially loved Joseph, but so many of these lovely friends were so wonderful.

I actually loved the “ghostly” elements, and Allison’s spirit still being around. It didn’t feel as hokey as it may sound. I was able to guess the killer pretty early on, but despite that I really enjoyed the book.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t too sure about this book as I started reading it.
It ended up being much better than I expected.
Taking place at an assisted living center it was full of interesting characters. It was a slow build and ended with a bang. I was surprised by the ending. Definitely recommend

Birdie is a colorful and lovable woman with a huge heart. A heart that was broken by the death of a close friend. This tremendous loss created a life-long drive to keep searching for alternative answers to what really happened to her friend.

Fifty-years later, Birdie now resides in a retirement home where she meets who offer insight into her haunting memories. This is an endearing story that blends magical realism with truth, mystery, and love.

I immediately liked Birdie, the main character, flaws and all. She's a self-made woman who genuinely cares about others and is willing to take risks when she thinks she can make a difference.

What I also appreciated about this book was Birdie's personal growth, even in her seventies, which was the true driving force behind the mystery that propelled the story, leading to her newfound self-awareness and realizations about her past and present.

The cover of this book was beautiful. I enjoyed the story. I really appreciated the fact that the aurthor gave true descriptions of older adults and what they live with physically and emotionally as they age. The characters all had great depth. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this author's book A Light in the Forest and The Wild Road Home was one of my favourite reads of 2024. When I saw this title on NetGalley, I knew I HAD to have it, and it did not disappoint. Once again, Payne writes a wonderfully engaging story that mixes suspense and heart with truly amazing characters you want to cheer on and will remember for a long time. This story is about Birdie, a strong and independent woman who finds herself mixed up in a murder from the past.

Payne's writing is expressive and heartwarming. She immediately drew me into Sunny Pines and its quirky residents. The mystery itself is interesting and has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. There is also some humour within the pages, and the residents of Sunny Pines are a hoot. I loved the character development along the way and felt truly invested in Birdie and her journey to find the truth. I was especially pleased by the friendships she made along the way.

But this book is more than just a mystery, it's a celebration of life, friendship and community that isn't just heartwarming but very entertaining. It left me with a smile on my face and an appreciation for growing old(er). Overall, this book was a wonderful mix of mystery, heartwarming moments, and amazing characters. If you enjoy a mystery with a lot of heart and character-driven stories that show how friendship and community can mean a lot, this is the book for you.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I loved this book so much! It's Golden Girls meets Unsolved Mysteries—both shows that had a complete chokehold on me in the 90s. This book evoked strong emotions within me! It starts with a crazy beginning in the early 70s to present day. It has newfound family, friends, and validation.

I enjoyed the easy transitions from past to present and the POVs from a ghost??? Ahhhh, I wasn't expecting that. There's no twist at the end—the book gives you more than enough clues to guess who it is. Nonetheless, I loved the LOL moments and Birdie's (FMC) sense of humor. Unlike some unsolved mystery cases, this one was solved. Perfect ending!

In The Beautiful Dark is an endearing story about love, grief, regret and friendship and it is set in a retirement community. I loved the main character Birdie Allen - who is not coping with retirement well after half a century of working hard. She is also haunted by the death of the love of her life more than 50 years ago which she is convinced was murder. I really enjoyed the mystery and action element of the novel but more so I devoured the relationship building and life stories of the characters. The seniors’ interactions had me laugh out loud at times, and I adored the way they always came together and helped each other as well as the women in need. They set out with their walkers, antique cars and oxygen bottles and fearlessly chased intruders and predators when the police didn’t follow up. The author did a really good job developing the characters and describing their community. I liked the glimpses into the past and the short chapters in between from the point of view of the spiritual loved ones who were watching from the shadows. This gave the book a touch of paranormal content which worked well for the story.
This was my first book by Melissa Payne and I’ll be looking forward to reading more from her. I am also hoping for a sequel of In The Beautiful Dark to hear more about Birdie and the ‘gang’.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Ms Melissa Payne for gifting me a digital ARC. I truly enjoyed reading it and the above is my honest review and own opinion.

