This was my first Lighthouse Library mystery and I am enthralled. I now must start at number 1. The characters were very enjoyable and the “Louisiana Mafia” made for a delightful read. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Josie's wedding is around the corner and she and her cousins are busy prepping for the D-Day. Lucy decides to host a bridal shower at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, the place where Lucy works. With all the yummy goodies to eat and the presence of, as Josie calls them, The Louisiana Mafia, present, nothing can go wrong. Well, that is what they all think until Mirabelle collapses after eating a gluten-free snack that Josie specially made for Mirabelle. Autopsy reports suggest that Mirabelle was poisoned.

Mirabelle cannot keep her eyes off any handsome man and this is no secret. While Mirabelle had her eyes set on Jake, Josie's fiance`, Josie had innocently made a comment saying that if given a chance, she might do off with Mirabelle. And now, with Mirabelle dead, Josie is the main suspect. With a couple of witnesses who testify saying that Josie did not like Mirabelle, Josie is in trouble. Lucy decides to prove her cousin's innocence.

I liked the concept of a library in a historic lighthouse. Although the building's foundation seems to be in some serious trouble and the renovation expenses have skyrocketed, the townspeople's decision to do anything it takes was a nice touch (in the ending of this story)

The Louisiana Mafia - Gloria, Mirabelle, Mary Anna, and Florence, were a nice touch to the story. In fact, Gloria is one grandmother that nobody wishes they had! The woman has nothing but criticism flowing in her veins. Mirabelle's character was also very interesting. From not losing a chance to flirt with anyone and everyone to Florence and Mirabelle's event management company hosting Josie's wedding, in spite of Josie not liking their decision, was hilarious. Lucy trying to set Mirabelle off track by recommending a yacht wedding was brilliant.

Lucy, Grace, Steph, and Josie - their relationship is well portrayed in the story. Each one of them has their own story to tell. Lucy finding love again - Connor, the city mayor, Jake's ex-girlfriend stalking him and Steph's career choice, all these made the story even more engaging.

Charles, the library cat, was just adorable! The first half of the story is inclined towards familial relationship. The second half of the story is where all the action begins. Lucy poking her nose into this murder mess almost gets her killed. Though there were a lot many characters, the story was quite engaging.

Overall rating: 3.5 (rounding it off to 4)

The lighthouse has a crack threatening continuing library operations unless significant funds are raised. Josie's upcoming wedding brings in distant relatives from New Orleans who think she's way behind on her wedding planning and try to take over. When one of them shows up dead, Josie becomes a suspect. The state police send in their own detective since the local law enforcement know the main suspect too well. Officer Watson doesn't even try to dissuade Lucy from her investigation in his usual manner. The action takes place during winter when tourism is slow on the Outer Banks. I figured this one out much earlier than Lucy did, but it didn't stop me from enjoying my trip to the Outer Banks with the enjoyable cast of characters, including Charlie the lighthouse cat. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

Something Read, Something Dead has a very enjoyable main character and a great voice. I got sucked into it immediately with total suspension of disbelief. Because the characters and the family drama was so compelling, I was well into the book before I realized the death technically came in late for the genre. It's easy to instead get swept up into the characters and their conflicts because it's well-written overall and with excellent depth on even the side characters.

I easily could have been reading book one except for references to previous investigations. This is such a relief after having recently read others where I felt left out and characters were flat.

However, the story did overall seem to focus more on everything else and less on the mystery. I had figured out several key aspects of the murder case early on, so it felt like she was slow putting the pieces together. But with characters like this I didn't really mind.

If you go into the book without genre expectations and let yourself go along for the ride, you'll have a better experience. Because of those expectations, I am only comfortable giving a high 3.5 to low 4 star review. Your rating will also be much higher if you're already invested in these characters.

I will be looking for more from this author and even from the series. Definitely worth the read and better than average despite my concerns.

