The honeymooners have returned, and they are going to get straight back to work. An art exhibition is coming to Nags Head, so the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library staff decide to have an educational display, along with copies of some of the priceless items. When someone steals one of the copies overnight, Lucy and company are a little puzzled as to why someone would steal a copy.

The next day Lucy is attending a gala for the exhibition for the real art pieces when a dead body is found. Since the police have their hands full with the murder, the stolen art gets pushed to the back burner, after all it is only a copy.

Oddly enough Lucy and Louise Jane work together on this mystery. If you have read this series, you know that Lucy and Louise Jane are like oil and water. The painting belonged to her family, but I was still surprised to see the two of them working together harmoniously. This was a little different than the usual mysteries that Lucy is involved with, but it was still very interesting. There are plenty of red herrings and a few twists along the way, just to play with your mind and make you doubt what you think you know.

I always enjoy the books in this series as the characters are fun, and since I have read them all, I feel as if I know them personally. If you enjoy an intriguing cozy mystery, you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have to admit this entry into the series (book 11), just didn't hold my interest as much. Which is odd, as Gates brought in other characters and outside dynamics, to stir up the library and it's employees-which was nicely done. Per chance, it was just not grabbing me...but the story is well done, and there is a dual mystery involving a stolen painting in the past, and the current one from the library display. It's an interesting take on a past/future events, and the characters use their "I just happened to be going to..." to well effect to solving the mystery at hand. With a little last minute danger for Lucy, it's also a quick read.

Welcome back to OBX , always a great time with Lucy and everyone at the Lighthouse library. This is a cozy mystery, that keeps the reader engaged and reading till the last page. Loved it. The characters are wonderful, with a little bit of quirky thrown in to keep reader off balance until the big reveal.

The Stranger in the Library takes the reader to Nags Head Outer Banks North Carolina. Some of the elements come from the author’s imagination. The library in the lighthouse is one of those things but doesn’t a library in a lighthouse sound amazing? Every visit to Bodie Island Lighthouse Library sparks my imagination and leaves me feeling happy.
Great art is coming to Nags Head. Lucy and the team at the library create an exhibit celebrating all sorts of art. None of their exhibits are priceless, but it makes for a fun evening.
One of the organizers of the art exhibition at Granger House winds up dead. A painting from the library goes missing.
Lucy and Louis Jane are unlikely partners in figuring out what is happening behind the scenes. By the end of the book it looks like something good may be in Louise Jane’s future.
I enjoyed reading The Stranger in the Library. I think you could pick up this book as a stand-alone but reading the entire series in order will increase the enjoyment. The lighthouse and the people in this series are characters I would enjoy knowing in real life.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a favorite cozy mystery series of mine! I love the Outer Banks setting, and the characters are fun and interesting. And of course, the library in the lighthouse! The art scene in this book was really interesting and I enjoyed learning about it. It felt a little chaotic at times, as there were a large number of characters from outside the main group, and it felt a little more disconnected from the usual community, but it was still fun and I loved it! I can't wait to see what comes next for Lucy and the group. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy!

Thanks so much to crooked lane books and netgalley for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I have read a few books in this series and I have liked them in the past. However, this one I couldn’t get into. Maybe it’s because it was about art and I’m not usually into that as much. I’m not sure.

I liked the setting and the characters but I think the plot was just a bit boring for me. Overall, not a bad cozy mystery but not my favorite.

I enjoy Eva Gates books (Lighthouse Library Mystery series) immensly. They are like conversation with a dear friend over coffee and cake.
The Stranger in the Library is the 11th installment in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series and is set... in the lighthouse library and small town of Nag Head (where this library is situated).
Newly married librarian Lucy is all ready (or not) for quiet and fulfilling married life but... crime does not rest even in the idyllic Nags Head. Take a library, a mysterious painting, a whole exhibition of the famous Impressionists' works, add art wheelers and dealers, past and present lovers and enemies and you got yourself a very volatile cocktail. Lucy gets entangled into the murder mystery again, gets in danger... again and promises herself not to do it all... again.
All in all, Stranger in the Library is a very worthy addition to the series and a very comfy cozy pleasant mystery for summer/autumn/winter/spring reading.
Enjoy.

When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history. Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing. No one knows why anyone would bother stealing it: the picture is of no value–the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show’s organizers. Then, the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a party-goer is discovered drowned in a fish pond. Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer lurking at the edges of the receptions on both nights. Tom slipped away from the party early, and he cannot be located by the police. Who, Lucy asks, is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane’s heart? Something is afoot in Nags Head, and it’s up to Lucy and her friends to get to the bottom of it before it’s not just paintings being framed. I absolutely love this series! It helps to have read the previous books in the series but still this is a highly enjoyable mystery!

This is the eleventh book in this series and it was fun to be visiting the Lighthouse Library again.

