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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Dollycas's Thoughts
The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library has created an educational display about art history to coincide with an impressionist art traveling show coming to Nags Head. Several residents have loaned their personal impressionist reproductions or imitations to display in addition to all the books Lucy and the staff are featuring for the event. The display's launch was very well attended but when Lucy arrives the next morning she notices one of the reproductions was missing. Yes, it was a reproduction of a famous painting by an Outer Banks artist but it was a reproduction. Who would want to steal it?
Lucy and other members of the library staff were invited to the opening night of the traveling show. She attends with her new husband, the mayor, Connor. They both notice the show's organizers are upset that the man pegged to give the welcome speech is late. Another steps in to welcome the guests but as the event is winding down the tardy organizer is found murdered on the grounds floating in a fish pond.
Does the missing painting have anything to do with the murder? Or is there a thief and a killer on the Outer Banks? With some assistance from her friends, Lucy intends to paint one or both into a corner.
___
I love this series and Ms. Gates never disappoints. She makes it so easy to escape to my fictional happy place, The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. It is a special place that amazingly contains everything a library needs and more.
Newlyweds Lucy and Connor are settling into married life after honeymooning in France. Their jobs keep both of them very busy but they always make time for and support each other. The author has surrounded them with great people. The library staff, Bertie, Denise, Ronald, and Louise Jane, all helped with the library's art event. Louise Jane played a larger role in this story. Charles the library cat was on hand to greet the guests. Lucy's cousin Josie, catered both of the events. All are available to help Lucy sleuth, either by her side or covering for her at the library. All these characters are genuine and are developing at a realistic pace. Each book feels like I am catching up with my fun literary friends.
Ms. Gates introduces several new characters in the traveling tour organizers and their entourages. All had a purpose in the story and were each interesting in their own way.
The author plotted out a complicated mystery. Lucy did what she does best, research. She delved into all the suspect's lives to get answers. She meets face-to-face with them as well. I was happy to see they met in public places, but she and Louise Jane took a huge risk that definitely had chilling consequences. I wasn't sure they were going to get out of this one. Would the series end after 11 installments? I trusted that Eva Gates would get our heroine out of the mess she got herself into but I had no idea how she was going to do it. My Kindle was steaming as the pages were flying.
The Stranger in the Library is a brilliant addition to this series. I loved everything about it. From the wonderful lighthouse library to Connor and Lucy's home on the beach, to the Granger House where the real art was displayed. Each place was easily envisioned. Add to that delightful characters and an outstanding mystery with an edge-of-my-seat ending and you have a story worth more than 5 stars. This book receives my Paradise Rating and a spot on my Best Reads List for 2024.
Until next year, Ms. Gates . . .
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is the 11th book in the series, but would work well for new readers, too. I've not read all of the books in this series, but have enjoyed the ones I have read. The main setting of the book is a lighthouse library in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the art scene plays a big role in this book. The library book club's pick for the month, a classic by Patricia Highsmith, may even have a link to the current crimes. I think this is a very clever element of the book.
In The Stranger in the Library, an important exhibit of American Impressionist paintings has come to town and the library is joining in the celebration by hosting their own display of reproductions. Newly married librarian Lucy McNeil is proud of what the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library was able to put together. Things get mysterious when a reproduction painting that only has sentimental value to Lucy's coworker Louise Jane McKaughan and her family, is stolen. Then, one of the organizers of the main art show is killed at the launch party. Is there a connection between these events?
Unlike in some cozy mysteries, the local police chief welcomes Lucy's help in investigating the crime. Sam is short-staffed and knows Lucy's observations have helped solve cases in the past. Lucy's husband, Connor, worries about his wife, but doesn't try to stand in her way. Lucy has an unlikely sleuthing partner this time, Louise Jane, who in the past has been critical of Lucy. This time, Louise Jane has a vested interest in the case since it was her family's painting that was stolen and also because she is developing feelings for a mysterious newcomer that is one of the suspects. Louise Jane can be hard to take, but she has mellowed in this book and I enjoyed seeing her and Lucy team up. The book has some slow parts, but is entertaining as a whole and has a dramatic and satisfying ending.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history. Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing.
No one knows why anyone would bother stealing it: the picture is of no value–the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show’s organizers. Then, the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a partygoer is discovered drowned in a fishpond.
Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer lurking at the edges of the receptions on both nights. Tom slipped away from the party early, and he cannot be located by the police. Who, Lucy asks, is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane’s heart?
Something is afoot in Nags Head, and it’s up to Lucy and her friends to get to the bottom of it before it’s not just paintings being framed.
I was planning on being an art teacher, so starting the novel about art history immediately grabbed my attention. I was captured by the mystery of the painting and the artist. It will be interesting to read about Louise Jane and what happens after Paris.
I took a point off because of what Louise Jane and Lucy did at the end of the book. Especially because Lucy still allows Louise Jane to push her around. Would it be possible for Lucy to grow up a bit more in the next book?
