A DEATH LONG OVERDUE, the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates, is another entertaining addition to a long enjoyed series! I adore the setting: a library situated in a lighthouse in the Outer Banks (I wish I could hang out there!). With the protagonist, Lucy Richardson, a delightful librarian living above the library, the setting becomes even more important and features prominently in the book. I like that the supporting characters are well-developed and have grown throughout the series. In this newest addition, the reader gets to know the backstory of the head librarian Bertie. As in each of the books, this gives a sense of community which is why I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series instead of later. While this can certainly be read as a standalone, the author has done a marvelous job of creating a wonderful cast of characters. Seeing how they’ve changed and grown is well worth starting with book one.

With a well-paced plot, the action and entertainment starts from the very first and the clues are sprinkled throughout to keep sharp readers on their toes. As the mystery unfolds, there are plenty of suspects and twists to throw readers off track but with the final reveal, the clues fall into place with a satisfying conclusion. Added into the mix is a sweet and humorous subplot surrounding Connor, Lucy’s beau. It added a light touch to the story which made this all the more enjoyable!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely love this series, it has been fantastic from book 1 onward! The characters are like family and I picture the lighthouse library with every book I read. This is an easy to read cozy but very interesting and entertaining. Highly recommend this series to all readers. Enjoy! 📚

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am loving this series! Lucy, Conner, Bertie and of course Charles along with the rest of the crew are wonderful together. You have to chuckle, at well everyone, when they deal with Louise Jane. I loved the story and really enjoyed the “old” items they found for their literary display. I certainly remember using some of those items. How cool would it be to live in a lighthouse and to work in a library in that same location? I think it would be awesome. I can’t wait to visit these good folks again in Nags Head. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

It's wonderful to be back at the Bodie Island Lighthouse library in the Outer Banks. It's Summer and Lucy is getting ready for a reunion party to celebrate Bertie's 40 anniversary of their first day of under grad studies. The event will be in the lighthouse and there is a display of library history. Complete with an old card catalog , no less. One of the guests is the former lighthouse librarian and not a well liked one. She's not long for this world as she is later found floating off the pier. This isbn't the first body Lucy has encountered and not the first mystery she has solved. With the help of family and friends, especially Connor and her cat, Charles, Lucy unmasks the killer. I won't say more for fear of spoiling it. Though this entry works fine as a stand alone, I think it's much better read in order.
The puzzle was well plotted, the setting perfect, the characters are some of my literary favorites and I was sorry to read the last page. I'm holding a spot on my TBR pile for Lucy's next mystery - Deadly Ever After coming out May 11, 2021.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It is July in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I am excited to be back at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library with Lucy, Charles, and her friends and co-workers. Charles is the library cat who lives in the Lighthouse Aerie (top floor apartment) with Lucy. I have loved this series from the start, and this mystery is the best so far. The characters are engaging and three-dimensional, there are beautiful descriptives of the island and Lighthouse Library, and the mystery challenging. There is a healthy helping of LOL humor, too!

Lucy spent many summers on Bodie Island during her childhood. For Lucy, being with her aunt, uncle, and cousin Josie was her happy place. When she had to get away from adult life in Boston, it seemed natural to come here. Not only did she find a job that she loves – Assistant Director at the Lighthouse Library – but she also found her true love. Connor, with whom she had a sweet teenage romance with many summers ago.

Bertie, the library director, has the 40th reunion celebrating the first day of their undergraduate classes for fellow librarians to attend. The reception is being held at the Lighthouse Library. The surprise attendee is Helena, who retired as director of the library when Bertie replaced her ten years ago. Bertie invited Helena, never dreaming that she would attend. Helena was an excellent librarian but not a people person; most people didn’t like her. This evening, it was evident why. With the exception of Bertie, Helena was abrupt and at times rude to fellow librarians past and present.

Louise Jane, “LJ”, imagines she knows more than everyone else about Bodie Island’s history, particularly its ghosts and folk lore. When one of the ladies attending the reception learned about LJ’s knowledge of the island and ability to communicate with spirits, she wanted to have a walk down to the marsh near the library. Several of the women who were riding together went on the walk, as did Helena and Lucy. On the walk, they heard what sounded like a splash, then someone thought they saw a crocodile until realizing it was a body. Sadly, it was too late to help Helena.

