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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
I loved this book! It is #7 in the Lighthouse Library Mystery and I have not read 1 through 6 but I am going to add them to my TBR because this book kept me hooked from the moment I opened it up. The characters were well developed, the plot was fantastic, I thought I had guessed the killer but I was wrong. I cannot wait to read more of this series.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Library Director Bertie James’ is hosting a reunion to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her college class at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. Lucy, Charlene, and Ronald have all agreed to be servers of the wonderful food Josie is providing. Louise Jane is there too but it definitely not to serve food. Lucy and Charlene have pulled together old library items for a display to represent how libraries have changed over the years. All the attendees except one love the display. Special guest Helena Sanchez, former director of the Lighthouse Library, finds something disturbing among the artifacts.
After the event, several members of the group decide to take a walk down the boardwalk to the pier where Louise Jane starts telling one of her ghost stories. When they reach the pier there is something floating in the water. Lucy realizes it’s Helena Sanchez. She and Ronald quickly jump in to try to save her but the former director is gone.
Lucy is just haunted by the death and finds herself delving deep into the investigation. Doing so puts her front and center on the killer’s radar. Will she get the whole story or will her own book end several chapters before it is supposed to??
Truly one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series, it took cancer to keep me from reading and reviewing this book when it was originally released. I timed my review now to coincide with the paperback release this week.
I love the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. It is a fantastic place that can truly only exist in our imaginations as no real lighthouse could hold all the books, treasures, rooms, offices, and Lucy’s Aerie apartment. As soon as you understand the mystery of the place you will be able to enjoy every wonderful event there to the fullest.
Ms. Gates has created wonderful characters. The librarians are truly like family and I love the way they all pitched in to make Bertie’s classmates welcome. I really appreciate the way the characters continue to grow and evolve in each new story. Connor really impressed me this time. That man has the patience of a saint.
The mystery this time was especially intriguing. The victim was rude and very unlikeable from the get-go and it seems she made her share of enemies in her not so illustrious life. This means plenty of suspects for the police and Lucy to wade through. A few people were floating in my suspect pool immediately but some terrific twists eliminated every one of them. I loved Lucy’s idea for revealing the real culprit and all the clues that brought the killer into clear focus. Ms. Gates sure knows how to spin a tale that keeps her readers on their toes.
A special subplot had me holding my breath a few times. When that was allowed to play out I let out a huge exhale and was grinning ear to ear.
I really enjoyed the trip back in time regarding libraries. Back in the day, the local library was one of my favorite places so I was very familiar with all the old relic artifacts that were part of the library’s history.
A Death Long Overdue was such a fun read. The next book in the series, Deadly Ever After, hits shelves on May 11. The only good thing about reading and reviewing this book late is the short time I have to wait for the next installment. Stay tuned for my review next month!
Library Director Bertie James’ is hosting a reunion to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her college class at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. Lucy, Charlene, and Ronald have all agreed to be servers of the wonderful food Josie is providing. Louise Jane is there too but it definitely not to serve food. Lucy and Charlene have pulled together old library items for a display to represent how libraries have changed over the years. All the attendees except one love the display. Special guest Helena Sanchez, former director of the Lighthouse Library, finds something disturbing among the artifacts.
After the event, several members of the group decide to take a walk down the boardwalk to the pier where Louise Jane starts telling one of her ghost stories. When they reach the pier there is something floating in the water. Lucy realizes it’s Helena Sanchez. She and Ronald quickly jump in to try to save her but the former director is gone.
Lucy is just haunted by the death and finds herself delving deep into the investigation. Doing so puts her front and center on the killer’s radar. Will she get the whole story or will her own book end several chapters before it is supposed to??
Truly one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series, it took cancer to keep me from reading and reviewing this book when it was originally released. I timed my review now to coincide with the paperback release this week.
