In this 9th installment of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, we get our first glimpse of life outside the lighthouse aerie and library for Lucy (and Charles). While parts of the story do still occur in the library, the main part of the story occurs in the house that Lucy and Connor have purchased to make their home and introduces us to additional members of the town.  The historic house comes with its own mysteries and family history that brings death to Lucy’s doorstep.  The twists and turns had me second guessing myself, a fantastic red herring, and an aha moment I wasn’t prepared for.  Brava!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I read a lot of mysteries. Cozy, historical, paranormal, noir. I do love a good mystery!

Sadly a lot of them are wanting. Poor writing. Conclusions that could not be reached by the reader. Conclusions that were telegraphed on page 7!

Death by Beach Read was an absolute delight! Even though I haven't read the previous entries in the series (an error that I will be fixing ASAP), I immediately felt at home with these characters. I was obviously missing the backstory, but that didn't matter. The characters and relationships were explained and the characterisations were so strong that I never felt lost.

There is a cranky omniscient cat. Enough said.

Our protagonist occasionally doesn't see what's right in front of her, or doesn't tell people what's going on even though she's in danger and REALLY SHOULD. That gets old fast.

The men in the book occasionally dismiss her, but they get called on it pretty dang quick. They aren't really toxic in any other way, which is a relief.

In her writing as Vicki Delaney, the author was quite fat phobic. I'm glad to see no repeat of that here. Nice to see growth in that area.

The story is well-written. The mystery tight. My biggest problem with it is that it's extremely able-bodied, white cis-het. That's why I deducted a star.

100% recommend. Off to get the first one!

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 always fun to catch up with Lucy and the gang. This series is always well written with a fun mystery.
DeathbyBeachRead #NetGalley

Enjoy this series with Lucy and Connor and all their friends and family. As they work on their new house murder and fire cause them to look into the past of the house and who could be responsible for these incidents.
Goodreads

Loved this story  by Eva Gates , This is the Light house Series and is one of the 1st. cozy  mysteries that I read and of course got hooked. Lucy and the library cat Charles are the amateur sleuths.  This story is a little different but very good. Lucy and Connor who are engaged bought an old house on the beach that needs a lot of fixing up.  Connor and his Dad are doing the work. The difference in this story is that everything that happens to Lucy and Connor because of they live in the house. That is all I am going to tell to tell you. Please read as it is A VERY GOOD READ. I had no idea who done it until it was revealed. See what Lucy gets herself into this time.

This was a really fun thriller! The cover is funnily enough pretty misleading because it wasn’t as colourful as the cover of course! This was a really fun mystery to adapt to and I enjoyed myself more then I expected to. I enjoyed the run around with looking for clues and trying to break them myself but alas there are only so many hours in the day I can use up. This was super fun and I loved everything about it. 5 out of 5 stars of course!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates in exchange for an honest review. Librarian Lucy and her fiance, Connor, are moving to their new old house, a historic cottage on Nags Head beach. After living upstairs in the lighthouse library, this will be a new adventure. Connor and his father have been making the cottage livable. They come home after having dinner to find an agitated cat and dead man on the kitchen floor. Eva Gates is such a great writer. I have enjoyed reading her lighthouse library mysteries. I plan on reading more of her series.

A cozy with a haunted house, ghosts, murder and a corpse always catches my eye and this book was perfect.  It kept me in suspense and cheering Lucy on in her investigation of who or what is haunting the new house she and her fiance, Connor, bought.  Is it the ghost of the murdered man or a ghost from the house's past haunting Lucy.  

I could not put the book down!  I enjoyed the quirky new characters and even began to like Louise Jane a bit more.  The mystery was full of twists &  turns and red herrings.  A character that has caused Lucy trouble pops up in this book which sets the scene for drama.  Lucy is at her sleuthing best and the wonderful feline detective, Charles, proves he's more than just a handsome "face"!

I can't wait for the next case!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is such a fun series but it took me awhile to get into this installment. Once I did, I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Old abandoned house, family feud, and death! Yes please!

While Lucy and her soon to be husband Connor are fixing up their new home, Lucy can't help but feel someone is sneaking into her home.
The previous owners are odd, but nice, and Lucy refuses to believe they are responsible for the break ins.

This is a fun, easy to read series, and I love the idea of a library in a lighthouse. 
Fans of this series will love this latest addition to the series. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book. 

#DeathbyBeachRead #NetGalley

What a great cozy mystery! Eva Gates has done it again. She has produced Death by Beach Read and it's fantastic. Love the storyline and the well-crafted characters. A must-read if you enjoy this type of mystery. You will not be disappointed.