Helena’s death was learned to be murder, and because it did not happen on library property, Lucy did not get involved. At first. As she began to hear stories about Helena’s life on Bodie Island and a huge theft that happened during the time she was there, she became curious. LJ got involved in her own way, wanting to do a séance to find out what the spirits knew about Helena’s murder.

There are so many great things in this mystery! Meeting Bertie’s classmates was enlightening, as was meeting Helena’s identical twin sister. LJ can be a pain in the best of times, but she is good for much comic relief. Descriptives of the library and island made me wish the library and “aerie” were real! I love Lucy’s fanciful imagination regarding books in the library and the characters within them. Charles is quite the helpful, delightful library cat! The mystery is fabulous, and it was impossible for me to guess more than part of the solution. Whodunit was not a surprise, but the depth of deception surely was. I highly recommend this novel for fans of well-executed cozy mysteries, cats, libraries, and lighthouses.

From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love cozy mysteries and have read hundreds! Some of my favorites are those that take place in libraries. This book is #7 in the Lighthouse Library series, and I have read some of the previous books in the series, so I have an idea of the characters and locations. Character development and location description are key for me in a cozy mystery. I like to feel like I'm visiting a good friend and we are solving a mystery a la Scooby Doo together. This is one of the cozy mystery series that feels like that. I enjoyed the development and light romance in the book. and even though I solved the mystery fairly early on (I usually can), I enjoyed reading how the characters solved the mystery.

I greatly enjoy reading this series. Lucy Richardson is a librarian at the Lighthouse Library in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She has been making her residence in small apartment that is actually in the library.

Bertie, who is the director in charge of the Library, has invited her starting college class from years ago to have a reunion in town, including events at the library.

There is a wide variety of current and former librarians that meet, including the nasty former director of the self-same library.

When a murder occurs, the librarians come under suspicion as well as others in town. Lucy puts her sleuthing hat on to solve the crime.

There is a subplot that involves Lucy’s boyfriend that made me laugh out loud repeatedly. Also, her nemesis is hysterical, as usual, with her goofy paranormal stories. When she finds an audience enthralled by her tales, the stories become even more silly.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

A Death Long Overdue by Eva Gates
This is book seven of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series but the first one that I have read. The author easily explains who everyone is, but there were so many regular characters and a group of visiting librarians that it was sometimes a little confusing for me. The mystery was interesting with a murder and a decades old missing gemstone necklace. The red herrings were a bit unbelievable but the police actually worked with and sought out the main character’s help, which is something you don’t see in every cozy. I liked that it’s set in a library and that the main character Lucy actually lives in the lighthouse above the library. How fun! There’s also a scene-stealing library cat named Charles (as in Dickens), and a classics book club. I liked the author’s note comparing the inside of the lighthouse to the Tardis. I kept wondering how all of these rooms and different floors fit inside, but it’s clearly bigger on the inside. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to review.

Even with a little bit of paranormal activity, it is a very enjoyable series to read. The characters feel real and so do the storylines. I cannot believe we are already up to book seven. I already know we have a book eight coming according to Amazon. Yay!

There was a little surprise in this book that has me plotting and thinking of what we will see in Lucy's future. Hmm...

Although this is not a Halloween themed book it is perfect for the season. It can be read as a standalone but I always think reading cozy series in order are the best. I'll let you be the judge.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

A Death Long Overdue by Eva Gates is the 7th A Lighthouse Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading this charming series in order. The author has created a great cast of characters which includes Lucy, Connor, Bertie, Charlene, Ronald, Aunt Ellen, Josie, and Charles. They feel like old friends. I like catching up with all of them even Louise Jane. The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is a magical place. I can envision the library thanks to the authors vivid word imagery. I just love Lucy’s adorable little apartment. The mystery was intriguing. I thought it was well-plotted with interesting details. There are a variety of suspects along with good clues and a red herring or two. It was fun following along in the investigation and seeing how it all came together. I enjoyed the library exhibit that included a card catalog, library withdrawal cards (the card you signed when you checked out the book), and a Commodore 64 (I had a Commodore 64C). The ending will have fans of the series smiling (I wish I could say more but I do not want to spoil it for you). A Death Long Overdue is a delightful cozy mystery with a card catalog, a discourteous former library director, a disrupted reunion, a curious cat, and a forbearing beau.

