Lucy and Connor have purchased an old beach house in Nag's Head. They are slowly fixing it up as the house has been empty for years. It is rumored to be haunted by the original owner, a rather nefarious fellow. Lucy has heard noises at night but figured it could be mice in the walls. That is, until she discovers a dead body in her kitchen. If that wasn't enough, someone tried to burn down their house. Someone believes there is treasure in the house and is determined to find it. The original owners are not aware of any treasure but during the rehab, Connor and his father discover a hidden trap door. Could someone have hidden something in the house while it sat empty all those years? This is a very entertaining cozy mystery. Elise Arsenault is excellent as the narrator. I must also mention Charles, the library cat, an excellent judge of character and the hero in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, LLC for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home in Nags Head, NC, on the beach. The home is old, and while it had been uninhabited, the owners had at least kept it up. But being old, there is plenty for Connor and his father to renovate. When Connor is away at a conference, Lucy hears odd noises in he house, and finds the patio door open. A few days later the pair comes home and Lucy discovers a man dead in their kitchen, next to a trap door that no one was aware of.

Naturally, Lucy has to investigate. After all, it's her house, right?!

I rather liked Lucy in this one. Despite living in the south, she is definitely NOT a sweet Southern Belle, spouting "Bless your heart" and pretending to like people she didn't like some of the other women. As I am also a Yankee living in the south, I really appreciated that. The mystery was pretty good, not super easy to guess. This was my second book in the series and I rather enjoyed it!

Lucy and her fiancé buy a historic house in Nag’s Head, North Carolina and get much more than they bargained for with it! It comes with its own history. This is part of a series, and I think that I might have enjoin more has I read the books previous to this one as lots of characters and events are referenced to that I didn’t have any frame of reference for. That being said, it was an easy cozy mystery and light way to spend the day listening while I worked.
Lucy is a librarian and she is engaged to the mayor and the are renovating a historic old house in my favorite place, The Outer Banks. There are lots of supporting characters, my favorite by far was Charles the cat. Charles is a hero on more than one occasion and he had me cheering for him when he was very choosy a our who he liked and didn’t like.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. Cute and fun murder mystery. I take it that this is part of a series but I felt like I didn't miss anything from previous books.. but I am not sure I will do more research on if it is part of a series. The narrator did a good job. Perfect for a fast and easy read.

I had no idea this was book 9 in the series! You definitely don’t need to read the other 8 to understand this book but, it could help with remembering all the characters in Lucy’s life. I was able to guess who was going to get killed as soon as the author mentioned him, though I never had an inkling on whodunit and I loved that. Only rated 4 stars as the scenes were just a touch too descriptive for my taste and I feel like the family treasure should have been worth more for all that happened.

Charles and all his furry sass NEEDS his own book! :)

A fun fast paced mystery. Lucy and Conner purchase their new place. A cute cottage on Nags Head, North Carolina.

The cottage comes with a strange history and needs a lot of hard work to make it their own. Lucy works as a librarian and is planning her wedding to Conner.

Lucy is hearing noises and she is the only one in the home besides the cat. She knows the home has a haunted history. As she tries to think logically things happen. All this is interrupted when she finds a dead body in their home.

The mystery begins when she realizes the person found dead has a history to her new home. A quick, charming, fun read!

This is the first time I've listened to an audio of a book I've previously read and, since I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it's no surprise that the audio version is a winner, too. Narrator Elise Arsenault has a pleasant voice that fits the character of librarian Lucy well. She does a good job changing her voice to make a distinction between characters without missing a beat and each time the voice fit the character nicely. One of the things I noted was how she matched the rapid heartbeat pace when anxious at one point, a small but deft touch.

It's little things like that which make the difference between a good experience and a great one. Kudos to Arsenault for that masterful touch. The pacing was smooth and her tones matched the descriptive sections, whether happy or unnerved or, for that matter, simply impatient without disrupting the flow. Chapter changes were noted with a simple "Chapter 2" or whatever. Bottom line, an excellent job.

As for the plot itself, having reviewed it earlier I'll simply say, one, a plot synopsis is easily found elsewhere and, two. the conclusion was both satisfying and saddening. Youthful misadventures do change lives. Lucy still annoys me with her tendency to not share information with those who need it most, the police, or even Connor, but she's likable, as are her friends and family. Even the neighbors are well-rounded and show the best of human nature....most of the time. And, let's not forget Charles the Library Cat. He's a character all to himself. Bottom line, both an excellent read and listen. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio version and felt like I actually picked up on some subtle things I'd missed in the reading, so it was a win all the way around. Give it a listen or read or, heck, both.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for letting me revisit Lucy's world and ponder whether ghosts really exist or should it be human nature we fear. #EvaGates is a favorite author, so looking forward to what's next from her.

