Lucy has a way of attracting trouble, and this book does not disappoint! Lucy and her fiancé are attempting to remodel their newly acquired beach house when they learn of the troubled past that comes with this house. Chalking this up to superstition, they forge ahead with repairs, but things do not remain calm for long.

I absolutely adored this book! I had anticipated it to be pretty predictable, but the end of the story really had me guessing. I also really enjoyed Charlie's role in the story, and his heroic devotion to his owner!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a charming and cozy read. I did not know it was part of a series and am interested in reading the others in this series. Loved the descriptions of the Nags Head area and the old beach cottage. Liked the characters and felt vested in the outcome of their stories. Thanks for letting me read this!

It was interesting to include a story based on the new house that Lucy and Connor are renovating. I do like the characters in the book and how they fit together. At times there were some continuity slip-ups but it didn't really take from the story. The culprit isn't really a surprise but there is a good bit of action getting to the conclusion.

3.5 ⭐s!
An engaged couple buys a fixer-upper and ends up getting (much) more than they bargained for.

There is no denying that Eva Gates has a way with words! Her writing style is cozy and comforting and her inclusion of so many rich details paints an extremely realistic picture. The plot of the story is insanely well thought-out and intricately woven; however, the pacing was a bit tricky for me at first. In the first chapter, we are introduced to quite a few characters. Though all are equally lovable (barring the few that aren't meant to be) and valuable to the overall plot, it was a bit tough at first to keep them straight -- but it becomes easier as each becomes more and more well-known!

Once the mystery itself picks up more, the plot quickens and there is almost a shift: painting a picture of a charming town with a rich and mysterious history becomes a fast-paced murder mystery with twists and turns. The aforementioned cast of characters comes in handy for sure! Overall, I look forward to reading more by Eva Gates and may hold off on buying my own fixer-upper for a while. (:

Review also posted on The Storygraph; many thanks to NetGalley, Eva Gates, and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Eva Gates and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. As a first foray for me into Lighthouse Library series, I found it easy to dive in without too much background.
However, the book’s pacing for me was a little off. It took a look time for the mystery to begin (no spoilers here) and as such, made it a bit hard to stay engaged at the beginning, Ultimately, even after the mystery started to develop, I still struggled to stay engaged and care about the characters and their development as the book kept getting bogged down in details about what the women were eating at lunch,

A woman finds a dead man in her new house. She and her fiancé are baffled but work with the police to find out who killed him.

When a new Lighthouse Library book comes available for review, all my other books are left to be read later. Death by Beach takes us back to Nag's Head and the Lighthouse Mystery with a mysterious death this time in Lucy and Connor's new home. Besides the death of one of the original home owners, someone is trying to scare Lucy out of her new beach house. Lucy and the library gang have another mystery to solve.
Gates brings wonderful new changes to the Lighthouse Library and Death by Beach is a great new addition to the series. I thought I would miss Lucy living in the lighthouse, but this newest book made wonderful changes to help the series from becoming dormant.
I received a copy of Death by Beach complimentary through NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I couldn't keep interest in this book. I read the first chapter and I didn't find it very well written. I'm sure that there will be people who absolutely love it, but that's all the further I could make it.

A couple buys a historical home in The Outer Banks. The house was sold to them at a decent price because the family that sold it to them was looking for specific buyers that would thoroughly enjoy this special home.. Unfortunately, this house comes with many ghosts. A cozy mystery with many enjoyable characters,

I went into this book not realizing it was a series, but it was a good read as a stand alone book as well! I really enjoyed how Charles was brought into the book and his little personality gave the book a little something extra. I was left guessing until the last bit of the book on who did it and wouldn't have guessed it! I will definitely be checking out the rest of the Lighthouse Library mysteries.

I can honestly say this book was an enjoyable read but it didn’t grab me the way other cosy mysteries have.

Lucy and Conor are an engaged couple living in Outer Banks with their cat Charles. They purchase a house that is rumoured to be haunted and that’s where the fun begins. The towns people of Outer Banks are quirky characters that make the story come alive.

Librarian Lucy’s new historic house comes with a lot of baggage and family secrets. Can she put them to rest or will a killer bring Lucy’s family to their downfall, in the 9th Lighthouse Library mystery. It’s spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach. The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready. Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house. That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode. Even though this is the 9th in this series it is still as fresh as the first. I was afraid I would miss her life in the lighthouse but it is still front and center in the story along with all the other interesting characters. Excited for the 10th! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A delightful cozy mystery with charming characters for all to enjoy.

3.5 rounded off to 4 🌟

A thoroughly delightful read, perfect for a weekend at home snuggled in with (you guessed it) a cat! Charles really made this story come alive for me, and I loved the descriptions of the area, the historical as well as scenic bits.

Definitely worth reading for any cosy mystery fan, especially one who loves the sea, libraries and books, and a hint of historical suspense. I'm definitely going to look up more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my ARC.

This is the 9th installment of the Lighthouse Library cozy series, which is among my favorites, set in the Outer Banks, Nags Head, North Carolina.

As the series name indicates, it's mainly set in a small library which is located in a lighthouse. However, due to a change in circumstances, Lucy no longer lives in the lighthouse, above the library, and much of the action centers on the house she and Conor have purchased. As a result, this book has a different feel than the first eight books in the series. Not a bad thing, just different.

The characters I love (and love to hate) are back so all is good in the Lighthouse Library world. In this particular installment, the crime is centered on past events, which is another cozy favorite for me.

Highly recommended, enjoyable cozy.

Lucy Richardson, librarian and one time resident of the Bodie Island Library Aerie, and her fiance Connor McNeil, mayor of the beach town of Nags Head, have bought their first home together. Known as an unpainted aristocracy type of house and empty for over a decade it needs quite a bit of work, but is right on the beach, has fantastic views, and is keeping Connor's dad, Fred busy in his reluctant retirement.

After a winter of hard work Lucy and Connor have been able to move in, along with Charles, the library cat, and are happily planning for their future until, after a rare night out, they discover a dead body in their new kitchen. Previously owned by the Harper family, Lucy soon discovers its difficult history including reports of the ghost of a previous owner.  With no real clues available Lucy is happy to leave any investigating to the local police but soon finds herself deeply involved against a killer happy to add her name to their list of victims.

Although this is the ninth in the Lighthouse Library mystery series it's the first I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed it however, and will be reading some of the previous books as soon as I can. I loved the location, the main protagonists, and the inclusion of all the everyday things which happened alongside the murder investigation.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent addition to the works of a cosy crime author clearly at the top of her game.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

I've read all the books in this cozy series and I love everyone of them the setting is so magical instantly puts me at ease. The characters are so familiar, it's like coming home.

I do love this series! A cosy mystery set in a library that's housed in a working lighthouse. Gold! This book is the ninth in the series so I'd recommend starting at the beginning. It's so worth it. Lucy and her fiancé Connor have bought an old beach house and are renovating it themselves. After they return home one night and find a dead man in their kitchen, mysterious noises and creepy cloaked figures harass Lucy as she struggles to solve this latest mystery. While not as cosy as when Lucy lived in the lighthouse library, and with far fewer scenes taking place in the library, this latest instalment has a head-scratching mystery and delivers a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Although a multiple book series, this is the first title I have read. Lucy and Connor are fixing up a beach front house while planning their wedding. While neither believe the rumors that the house is haunted, it has been an unhappy home in the past and a new murder threatens to upset their future. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Death By Beach Read is listed as a mystery/thriller, but it feels more like a cozy mystery to me. This was the first book of the series that I've read (thank you NetGalley for the ARC) and I had no trouble jumping right in. The main character, a librarian and accidental detective of sorts, is likable enough to entice the reader to pick up previous books in the series. I have to say that it had a good twist at the end. I had guessed at a number of characters as the "who done it" and was surprised when the real culprit was revealed.
If you're looking for a good clean cozy mystery this is definitely for you.