I enjoyed reading this book, it was fast paced. Easy to understand. Little to no grammatical errors. I’m thankful to receive this arc.

I love me a good cozy mystery. Even better is when the main protagonist is a Librarian. (I am working towards becoming one myself.) Oh, and we can't forget the library mascot, Charles the cat. He shows up everywhere.

What I didn't know about Death by Beach Read, is that it's the 9th book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. :/ So, there is a fair amount of backstory to our librarian, Lucy Richardson, as well as her fiance, Connor McNeil, who happens to be the town's Mayor, that I will not be privy to. I decided I would still jump in. And I'm glad I did.

Death by Beach Read focuses on Lucy, who is not only the librarian at the Bodie Lighthouse Library, but is also known to help the local police as an amateur sleuth. Lucy puts her skills to good use when she and Connor come back from a night out and discover a dead body in their kitchen. A dead body that has a connection to the history of not only the house, but of Connor's family history too.

Living in an old house, while renovating it no less, sets the atmosphere of the book. With the creaks and the cracks, the tapping, all of which unnerves Lucy. It's just because the house is old, right? Yeah, we'll go with that. Adding to the atmosphere is the town itself, Nags Head, North Carolina. The people, the beach, the lighthouse.

Though I didn't have the backstory, I really enjoyed Death by Beach Read and look forward to starting from the very beginning of the series by Eva Gates.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Eva Gate's Death by Beach Read to review.

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Fun light mystery! A different type of beach read! I enjoyed it alot but didn’t pull me in too much!

[First, I’d like to say, thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]

To start, when I first picked up this ARC, I did not realize that it was in the middle of a series and tried to read it briefly before disliking the confusion. To be fair, I’m not that type of reader that likes to start from the beginning but I will say in my opinion, it might be best to read this series from the beginning. So apologies for the lateness. I wanted to do the story right and read it properly.

That being said, I’ve been enjoying it thus far and find this book probably one of my favorites of The Lighthouse books. I found Lucy much more courageous and you get to see more of her relationship with each character. I found a couple loose ends but I’ve caught on in these books, that may not have been by mistake. Regardless, I had a good time with Lucy and the gang and will continue on with them.

Lucy and Connor have moved into their new/old home, one of OBX's Unpainted Aristocracy. These are lovely grey homes, right on the water and are highly desirable. It's a fun addition in the plotlines and an unfortunate setting for the series' latest murder. Connor gets an upfront look at how his bride-to-be is drawn into amateur sleuthing. I suspect we'll also see him get more involved as the series progresses! We meet a few new characters in the book and I like how they are getting woven into the library community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for an advanced copy of Death by Beach Read in exchange for an honest review.

A cute cozy mystery which naturally involves a cat! While working on planning their future lives together in their new house Lucy starts to hear noises when home alone. Initially unable to find the source one evening a dead body shows up in their kitchen. Unraveling the mystery of who it is and why they are in their new home makes for a good story!

I really enjoyed this book because there were a few different plot twists and each one added another layer to the story. It had a very good and satisfying ending.

I could not finish this book.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I adore the Lighthouse Library series! Of course the structure is similar with every installment, but I appreciate that the mysteries are still unique. There are plenty of quirky, fun characters, and the setting is lovely. I'll keep reading to the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for a free copy of #DeathbyBeachRead by Eva Gates. All opinions are my own.

Death by Beach Read is part of a series, so it took some time for me to become invested in the story. I enjoyed the mystery aspect, especially the rum running aspect. There were some fairly obvious things, but I don’t typically mind that in a cozy mystery. The thing that kept iBook from a higher rating was the unlikable main character.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the second cozy mystery book I have read by this author, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The story is about Lucy and Connor, who have moved into their new home, which is a cottage near the beach. Lucy is still working in the library and has been busy decorating her house and planning her wedding. Unfortunately, Lucy and Connor find a dead body of a man in their kitchen one night, and then they start investigating what happened to him and why he is connected to their house.

This is a good book, which is easy to read, and I liked the family aspect of the book, as well as the mystery. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

A fun, fast beach read - winter or summer! A light and enjoyable read. Cat lovers will especially enjoy this one.

Gates is an author I always enjoy reading and Death by Beach Read is another win. The premise twists a casual everyday life by weaving in a murder which serves as a catalyst for a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. All mystery lovers should have this (and the series) on their shelves.

I was a little apprehensive going into this book in the series with our leading lady moving out of her lighthouse aerie but my concerns were completely unfounded. The mysteries past and present surrounding Lucy and Conner's new house kept me guessing until the end and I love that karma finally caught up with some people. I am very much looking forward to the next installment and have been recommending this series/book to my fellow cozy mystery readers.

Solid cozy read. As a long time fan, I knew what was in store and wasn't disappointed. Reading these books are like snuggling up under a blanket, sitting in front of the fire. The characters are like old friends. The way Ms. Gates describes the environment, it makes you want to visit the area. Enjoy the sites. Mingle with the ppl. The actual mystery was done well. I didn't know the killer to the end. Enjoy the boo and looking forward to the next one.

#NETGALLEY #evagates #deathbybeachread

Death by Beach Read was a fun little mystery that I finished in one lazy day at home. I have several patrons who like this type of "cozy" mystery so I thought it would be neat to read one for myself. Even though I haven't read the previous books in this series, I didn't have a hard time keeping track of the characters. I loved that there was a library in the lighthouse and the main characters were likable as well. I may even pick up the next in the series when it comes along.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 7 June 2022.

Death by Beach Read is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series.
I enjoy reading books about places I've visited, and this takes place on the Out Banks of North Carolina, Nags Head and Bodie Island Light House. Such a beautiful area. While the lighthouse in the story houses a library, living quarters and offices from visiting I know there is no room for this but its fiction so allowable it is.
Having read and enjoyed others in this series I am familiar with the characters Lucy, a transplant from Boston and Connor, the very busy mayor. They have moved into a newly renovated beach house and are settling in with her library cat Charley.
Her first night alone in the house provides to be too spooky with sounds coming from the closed off upstairs area and footprints in the dust.
When a body of a man the homeowners don't even know turns up in their house it's time to take into account the old rumors about the house being haunted.
Will the cat's nosing around turn up anything but mice in the empty and dusty areas of the home?
Action, suspense, wedding planning, a library, a cat, sleuthing this book has all you need to be satisfied with a great cozy mystery.
I am enjoying this series and a lot of the same characters in each book. Wonderful, easy to follow plot. Some cozies can confuse you with too much going on, not so with this one. Recommended!

Pub Date: 07 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this mystery that I enjoyed reading and then listened to the audiobook, which was wonderfully narrated by Elise Arsenault. Highly recommend!

A very nice treat to the fans of Lighthouse librarian Lucy and her fiance Connor. A cozy mystery for the lovers of cozy, mystery, love, friendship, family reconciliation and uncovering of secrets for the sake of restoring one's life.
Eva Gates continues the series with a worthy installment. A reader would get to catch up with familiar and beloved characters, to meet new interesting personalities and follow solving of a murder... in the middle of Lucy's kitchen pantry.
Death by Beach Read is like a friend you'd want to see every so often and listen to their stories. I absolutely enjoy Lucy and Connor, their friends and frenimies.
Can't wait for the next installment in the series