I didn't get into this one as much as I thought I would based on the synopsis. It's unfortunate because it sounded so good.

Death by Beach Read is the ninth book in one of my favourite cozy mystery series. You can read them as standalones, but I recommend you start at the beginning as so much happens in the character's lives that you would miss out on. In this book Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home, one that had been empty, but owned by an old family from Nags Head Beach. It needs a lot of work, but Connor is sure that it will be an amazing home. Of course that means Lucy has to move out of her apartment in the Lighthouse Library. The owner had history with Connor's parents and that leads to some issues. At night Lucy hears sounds and sees things that have her scared to be alone. When a dead body is discovered in their kitchen one morning, they have to figure out what is going on and why does it seem like someone is trying to sabotage their renovations.

There is a lot going on and Lucy has her hands full. She is helping Sam plan her wedding, trying to find the murderer, driving back and forth to work, dealing with Diane, a nasty character from a previous book who is back in town, and trying to help Charles get used to living somewhere else besides the library. We meet some new characters in this story that add some interest to the library book club and to give us some suspects in the murder. I really liked Jo, the recluse who finally began to come out of the house. She has secrets and a past that have held her hostage for years. Of course Lucy asked lots of questions and followed her instincts to put together clues. She also gets help from Louise Jane. She is one character that has grown and changed so much as the series has gone on. She used to be really obnoxious and mean to Lucy, and I am really pleased with the direction her character has taken. Lucy almost has it figured out, and then there is the showdown. A great mystery with several suspects, motives and red herrings. I recommend it to cozy mystery lovers. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Elise Arsenault. She added voices, emotion and tone to make this a wonderful book to listen to.

It is always weird hearing someone else voice the characters you are familiar with. Elise Arsenault did a good job narrating this book. The character voices were distinct, she spoke clearly, and I was easily able to listen at 2.0x speed and still understand what was being said.

I was not expecting that person to be the killer, well done!

I love this series. Who wouldn't want their town library to be in an old lighthouse. Looking forward to Lucy and Connor's wedding in a future book.

Beach Read is a fun little cozy. It is a bit shallow and predictable, but if one is reading to just escape for a while and enjoy, it does measure up. Some of the happenings seem a bit contrived and some take “you can’t make this stuff up” too far. But the characters are fun and the story is workable with only a small amount of suspension of disbelief.

I love the setting of the town, particularly the library in a lighthouse. The Rum Runner inclusion was a great plot tool. I would certainly be sleeping with one eye open in that cottage.

The writing is a bit overly descriptive, telling details that in no way advance the story or are even of interest. The story itself is slow to get started and once moving is like following a classic car driven by an octogenarian on a Sunday morning.

This was a fun audiobook to listen to! This is book 9 in a series, but if you're like me and started with this one, you won't feel like you're missing too much. I was able to jump in and start enjoying the story. This wonderful cozy mystery is set at the Outer Banks, which is a place I have visited often. I enjoy reading about places I have been, even if they're highly fictionalized. It makes it easier for me to feel like I'm really there. There was so much in this book that I loved. Who doesn't need a book about a librarian who lives in a lighthouse with her cats?? If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, this is the book for you! I'll have to go back and read the previous books in the series now!

Did not know this was the 9th in a series until after I completed the book. It held up as a stand alone title and even if you were to pick it up without reading or listening to the prior ones you could “keep up.”

I enjoyed this cozy mystery and how well the author describes the locations and homes that the scenes take place.

While I don’t shy away from darker murder mysteries there is a time and place for a good cozy one. Maybe when the world has been heavy enough or you want to listen in the car with the entire family.

This series and this entry would be a great option.

Great story, fun characters, and beautiful locations.

Pick this up and escape in this story today.

This Lighthouse Library Mystery Book is a cozy mystery adjectives for cats
with the library being in a converted lighthouse, and of course the a very intelligent library cat and, of course, a murder. I really enjoyed the description of the Nags Head Beach area on the Outer Banks, I could picture myself there. I have not listened to the first 3 books in the series, but I have put them on my list!

What a fun mystery! I had no idea this was a series, but I listened to the audio version of Eva Gates' Death by Beach Read and had no trouble following along. I'm not sure what the previous books in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries are about, but I'm definitely going to check into them!

I loved the quirky characters that make up this small Outer Banks, North Carolina village, and the main character (Lucy the librarian) is plucky and quite appealing. Even though there are a couple of scary moments, this is definitely a cozy mystery and stays true to that genre.

The audio version is nicely performed by Elise Arsenault, who takes full advantage of the humor coursing through this story. Well done Ms. Arsenault.

DEATH BY BEACH READ is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. With delightful characters, a charming setting—who can resist a library in a supposed haunted lighthouse in the Outer Banks—and a puzzling mystery from years ago that ties into a current day murder, I was glued to the story from the very first. The author creates a compelling tale featuring protagonist Lucy Richardson. I’ve so enjoyed watching Lucy’s adventures and relationships flourish over the course of the series. This newest release is no exception as she and her fiancé, Connor, plan a wedding while renovating their beach historic cottage. I greatly appreciated how the library’s book club’s classic novel selection seems to parallel the trouble Lucy is experiencing with her own, new to her, house. The well-plotted mystery kept me intrigued. With great attention to detail, Ms. Gates ties up all the threads of the clues sprinkled throughout the story and ends with a highly satisfying conclusion, making me eager to find out what’s next in store for Lucy, Connor, and Charles, the library cat.