Loved, loved, loved this book! Great ending! I love Lucy's circle of friends and all of the relationships among them. Fantastic story!

Once again, I was swept up in the goings on at the Lighthouse Library. I’ve come to expect that I will get caught up in the social whirl and will get taken on an adventure, that while I was anticipating, I wasn’t expecting in the least. I give huge credit to the author, at no point was I able to outthink the plot, which frustrates me but also makes me very happy. In fact, I was so caught up by some of the sparkly red herrings that I was exceedingly irate when the characters continued to follow the trail of the real clues. There were several spelling and grammatical mistakes that pulled me out of the story – particularly character names, but since what I read was an advanced copy of this book, I’m hoping they will have been corrected before publication. However, it’s not going to keep me from reading more of this series, because the ever-evolving saga of Connor and Lucy has me charmed and quite thoroughly hooked. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely enjoyed this book in the series. The mystery has many different dimensions which kept me interested throughout the book. The victim was a rather unpleasant character, which gave a nice choice of suspects. I really liked how everything came together to explain why everything happened the way it did. This book can be enjoyed without having read the previous entries in the series. However, I find that reading the books in sequence is better, in terms of character development. There is one thing that I did not enjoy so much, and it is the presence of one character, namely Louise Jane. She is really irritating, and I would like for this character to disappear from the series. I do not think there are any readers that would complain if that were to happen. Aside from that, it's a very good that is sure to please cozy mystery readers.

A Death Long Overdue is the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates.

Lucy Richardson, assistant director of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, helps Bertie, the director, getting the library ready for an anniversary party. The party will mark the 40th anniversary of Bertie starting her college education, and she has invited three of her close school friends to celebrate that day. When Bertie learns that Helena Sanchez, who Bertie replaced at the library, is in town visiting her twin sister, she invites her as a courtesy and to see how the library has changed since she left. Shortly after Bertie’s friends arrive, Helena arrives. Lucy notices that while everyone is chatting with each other, Helena barely gets friendly with most and rude to others.

As the party is about to end, Louise Jane suggests that they take a walk along the boardwalk, and she will try and conjure up some ghosts that she claims inhabit the area. Midway into the hike, Helena announces that she is heading back to the library. On the way back, Lucy discovers the body of Helena. While being sequestered at the library, while the police investigate the crime scene, Lucy notices that a book on display and a letter opener are missing.

Since Lucy can’t resist a mystery, she will call on her sleuthing skills and help the police with their investigation. She will soon learn of the theft of a valuable necklace some twenty-five years ago. Lucy will also find out that all of the people invited to the party were also at a party when the necklace went missing. She wonders if there might be a link between the two.

The story is well-written and plotted. The characters are well developed and believable. Of course, Louise Jane is back, causing problems once again. And poor Connor, the mayor, and Lucy’s boyfriend will try and ask Lucy a question, but something always happens to prevent him from asking.

I will be watching for the next book in this enjoyable series.

Bertie is hold her college reunion and using the lighthouse library for the kickoff. A highlight is a recent library exhibit on how the library operated in the past. Unfortunately, the evening ends in murder which puts Lucy puzzling out yet another case.

I really enjoy this series. The characters are wonderful, the setting is beautiful, and the story lines have lots of well-thought out detecting. I can’t wait for the next book.

I love visiting the Outer Banks via a Lighthouse Library Mystery. I just know someday I will visit in person. Of course, I won’t find the Bodie Island Lighthouse to be like it is in this mystery series, but where’s the fun if you don’t exercise a bit of imagination from time to time.
This is the 7th Lighthouse Library Mystery. Lucy is in fine form helping to create a history of libraries and librarians for Bertie’s library school class reunion. All is going well until the invited former library director arrives at her party. Helena Sanchez is not a friendly woman and when the night ends in her death, the reader will hardly be surprised.
At first Lucy says she won’t get involved, but events conspire to pull her into the fray. There is an old case of a missing diamond necklace and the disappearance of a young man at the same time that just keeps popping into conversation.
Is one of Bertie’s friends guilty of murder or did Helena’s sister finally have enough. It is fun to follow this mystery to its conclusion.
Connor and Lucy progress in their relationship. Connor has something to say to Lucy, but he keeps getting interrupted. All my favorite characters and some of my not so favorite ones, Louise Jane that refers to you, are part of this new Lighthouse Library Mystery.
I like reading a series in order, but I think you could pick this one up without having read the others in the series.

Death Long Overdue is the 7th book in A Lighthouse Library Mystery series. I was drawn to the book by it’s beautiful cover. This is not the first in the series I have read but it does standalone.

I enjoy spending time at the Bodie Lighthouse with Lucy, Josie, Bertie, Connor, Aunt Ellen and Uncle Amos along with Connor, Charlene and Ronald. The author does a wonderful job of describing the scenes without going overboard. I feel as if I am in the story, but not in the way.

As with many cozy mysteries, there is more than one storyline. I find these have enhanced this installment.
This was well-written, well-plotted, and didn’t seem to lag. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough once I started reading.

This can be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable if read in succession. You can get the real feeling behind the sense of family and friends.

I remember card catalogues and looking things up by roaming the stacks to find them.
It’s nice to see the story continues with humor, light romance, and a sense of community.
I highly recommend this book and the series.

I was given an ARC e-book copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

I was truly surprised when the previous book in this series ended up being a 4 star read - I had given up on this series ever going anywhere positive and had determined that it was going to be my last one. Surprises abounded and it ended up being an excellent read and I really started to liking the series [I had liked the first one, the next few were just...not...fantastic]. My biggest fear was that it was a one up and that the writing was going to go back to what it had been in the beginning. Thankfully, I was very wrong. Once again, this was a very good read.

I have to say that Lucy has grown on me. I was not a huge fan of her in the beginning, but really loved all the other characters [except for Louise Jane, and really, does ANYONE like Louise Jane? I think no] and figured she'd grow on me. And she has. She is good at what she does in the library [And she actually DOES HER JOB], she loves books and all that reading them provides people, she is extremely loyal, and she has become quite a detective in her own right [all while acknowledging that she is not happy that she now knows this stuff and regrets that she once again has to pull this knowledge out to be put the test]. I do have to say that when it comes to Connor, she is a bit dim [eye roll], but as I am totally clueless when it comes to men, I really try and give a little grace there [even while yelling at her a couple of times in this book LOL].

The mystery was good - I had a glimmer of an idea early on, but it didn't dampen the reveal and the why. Bitterness and anger unchecked is never a good combination in anyone and there is a lesson in this one. As is the lesson of just because someone has what you deem the perfect life, doesn't mean that their life is perfect nor does it mean its the best or correct path. I liked how there were these two important lessons woven throughout the story and hope that people pick up on them as they read this. Everyone needs these reminders once in a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great easy read, with an interesting setting, fun characters and a good story.

I love the library in a lighthouse and wish I could borrow books there! Lucy, the main character, lives and works in the lighthouse, with a beautiful view of the sea. What a charmed life. Oh and she has a very smart cat called Charles too. I want to be her.

The mystery was clever. There were many possible choices for the murderer and I did not guess who it was until right at the end. I enjoyed Lucy's relationship with the police. It was reasonable and she never did anything really foolish on her own which made a restful change from some cosies.

Altogether a well written and enjoyable book. I intend to keep reading this series.

What a fun read! This new addition to the Lighthouse Library Mystery series is a great story to unravel and find the killer of a visitor to the Lighthouse Library where a reunion of Director Bertie James' college class is having a weekend get together. Former director of the library, Helena Sanchez, happens to be in town at the time of the reunion and Bertie includes her. On the first night reception at the library, most of the ladies have left but a few decide to take a walk through the marsh nearby via the boardwalk. Unfortunately, Helena wounds up in the water when no one is around and it is discovered that she was killed. A small cut on the back of her neck indicates that she was stabbed with a small object, maybe a letter opener like one on a display inside the library put together by Assistant Director Lucy Richardson and fellow librarian Carlene for the ladies. Lucy decides to do her own investigation as well as being helping Detective Sam Watson. They have quite a pool of suspects to weed through. Helena was not a popular person with those who remember her before she left the library. Some of the ladies visiting for the reunion knew her while others did not. Another surprise in the mix is Tina Ledbetter, Helena's twin sister who also did not care for Helena. This is a page turner that kept me guessing to the end, not necessarily the killer, but the motive.
On the other hand, Mayor Connor O'Neil, Lucy's boyfriend, has something up his sleeve but keeps getting interrupted. Hmm.
I received a complimentary ARC from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.