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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Just okay maybe 2.5 since I’m inclined to read the next in the series. I read the 9th first and enjoyed it so my hope is the writing improves.
Narrator was very fitting, soft and calm
Decent story, a little slow
Decent story, a little slow
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not a bad little mystery novel.
Not really much to say about it.
Lucy moves from Boston to North Carolina and takes up a job as an assistant librarian.
Library board member is murdered, rare books stolen etc.
Fun and easy.
Not really much to say about it.
Lucy moves from Boston to North Carolina and takes up a job as an assistant librarian.
Library board member is murdered, rare books stolen etc.
Fun and easy.
mysterious
tense
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
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Well written & structured. An excellent start to a new series
I will admit to picking this book because it was set in a Lighthouse Library two of my favorite places combined. The lighthouse itself reminded me of the one described in [b:The Lighthouse Keeper|34104370|The Lighthouse Keeper (Starlight Cove, #1)|Cynthia Ellingsen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486072446l/34104370._SY75_.jpg|53187444].
Lucy was brave to upend her life and true that life could now be in jeopardy, but is it motive enough to kill? What makes her motive stronger than the numerous others in town who wouldn't mind if the head of the library board went away?
If that is not enough rare books start going missing.
I really liked how the "library family" came together and supported each other. Lots of alliteration in the character names (Bertie, Bodie, Butch, Lucy, Louise, Charles, Charlene, Conner).
It was a fun story, a bit of a locked room mystery with a literary slant. Overall, a good read.
Happy Reading!
Lucy was brave to upend her life and true that life could now be in jeopardy, but is it motive enough to kill? What makes her motive stronger than the numerous others in town who wouldn't mind if the head of the library board went away?
If that is not enough rare books start going missing.
I really liked how the "library family" came together and supported each other. Lots of alliteration in the character names (Bertie, Bodie, Butch, Lucy, Louise, Charles, Charlene, Conner).
It was a fun story, a bit of a locked room mystery with a literary slant. Overall, a good read.
Happy Reading!
I got bogged down in this one. Enjoyed it but it didn’t grab me and I was largely in it for the Outer Banks lighthouse library setting after I started to get tired of the characters.
This book earned its extra star from continuously mentioning Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" (which I highly recommend for anyone appreciative of great classic works). "By Book or By Crook" was, on the other hand, a hard book to get through. I found it boring and inaccurate to how a library functions. There were only four/five people working in a library that's three floors tall? I don't think so, especially if the author has painted it as being literally swarming with patrons. Not only that, but as good as Jane Austen is, modern day people don't really care about the classics except for a select few. It's not as commonplace as the author has painted this to be. The lectures would not fill up at a local library, perhaps at a university or larger library if Margaret Atwood were speaking, but certainly not at a small island library with, what turns out to be, incorrect lecturing material.
As for the mystery, it was a bit lax in foreshadowing. The motive makes sense, don't get me wrong, but this book had a bad habit of eliminating suspects and then immediately following them anyway. I did think it was the other guy that wasn't paid too much attention to as the murderer, but then that would have eliminated the future love triangle for this author's series. I will give credit that it didn't fall onto the standard cliché of the estranged spouse, but I just couldn't get into this book. The characters were bland; Lucy was annoying and a flibbertigibbet, actually confusing the police more because she kept providing useless and misdirecting information--probably not something you want to do as an author is write your main character to undermine your mystery. That was the anagonist's job. Not Lucy's.
There were instances when the police or another character would say, "don't do this" and literally a page later Lucy would be doing just that. Don't mention how so-and-so died, Lucy goes downstairs and immediately tells the staff. Ask the other librarians discreetly about the second missing book, immediately she starts running from place to place.
Lastly, after the first theft, why did they not install security cameras? At least just one at the entrance that the police made clear was the only way in? Or they say one minute, this place is so lax of security, but then it's secure because it has one door. There were plenty of inconsistencies like this.
Overall, an okay read, but not a series worth continuing.
As for the mystery, it was a bit lax in foreshadowing. The motive makes sense, don't get me wrong, but this book had a bad habit of eliminating suspects and then immediately following them anyway. I did think it was the other guy that wasn't paid too much attention to as the murderer, but then that would have eliminated the future love triangle for this author's series. I will give credit that it didn't fall onto the standard cliché of the estranged spouse, but I just couldn't get into this book. The characters were bland; Lucy was annoying and a flibbertigibbet, actually confusing the police more because she kept providing useless and misdirecting information--probably not something you want to do as an author is write your main character to undermine your mystery. That was the anagonist's job. Not Lucy's.
There were instances when the police or another character would say, "don't do this" and literally a page later Lucy would be doing just that. Don't mention how so-and-so died, Lucy goes downstairs and immediately tells the staff. Ask the other librarians discreetly about the second missing book, immediately she starts running from place to place.
Lastly, after the first theft, why did they not install security cameras? At least just one at the entrance that the police made clear was the only way in? Or they say one minute, this place is so lax of security, but then it's secure because it has one door. There were plenty of inconsistencies like this.
Overall, an okay read, but not a series worth continuing.