This is one of my favorite cozy series, and I’m always happy to see another book published because we get more adventure with Lucy and Charles, the cat. 

Lucy and her fiancée Connor have moved into their new home and started the renovations. One. Other, Charles alerts Lucy to some strange noises, and Lucy find footprints in the sand on the floor. When the next thing that shows up is a dead body, Lucy and Connor learn some interesting things about the previous inhabitants of their home and start figuring out that someone wants them out of the house as well!

I liked that parallels to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables. I love the Outer Banks setting and how Eva Gates writes it perfectly so you can picture it perfectly while reading. The murderer was a surprise to me, so that’s always the sign of a good cozy that keeps me guessing. Lucy’s a great character and she has an awesome supporting cast (and cat!) who gave her back. 

I definitely hope we get more books in the series!

Death by Beach Read was a fun cozy mystery that was exactly what I needed to read after some heavy nonfiction.  It was my first book by Eva Gates, and it won’t be my last.  I realized fairly early in the book that this was another story in the life of this protagonist, and I very much enjoy watching the evolution of smart, good-humored female characters over a series-and appreciate the sameness and reliability that comes with that. To be sure, some plot events really do require letting go of the reality of how crime investigations actually roll out, but in fiction, I’m completely ok with that. A librarian in a library inside a lighthouse renovating a beach house with her fiancé while trying to solve a murder-what’s not to love about that?!

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read the many of the Lighthouse Library novels, and it is a series that I enjoy immensely.

Librarian Lucy and her fiance Connor, the mayor, have found their dream home and have started the necessary renovations. The first night Lucy is alone in the house, however, she hears noises. With Charles the cat as her guard, she searches the house and finds an open door as well as what might be footprints in the blown about sand covered floor. Remembering that the house’s previous owners had a daughter who forty years ago ran out, vowing to never set foot in the place again, and Louise Jane’s stories of the house being haunted, Lucy chalks the moment up to her imagination. Unfortunately, Lucy and Connor come home another night to find a dead man in their kitchen, and he has long running ties to their new home. Along with the murder, Lucy and Connor must deal with vandalism, and it becomes apparent that someone wants to run them out of the house. Lucy can’t help but notice similarities between this unwelcome situation and the book club’s novel of choose, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables.

I love how each book draws parallels with the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Reading Club’s novel each time. I was a little worried that the discussions would be written to give away what each novel is about, but it actually is more of a synopsis. The characters’ discussions usually run into their thoughts about more current events, and what the next novel should be. Though Lucy’s private thoughts do refer to the novels many times, it is not enough to spoil a book that the reader may not have read. In this case, I have not read The House of the Seven Gables, but it sounds like a novel to be read in the autumn around Halloween. I am also very glad that it is classics and not just detective stories as I feel that would be too redundant. 

This particular novel delved into the Outer Banks families and their history, especially regarding secrets. The atmosphere of the Outer Banks is perfectly described as well as the residents and their long-standing happiness. I enjoyed reading about Ralph and Joanna Harper, and what they each thought of their lives there. I felt sympathy for Joanna especially, and connected with her desire to stay away from people. Children can be cruel, and parents or grandparents should be their protectors. Pranks can have lasting effects on individuals, even harmless ones. While Eva Gates doesn’t come outright and say those things, I felt it was gently implied in the way Lucy interacted with Joanna. 

The mystery was very well-written, and I hadn’t guessed at the killer at all. I did have an idea at the end of what he was killed for, but the why took me off guard. Again I felt it was a implied commentary on people and how they can react to words. I did hope that Lucy would have learned her lesson by now, and would have had more interacting with Detective Sam Watson, or even more involvement of Connor. There is a little romance between them, but I would have expected just a bit more from a newly engaged couple. I will say I related with Lucy about wedding planning. I will applaud Eva Gates if she has her characters tough it out, as I was more than happy to elope in the end. 

Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars

This is a quick, fun mystery read. Lucy, a librarian, is a likable protagonist who discovers a dead body in the allegedly haunted historic home that she and Connor, her fiancé, recently moved into. While trying to determine how and why the dead body wound up there, Lucy learns some interesting facts about her home and its prior inhabitants. The characters in the book are quirky and entertaining. Charles, the intuitive library cat, plays a cute role as well. The storyline is relatively easy to follow even if, like me, you have not read any previous Lighthouse Library Mystery books. If you like books that read like a Hallmark movie, you should give this book a try! Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Eva Gates for an Advanced Reading Copy. In exchange, here is my honest review. Death By Beach Read comes out 07/Jun/2022.