I love the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. It is a fantastic place that can truly only exist in our imaginations as no real lighthouse could hold all the books, treasures, rooms, offices, and Lucy’s Aerie apartment. As soon as you understand the mystery of the place you will be able to enjoy every wonderful event there to the fullest.
Ms. Gates has created wonderful characters. The librarians are truly like family and I love the way they all pitched in to make Bertie’s classmates welcome. I really appreciate the way the characters continue to grow and evolve in each new story. Connor really impressed me this time. That man has the patience of a saint.
The mystery this time was especially intriguing. The victim was rude and very unlikeable from the get-go and it seems she made her share of enemies in her not so illustrious life. This means plenty of suspects for the police and Lucy to wade through. A few people were floating in my suspect pool immediately but some terrific twists eliminated every one of them. I loved Lucy’s idea for revealing the real culprit and all the clues that brought the killer into clear focus. Ms. Gates sure knows how to spin a tale that keeps her readers on their toes.
A special subplot had me holding my breath a few times. When that was allowed to play out I let out a huge exhale and was grinning ear to ear.
I really enjoyed the trip back in time regarding libraries. Back in the day, the local library was one of my favorite places so I was very familiar with all the old relic artifacts that were part of the library’s history.
A Death Long Overdue was such a fun read. The next book in the series, Deadly Ever After, hits shelves on May 11. The only good thing about reading and reviewing this book late is the short time I have to wait for the next installment. Stay tuned for my review next month!
I am generally big fan of this series, and getting the ARC was pretty exciting. Another fun adventure and an exciting development in the life of our main character Lucy. RTC.
Update: Full review at Sam's Beach Reads:
What I Loved:
The Mystery. Sometimes, cozy mysteries are hit or miss – they are often either too easy to solve, too hard to solve and unrealistic when the heroine solves them, or kind of pointless to the overall plot. Here, Helena’s murder in the marshland was intriguing and the clues were laid out for the reader to follow and come up with your own conclusions in the end. The police were not bumbling or incompetent, just stumped, and Lucy and the gang were much more logical in solving it than normal.
Lucy and Connor. I have always loved Lucy and Connor’s relationship (old summer crushes to actual lovers), and seeing their relationship progress has been delightful. It was fun seeing the normally reserved Connor getting flustered, and Lucy is so much more comfortable with what they have.
The Setting. I am not familiar with the Outer Banks, but any beach setting is the place for me. Gates does a really good job of showing the reader the beaches, marshes, the Bodie Lighthouse, and the adorable town, so you can almost smell the marsh and feel the sea breeze while watching the light cut across the dark landscape.
What Doesn’t Work as Well:
Louise Jane McKaughan. For anyone unfamiliar with this series (I don’t recommend jumping into this book unless you are), Louis Jane is a woman from a long line of Outer Banks natives who wanted Lucy’s librarian job at the Bodie Head Lighthouse (despite not being a librarian), and who thinks her and her family are the definitive authority of all supernatural history and goings-on in the area. She is condescending and annoying, and regularly walks all over Lucy to get what she wants. In Death Long Overdue, Louise Jane is particularly insufferable, conducting late-night spirit calls in the marshes and interrupting Connor and Lucy’s plans. I wish Gates would send her away on a long vacation somewhere.
Honestly, that’s all the negative I have. I don’t normally love first person books, but have stuck with this series for this long (that should say something). There are some genre-specific problems that some readers may have an issue with (Why do the police never solve the murders themselves? Why is this sleepy little down a hotbed for murder?) but at the end of the day, if you like cozy mysteries, you will definitely love this series.
Conclusion:
If you love a good cozy mystery, anything by Eva Gates or Vicki Delany will be a solid bet for you. However, the Lighthouse Library series is even more on point, with its beautiful setting that is a book lover’s dream, a heroine who actually has a head on her shoulders, and a helpful and mischievous cat. Five stars out of five.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.
