Lucy and Conner are finally getting married! The Lighthouse Library Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy mysteries. I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook once it was published. The narrator does a good job matching the tone of the book and voicing the different characters.

Deadly Ever After is the 8th book in the series and, while it could be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the books in order. There is a lot of character development that happens throughout the series and some of the characters are better enjoyed when you know all the history.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 8 in the series.

Honestly, I keep saying I am done with this series, because I haven't really liked one and the character of Louise Jane distracts and annoys me. There's just something about the series that keeps dragging me back. That said, I actually enjoyed this one.

The whodunnit was a bit obvious, and LJ is still a pill who just got massively rewarded for her bad behavior, so that was annoying, but it was nice to see Lucy and Connor happy.

However, I kind of wonder if this is the end for the series, since Lucy will be moving out of the lighthouse. And what happens to Charles the Cat? Lucy isn't leaving him to LJ, I hope. He's honestly my favorite character. If there are more in the series, Lucy needs to take Charles with her and cart him back and forth to the library each day.

I loved this cozy!! A great mystery coupled with Lucy and Connor's relationship taking the next steps made for a fun and enjoyable read. The premise of the Lighthouse Library is irresistible to my book loving self and I thoroughly enjoy this series. The characters are fun, the mysteries are always exciting and I always make sure to catch the newest installment. Don't miss this series!

Lucy's parents are in Nags Head to celebrate Lucy and Connor's engagement, when Lucy's ex-boyfriend Ricky and his mother show up to crash the party. His mother, Evangeline, wants Ricky and Lucy to get back together and thinks that showing up there will help change her mind. Things don't go as planned when a body is found outside of the restaurant where they are having dinner and Lucy is drawn into another mystery. I liked the many side stories that were going on in this book besides the mystery. It kept the book moving along at a good pace and I didn't want to put it down. I also love how in each book in this series the book that was chosen as Library Classic Book Club pick ties into the story. Can't wait to see what happens next in this wonderful series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have truly enjoyed getting to know the amazing characters in this series! Each book in the series adds more knowledge for the reader and lots of character development. This book gave us additional insight into Lucy's family. All the characters are amazing! This particular book was full of wedding plans and murder, of course!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Deadly Ever After the eighth book in the “A Lighthouse Library Mystery” series is a delightful addition and an enjoyable read. Lucy and Connor are getting married at long last, but like most things between these two, it isn’t without a murder or danger. Readers have been excited for a long time for this couple to tie the knot, and book eight doesn’t disappoint. All engagements and weddings have issues, but nothing beats a murder at your favorite restaurant while celebrating the upcoming nuptials, even if there are people there who weren’t invited.

The Lighthouse Library is the primary location along with Jake’s restaurant for this new book. The victim is one of Lucy’s father’s business partners. Someone stuck a knife in his back, and everyone is looking at his wife and son as the main suspects. Even Lucy isn’t sure that they are innocent, and as it happened at her and Connor’s engagement dinner, she feels it’s her duty to find the killer. This isn’t new for Lucy, she is always getting involved with things that have nothing to do with her, and there is little doubt that she does it on purpose, even though she says it isn’t.

There are other suspects aside from the victim’s family; evidence shows that it could be any number of people. There is some action throughout the story. The mystery of the killer’s identity is very well done, and most readers will not figure out who it is until the last minute. Charles the cat and a new feline character, Fluffy, hold a special place within the story and even help unmask the killer. The Lighthouse Library is a warm, inviting place to visit and appears throughout the book. Deadly Ever After is a lively, entertaining addition to the series that readers will love.

Deadly Ever After is the 8th book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery cozy mystery series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. This is the first book of the series that I’ve had a chance to read. Set in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina, the author made me want to visit there even more than I already wanted to! The characters of the story, from the main character of Lucy to side characters like Evangeline and Louise Jane, were well drawn and very individual. I enjoyed the plot, as well as the whole idea of having a library housed in a lighthouse. The library cat, Charles, and the visiting dog, Fluffy, both made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Although I read this book out of order, I found it an an excellent standalone read and enjoyed getting to know Lucy, Connor, and their friends. The lighthouse library was a wonderful setting, and Gates does a fine job of making the place seem real in her readers' minds.