I love cozy murder mysteries and when I saw it on NetGalley and it had the word “library” in this (I’m a big fan of libraries, and bookstores, especially the ones with cats), I took a chance. Did not realized that this was book 5, which means I must read the others. Read the book in one sitting. There were a few slow moments that I skipped since I sort of knew what was going to happen next, but it was still so ding dong cute. Lucy, who works in the Lighthouse Library, and her friends help plan her Josie’s wedding, who is the local owner of the baker and her f, Jeff. Everything was going fine. They wanted a small wedding with few family and friends. Not so lucky. Gloria, Josie’s overbearing grandmother and her minions, Mirabelle and Florence arrive and want to change everything. It’s so madding that Josie’s wants to call off the wedding. Now, somebody has to died, you guess it, the husband hunting, flirting with Jose’s finance and pushed her way into Florence’s business nut case, Mirabelle. Lucy must find the killer and fast. All of the characters are fun and I really enjoyed it.

Josie and Jake are planning a Winter wedding and Grandma Gloria brings the Nawlins Mafia with her to help with the planning, which is not moving fast enough for her liking. Only thing is, Josie and Jake want a simple, small wedding, which is exactly the opposite of what Grandma and Cousin Mirabelle have in mind. When Mirabelle dies after eating one of Josie’s sweet gluten free treats, Josie becomes the prime suspect in her cousin’s murder, which could change those wedding plans!

Lucy’s got her hands full with helping to plan her cousin’s wedding, working at the Body Lighthouse Library, raising funds for a major repair that threatens the future of the lighthouse and her job, and finding the real murderer. With so many things on her plate and quite a few potential suspects with no solid evidence, time is ticking and no real progress is being made. Will Jake and Josie make it down the aisle, or will they have to postpone their nuptials? Not if Lucy can help it!

This is one of my go to series. The characters are well developed and relatable. The story line is solid and you may suspect who done it, but you also suspect a few others right until the very end when you realize who did it and why. If you haven’t read any of the other books in the series, you will still be able to pick it up and read it without any gaps. Every time I pick up one of the books in this series I can never put it down and get lost in the Outer Banks for awhile.

As far as cozy mysteries go, this one is worth reading. It has intrigue and sufficient clue searching to make it worth it. The main cast of characters are all likable and inspire the reader to get invested. Also, there’s a library and a library cat. Win/Win.

Another charming installment in the Bodie Island lighthouse library series. As I read it I can practically taste the salt tinged air. I love the idea that the protagonist Lucy lives in the lighthouse ( as well as works there) with the library’s dickinsonian inspired feline sidekick Charles in her charming lighthouse airie. This series is populated with charming characters in a lovely beach town. As someone who regularly vacations in OBX I could really envision the location. There is always a good bit of tension in each book as Lucy races to solve the murder usually a couple steps ahead of the police. This time it’s personal as her family is involved. Lucy must rush to find the murderer or it could spell trouble for her cousin Josie nuptials. There is such a lovely community feel to this series. Perfect book for anyone who enjoys a great cozy.

A lighthouse with attached library with living quarters and work in same on the North Carolina, Outer Banks and I'm already in reader's heaven. Add in a great mystery, wonderful characters, upcoming nuptials, friend/family dynamics, and it's time to settle in and lose yourself in this book. It's a definite winner!

This book was the best one in this series thus far. It was a page turner to try to figure out how done it. The culprit was hard to figure out and actually surprised me. I don,t give any info that will spoil the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great cozy mystery.

First let me say that I would love to live in a lighthouse attached to a library! Just that would keep me reading. Fortunately the author has many depths and always gives us a solid story with really interesting characters. I was actually on the wrong track for quite a while!

Something Read, Something Dead is the fifth installment in the A Lighthouse Library Mystery series set in North Carolina's Outer Banks and featuring assistant librarian Lucy Richardson. Lucy is looking forward to her cousin Josie O'Malley's upcoming wedding to Chef Jake Greenblatt, and is excited to host the bridal shower at the Bodie Island Lighthouse/Library.

Josie and Jake have planned a simple affair, but all that changes when Josie's overbearing grandmother Gloria arrives in town from New Orleans with Josie's distant cousins and decides to take over all of the planning. Her cousin Florence has an event planning business but other cousin Mirabelle has bullied her way into the company and is running roughshod over Florence and is determined to make the fledgling business a household name. When Mirabelle starts changing all of Josie's plans and then has the audacity to start flirting with Jake, Josie is almost ready to call off the wedding.

Trying to keep things light and festive for the shower Lucy has invited all of Josie and her Aunt Ellen's friends as well as fellow library employees. Josie is supplying the desserts and Mirabelle is insistent that gluten free treats are provided. When Mirabelle drops dead after eating the desserts nobody is really heartbroken until Josie ends up being the prime suspect. Determined to clear her cousin's name Lucy sets out to track down a killer.

In addition to the murder the secondary story line involves the deteriorating foundation of the lighthouse and the fears that the library will be forced to close, meaning Lucy and Charles, the library cat may soon be out on the street.

This addition to the series was not my favorite although I really can't put my finger on why. Maybe because there was not much mention of the library employees who've always helped Lucy with her investigations in the past, there is not the usual banter between Lucy and her nemesis, Louise Jane or it could be that Lucy doesn't ever seem to pull a shift at the library but instead is always dashing off to follow a hunch making me wonder how she manages to hold on to her job. But, as a faithful reader of the series I will be looking forward to the next installment.

I received an advanced copy of Something Read, Something Dead from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

I want to like this series more than I do. The Outer Banks setting with a public library in an historic lighthouse are appealing, and I even like Lucy, the protagonist, and her friends and coworkers. It's just not that interesting, and I tire of the catty fights between women (maybe that's just me). Louise Jane isn't as nasty as usual this time around, which is refreshing, but the central conflict is related to Josie's upcoming wedding, which brings her horrifying grandmother, aunts, and cousins from New Orleans. Give me a murdered researcher or town resident over this, please. I might be done with this series, but I can see from other reviews I might be an outlier.

This is the first book I’ve read from Eva Gates. I was not disappointed! I found myself lost in the words and oftentimes felt like I was Lucy! Crime solving and even comedic, this was one book I could not put down. It’s written in such a way that readers of all ages can enjoy and become one with. Not to mention the vast variety of characters whose personalities emerged with every dialogue they had, and even the cat, with his movements and attitude. I am not content in reading more of Eva’s work, past and future. I totally feel that Something Read, Something Dead will spike her success to a degree of which she cannot imagine! Exceptional work!

A bride to be fights with extended family to keep her wedding small and simple. Interesting plot and great characters. A death that turned out to be murder. Lots of twists that will keep you guessing..

A thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery with everything you'd expect: amateur sleuth, distasteful characters, lovable characters, and red herrings. I had suspicions, but I didn't solve the mystery before the killer was revealed. I liked that it wasn't overly obvious. I did have trouble keeping up with all the characters, but it wasn't distracting, just a bit annoying. The novel is part of a series, but I didn't feel like I'd missed anything in reading it as a stand-alone title.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Another enjoyable entry in the series. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

cozy-mystery, library-cat, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, lawyers, family-dynamics, friendship, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths

A lighthouse on the Outer Banks where the town library is housed along with a library cat and a very interesting woman who is a good friend, has some real characters for relatives, and a gift for sleuthing/snooping. The publisher's blurb is pretty extensive so there's no need to recap or do the spoiler thing, but it's all about the characters, plot twists, and red herrings isn't it? Especially when dealing with local law as well as the state police detective! It kept me reading late into the night and enjoying every bit of it!
Did you know that it's part of a series? I didn't know until after I read it and I went to see what else she's written!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

It should be a time for celebration when Lucy Richardson, of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library prepares for her cousin Josie’s upcoming nuptials. Unfortunately, their meddling, bothersome and sometimes downright nasty family descends, preparing to take over the entire show. Lucy tries to smooth the troubled waters by hosting a bridal shower at her lighthouse library, but things go from bad to worse when conniving cuz, Mirabelle keels over after eating a treat prepared by the bride to be herself. Was Josie trying to get back at Mirabelle for her shameless flirting with the groom? Lucy will have to find the real culprit to save Josie from a life behind bars. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series – books, a lighthouse, a gorgeous Southern setting, what else could you want?