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hopecatena's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
readabookbraun's review
4.0
Enjoyable read! The ending does feel like it could be the end of the series.
dnemec's review against another edition
3.0
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!
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!
sarahpolkinghorn's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
madsmcw_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thisandthatwithkaren's review
5.0
"Death by Beach Read” the 9th instalment in the "Lighthouse Library" Mystery series by Eva Gates. I love this series and couldn’t wait to visit Nag’s Head and the Bodie Island Lighthouse library in the Outer Banks of N.C. Again.
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.
This time the story is more centred around Lucy and Connors new home one of the historic unpainted aristocracy on millionaire row. The house has secrets and is supposedly haunted and Lucy needs to dive into the past to solve this mystery. We can’t forget Charlie the library cat who seems to sense when something is not right at the house…
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. Lucy, Connor, her adorable cat Charles, and Connors dad along with Ralph and Jo Harper are the main characters in this mystery. I have enjoyed seeing Lucy outside the library as well as meeting some new characters. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley.
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.
This time the story is more centred around Lucy and Connors new home one of the historic unpainted aristocracy on millionaire row. The house has secrets and is supposedly haunted and Lucy needs to dive into the past to solve this mystery. We can’t forget Charlie the library cat who seems to sense when something is not right at the house…
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. Lucy, Connor, her adorable cat Charles, and Connors dad along with Ralph and Jo Harper are the main characters in this mystery. I have enjoyed seeing Lucy outside the library as well as meeting some new characters. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley.
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Death by Beach Read is the 9th Lighthouse library mystery by Eva Gates. Released 7th June 2022 by Crooked Lane, it's available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out second quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a clean cozy mystery with book recommendations in the text throughout, cat (a Himalayan called Charles), a soon-to-be-married librarian main character, a library in a lighthouse (which doesn't really feature centrally in this story), and a landmark house which might be haunted and which certainly has a tragic past. Although it's part of a series, there's enough backstory woven into the plot that it works fine as a standalone. The ensemble cast is full of eccentric small town characters, but the author is skillful enough and the writing technically adept enough that the whole works well enough. The plotting proceeds at a good clip, and although the dialogue is a bit trope-y in some places, it's not intrusive enough to yank readers out of their suspension of disbelief.
The language is squeaky clean, no cursing whatsoever. The denouement and resolution were satisfying and there were some last minute twists which added a nice coda to the ending. Since there are 9 books extant in the series, it would make a good candidate for a light binge read.
This is simply a well written, readable, and enjoyable library cozy (with cat). There are also a number of fun bonus reading prompts referenced in the book which will lead the reader to other books and series. I also liked that the author highlights the fun and social aspects of book clubs. Talking about books with other book lovers adds another whole level of enjoyment. It's well worth a look for fans of the genre.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Death by Beach Read is the 9th Lighthouse library mystery by Eva Gates. Released 7th June 2022 by Crooked Lane, it's available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out second quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a clean cozy mystery with book recommendations in the text throughout, cat (a Himalayan called Charles), a soon-to-be-married librarian main character, a library in a lighthouse (which doesn't really feature centrally in this story), and a landmark house which might be haunted and which certainly has a tragic past. Although it's part of a series, there's enough backstory woven into the plot that it works fine as a standalone. The ensemble cast is full of eccentric small town characters, but the author is skillful enough and the writing technically adept enough that the whole works well enough. The plotting proceeds at a good clip, and although the dialogue is a bit trope-y in some places, it's not intrusive enough to yank readers out of their suspension of disbelief.
The language is squeaky clean, no cursing whatsoever. The denouement and resolution were satisfying and there were some last minute twists which added a nice coda to the ending. Since there are 9 books extant in the series, it would make a good candidate for a light binge read.
This is simply a well written, readable, and enjoyable library cozy (with cat). There are also a number of fun bonus reading prompts referenced in the book which will lead the reader to other books and series. I also liked that the author highlights the fun and social aspects of book clubs. Talking about books with other book lovers adds another whole level of enjoyment. It's well worth a look for fans of the genre.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
pamgrenier's review
5.0
Conner and Lucy buy a house, but it has a history. Someone get murdered in their new home. Good plot, didn’t see it coming and very enjoyable.