This 12th installment in the Lighthouse Library cozy mystery series is yet another enjoyable book in the series. One of the best in the series, so far.

An interesting, clever murder where a YA author with an almost cultlike following is murdered by bow and arrow on Lucy's deck. His widow goes after Lucy and her friends and colleagues rally around here, which I really enjoyed seeing.

Of course, all the regular characters are there but some of the minor characters play a larger than usual role in this book. Planning a bookfair, political intrigue, and teens with unusually strong devotion to an author all add to the interest of this book.

Very highly recommended to cozy mystery fans!!

Shot Through the Book is a very enjoyable addition to the Lighthouse Library series. I really loved seeing all the library employees rally behind Lucy to support her and the her own growth in the story. I was also very happy that Connor was featured much more prominently in this mystery compared to the last installment. As with most cozies some things were quite predictable but there were also some great twists in the story that I did not see coming!

Shot Through the Book is a five-star delight for cozy mystery lovers and bibliophiles alike! Set against the enchanting backdrop of the Outer Banks and the charming Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, this mystery blends literary lore, murder, and small-town intrigue with effortless ease. From the opening scene where best-selling author Todd Harrison shows up at librarian Lucy McNeil’s beach house only to be found murdered minutes later, this story pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

Lucy McNeil is the perfect cozy sleuth: sharp, resourceful, and refreshingly grounded. One moment she’s preparing lemonade, the next she’s a suspect in a high-profile murder case involving a famed author she barely knew. With her reputation on the line and a YA book festival teeming with colorful personalities, she dives into an investigation brimming with red herrings, rivalries, and secrets tucked neatly between the lines.

The supporting cast is just as vibrant, especially Heather Harrison, the manipulative widow who arrives with a political agenda as sharp as her designer heels. Her media-fueled crusade to turn tragedy into personal gain adds delicious tension, while the late author’s obsessive fan club and the festival’s egotistical writers create a flurry of motives and misdirection that will keep even seasoned mystery readers guessing.

Author gives readers everything they could want: smart dialogue, witty observations, a fully realized literary world, and a coastal setting that feels like a character itself. The mystery is satisfyingly twisty, with a perfectly timed reveal that ties all the threads together while leaving you eager for Lucy’s next adventure.

Shot Through the Book is a standout entry in the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library series—equal parts engaging, atmospheric, and joyfully bookish. Whether you’re in it for the murder, the beachy charm, or the literary inside jokes, this cozy mystery hits the sweet spot. Highly recommended for fans of Kate Carlisle, Jenn McKinlay, and anyone who believes the best drama always happens between the covers of a good book.

I like the characters and the setting of the Outer Banks. The characters move forward in their lives in each book which is nice. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - Still hoping for more in this series.

This is the twelfth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series and I'll admit I haven't read all of them. Luckily, I didn't need to in order to enjoy this episode.

A YA Book Festival is being planned, and things seem to be going well until the star author comes to Lucy's house and is murdered with an arrow through the chest. Lucy has no idea why he has come to see her. He dies just after their greetings.

Now the festival plans are in disarray with the two local audios vying for headlining the festival. The deceased author's teenage fans are holding vigil outside of Lucy and Connor's house. And the "grieving" widow looks like she wants to capitalize on her husband's death to launch her own political career.

The grieving widow is making trouble for Lucy and the local police department alleging corruption which means Lucy is pretty much on her own to investigate. She has lots of suspicious characters to investigate too.

This was a nice cozy mystery.

First book I read in the series, but it can easily be read nonetheless. Good writing, solid plot with a refreshing background based in archery. The ending was satisfying.