Lucy and Connor have moved into the old house and are rehabbing as they go, with they help of Connor's father, and Lucy alone with Charles the library cat, hears noises one night. She is scared but figures it is mice in the walls. Then after they have been out and return home a dead body is discovered in their kitchen! Who would murder someone in their new home? Are they in danger? Oh, and to add to the mystery someone actually tries to burn the house down by setting fire to the new deck. This one was fast paced and crazy as the rest of this series. Maybe Connor and Lucy will finally make it to the altar in the next book. Do you think?

This was a cute cozy mystery based in a South Carolina beach town. Possibilities of ghosts, hidden family treasures, a mysterious murder, and an adorable cat named Charles made this a quick and entertaining read. I kept changing my mind about who I thought the murderer was until the big reveal (and it was someone I never would have guessed). Well written descriptions helped me picture everything and everyone perfectly.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of the audio book in return for an honest review.

I am a longtime fan of Eva Gates/Vicki Delany and this series is one of my favorites of hers. Book Nine was a good addition to the series although with less of the library friends. The mystery was not a huge surprise but that was okay too. Teddy becomes more likable with every book. Unfortunately I cannot like Connor. He seems condescending toward Lucy and sometimes treats her like a child.
My big complaint with the audiobook is that Connor has the most sappy, syrupy southern accent which I don’t understand because nobody else in the audiobooks has this same accent, not even his parents. Where did he get it? At one point he says the word “party” and at first I thought he said “potty.” GRRR. It is a very odd choice.
Otherwise the narrator is very good.

This was obviously book further along in a series of books. Despite that I didn't feel like I have to go back and read the others to enjoy this book. The first couple chapters did a LOT of ground work building and each time someone was brought into the story a background was given. Now, if I'd been a long time reader of this series that would be very very annoying. I wasn't, so to me it was a tiny bit annoying but more helpful.

Great cozy mystery read. I didn't feel overwhelmed with a schtick each character felt they had to stick to (which is a big problem for other cozy mysteries) or too much relationship drama (another problem of other cozy mysteries). It kept me guessing to the point I almost over looked the murderer.

Death by Beach Read is 9th in the Lighthouse Mystery Series. However, in this book the main character, Lucy, has moved out of the lighthouse and into a potentially haunted beach cottage along with her boyfriend Connor - the mayor, and the library cat, Charles.

Although this book is part of a series it can easily be read as a stand alone. It is apparent that characters have history which would account for some of their opinions towards each other, but it wasn’t always obvious. However, this does not take away from the enjoyment of the book.

Early in the story someone is found murdered in Lucy’s kitchen and she’s soon off investigating what she can find out to solve this mystery.

This is a charming cosy mystery complete with an old (potentially haunted) house, small town, library setting, and a young woman who is an accidental detective. It checks all of the boxes!

The spooky setting of the old house, where we often find our heroine alone at night, is perfect for creating the creepy mood.

If you’re looking for a good, clean, cozy mystery this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley for this enjoyable ALC!

I enjoyed this light mystery and the setting. It was a little long but it was a fun read and would be great for vacation.

#NetGalley
#DeathbyBeachRead
This was my first book by the author and love the book. The book had the perfect mix thrill and mystery
I think I have to read all the books in the lighthouse library series now. The narrator of the book was good 👍. Thank you NetGalley for a great reading experience
4.5 stars

Nice cozy mystery. Is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. I like Lucy very much. She is spunky.

Lucy’s dreams all seem to be coming true – she and Connor have moved into their new home on Nag’s Head and she’s loving her job at the Bodie Island Light Library, all while planning her wedding. Things take a grim turn when a Lucy finds herself alone one night in her new home. Creepy sounds, footprints and an open door are a reminder of the rumors that her house is haunted. But Lucy believes her nocturnal visitor is all too human, proven when she and Connor find a dead man, who has a history with their home, on the kitchen floor. This is a fun, breezy cozy, just a delight to listen to

This is book 9 in a series I’ve never heard of, but I had no problem listening to this without benefit of the first 8. The bonus, for me, is I now have 8 more books to add to my tbr.

Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates has all my loves - an interesting mystery, a beach location (and I love Outer Banks), a library, a library cat and a small town vibe.

Main character, Lucy the librarian, along with her fiance and town Mayor, Connor, buy a run down beach house which requires a ton of renovation. The house serves as an interesting plot point, as does the general history of Nags Head and the characters within the town. Throw in a potential ghost, a dead body and lots of “helpful” townsfolk, and this one is a fun, easy beach read.

As a lifelong reader, I especially appreciated the library, the book club, and the book club’s choice of The House of Seven Gables as part of the mystery. I am now inspired to revisit the work of Hawthorne most of us only read in high school.

As an audio book, this one was a fun day's read and I thought narrator Elise Arsenault did a good job. My one tiny criticism is the choice of voice used for Connor. It was like nails on a chalkboard (I have now dated myself). Grating. Not pleasing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen in advance of the June 7, 2022 release in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! It was like a breath of fresh air. It was witty and mysterious and I loved the story!