Lucy and Connor are back from their honeymoon and are happy to attend a cocktail party and exhibition of original art in the town. Unfortunately they discover a dead body in the fishpond outside, and consequently become involved in the police investigation. The author supplies lots of excitement and red herrings, and the eventual culprit is not anyone who I suspected!

Nicely written, an interesting mystery and great characters including the beautiful cat. Five stars.

(4.5 rounded up)
I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11) by Eva Gates from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…Always entertaining, this series with its fun, intriguing, cozy mystery vibe is cleverly crafted, with a brilliant and quirky cast of characters, intricate plot, nail-biting suspense, humor, and a touch of romance…

A fan of The Lighthouse Library Mysteries, this eleventh entry, The Stranger in the Library is yet again another wonderful addition to the series.

Newlywed librarian Lucy, inspired by her recent honeymoon in Europe, has organized an art appreciation exhibit at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library with reproductions of famous impressionist art works and an original from local Nags Head Artist O’Callaghan not valuable but sentimental, on loan from Louise Jane’s family, O’Callaghan’s descendants. Their exhibit is to coincide with a big art exhibit that is being launched in town celebrating the who is who of the art world being launched at a gala at the library. With the art world’s movers and shakers in attendance, we are introduced to some larger-than-life characters, such as the mysterious art dealer Tom Reilly, who Louise Jane becomes enamored with.

With the event ending successfully, Josie, Lucy’s cousin, and local caterer, wants air in the garden and is joined by Lucy and Louise Jane. While out there they stumble across someone face down in a fishpond only to discover Mark Farrago, one of the main event’s organizers, is dead. When her good friend and Detective Sam Watson asks for Lucy’s observations on the case, Lucy channels her inner Nancy Drew and gets to work. When Lucy notices that the painting on loan from Louise Jane’s family has been removed from the wall without a trace. Louise Jane, terrified of her family’s ire over the missing painting, teams up with Lucy to get to the truth. Although often at odds with each other the two band together to find the truth before the murderer finds them.

Always entertaining, this series with its fun, intriguing, cozy mystery vibe is cleverly crafted, with a brilliant and quirky cast of characters, intricate plot, nail-biting suspense, humor, and a touch of romance. Having read the series from the start I was not disappointed. Overall, I love this series and I thoroughly enjoyed The Stranger in the Library. I highly recommend it.

In this installment of the Lighthouse Library Mysteries, newly married Lucy McNeil has just returned from her honeymoon in Europe, where she experienced many of the great works of art. She and her fellow library staff create a homespun version of an art museum in order to tie in with the fancy gala being hosted in the town of Nags Head featuring many real famous paintings. When one of the replicas vanishes from the library wall and then the gala planner ends up dead, Lucy realizes she has another mystery on her hands.

I admit I am not that big of an art history fan. I can appreciate brush strokes and the capabilities it takes for color theory and image creation but I am not an art geek. I recognized the famous names in the book but that's about the extent of my art education. Unfortunately, since I didn't find this all fascinating it detracted a little from my full emersion in the story but that didn't detract from the cleverness of the plot and the little details Ms. Gates includes in her mysteries leading to the whodunit, which is why I still gave five stars.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A travelling exhibition of American Impressionist art is coming to Nags Head in the Outer Banks and Lucy, the librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse library is using it as a springboard to feature art history education in the library. She has borrowed as much art as possible mostly in the form of prints and reproductions from the local residents to put up on the walls alongside a display of art books. The morning after the library’s successful launch party, she notices a painting missing. Not very valuable, it’s a poor reproduction of a painting by a famous Outer Banks artist on loan from Louise Jane’s grandmother who is a descendant of the artist.

The excitement of attending the opening night of the travelling exhibition overshadows the mystery of the missing painting, especially after a man is found dead in the fish pond. Lucy will need all her sleuthing skills and will have to pair up with librarian Louise Jane despite their past history to solve both these mysteries.

This is a fun addition to the series, taking us into the shadowy world of art collection and those who work in it. There are some unlikeable characters involved with the art exhibition, as the stranger to town, Tom Reilly, whose purpose is unclear. Some good twists and a thrilling ending round out an enjoyable mystery.

The Stranger in the Library by Eva Gates is the eleventh A Lighthouse Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I always enjoy returning to Nags Head, North Carolina. The author’s descriptions capture the area and the buildings (real and imagined). I would love to work in the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library (it reminds me of the TARDIS). Lucy has been busy working on an educational impressionist art display for the library to complement a traveling impressionist art show that is visiting the town. Louise Jane, of course, gets in on the act by donating a family painting to the library’s exhibit. Lucy is a strong female protagonist. She is friendly and relatable (I would like to be her friend). She picked up some gorgeous dresses on her honeymoon (lucky girl). There is a delightful cast of characters in this series. I have even come to like Louise Jane. The mystery was well plotted and paced. There are some twists along the way. I had someone pegged as the guilty party. I loved joining Lucy as she asked questions and searched for clues. I was not left with any lingering questions at the end (hooray). The Bodie Island Classic Novel Reading Club chose Ripley Under Ground by Patricia Highsmith. I enjoy it when an author mentions a book that I have not read previously (gives me a new book to add to my TBR pile). I liked the author’s note at the end with her explanation of the MacGuffin she used in the story. I was sad when my trip to Nags Head came to an end, but I hope I will get to visit again soon.

This is the eleventh book in the Lighthouse Library series. I love this story. We see Louise Jane and Lucy working together to solve the mystery. We actually get to see LJ in a nicer, gentler light. The book is well-written and well-plotted.

I really liked the mystery of Louise Jane’s artist ancestor. Also, the introduction of Tom made this interesting.

Lucy and Connor are adjusting to being married and care deeply for each other. I liked how Tom called Connor in order to find Louise Jane and Lucy.

I can’t say anymore. So please read this story to find all the twists until the reveal.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

The Stranger in the Library is the 11th in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series and we join Lucy and Connor as they return from their honeymoon. It’s straight back to work for them - Connor is the Mayor of Nags Head, while Lucy is assistant director at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.

A travelling art show of impressionist painters is coming to town and the library staff decide to create their own educational display about art history, with reproduction artwork, to compliment it. They hold an open house cocktail party at the Library the night before their display launches when a donated reproduction of art work by a local painter is stolen. Then the next night the director of the company organising the travelling art show is murdered. Are the two events connected?

There are lots of twists and turns, danger and near deaths before we all find out who the murderer is. Loved meeting up with everyone again. If you haven’t read the series yet - then I recommend you start.

With thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy to review

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Eva Gates for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Stranger in the Library coming out June 4, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love this series and I’m glad there are more books coming out. I just recently found out this author is also Vicki Delany. So I’ve read several books by her. I love her writing. I I think her books are super cozy! This book was a little different since it was mostly about an art deal and not really book related. I would’ve liked to see a little more of Lucy and Connor’s honeymoon in faraway places. The last book seemed to skip over the actual wedding and this one skipped the honeymoon. But I’m excited to see more of Lucy and Connor after their marriage. I just love lighthouses and libraries and small town feels. So I’ll definitely read more in the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lighthouse library cozies!

Follow that painting! Lucy is newly wed and happily working at the library when the art show comes to town showcasing reproductions. Who on earth would not only steal one but then return it? More importantly, who would kill over it? Lucy and Louise Jane have quite a puzzle on their hands especially since there's also the mysterious Tom, who Louise Jane found...interesting before...no spoilers! This latest in the long running series will probably be most appreciated by fans but as cozy readers know, individual installments of such good series are also readable as standalones. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A more layered read than usual- and a good one.

The Stranger in the Library is another great tale in the Lighthouse Library series, set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the town of Nags Head. The setting is such a fun one as the library is set in a working lighthouse, not feasible but great to imagine. Newlywed librarian Lucy has organized an art exhibit at the library with reproductions and prints while an art exhibit with authentic work is being held in town. When Lucy, her cousin Josie, and coworker Louise Jane discover one of the main event's organizers dead outside the venue, Lucy puts on her sleuthing hat to find the killer. At the same time, a reproduction piece of a long dead famous OBX artist is stolen from the library and then returned with the back paper slashed. Odd! The piece is on loan from Lousie Jane's grandmother and the famous artist is an ancestor., the reproduction by his brother. So, Louise Jane gets involved, especially when a handsome art dealer she likes is somehow involved. Expect adventure, twists, turns, self-serving suspects, danger, and a great murder mystery and a couple of surprises at the ending.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

Lucy is a librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, the Library decides to mimic the event using copies (or fakes) of some of the paintings. This allows the library to inform their patrons about the artists and their work.
One of Lucy's co-workers has a famous artist in her ancestry and she has a copy of one of his more famous pieces. After the library's event, Lucy notices that Louise Jane's paining is gone. Who would want the fake? It's not very good and is not worth anything. Then one of the organizers for the show with the actual pieces turns up dead. Who would want him dead, his wife, the other organizers? Lucy can't help but be curious as she asks questions and tries to figure out the puzzle.

The story is fun and entertaining. I love reading about places that are so different from where I live. The library sounds interesting and the characters are definitly quirky. This book is easy-to-read and is just a nice escape.

The Stranger in the Library is the 11th installment in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, which is sure to delight readers. Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, librarian and amateur sleuth Lucy is delighted to organize an art history event at the library to complement an art show in town. But when one of the art show organizers is discovered dead at opening night of the show and a reproduction is stolen from the library, Lucy and her friends vow to get to the bottom of it and figure out if both things are connected.

This series is always a fun read and this book is no different.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy.