Great quick read that was very entertaining. Clever writing and a unique character make this a fun next read.

This one was interesting….. I received this digital ARC and I read it, , but honestly almost so many times I lost count. The story Is about Lucy who tries to solve the death of a man found in her kitchen. I did enjoy following all the clues, but felt like there was too many characters to keep track of. It was hard to hold my interest

In Death by Beach Read, the series changes focus a bit. Lucy Richardson moves out of the lighthouse and into a historic new beach house. The book focuses on the move, so the library is less central than earlier books. I was worried I would enjoy the book less, because I loved the cozy (and delightfully creepy) setting of the lighthouse. The new setting turned out to be a strength for the book as it widened the reader’s imagined map of the island. It also, of course, added a new crime scene. Also, who doesn’t love hearing about the renovation of a historic house?

Another absolutely delightful trip to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library! I’ve been reading, loving and recommending the Lighthouse Library Mystery series since I started my book reviewing adventure and I can’t wait to keep the tradition going!

This installment HAD. IT. ALL. Family secrets, ghosts, rumrunning, secret doors, and of course one feisty library cat. Lucy and Connor are excited to finally be in their new house; a gorgeous and one of a kind piece of Nags Head history. But, when Lucy discovers a dead body in her very own living room she has no choice but to figure out who… and what, was in her house.

A twisty and cozy mystery, this was a satisfying addition to my favorite series. Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delaney) does such a great job of weaving both murder and mystery with both the charming and quaint lifestyle of a seaside librarian. Witty writing and dynamic characters flow in and out of her stories and of course I always love the way Charles, the library cat, gets to save the day. Can’t WAIT to read the next already!

Another great installment in the Bodie Lighthouse series. Lucy and Conner are engaged, planning a wedding, and in their new house. Of course, they find a dead body in their house. This is a great mystery, with connections to the past. I love how we get a bit of local history in these books, but aren’t inundated so it feels like a history book. It’s a great ending to the story, but hopefully not the series. Can’t wait for the next one.

Although I found myself frequently wanting to grab Lucy, shake her, and yell "What did you think you were doing?" in her face after some of her decisions, I found this book a fun, interesting read. The plot is simple, Lucy and soon-to-be husband Conner move into a new/old "unpainted aristocracy" house that they are fixing up. They find a dead body in the kitchen one evening after returning from an outing.

It's what goes on in-between that makes the story both interesting and, yes, a trifle sad. The almost tragic aftermath of one youthful misadventure changed one life forever. Could that have lead to murder? Is the house haunted? What does "The House of Seven Gables" have to do with anything? Charles the library cat may have the answers but he's not telling. Will Lucy's wedding ever get past the "we need to plan" stage? Will Lucy even live that long?

All these questions, well, most, are answered in "Death By Beach read", the ninth in the series by Eva Gates. Although part of a series it stands alone nicely. Yes, there are loose ends at the end but the mystery is solved, even though I had no clue who the killer was until Lucy did. I still cringe at her tendency to not share information with those who might be able to more safely act upon it but, hey, it wouldn't be a true cozy mystery unless the main character manages to place themself in peril at some point, right. Lucy is lucky to be surrounded by good friends and family, not to mention neighbors willing to step up and do the right thing. Even Charles the library cat gets in on the action. My hero.

Bottom line, even as I move into the beginnings of another Alaskan winter here at my home, it was fun to spend some time at the beach with Lucy and those about here. Give this one a read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the ARC.

I LOVE that this protagonist is a librarian and they managed to throw in a great classic by Nathanial Hawthorne! This was a fun, quick read for me and I will be recommending this for sure!

I love the Lighthouse Library Mystery series but this one wasn't as cozy as the others. Yes, it is a cozy mystery and the main characters are likable but the secondary characters in this book were not very engaging or likable until the end. Otherwise it is well written and there is enough going on to keep the reader interested. Lucy and Connor are working on their new house renovations. Lucy is home by herself and hears noises and then a death occurs. It's all a little creepy. Lucy is planning the wedding but she doesn't seem excited about the actual details. This provides some lighter moments but could have been more of a focal point.. The ending was a complete surprise! Overall, it was enjoyable. #NetGalley #DeathByBeachRead #CrookedLaneBooks

This was my first book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, but I am excited to read more! This was a cozy mystery at an average pace, so the story kept me intrigued from start to finish. I didn't find that it progressed too quickly and I wasn't getting bored either, so I was able to finish the book within a few days as it held my interest well.

The story follows Lucy, who works at the library and her fiance Connor McNeil who is the mayor. They have moved into a house in Nags Head and are working together to fix it up, when they come home to find a dead body in their house. The story goes through the motions of finding out who was killed and why? By whom? What was the motive and why did it happen in their home?

I love these books for the simple reason that I get to try to solve the mystery along with them, but it's always a nice surprise when it turns out to be someone who you need expected!

I give this book 4/5 stars and I look forward to reading more in this series. Thank you NetGalley for the ebook to read and review.

This one was interesting….. I received this digital ARC and I read it awhile ago, but honestly almost DNF so many times I lost count. The story Is about Lucy who tries to solve the death of a man found in her kitchen. I did enjoy following all the clues, but felt like there was too many characters to keep track of. I didn’t care for the way the story was written. When I was a senior in high school I had zero hour History with Mr. Mullins, who was really old and spoke in MONO TONE. I got dropped out of class for falling sleep too much. This is book brought me back to those days. A boring history lesson type feel. I did love the cat probs the only 5 star character. . Also I later found out this book is a 9th installment of the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series. It provided enough backstory to where the earlier stories were not needed for this story. Overall, It was cute, simple yet predictable story that just didn’t hold my attention. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is an interesting story.. The murder is not violent or gory. And the book opens with it. There are many characters to keep track of, but it's not impossible. If you like stories with a library /librarian theme, you will enjoy this book. I don't particularly care for the writing style. Most of the story is told as a history lesson. Not that much action in the present. I'm also not real sure where the title comes from.

Death By Beach Read surpassed my expectations. It was a well-written mystery that kept me turning pages the whole time. The characters were well thought out and I love the cat! Honestly, any book with animals is earning points from me. I got into a big romance hook so it was good to breakaway, back into the mystery/thriller/whodunnit genre. Eva Gates wrote a fantastic novel that helped me transition back into this genre! If you are looking for a great mystery novel that also oddly makes you want to go on a beach vacation, definitely give this one a read.

Another adventure for Lucy as she tries to solve the death of a man found in her kitchen. You'll enjoy following the clues and getting to know the characters she encounters. An enjoyable cozy read.

Lucy and Connor are renovating their historic beach house in Nag’s Head, North Carolina and planning their upcoming wedding. While Lucy was alone in her home one night, she and her cat heard sounds and found foot prints in the dust and later saw a ghostly figure. Rumors are that the house is haunted and the former owner’s daughter, now an elderly recluse, ran screaming from the home and never set foot inside again. When Lucy and Connor find a body in their kitchen and learn he had ties to their new home they work to find the all too human killer.

This is the 9th installment in the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series. The earlier books are not needed to enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy.

Most of us are familiar with San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies” a row of colorful Victorian houses built at the end of the 19th century that adorn Steiner Street. Now author Eva Gates takes us to an “unpainted lady” located in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where Connor McNeil and his fiancé Lucy have undertaken restoration of a beach house that has been unoccupied for the past 40 years (except for the ghost).

They, with the help of Connor’s father, have managed to make enough improvements to the first floor to move into the place with their cat Charles. Then strange things begin happening. Noises in the night, footprints in the dust, unlocked doors, secret trapdoors and ladders, old trunks and photos, and a dead body in the kitchen. It’s almost more than a gal can handle.

On top of all the drama at home Lucy is also trying to plan for her not-too-distant nuptials while attempting to deal with the various personalities at her workplace - - - the local library located in the Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Join Lucy, Connor and the rest of the gang as they investigate what it was that set in motion an alarming chain of events all those many years ago.

I really tried to like this book, but something about it did not work. The characters were fine, the writing was fine, but for me the plot was too slow and meandering to hook me in which is a great shame.

When Lucy and fiance Connor buy a historic old house in Nag's Head, they get more than they bargained for!

This was book 2 in the Lighthouse Library series, and the reader definitely needs to have read book 1 before this one. I had not read book 1, and found a lot of reference to past events and characters without introduction, and found myself a little lost at times.

It was an enjoyable enough story, but I'll be honest and say I didn't love it. There were too many superfluous details (the colour of an outfit, for example, or the intricacies of the library) that felt like attempts at misdirection, and characters that had no real purpose. Again, if I'd read book, 1 perhaps some of it may have mad sense, but reading it as a standalone - it didn't.

Enjoyable enough, but wasn't for me. Three stars out of 5.

~Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review~

The latest installment of the Lighthouse mystery series finds Connor and Lucy fixing up their new Nags Head home and getting ready for their wedding.
Lucy is sleeping alone when she hears footsteps in the house but can’t find anyone there. It happens the next night as well, and then she and a Connor come home to find a dead body in their kitchen. Another murder, another mystery. Great characters and mystery.

Death by Beach Read is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library mystery series. We're catching up with Lucy and Connor as they're seriously beginning to plan their wedding.

Lucy and Connor have purchased their dream house, one of the historic old Beach houses overlooking the water. The owner had wanted to sell the house to someone who would love it. It needs alot of renovation, but Connor and his father are up to the challenge.

Everything is peachy until Lucy begins to hear things that go bump in the night when she's home alone. The dead body in the kitchen is a bit too much; now, it's getting scary.

There are lots of questions to be answered, and Death by Beach Read is an engrossing, entertaining read..I would highly recommend this book to any and all cozy mystery lovers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley.

#DeathbyBeachRead#NetGalley

This was a cute, predictable read,

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.