Update: Full review at Sam's Beach Reads:
What I Loved:
The Mystery. Sometimes, cozy mysteries are hit or miss – they are often either too easy to solve, too hard to solve and unrealistic when the heroine solves them, or kind of pointless to the overall plot. Here, Helena’s murder in the marshland was intriguing and the clues were laid out for the reader to follow and come up with your own conclusions in the end. The police were not bumbling or incompetent, just stumped, and Lucy and the gang were much more logical in solving it than normal.
Lucy and Connor. I have always loved Lucy and Connor’s relationship (old summer crushes to actual lovers), and seeing their relationship progress has been delightful. It was fun seeing the normally reserved Connor getting flustered, and Lucy is so much more comfortable with what they have.
The Setting. I am not familiar with the Outer Banks, but any beach setting is the place for me. Gates does a really good job of showing the reader the beaches, marshes, the Bodie Lighthouse, and the adorable town, so you can almost smell the marsh and feel the sea breeze while watching the light cut across the dark landscape.
What Doesn’t Work as Well:
Louise Jane McKaughan. For anyone unfamiliar with this series (I don’t recommend jumping into this book unless you are), Louis Jane is a woman from a long line of Outer Banks natives who wanted Lucy’s librarian job at the Bodie Head Lighthouse (despite not being a librarian), and who thinks her and her family are the definitive authority of all supernatural history and goings-on in the area. She is condescending and annoying, and regularly walks all over Lucy to get what she wants. In Death Long Overdue, Louise Jane is particularly insufferable, conducting late-night spirit calls in the marshes and interrupting Connor and Lucy’s plans. I wish Gates would send her away on a long vacation somewhere.
Honestly, that’s all the negative I have. I don’t normally love first person books, but have stuck with this series for this long (that should say something). There are some genre-specific problems that some readers may have an issue with (Why do the police never solve the murders themselves? Why is this sleepy little down a hotbed for murder?) but at the end of the day, if you like cozy mysteries, you will definitely love this series.
Conclusion:
If you love a good cozy mystery, anything by Eva Gates or Vicki Delany will be a solid bet for you. However, the Lighthouse Library series is even more on point, with its beautiful setting that is a book lover’s dream, a heroine who actually has a head on her shoulders, and a helpful and mischievous cat. Five stars out of five.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.
The mystery was complex enough to keep me guessing even if I'd figured out early on the logistics of the 1995 mystery. There are enough suspects and enough motives to make spotting the actual killer tricky. In terms of narrative flow between present and past, A Death Long Overdue is a good companion read to [b:For Whom the Book Tolls|49296234|For Whom the Book Tolls (An Antique Bookshop Mystery #1)|Laura Gail Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576636619l/49296234._SX50_.jpg|74741246] by Laura Gail Black (2020)
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comments_12/death_long_overdue.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comments_12/death_long_overdue.html
I am generally big fan of this series, and getting the ARC was pretty exciting. Another fun adventure and an exciting development in the life of our main character Lucy. RTC.
Update: Full review at Sam's Beach Reads:
What I Loved:
The Mystery. Sometimes, cozy mysteries are hit or miss – they are often either too easy to solve, too hard to solve and unrealistic when the heroine solves them, or kind of pointless to the overall plot. Here, Helena’s murder in the marshland was intriguing and the clues were laid out for the reader to follow and come up with your own conclusions in the end. The police were not bumbling or incompetent, just stumped, and Lucy and the gang were much more logical in solving it than normal.
Lucy and Connor. I have always loved Lucy and Connor’s relationship (old summer crushes to actual lovers), and seeing their relationship progress has been delightful. It was fun seeing the normally reserved Connor getting flustered, and Lucy is so much more comfortable with what they have.
The Setting. I am not familiar with the Outer Banks, but any beach setting is the place for me. Gates does a really good job of showing the reader the beaches, marshes, the Bodie Lighthouse, and the adorable town, so you can almost smell the marsh and feel the sea breeze while watching the light cut across the dark landscape.