Lucy's engagement dinner party was a great place to have the murder, and I found so many possible suspects that it was fun to try to figure out whodunnit. The former flame, James, and his mother, Evangeline, were quite memorable secondary characters, and I particularly enjoyed the scenes with them. A fun read!

A fun cozy mystery that will keep you entertained. This is a great example of the cozy mystery genre. Easy to read in one sitting and just enough mystery to keep you interested.

This is book 8 of the series and I have not read the others but would consider doing so.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Love cozy mysteries and this one does not disappoint. Loved the characters and to be honest I chose this book because of the cover. Love love the cover.

Title: Deadly Ever After
Author: Eva Gates

Chapters: 25

Pages: 298Series: Lighthouse Library Mystery #8

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books





Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates is the 8th book in The Lighthouse Library mystery series. Lucy has settled into life in Nags Head and her parents are finally accepting her choice when someone from her past shows up to try to get her the change her mind. And Lucy again finds herself involved in another murder mystery. But at least this time the lighthouse library isn't involved. For once with this series I did not see the twist coming nor did I figure out who did it before Lucy did.



And I have to say Charles the library cat still remains my favorite character in this series and he once again does it by showing what a good judge of character he is. But Lucy's, Charles and the rest of the library staff's futures are changing and I can't wait to see where it takes them.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

As a lover of cozy mysteries, I knew I would be on to a winner with this 8th book in ‘A Lighthouse Library Mystery’ series! Deadly Ever After ticked all the right boxes before I had even started reading.

The setting of a library in a lighthouse on Bodie Island meant it had all the makings of a great read for me. The concept of a library in a lighthouse is incredibly alluring and the thought of living and working there even more so. This location is particularly enticing for me as I live on the coast near a lighthouse!

Eva Gates has drawn a lot of fun characters in this fabulous cozy mystery. Likeable Lucy Richardson is a librarian who moved to the Outer Banks, North Carolina and she has a lot going on in this book. She has recently got engaged to Connor McNeil and the story opens with a party for the happy couple on Coquina beach thrown by their families and friends. It was great to be back with protagonist Lucy who possesses the necessary attributes of any great sleuth – intelligence, curiosity and keenness. There was a good number of characters in Deadly Ever After but though I wasn’t especially fond of one or two of them this only made a fabulous story even greater. Charles the library cat was, of course, an ever-present favourite.

There aren’t many settings as perfect as a library located within a lighthouse and Eva Gates made great use of this. Outer Banks is a fine, beautiful coastal town with a real sense of community and a general feeling of nostalgia and it's a brilliant backdrop for a murder investigation.

Another of my favourite aspects of this story and series is the fluidity of the author's writing. The details of the plot were very well executed and every chapter left me with a compelling need to read on. The author did a brilliant job of setting the scene and dropping clues whilst still making identifying the perpetrator challenging.

I very much look forward to returning to the Outer Banks with Lucy in book #9 and reading the earlier books in the series that I've missed, too! So entertaining and engaging, Deadly Ever After is definitely well worth the time invested.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Deadly Ever After. No, scratch that. Two main characters in the Lighthouse Mystery Series, Lucy and Connor are engaged and are about to become 'Happily Ever After', but... life and mayhem interferes.

Book #8 in the series did not disappoint. It reads easy, light and fun. There is a main mystery - murder and a couple of sub-plots that make the book a living thing - reader can identify with characters and live their lives with them for the duration of the story.

Would you like to have your engagement party crashed by your ex-boyfriend and his obnoxious mother? How about having your ex-boyfriend's father body just outside the restaurant where you are having family dinner? Well, I wouldn't. Neither would Lucy and Connor. But they end up with all this havoc and have to sort it out before proceeding with their wedding plans.

