Reviews - By Book or By Crook

267 reviews for:

By Book or By Crook

Eva Gates

3.51 AVERAGE

mprasad1963's review against another edition

5.0

This book has everything I like - libraries, murder mystery and Jane Austen.

slferg's review against another edition

5.0

Lucy has put an end to her possible destiny as the wife of the son of her father's law partner. Lucy has decided she can't face it. So she leaves her job at the Harvard library and takes a job as a librarian on Bodie Island where her Aunt Ellen lives. There she runs into a man whom she used to see during her summers at her aunt's. He is now mayor and seems to be still interested in her from that long ago time. But, the head of the library board is threatening to dismiss her - claiming they don't need a librarian. Then he is found dead. So, who wanted him dead besides Lucy?

xkay_readsx's review against another edition

3.0

Not blown away with this first in the series. The mystery was just okay, too many characters to care for. However, the setting was wonderful with a library in a lighthouse.

kathrynamonett's review against another edition

3.0

2.5 The concept was promising, but somehow it didn’t come together. I think it really came down to characterisation being too weak. Caricatures rather than characters populate this novel, with shallow motivations.

cathy1665's review against another edition

3.0

Okay but the crook was fairly obvious.

leahepolk's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious

diannel_04's review against another edition

4.0

Lucy has left her pampered, boring life in Boston behind to come to the Outer Banks and work at the Lighthouse Library (yes, it's in a real lighthouse). On the opening night of a prestigious exhibit of Jane Austen first editions tensions are high. The over bearing chair of the library board, his soon-to-be ex-wife, a nebbishy bookworm and a very obnoxious wannabe librarian and her shadow all cause minor scenes. Then the chairman is found dead in the rare books room and everything points to the head librarian.

To add to the problems, someone decides to steal the first editions, one at a time.

Lucy has to figure out who is trying to frame her and her boss. She gets some help from hunky cop, Butch, and first love, Conner (now the mayor) not to mention Charles, the library cat, who is the real hero here.

I'm looking forward to more in this series.