🤔 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝔻𝕚𝕕 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕥: I have been reading Melissa Payne since her debut which actually came out while I was living near her. I have been a huge fan ever since and picked up In the Beautiful Dark without even reading the synopsis.

🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: I knew from the beginning I was going to love this book and there wasn’t a moment I doubted that. I was wondering what kind of story it would end up becoming, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

👏🏼 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈: First of all, a ghost vibe?! I do say that it is one of my favorite parts and I loved that it added even more of an air of mystery to the storyline. The characters were some of my favorites, and I especially loved Birdie. Having this set so many years after Allison’s death when Birdie is finding it harder to get around somehow added a ton of tension to story. She is such a kind soul, and I completely understood her drive and even when it came to pushing away the people she loves. I love that Payne makes her writing so accessible and this book was all-consuming the entire time I was reading it.

🙃 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙳𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙼𝚎: My only struggle with this book was the audiobook which I will dive into next.

🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: Oh the audio… There are two narrators with Bahni Turpin as Birdie and Jeremy Carlisle Parker as I will let you find out 😉 and it was a bit of a shame that Turpin was the star of the show narration wise. I will say I love her voice and normally do love her narration, but she killed my vibe this time. When she was on a roll, she was great, but she had the LONGEST pauses that distracted from the storyline big time. I found myself getting incredibly frustrated with her and this seems like a major editing error. To be fair I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next and that could have added to my irritation just a touch. 😵‍💫 Jeremy on the other hand was perfect, and I loved her parts of the book the most as far as audio goes.


💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: There are so many red herrings in this book, and I found myself constantly changing my mind about who the killer was. Sunny Pines is a place I would totally live if I got to spend my days with this group of people, and it is impossible not to love the characters. The big reveal at the end was mind blowing and the road to get there was paved with just the right amount of emotion, mystery, and humor.

T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🚙🛁👀🐶🖌️

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐💫

While this is a dark murder mystery, it's the vibrant personalities of Birdie and her friends at the Sunny Pines Retirement Community that steal the show.

Birdie’s best friend and secret love, Allison, died over fifty years ago. But to this day, Birdie believes Allison may have been murdered. Birdie has been trying to connect the dots of several murders for years, hoping it may give her answers to Allison’s death. Now she has lots of time living at the Sunny Pines Retirement Community. When another woman goes missing, her quirky and “mature” friends are determined to help her solve the case.

The story strikes a perfect balance between humor and mystery, with Birdie and her friends adding a touch of lightness to the chilling heaviness that hangs over it. Their quirky friendship kept me engaged, and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat.



🎧 Bahni Turpin is one of my favorite narrators, and she and Jeremy Carlisle Parker did a great job with this audiobook. They embodied these characters, enhancing my reading experience.

Thank you @brilliancepublishing for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley.

This was such a great book. I love how it all was weaved together. I think I would have done the same thing Birdie did in trying to find who the serial killer was. Birdie is such an amazing character and her attitude is just perfect. I had suspicions about who did it but was only more convinced once things started to not add up even more. I was only about a chapter ahead of Birdie in finding out. Overall a great book with mystery and suspense and redemption.

Every time I pick up a Melissa Payne novel, I know I’m in for an exceptional read. Her storylines are unique, her characters are endearing, and her books never fail to make me tear up.

In The Beautiful Dark checks all these boxes and more! I fell in love with sweet Birdie, our main character, who has recently moved into a retirement community. There’s another main character to love in this one as well, and we get her POV through the paranormal/magical realism element of the story.

This novel is very character driven. There’s forward movement as Birdie and her friends try to work out all the connected pieces of unsolved cold cases, but the mystery happens alongside the people in Sunny Pines retirement community getting to know and appreciate each other. Birdie has a lovely character arc as her son and her new friends help her reexamine her past.

Throughout most of the book there’s a mystery waiting to be solved, but it develops almost gently. Until chapter 42, when the suspense ratcheted up to 100 and had my heart racing! The book quickly moves from a mystery to a thriller as suspicions grow and are confirmed. I couldn’t read the next few chapters fast enough!

The ending of this one was really sweet! The main characters each get the closure they’re searching for, and we get a peek into what the future holds for some of Birdie’s friends.

This is the perfect book for anyone who loves character-driven novels, older characters, and amateur sleuths!

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio and Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

In the Beautiful Dark by Melissa Payne is a story about an elderly woman investigating a murder but it is so much more too. Our main character is a retired business owner named Birdie. She is such a powerful and deep character. She decides to finally solve the mystery of who had killed her unrequited love fifty years ago when she connects a string of murders and a woman goes missing. With the help of her friends, Birdie works to solve the case and learns a lot about herself and her life in the process. Despite the serious tone of the story there are some laugh out loud moments I really enjoyed too. The audiobook narration was amazing. It really brought the setting to life and added a lot of emotion to the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Birdie Allen is living at a retirement home but not really participating in her life. She has never gotten over her former roommate's murder 50 years ago. Recent murders stir up old memories and Birdie and her new friends get involved in discovering the truth. Birdie and her friends were great.

I enjoyed Bahni Turpin and Jeremy Carlisle Parker's narration.

This is my second book I've read by Melissa Payne. She does not disappoint.

Bertie took in a pregnant girl 50 years ago. She had the baby and Bertie and Allison fell in love. But, Bertie came home one day to find her love in the bathtub, a victim of murder. She is still trying to find her killer 50 years later.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A moving portrait of a woman tormented by her long dead lovers death, never knowing the answer to the mystery is closer than she could ever imagine.

I really enjoyed the beautiful idea of someone who refuses to let go of their crusade for justice, even if it causes tension in their relationships. I loved the perspective we get of older people and their challenges, both physical and emotional and the growth that is still there for us even as our lives are reaching the end. The reminder that what we thought defines us doesn’t have to limit us is so powerful and gave me such a feeling of freedom.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Audio, Lake Union Publishing and Get Red PR for my copies. These opinions are my own.

Thank you @melissapayne_writes @brilliancepublishing @amazonpublishing and @getredprbooks for the #gifted book and ALC and this is my honest review.

Birdie has regrets regarding her unrequited love for her friend Allison who she found murdered. Because she was a dancer, the cops called it a suicide and never looked into it with regards to a serial killer in the neighborhood. Birdie knew Allison would never leave her young son Felix who she was now left to raise. After many years and a bout of depression, Birdie abandons her quest to find Allison's killer.

Fifty years later Birdie is retired from her successful cleaning business and lives in the Sunny Pines Retirement Community. When dead animals start appearing in the community and a woman goes missing, Birdie starts investigating a string of murders. But Birdie isn't investigating alone this time. She has the help of an eclectic cast of characters in the community.

I enjoyed all the characters that at times made me laugh. But this is also a heartbreaking story of regrets. I liked how we heard Allison's voice and the restless souls that were watching. Birdie is the type of person who would help a person in need and watch out for them. I loved her character growth and the found family of the retirement community. This story had me hooked and I alternated between the book and the audio. The narrators @bahni_turpin
and @jercarparvo did a great job adding suspense and emotion to the story.

I loved the retirement community that surrounded Birdie. I know a handful of them didn’t necessarily want to be there but besides the couple shady things happening it sounded like a good time to me once everyone warmed up to one another. Nan and Joseph were some of my favorites. I liked the paranormal aspect and the mystery that followed Birdie. There were some heavier topics but I thought it was done in a respectful way. The conversations that came from them were heartfelt. I had a feeling about where the story was gonna go but I really enjoyed Birdie’s involvement with the mystery and watching her grow. I absolutely loved the narrator. They did a great job bringing the story to life.

Thank you @getredprbooks @melissapayne_writes the publisher and netgalley for the gifted audio

The concept of In the Beautiful Dark was compelling and I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately the pacing felt very slow and the middle dragged. There was a lot of repetition of thoughts and ideas, and the ending was pretty predictable.

Wow—what an absolute gem of a book! In The Beautiful Dark is a gripping, suspenseful mystery with a refreshingly unique perspective that had me hooked from start to finish.

Set primarily in a retirement community, the story follows a cast of elderly amateur sleuths unraveling a chilling murder mystery. It’s rare to find books that center older characters in such vital, active roles, and I found this to be one of the most refreshing and powerful aspects of the novel. The main character, an older woman, is sharp, deeply human, and full of heart—a far cry from the usual youthful protagonists we’re used to seeing.

The mystery itself is wonderfully layered, steeped in grief, regret, and secrets from the past, with just the right touch of suspense.
There’s even a light sapphic romance woven in—tasteful and adding a layer of emotional depth. I’m not usually drawn to stories with this type of romance, but it really worked here.

And the audiobook! Narrated by the incredible Bahni Turpin and Jeremy Carlisle Parker, the audio performance truly brings this story to life. Both narrators perfectly captured the emotion, tension, and charm of the characters. Their voices made it so easy to get swept up in the world of this story.

Oh—and I have to mention the stunning cover. It’s as captivating as the story within.

If you love mysteries with heart, rich character perspectives, and a plot that keeps you guessing, don’t miss this one. In The Beautiful Dark is a standout—both thrilling and deeply moving. I absolutely loved it.

I’m such a fan of all ages being represented in reading. I think there’s a lack of older characters in fiction. While only one book, this book tries to lessen the gap.

So not only is our main character living in a retirement community, she has a great group of friends there. I connected with Bridie right he away. I’ll admit she triggered me a little as my parents are going through health issues, but that doesn’t take away from her fierceness. She’s strong and resilient and fights for what she believes.

I liked the mystery in the past timeline and was eager to find out what happened and see if it tied into the future.

I liked the antics of Birdie and her friends as they investigated their missing friend. They are a great group of quirky characters that played well off each other.

And while I was caught up in the mystery, I found I was more invested in the characters and their stories.

Bahni Turpin and Jeremy Carlisle Parker are great narrators and brought to life these quirky characters and their connections.

Overall a haunting story of how an unsolved mystery can stay with us for life.

Thank you @getredprbooks & @melissapayne_writes @lakeunionauthors for the ARC copy!

"𝐀 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬."

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The synopsis of this drew me in. I knew I needed to give it a read. Encompassing mystery, relationships, humour, grief, guilt, and friendship - every aspect kept me intrigued. I appreciated getting something different from my norm. The main characters reside in a retirement community. All the personalities were so good together. They all added so much dimension to the story.

The mystery element definitely had me curious. It was woven in so well. The challenges faced by the protagonist, Birdie, highlighted the impact of losing a loved one on both her and those around her. With the added chaos of current events, I truly empathized with the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

* Audio was also fantastic. Narrated by Bahni Turpin & Jeremy Carlisle Parker - they brought this story to life! Thank you @brilliancepublishing & Brilliance Audio!

Fifty years ago Birdie Allen’s best friend and true love was murdered in their home by a serial killer, leaving her to raise her son. For fifty years she has been trying to find her murderer. Now with renewed focus and the support of her new friends at Sunny Pines Retirement Community she is determined to solve her murder before he kills again.

I really enjoyed this book. I spotlighted this the other day but knew I wanted to read it. I finished it in a day because it sucked me in from the first page. This cast of characters was so entertaining, and although it was a thriller I did enjoy the quips from Birdie and her feisty friends. I just hope I’m like this when I get older.

What a delightful story!
I absolutely loved all the characters, but Birdie was definitely my favorite.
This book blends heartfelt and heartwarming moments with a touch of mystery, making it a truly compelling read. Suspenseful, nostalgic, fast-paced, and memorable—this one’s a great read from start to finish.

Oh my heart. As a wlw I am a sucker for any stories with sapphic love and this pulled on those heartstrings yall. The story claims to be a “general fiction/ murder mystery/ fantasy” but this is a LOVE STORY people. Love of your person and of your community. At the center of this story is Birdie and Alison and Birdie’s commitment to the love of her life even after her death. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Thank you so much NetGalley and Brilliance Audio and Melissa Payne for this beautiful story 🖤🥹

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 really loved the audio production. Bahni Turpin and Jeremy Carlisle Parker delivered flawless narration.

A cozy mystery with ghosts, secrets, and one unforgettable grandma. Birdie Allen is chasing down a decades-old killer with help from the living and the dead.
If you love twisty plots, found family, and a touch of the paranormal… don’t skip this one!

The narrator was fantastic. Totally played the part so well I was able to enjoy the story and feel like I was living in that senior retirement community.