Lucy, as always, doing a great job snooping without snooping. Well, she promised her loved ones not to get involved in the investigation, again... But then, the investigation involves her and her family... What can a girl do but to uncover the villain.

Add a seaside, a lighthouse, a library, a library cat and pampered pooch, ex-boyfriend who lost you and fiance who waited for you for years... and you get an amazing cozy mystery populated by characters you want to be friends with or... kill and throw into the marsh...

Another good cozy. I am becoming a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery.

DEADLY EVER AFTER is the eighth book in the “Lighthouse Library” cozy mystery series by Eva Gates. I always find it interesting when a story centers around people from a favorite character’s past resurfacing to cause problems in the present. DEADLY EVER AFTER is that kind of a story. When intrepid amateur sleuth and librarian Lucy Richardson is celebrating her engagement to mayor Connor McNeil, her ex’s family wanders up to the festivities even though uninvited and unwanted. And when a murder occurs, the potential suspects include Lucy’s ex – (Ricky), his overbearing and flamboyant mother, and even those nearer and dear to her.

I like when the amateur sleuth has a good reason to get involved in a murder investigation. In DEADLY EVER AFTER, so many of the suspects are people that Lucy has, or had, a close personal relationship with. With Lucy’s wedding on the horizon, this is a way of adding some closure to her past. Sometimes a victim will have a host of enemies, thus making narrowing it down to the guilty party difficult. This was not the case in DEADLY EVER AFTER. Solving this mystery proves challenging because, while the victim’s identity is immediately known, the circumstances surrounding why he’s in town and what motive somebody had for killing him is not as clear. Lucy must wade through a sea of lies to get to the truth. At one point Lucy has a small dog as a temporary houseguest. Fluffy and his doggie cuteness balance out some seriously scary scenes. DEADLY EVER AFTER has plenty of the cozy goodness readers have come to expect with this series, but Lucy has some close calls with her safety that had me on the edge of my seat.

DEADLY EVER AFTER has family connections that turn fatal and an amateur sleuth who combines wedding planning with solving a murder. Lucy’s friends and colleagues offer help and occasionally protection as she hunts down clues and ruffles feathers. I like how the relationships between Lucy and the local police are friendly rather than adversarial like in some other cozy mysteries. As with all the previous books in this series, there are parallels between current events in Lucy’s life and the current Bodie Island Lighthouse Library book club selection. This featured novel in DEADLY EVER AFTER is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic mystery THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. I can’t wait to read the next “Lighthouse Library” mystery!

This was such a fun mystery. First, Lucy and Connor get to celebrate their engagement with family which starts this story off with a celebratory feel. It doesn't last long as they find a dead body outside Jake's Seafood Bar where they were partying. It ends up being Lucy's father's partner in the law firm, and father of Lucy's former fiancé. Of course, the wife and/or son are the first suspects and Lucy's mom wants to support her old frenemy. While this is going on, there are some researchers from the UK, working out of the library and Lucy is worried about her friend and colleague, Charlene being taken advantage of. Add in that Connor and Lucy are looking for a house to buy and there is a lot going on in Lucy's life.

Once again, there are several suspects and some red herrings. There are problems at the law firm, a junior lawyer shows up in town to "help" Evangeline and Ricky with the police. I do not like Evangeline or Ricky, they are selfish and pushy. Lucy's mom is much more likeable in this book than she was in previous stories, which was nice to see. As the mystery continues to baffle people, including this reader, the story continued to entertain. The book that the bookclub is discussing, The Hounds of the Baskervilles is a great foreshadowing for what is going to happen in this story. an absolutely entertaining reveal and arrest of the murderer. As always, there were several other storylines that also were tied up at the end and I loved how some of them played out. I always enjoy books in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series and am already anticipating the next in this series.