This was a fantastic read! I absolutely loved Birdie! She is a fabulous main character! She is strong, determined, willing to help those who need and she is far from perfect but that just makes you like her even more! The antics of the other characters were hilarious at times and I really couldn't help but truly enjoy all of them! The story has a great mix of the past, present, humor and drama! I really hope that there will be ALOT more of Birdie to come! Thank you Kate Rock Book Tours and Melissa Payne for sharing this book with me!

When I read the description of this one, I knew I wanted to read it. I tend to enjoy stories about seniors in retirement communities joining together to solve crimes. Our main character Birdie lives at Sunny Pines retirement community. Birdie is still haunted by the loss of her love Allison that she is pretty sure was murdered. But it was ruled it a suicide. Birdie just cannot seem to get over this. She knows in her heart that she was murdered and has always thought about getting to the bottom of it.

Well, when strange things start to happen at Sunny Side, Birdie and her group of senior friends come together to try and figure out what it's going on. I truly enjoyed Birdie's character so much. She was so quirky and fun. I loved her delightful bunch of friends as well. Melissa really did a great job of creating these characters. They felt so real. I also loved how you got the perspective of Allison, from beyond. That was such a unique way to read about how Birdie and Allison were together in the past!

The mystery of Allison's death, the love and found family between Birdie and her new friends really pulled at my heart. Such a lovely read. I can't wait to add more of Melissa's books to my list.

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and Getred PR books for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Four and a half stars rounded up. Melissa continues to be one of the authors whose new books I request, sight unseen. Just like with her last book, when I saw “In the Beautiful Dark” was available, I downloaded it immediately.

Birdie has been living at the Sunny Pines Retirement Community for the last six months. So far, she has been cordial with her fellow residents, but hasn’t made any friends and doesn’t know them all that well. When a local woman is murdered, Birdie begin to wonder if it’s connected to a string of murders that started occurring over 50 years ago. While the book does involve Birdie’s pursuit of answers related to the serial killer in her area, it is more than your typical murder mystery.

As Birdie gets closer to her fellow residents and starts becoming friends with them, she starts seeing we’re all more alike than we are different. She and her friends help each other, share their secrets, talk about their regrets, and have meals together. I will say I’ve been enjoying authors’ main characters recently being older than the “norm” and Birdie, along with the residents of Sunny Pines, are no exception.

Towards the last part of the book, it turned into a page turner for me. At one point I realized I was holding my breath as I turned the pages. Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Recap:
For Birdie Allen, getting old isn’t the hardest part about life. It’s the memories from more than fifty years ago of the death of her unrequited love. And Birdie’s abandoned quest to root out the killer. When Birdie connects a string of recent murders, and a woman disappears, she’s drawn into the same chase she gave up decades earlier. But this time she has the help of an eccentric community of eager new friends. And they’re not alone. Restless souls are watching, including Birdie’s lost love, and they sense the danger that lies ahead. But will Birdie’s pursuit of a killer finally free her of regrets and allow her to embrace the beauty of the life she’s created?

Review:
This book is yet another example of why I love Melissa Payne's writing! It took me a bit to get hooked, but once I was, I could not put it down!

In the Beautiful Dark is so much more than just a murder mystery. This is a haunting story full of heart, hope, and healing, and it left me feeling all of the feels. I fell in love with the quirky characters at the Sunny Pines Retirement Community and the small-town feel of the book. There’s so much authenticity infused into each of these characters, their joys and their pains, and their relationships with one another. And, while it’s not discussed at length, the relationship between Birdie and Allison sheds light on a time period during which it was difficult for many to live and love the way they wanted to. I also appreciated the subtle ghostly element. And all the while, the story somehow manages to be funny at times while still maintaining its poignancy.

I felt this was a good read overall I loved the inclusion of older characters as people with lives and value. It was a good read
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

3.5 stars. This was decent but I never felt gripped by it. It was the story of Birdie, an older lady living in a retirement community, not giving up on proving her former friend/almost girlfriend was murdered 50+ years ago. I liked the cadre of people in the retirement home but there wasn't quite enough detail on most of them. The conversations with Birdie's son expressing concern for her felt repetitive. I've liked others of this author's books better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I'm loving all the books coming out as of late focusing on older humans and their lives. I am a 50 year old myself, so I can relate to a lot of them.
Melissa Payne has become one of my favorite artists. I love when she incorporates magical realism. I have read all her books to date and she just keeps getting better.