I was delighted to have had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of DEATH BY BEACH READ, thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley. The narrator, Elise Arsenault, does an admirable job in capturing the voices of the characters and adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.

This is my first read by Eva Gates, but I loved it so much. I used to vacation regularly in the Outer Banks, and the every day life of the citizens made me really curious. There are lots of references to landmarks, a cute romance, and a cozy mystery. I'm definitely going to go find the first book!

This was my first Eva Gates's book and won't be my last. This is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series. I liked the characters, the mystery, and the entertaining story. Elise Arsenault did an amazing job with the narration. I enjoyed it. Looking forward for more in the series. I highly recommend it.

I really like the Library Lighthouse series and this is the latest one and it was really good.

Lucy and Conner are buying a house and it looks like a great house till they find out it comes with a lot of baggage. A lot of people think that it's haunted and there have been some strange things happening while Lucy was there. Then Lucy finds a dead body in their kitchen who happens to be a kin to the guy who sold the house to them and that is when they find out about the odd history surrounding the house.

Lucy tries to not get involved that much but of course she does get involved because she needs to find out what exactly happened as the sister to the dead guy was spooked in that house a long time ago and has never been back into it and it seems strange that she has been seen hanging around the house.

There was a lot of good suspects and it took me a while to figure this one out, but I did figure out who the killer. That didn't bring down the enjoyment of the story because it took me a while.

I recommend this series if you enjoy cozy mysteries.

This is the story of a small town librarian who is living with her fiancee in a fixer upper home in Kill Devil Hills, NC. She discovers a murdered man in her kitchen and has a series of odd interactions with the locals as she and her cat, Charles- named after Charles Dickens, sleuth the murder mystery.
If you love a good cozy mystery, an adorable cat, and memorable characters, this story is for you.

A true cozy mystery with a well thought-out plot.

This is the ninth book in the series; however, it is my first Eva Gates book. Coming from the standpoint of not reading the previous installations, I really thought that Death by Beach Read held up well as a stand-alone title.

The only part of the book that gave me pause was Mr. Snider. Something about him and Joe made me feel off. That feeling may go away with further character development but the interactions between them left me a little uncomfortable in this installation.

The book kept a good pace, introduced several interesting secondary characters, and left me wanting to read more about Lucy's adventures. I will certainly be looking into the previous titles to fully catch-up on this series.

Elise Arsenault was absolutely the right choice for the narrator. The audio book version was extremely well done and kept my attention.

Another great addition to the Lighthouse Library Series! I have enjoyed every edition to this series and #9 did not disappoint! Eva Gates is so good at the surprise ending. I always think I know who the murderer is but I’m usually wrong and I love it! This cast of characters is one you wish you could get into trouble with!

@elisearsenault.actor is a brilliant voice for this series. I know when I hear her voice what series I’m listening to (which is slightly comical when you’re listening to a different series (she narrates, zone out a bit, and wonder why you’re all of a sudden in Alaska and not Nag’s Head!)

this was a fun quick read and i love every second of it and yes i know that weird to say about a cozy mystery.

Lucy Richardson, the librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, is engaged to marry dentist and Mayor Connor McNeil. When given the opportunity to purchase a house on the beach at a great price, they jump at it and begin renovating. The house gets to the point where, while not finished, it is livable and so they move in. While Connor is out of town, Lucy initially believes she hears strange noises and finds footprints in the sand. But, because the house has a reputation for being haunted, she convinces herself to ignore them.
The pair cannot, however, ignore the dead body they find in the kitchen a few days later. Lucy and Connor have to get to the bottom of how the body came to be there and who it was before they can proceed with repairs and wedding preparation. Longtime residents of the island come together and new relationships emerge while Lucy and her friends work to unravel the mysteries of the house.

Read by experienced narrator Elise Arsneault, the characters come alive. An actor and musician as well, Arsneault is familiar with Lucy and Connor as she has read other books in the Lighthouse Mystery series. Recommended for anyone familiar with the Outer Banks, anyone who enjoys light mysteries, and those who enjoy beach/pool reads.

Another great book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. In the last book, Lucy and Connor were celebrating their engagement. They are now living in their new house. After some suspicious happenings, Lucy finds a dead body inside their house. I agree with another reviewer that I loved when Lucy stood up for herself, instead of letting someone walk all over her in the name of good manners.

The narrator of the audiobook has a pleasant voice and added to the story.

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

I did not realize that this was the 9th book in the series. However, it works okay as a stand alone. I'm unsure whether I'll go give the first in the series a try. This book took a long time to build up momentum and felt oversaturated with characters.

I have really enjoyed this series although you can read this one without reading the others. :Lucy and Connor are getting ready for their wedding and getting their house ready to live in. It is a big change from the lighthouse that Lucy used to live in. I think it would be be neat to go to a library in a lighthouse and living in one would be interesting. Strange things begin to happen in the house and it is up to Lucy and the others to find out what is going on and who is responsible. I highly recommend this series.