A Summary (No Spoilers)...
Lucy and her fiancé, Connor, have bought their dream home in Nags Head Beach. Things are looking up. Little does she know that a mysterious murder in her own home is about to wreak havoc on her life. Ghost stories, famous classics, and real life collide and Lucy must figure out what is fact and what is fiction before it is too late.

Jo's Recommendation
Fans of cosy mysteries will enjoy this one as a light read. The characters are simple but loveable, like characters from a fairytale, and the plot is easy to follow. However, as this book is part of a series, don't expect that all loose strings will be tied

What could be better than a library in a lighthouse and a haunted house on the beach with a long family history?  Yet another wonderful mystery from Eva Gates!  With characters that are well-developed and very likeable, this book in the series goes the distance.  A challenging mystery with lots of family history added to the mix.  It definitely had a twist I did not seeing coming.  Can't wait for the next one!

I have read this series from the beginning and have enjoyed every one and Death by Beach Read was no exception. This was a fun read with Lucy and Connor buying and fixing up an old house that they bought from Ralph and Jo Harper.  It was their family home.  Lucy works for Bodie Island Lighthouse Library in Nags Head and Connor is the mayor and dentist.  There are all the other characters from the other series as well as the added new characters. The story takes off when  Lucy and Connor  come back from dinner to  find a murdered man in their kitchen. The victim is finally identified as Jimmy Harper, Ralph's twin brother.  They are surprised when they discover how Jimmy got into their house through a trap door in the pantry. Other strange things start to happen with the old house that Lucy has to figure out as well as to who killed Jimmy and why. Dianne Uppiton  has returned to town and is hoping to be part of the community again.  The reader is kept in the dark until the very end who the murderer is.  

I look forward to the next in the series to see what adventure Lucy and Connor have as well as what happens to the other characters that remain in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishers for this ARL.

Delightful cozy mystery, the 9th in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries series. I have not read any of this series before and it was an easy stand alone read. I have an abundance of relatives but, this book surpasses me by far. There are over twenty characters at only 10% into the story. There are many more to come. My favorite character is Charles, the library cat! Once I settled into the sand and the library at Bodie Island Lighthouse with Lucy, the pieces came together. Lucy works at this unique library setting.
Lucy is engaged to Connor McNeil, mayor of Nags Head, NC, also a dentist. They've purchased an “unpainted aristocracy” house and are restoring it. Jimmy and Jo (brother & sister) had grown up there and are the sellers. Ezekiel Froomer was their crusty grandfather and his fabled ghost might still be haunting the house.
The seaside fishing community has quirky, gossiping neighbors. When Lucy finds a dead body on their new kitchen floor, she delves into the history of the family whose secrets haunt the old house.
The result of a childhood prank, jealousy and greed has Lucy playing detective with many suspects. This was an enjoyable and suspenseful read. The one small character issue would be about Connor and Lucy's relationship. They were supposed to be in love, engaged and planning a wedding. There was little romance, just one kiss in the book. They seemed like an old married couple, not young and in love. I know this is a mystery/suspense and I didn't expect sex, but their relationship was blah and dull.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance digital copy of "Death by Beach Read" by Eva Gates, and to Crooked Lane Books. These are my thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Lucy and Connor are renovating their unpainted lady and getting ready to begin their life together as a married couple.  While the house had been left empty for over 40 years, it still has great bones, and a ghost, or so local rumor has it.  While Connor and Lucy don’t believe in ghosts, Lucy has to wonder what is going on when she is woken up at night after hearing sounds in the house.  Luckily Charles is on the job and has Lucy’s back.

Upon returning home one evening, Lucy and Connor find a man dead in their kitchen.   It appears the dead man knew a secret entrance into the house as he was the brother of the family that sold the house.  The man hadn’t been seen in years, so no one knows why he was there.  It turns out he was looking for the treasure his grandfather left behind.  Another murder in Nags Head.  Another dead body that Lucy found.  Since the murder happened in their house, Lucy can’t help but try to figure out who killed the man, and it brings its own set of problem for Lucy.  She just hopes she can finger the killer before she becomes the next ghost rumored to haunt the house.

This is one of my favorite cozy series.  Between Charles, Louise Jane and the others, there is a full supporting case of quirky and caring characters with deep ties the area.  These ties allow for a lot of connection throughout the community, to both the past and the present, and a lot of red herrings that make the whodunit even more fun to try and figure out.