5/5 stars: This is the eleventh entry in Gates' Lighthouse Library Mystery series, which is a Culinary Cozy Mystery that takes place in Nags Head, North Carolina and features an assistant director and librarian who finds herself turning sleuth after a best selling Young Adult author's murdered on her Outer Banks beach house's deck after mysteriously requesting they meet in private. Caught between an intrusive fan club, squabbling authors fighting for prominence and a politically ruthless widow, she must roll up her sleeves and catch the killer before the chapter closes on justice. With plenty of twists and turns, Gates has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Gates' writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a joy to catch up with Lucy, Conner, her dentist/mayor husband, her family and friends and the staff and patrons at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. And of course there's no better cat than Charles, who deigns to live with Lucy and Conner when not “working” at the library. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, By Book or by Crook.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

When best selling author Todd Harrison unexpectedly visits librarian Lucy McNeil at her Outer Banks beach house after a meeting she is puzzled since they strangers. After she goes inside to get him a drink when she comes back out she finds him dead on the porch. Caught with an intrusive fan club mourning Todd authors fighting for prominence in his absence and a politically ruthless widow Lucy has to roll up her sleeves and catch the killer before the chapter closes on justice. I enjoy Eva Gates lighthouse stories she has great characters and keeps the story gong till the end.

I feel very fortunate that there continues to be new books in my favourite cozy mystery series The Lighthouse Library. This time, Lucy and the gang are planning a YA book conference in Nags Head when the featured author is murdered at Lucy's house.
I loved the characters, and the setting never gets old. I was fully engaged while reading this story and couldn't put it down. This series is so consistently good! I can't wait for the next one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for an ARC in exchange for review.

This series is a must-read for me!
I love how the characters are developing as the series progresses, and I hope there are more to come!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Cozy Mystery That Never Disappoints

Eva Gates delivers yet another delightful installment in her cozy mystery series with Shot Through the Book. There’s something so comforting about returning to familiar characters and settings, and this book was exactly what I needed—dependable, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable.

While the formula follows the classic cozy mystery structure, it never feels stale. The twists kept me guessing, and even though I thought I had it figured out, the ending still managed to surprise me. That’s what I love about this series—no matter how many I read, they always keep me on my toes.

If you love cozy mysteries that feel like curling up with an old friend, this is one you’ll want to pick up. I know I will every time I see a new one on the shelf!

I have read and loved all of the books in Eva Gates / Vicki Delany's Lighthouse Library Mystery series and Shot Through the Book (book 12) is a great addition! The main characters are likable and it's like visiting old friends. Lucy works at Bodie Island Lighthouse Library and is married to Connor who is a dentist and also the mayor. Lucy and Connor are a cute couple. Lucy, her boss Bertie and co-workers Ronald and Louise Jane are planning a YA Author event featuring Todd Harrison and two local authors. Todd stops by Lucy's home but is killed before she knows why he came to visit her. Todd has a fan club that is causing problems along with his wife and his agent. I suspected the culprit but wasn't sure and there is enough going on to keep it interesting. This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery! #ShotThroughTheBook #LighthouseLibraryMystery #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks #VickiDelany

Eva Gates is a go-to author when I want that special, fun cozy mystery series. In Shor Through the Book, a Lighthouse Library Mystery, Lucy is again the victim of finding the corpse. But this time, she lets the victim into her house and while she's preparing something to drink in one room, he's killed in another. How could that happen? Gates invents a great plot, and we once again are entertained by many of the core series characters. Some changes in the local police department and main character side stories breathe a little bit of fresh into the future of the town. We learn about a few interesting authors and writers in the town's history, and the humor of all the relationships, Louise Jane in particular, rise to the surface. A fun few hours to escape reality.

Lucy McNeil is back in the 12th instalment of the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series. When renowned YA author Todd Harrison shows up unexpectedly at Lucy’s home wanting to discuss a private matter she is naturally intrigued as they are virtual strangers. Before Lucy can find out what he wants he is murdered on her deck. I have enjoyed all the books in this series and this one did not let me down! Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC.

Librarian Lucy MacNeil, like nearly everyone in the outer banks, is excited about the upcoming book festival which the Lighthouse Library is hosting. The local event is aimed primarily at teen readers, with three local authors scheduled to appear. One of them, Todd Harrison, is a NYT bestselling author with passionate fans. And, apparently, a deadly enemy. One night after a meeting about the book festival, Todd shows up at Lucy's house asking to talk to her privately. While Lucy gets them something to drink, Todd waits on the deck. When she goes out to join him, Todd has been murdered.