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
No one knows why anyone would bother stealing it: the picture is of no value–the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show’s organizers. Then, the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a partygoer is discovered drowned in a fishpond.
Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer lurking at the edges of the receptions on both nights. Tom slipped away from the party early, and he cannot be located by the police. Who, Lucy asks, is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane’s heart?
Something is afoot in Nags Head, and it’s up to Lucy and her friends to get to the bottom of it before it’s not just paintings being framed.
I was planning on being an art teacher, so starting the novel about art history immediately grabbed my attention. I was captured by the mystery of the painting and the artist. It will be interesting to read about Louise Jane and what happens after Paris.
I took a point off because of what Louise Jane and Lucy did at the end of the book. Especially because Lucy still allows Louise Jane to push her around. Would it be possible for Lucy to grow up a bit more in the next book?
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
If you love cozy mysteries, this is the book for you!
Eva Gates’ 11th book in her Lighthouse Library Mysteries set in North Carolina takes us on an adventure regarding missing artwork, possible family heirlooms, & artists who have connections/seem to know one another.
Lucy is determined to find out what happened to the missing painting, as well as adjusting to being a newlywed to the towns mayor! Talk about a lot going on here. Later on in the evening, Lucy discovers a dead body in the fish pond & notify police immediately.
There is a lot to unpack here, but I love how Gates prepares the readers without spoiling the outcome every time in her books. I couldn’t even guess who it was honestly! I can’t wait to read about Lucy’s next adventure.
Eva Gates’ 11th book in her Lighthouse Library Mysteries set in North Carolina takes us on an adventure regarding missing artwork, possible family heirlooms, & artists who have connections/seem to know one another.
Lucy is determined to find out what happened to the missing painting, as well as adjusting to being a newlywed to the towns mayor! Talk about a lot going on here. Later on in the evening, Lucy discovers a dead body in the fish pond & notify police immediately.
There is a lot to unpack here, but I love how Gates prepares the readers without spoiling the outcome every time in her books. I couldn’t even guess who it was honestly! I can’t wait to read about Lucy’s next adventure.
THE STRANGER IN THE LIBRARY is the eleventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates (Vicki Delany). I just love a visit to the Lighthouse library in Nags Head, NC, and a chance to catch up with librarian Lucy Richardson McNeil, the library cat, Charles (named after Charles Dickens) and all the locals who make the story so colorful. This character-driven cozy mystery transports the reader to the pages, making them feel invested in the outcome, while the author’s strong descriptive language brings each scene to life. In this newest release, Lucy and the library gang are creating an education art history display while the town is hosting a traveling art expedition of nineteenth-century American Impressionism. There are just enough details about the art and the setup of exhibits to make it seem realistic without bogging down the pacing. I especially enjoyed the new dynamics between Lucy and her frenemy Louise Jane as they work together to discover who stole a reproduction of a famous painting and why the culprit returned it, albeit with the backing slashed. It contains an element of a closed-room mystery, which adds to the enjoyment.
Besides the mystery over Louise Jane’s family’s reproduction heirloom, the death of one of the organizers has the town on edge. Since Lucy found the victim, she feels compelled to find answers. The fast-paced plot picks up even more quickly as Lucy investigates, with the help of her friends. I really liked how the library’s book club’s pick, Ripley Under Ground, plays a part in the investigation. There were several twists and suspects galore with all the attendees of the art exhibition around when the death happened. I never did correctly guess the culprit until the harrowing, heart stopping reveal. Be prepared to sit glued to the pages until you’ve read the conclusion! I’m anxiously waiting for the next book to find out what next adventures await Lucy and friends!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Besides the mystery over Louise Jane’s family’s reproduction heirloom, the death of one of the organizers has the town on edge. Since Lucy found the victim, she feels compelled to find answers. The fast-paced plot picks up even more quickly as Lucy investigates, with the help of her friends. I really liked how the library’s book club’s pick, Ripley Under Ground, plays a part in the investigation. There were several twists and suspects galore with all the attendees of the art exhibition around when the death happened. I never did correctly guess the culprit until the harrowing, heart stopping reveal. Be prepared to sit glued to the pages until you’ve read the conclusion! I’m anxiously waiting for the next book to find out what next adventures await Lucy and friends!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
The art world is notoriously full of drama, and when a couple of interesting characters gather at an art show in a small town there is no shortage of drama. Local librarian, Lucy is thrust into the middle of it all when she discovers a body.
I enjoyed 'Stranger in the Library'. It has all the classic elements of a cozy small town murder mystery. The story started off a little slowly but once the action started the pace picked up. I really enjoyed the snippets of art history and thought it was well researched and the fictional art and artists were done very realistically. I also liked the fact that I wasn't able to guess the murderer and enjoyed the surprise ending.
I enjoyed 'Stranger in the Library'. It has all the classic elements of a cozy small town murder mystery. The story started off a little slowly but once the action started the pace picked up. I really enjoyed the snippets of art history and thought it was well researched and the fictional art and artists were done very realistically. I also liked the fact that I wasn't able to guess the murderer and enjoyed the surprise ending.