I am a big fan of Eva Gates' alter ego, Vicky Delaney and her other cozy mystery series. How I have been missing out on this one! This book is positively charming and I am most definitely going to track down the other seven. I am so glad to discover another one of Ms. Delaney's delightful series.

Lucy Richardson is a lighthouse librarian who actually lives and works in a lighthouse. In this book, she is at an engagement party for herself and her fiancé, Connor, who also happens to be the mayor. When two unexpected guests show up in the form of Lucy's ex and his overbearing mother, Lucy doesn't think things can get any worse. However, when the ex's father, who is also Lucy's father's business partner, shows up unannounced in their small town and gets himself murdered, Lucy is pushed into solving the crime, if nothing else so the overbearing mother will finally leave town!

This book is full of fun and charming characters, I would expect nothing less from this author. Her setting is positively adorable and I love that her female protagonists are always smart, savvy and tough and don't take lumps from anyone. I also love the library cat, Charles (Dickens, naturally). My only dislike is (for shame!) I don't like Jane Austen and there are a lot of references to her work. However, it did not detract from the story in the slightest and I cannot wait to join Lucy on more adventures, both previous and upcoming.

Deadly Ever After, 8th in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates is set in the idyllic location of the Outer Banks. Lucy and Connor celebrate their engagement with friends and family at a festive beachside party. As everyone is leaving they are stunned by the arrival Lucy’s ex-almost-fiancée and his overbearing mother Evangeline, who has not given up on Lucy marrying her son. Evangeline hosts a dinner the next evening which does not turn out quite as she had planned. The following morning her husband RIchard, who no one knew was in town, is found murdered. Were their lives as perfect as they would like everyone to believe? Twists, turns, and dark secrets abound as Lucy sets out to solve the crime.

This series just keeps getting better and this mystery did not disappoint. Adding to the interest is a subplot featuring Charlene and two visiting researchers, James and Daisy. I really like how Louise Jane’s character is developing greater depth and becoming more positive. As always, the essence of the Outer Banks is beautifully captured. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.). You will definitely want to have this delightful summer read in your tote as you head to the beach or just to the backyard.

Lucy and Connor have announced they are engaged and during clean up after their engagement party, some unexpected guests arrive. Lucy's ex, Ricky Lewiston and Evangeline, his mother appear at the tail end of beach party and Evangeline has one agenda: Get Ricky and Lucy back together. Of course, Connor has nothing to worry about but Ricky's appearance is less than ideal. Ricky doesn't want to get back with Lucy anymore than Lucy wants to trade Connor in for Ricky. When Evangeline insists on throwing a dinner party for Lucy, Connor, and Lucy's family, the event takes a disastrous turn. A body is found outside the kitchen door at the restaurant where the dinner party takes place. Now, everyone is a suspect as Lucy investigates the death at the door, especially when there are ties to the new faces in the Outer Banks.

I love the entire Lighthouse Library series and each book is fantastic. The novels are filled with terrific writing, wonderful character interactions, a plausible murder mystery, and include a fantastic and breathtaking setting. I love the anticipation the author creates with the death of the person at the restaurant and the whos and whys. There are so many potential suspects it becomes hard to narrow the list down to any one person. Means, motive, opportunity, lack of alibi all plague those who made it to the list.

Lucy is a wonderful character. She may come from money, but she doesn't act like it or flaunt her family's riches. Her character is down-to-earth and likeable. I enjoy the slow yet progressing relationship the author has built up between Lucy and Connor. She didn't just toss them together in book 1, she nurtured their connection and drew out the romance in a realistic manner. They are sweet together and you can definitely feel their chemistry. The secondary characters are unique in their own way and believable. Oh, and how could I forget about Charles?! The library cat is a delightful addition to the cast.

The story is well paced, enjoyable, and full of suspense, anticipation, joy, and redemption. The author did a wonderful job describing the characters and scenery within the book. I was able to visualize the story as it played out. Deadly Ever After is a fantastic cozy mystery and a wonderful addition to the Lighthouse Library series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!