There are suspects aplenty for Lucy to investigate, but her helpful sleuthing is hampered by accusations made by Todd's wife. An ex-tabloid journalist, she has accused Lucy of murdering her husband just so she can be in the spotlight as she "investigates" for the police. But the wife may have her own motive for murder.

Lucy's sleuthing may be hampered, but it isn't halted. Despite these accusations of murder and "amateur investigations," which cause even Lucy's friends in the police to keep their distance, Lucy can't help but dig into the mystery of Todd's death. Multiple subplots are juggled creatively by the author. We see glimpses into Lucy's marriage, watch alternative plans for the festival develop, and join Lucy in her uneasiness with the teen fanatics who loved Todd so much . . . maybe too much?

The ending works great, tying all the subplots together. The touches of humor, the quirky characters, the sound of the waves crashing against the Outer Bank shores, Charles the library cat--all the wonderful aspects of the series are present in this twelfth Lighthouse Mystery. If you are a fan, you will love this, and if you haven't read the series yet, you should definitely start.

And let's hope the series continues. The book ends with everything from this mystery completed, but there are some scenes at the end that let us know things are changing for Lucy. I can't wait to see how she handles the twists life is throwing at her!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Eva Gates for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Shot Through the Book coming out May 6, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m obsessed with this author! I’ve read so many books by her. I love cozy mysteries so much! This is one of my favorite cozy mysteries series. I’m obsessed with the setting and the characters. I love the whole lighthouse theme. I love where Lucy is going in life. There was definitely some drama in this book. But I really love the township. I love that Lucy’s husband supports her. I will definitely read more books in the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

I loved this book. It’s fast paced & smooth in how the story flows. It’s interesting all the way through. I did not guess who the killer was until the very end although I did guess the little surprise at the end. It’ll be interesting to see what changes due to it. #ShotThroughtheBook #NetGalley

I just couldn't get through this. I loved the idea of the lighthouse library, a library cat, and a few of the characters. Still, it seemed like I picked it up, read a few pages, and put it down again and again. I have thought on trying to explain why I didn't enjoy this. It was slow or at least that was what I decided. At one point I realized I had read quite far, and we were still trying to find someone to fill in for the famous author who died. Just not for me, I suppose.

Back with my favorite cozy series crew for their latest mystery, this was so fun to read! I really breeze through these books, they have the perfect balance of funny moments, romantic moments, suspenseful moments, and of course cozy moments. An easy 5 star read!

I liked the element of the book festival and the addition of the YA fans/teens. A lot of the other books in the series revolve more around classic literature so that was a different touch. The whodunnit really kept me guessing too, it felt different than the others in the series. And that ENDING! Gah! I’ll be scanning Netgalley like a hawk for the book!

Thanks so much to @vicki.delany, @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the ARC! This one is out in May!

3.5 stars

Still a strong book in the series but if felt as if the mystery resolved itself through chance more than hard work. A bit of a shame, but the journey to the end is still lots of fun and it's great to spend more time with the characters of the Outer Banks setting. Small town mysteries have huge appeal for me, and I'm always ready to read a cosy.

I enjoyed the sudden setup of the mystery, which I think has been the most shocking in this series so far and hooked me immediately into the story. There was a sense of danger behind it, but I wished that level of danger stayed in the story. It dropped off rather suddenly. This felt like one of those cases where the danger could have been darker and more visceral. Cosies can include that level of danger. It's a shame this didn't.

The author included some discussion on the publishing industry in this mystery, concerning mainly the concept of luck being a factory for how an author's career can take off. I think that's true. In any creative industry, luck plays a part, and it's refreshing to see an author discuss that, even if it's in a fictional sense. Fortunately, Eva Gates also also talent to back up the success of this series, and after twelve books she's still managing to add fresh ideas and keep this reader engaged. A few of those twists occur towards the end, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in future books.

This remains a favourite cosy mystery series for me and I'm already looking forward to reading book thirteen!

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.