What Doesn’t Work as Well:
Louise Jane McKaughan. For anyone unfamiliar with this series (I don’t recommend jumping into this book unless you are), Louis Jane is a woman from a long line of Outer Banks natives who wanted Lucy’s librarian job at the Bodie Head Lighthouse (despite not being a librarian), and who thinks her and her family are the definitive authority of all supernatural history and goings-on in the area. She is condescending and annoying, and regularly walks all over Lucy to get what she wants. In Death Long Overdue, Louise Jane is particularly insufferable, conducting late-night spirit calls in the marshes and interrupting Connor and Lucy’s plans. I wish Gates would send her away on a long vacation somewhere.
Honestly, that’s all the negative I have. I don’t normally love first person books, but have stuck with this series for this long (that should say something). There are some genre-specific problems that some readers may have an issue with (Why do the police never solve the murders themselves? Why is this sleepy little down a hotbed for murder?) but at the end of the day, if you like cozy mysteries, you will definitely love this series.
Conclusion:
If you love a good cozy mystery, anything by Eva Gates or Vicki Delany will be a solid bet for you. However, the Lighthouse Library series is even more on point, with its beautiful setting that is a book lover’s dream, a heroine who actually has a head on her shoulders, and a helpful and mischievous cat. Five stars out of five.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.
Update: Full review at Sam's Beach Reads:
What I Loved:
The Mystery. Sometimes, cozy mysteries are hit or miss – they are often either too easy to solve, too hard to solve and unrealistic when the heroine solves them, or kind of pointless to the overall plot. Here, Helena’s murder in the marshland was intriguing and the clues were laid out for the reader to follow and come up with your own conclusions in the end. The police were not bumbling or incompetent, just stumped, and Lucy and the gang were much more logical in solving it than normal.
Lucy and Connor. I have always loved Lucy and Connor’s relationship (old summer crushes to actual lovers), and seeing their relationship progress has been delightful. It was fun seeing the normally reserved Connor getting flustered, and Lucy is so much more comfortable with what they have.
The Setting. I am not familiar with the Outer Banks, but any beach setting is the place for me. Gates does a really good job of showing the reader the beaches, marshes, the Bodie Lighthouse, and the adorable town, so you can almost smell the marsh and feel the sea breeze while watching the light cut across the dark landscape.
What Doesn’t Work as Well:
Louise Jane McKaughan. For anyone unfamiliar with this series (I don’t recommend jumping into this book unless you are), Louis Jane is a woman from a long line of Outer Banks natives who wanted Lucy’s librarian job at the Bodie Head Lighthouse (despite not being a librarian), and who thinks her and her family are the definitive authority of all supernatural history and goings-on in the area. She is condescending and annoying, and regularly walks all over Lucy to get what she wants. In Death Long Overdue, Louise Jane is particularly insufferable, conducting late-night spirit calls in the marshes and interrupting Connor and Lucy’s plans. I wish Gates would send her away on a long vacation somewhere.
Honestly, that’s all the negative I have. I don’t normally love first person books, but have stuck with this series for this long (that should say something). There are some genre-specific problems that some readers may have an issue with (Why do the police never solve the murders themselves? Why is this sleepy little down a hotbed for murder?) but at the end of the day, if you like cozy mysteries, you will definitely love this series.
Conclusion:
If you love a good cozy mystery, anything by Eva Gates or Vicki Delany will be a solid bet for you. However, the Lighthouse Library series is even more on point, with its beautiful setting that is a book lover’s dream, a heroine who actually has a head on her shoulders, and a helpful and mischievous cat. Five stars out of five.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.
I read up to chapter 5. I love Lucy (the librarian) but I just can't stand Louise Jane...
A librarian class reunion, The Celestine Prophecy and a 25 million dollar necklace all come together in this entertaining cozy mystery. Every time I read a book in the Lighthouse Library series, with a library set inside a lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I want to drop everything and go visit immediately. The interesting characters and oceanside setting are some of my favorites. I've loved all of the books in this series and can't wait for the next one! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy!