The lighthouse structural foundation work unearths a mysterious box that might just lead to some buried treasure but it defiantly leads to the death of a historical society member. The "map" includes a roughly drawn map of the surrounding area including the Bodie Island Lighthouse (before it was a library), a mysteriously coded message, and a woman's journal logging the weather on a day by day basis. As luck would have it the book for the month for the Book Club is Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. Everyone becomes treasure crazed and not only is there more than one break in at the library but also the death of the newest member to the historical society, Jeremy Hughes, who liked to be a big man about town and such. History abounds on the Outer Banks, with stories of loss, gain, family, trysts, and women scorned and that is just Jeremy Hughes' personal history. Is Lucy safe staying in the Lighthouse Library's private quarters or should she be more concerned like her mayoral boyfriend or the Chief of Police. The town has treasure fever and at least one hot head who it seems will stop at nothing to solve the map. Another great Bodie Lighthouse Library book. I really enjoy reading about the Outer Banks and the idea of a Lighthouse Library is amazing. One doesn't need to have read the previous books to know that Lucy and Louise Jane are not the best of friends or that Lucy has a tendency to get involved in the mysteries a bit more than Chief Sam Watson would prefer, although this time she swears she is steering clear and the Chief actually asks for her help. The characters are engaging and who wouldn't want to work with Bertie, Charlene, and Richard? Looking forward to the next installment but would really like to get Josie's pecan squares and lime shortbread cookies.

I am impressed by how strong this series is in book six. I get so excited when a new book is released in The Lighthouse Library series because that means I get to "live" in a lighthouse for a bit. Could you imagine being able to nip down to the library to get a book? Any book you want is practically in your living room. Sigh...

I have never read or watched Journey to the Center of the Earth but Read and Buried has whet my appetite to possibly give it a try. I love it when a book makes me want to try another book I probably never would have thought about. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan but I'm willing to try Journey to the Center of the Earth.

If your looking for intrigue, murder, and history give Read and Buried a spin. You won't be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Lucy has it made in the shade. She lives above a library in a lighthouse on the damn beach. That's the life! Well, until a dead body ruins her day. Construction is occurring in the side wall of the historical lighthouse, some reinforcement and bolstering, if you will, so many more years can be enjoyed in the structure. Everything comes to a halt; however, when they find an old diary and some codes, they think they go back to the Civil War Era. There's a lot of jockeying for position and pulling rank, but it is decided that the diary and its bundle will be locked up securely until they come to a decision the next day. Lucy comes back later that night to find the library door smashed in, debris everywhere and the relics stolen! If that wasn't enough, there's a dead body inside the library, and it's one of the bossypants who wanted easy access to the relics.
It was a smooth, quick paced mystery, I really enjoyed learning a big more about that period of time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishers for allowing me to preview the title in exchange for feedback.

Eva Gates catches the reader's attention with the Lighthouse Library mystery, Read and Buried. Librarian Lucy falls over the body in the library after she finds a mysterious Civil War era diary and map in the construction site beside the library. Everyone is getting into the act to figure out the mysterious coded message left with the diary, but someone stole the map and key to the message. Whodunit? Lots of suspects, glorious historic site and a little romance. Pure cozy.

This is such a good series. I love this little lighthouse library, and Lucy and her friends are some of my favorite characters in any series I’ve read. When the Bodie Island library has some structural damage repaired, an old journal is found buried deep. Does it hold a map to treasure? That’s what someone seems to think, and commits murder for it. Despite saying she won’t ge involved this time, Lucy can’t seem to help this time. Great, fun and easy read. Highly recommendable.

Another excellent addition to the Lighthouse Library Mystery series! .

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This series is pretty well established and I have enjoyed getting to know the characters. I really enjoyed how the author not only brought some of the lesser characters to the forefront, but added history about the area. This was an enjoyable read and I solid series.

4.5 stars

“Murder in the library always makes for a busy day.”

This author’s cozy mysteries are always fun reads, whether she’s writing as Vicki Delany or Eva Gates, and Read and Buried may be my favorite yet. I laughed several times throughout at the delightful mental images the author created, and though I thought I had the culprit figured out I was completely off base.

I’ve only read one other book in this series (because I need to figure out a way to pause time so I can catch up on my TBR list) and it was #4, which I also enjoyed. How I missed #5 I have no idea, but be that as it may I was able to read this sixth book (and the fourth one too, for that matter) without feeling lost.

More than once in Read and Buried, Lucy is surrounded by what can only be described as madcap mayhem, thanks to the hilariously quirky cast of supporting characters, including Charlie the resident library cat. Specifically, the scene when they’ve finally cracked the code, and nearly the entire town is racing to the library, thanks to classic small town word-of-mouth. “Conner’s coming down the town hall steps. He’s running for his car.” (observed out the back window of the lead car in the procession haha!) Or when they figure out what the code leads to… It’s like a scene from one of those old Disney live-action movies from the 80s. Hilarious.

"Police officers, library patrons, librarians, the mayor of Nags Head, construction workers, assorted interested persons, and one big cat trotted after Zack."

Lucy is a lovable protagonist/amateur sleuth, and her first-person narrative voice adds a lot to the mood and cadence of the story. So does the setting – a library in an old historic lighthouse, complete with an apartment for Lucy at the top. Readers get a little inside peek at the inner workings of a library, while also enjoying the Outer Banks scenery and the colonial and Civil War era history. I’m most interested in learning more about the Freedman’s Colony mentioned in the book, and to that note I loved this particular subplot in Read and Buried.

Bottom Line: A real-life historic lighthouse is the fictional home of the Lighthouse Library and the perfect setting to the Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates. Lucy makes for an engaging and lovable heroine, and readers will enjoy tagging along as she tries to solve the case in Read and Buried. Along the way, a ragtag and hilarious cast of secondary characters entertains and keeps readers chuckling. The well-plotted mystery and nicely paced flow of the story hold your attention from beginning to end and deliver a highly enjoyable read that’s perfect for cozy night or weekend.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

A map is discovered under the light house with what seems like a coded message. Could it be a treasure or important papers from the civil war? The library will hold on to the book and map until it can be looked at more closely. Lucky who lives in an apartment on top of the library discovers the body of a historical society member inside the library and they need to discover who kill him and recover the coded page that was stolen.

This is book 6 in the series but it you can read as a stand alone and not get lost. It is a fun cozy mystery and there are twist and turns which make it interesting. I like how they make reference to The Journey to the Center of the earth and how it is similar to the mystery. A must add to your cozy mystery pile.

The lighthouse library does not dissapoint. I enjoyed the story but thught the build up to the ending was a bit long, however it doesn't dissapoint for those of us who love s good cozy mystery.

Who wouldn't love a mystery that involves rare books, the sea and a lighthouse! absolutely love this book and the series. The characters are easy to relate to. The storyline moves at the right pace and kept me engaged. Look forward to reading more titles in this delightful series.

Murder And Old Maps.....
A Lighthouse Library mystery. Coincidentally, whilst the book club read the Jules Verne classic 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth', the Library at the Lighthouse is having its foundations dug up for repair. Interest is piqued when an old map is discovered and the digging is halted - but when murder rears its ugly head things begin to get serious. An entertaining and engaging mystery with a colourful cast and backdrop.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't like it.

Book 6 in the series.

I loved this series, but honestly, I feel like the Lucy/Louise Jane drama has been overplayed. I've always been of the opinion that Louise Jane needs to fall down a well. She's become a major distraction from the story. There's not one single thing I can find to like about her, she's just flat out nasty. It'd be one thing if she were a minor player, but she's not.

Every time I think Louise Jane has hit the ultimate low, she does something worse in the next book.
It's to the point when LJ shows up I roll my eyes and put the book down for a bit. She makes Lucy look like a doormat, and I think I am done.

Read and Buried is the sixth story in A Lighthouse Library Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone for those readers who are new to the series. I just love the description of this beautiful library inside the old lighthouse. The author states at the beginning of the book that she took creative license with the size of the building because the actual lighthouse is barely big enough for the staircase to the top (think of it as a stationary TARDIS). There is a cast of characters that include the librarians, the mayor, construction workers and island residents. Lucy Richardson is our protagonist. She is a librarian who lives in an apartment inside the lighthouse (lucky librarian). She is dating Connor McNeil who is the town’s mayor and a dentist. Bertie James, the director of the library, has her hands full as residents clamor to see the found diary and the coded missive. Louise Jane McKaughnan is a pain in the patootie (as always). She does, though, provide humor with her antics. The mystery was delightful. A diary dating back to 1858 with a hand drawn map and what they believe is a coded page (I love ciphers). I like how the author tied Journey of the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne and the whodunit together. There are multiple persons of interest along with subtle clues to help readers solve the crime. The reveal and takedown were marvelous. All questions regarding the mystery were answered which I appreciated. Charles, the library cat, is a good judge of character and helpful to have around when intruders break in. If only Lucy could get Charles to deter Louise Jane. I believe Lucy was happy her evaluation kept getting postponed because she does not like the section on improvement needed (I believe we can all relate). Read and Buried is an entertaining cozy mystery with a discovered diary, a ferocious feline, a surfeit of suspects, construction chaos, a mysterious map and a coded conundrum.

This is the 6th book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. Lucy, the librarian, finds an old Civil War-era map and tries to decode the coded document that came with it.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery with strong characters and an interesting setting. Recommend.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how, but I have somehow missed this series. Well, no more. I LOVED this book! It features a library in a lighthouse and Lucy, the heroine, is lucky enough to have an apartment in the lighthouse AND she has a cat named Charles. I really liked Lucy and her boyfriend, Connor, who is also mayor. Lucy wasn't over the top in her investigation. Anytime she found out information, she turned it over to the police right away. I also liked how I did not guess right away who the murderer was. Even though there are already several books in the series, I was able to jump right in without any confusion. I will, however, be reading the other books in the series, because I enjoyed this one so much. I can't wait for the next one! Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library's foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code.

The library is overrun by people clamoring to see the artifact. Later that night, Lucy and Connor McNeil find the body of historical society member Jeremy Hughes inside the library. Clearly Jeremy was not the only one who broke into the library--the map and the coded page are missing.

Lucy's nemesis, Louise Jane McKaughnan, confesses to entering the library after closing to sneak a peek but denies seeing Jeremy--or his killer. When Lucy discovers that fellow-librarian Charlene had a past with Jeremy, she's forced to do what she vowed not to do--get involved in the case. Meanwhile, the entire library staff and community become obsessed with trying to decode the page. But when the library has a second break in, it becomes clear that someone is determined to solve that code.

Read and Buried was a quick, enjoyable mystery and I appreciated the lack of romance that I usually find in cozy mysteries.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Read and Buried was a fun and entertaining read. The mystery was well crafted and I liked several of the characters. An added bonus was the lighthouse library and the cat.

An entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and reading about the history of the area. The mystery was a fun one. This is the first book I've read in the series but I didn't feel lost.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.

Read and Buried is the 6th instalment in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. I had no problem following along with the characters and reading the book as a standalone. (I own a few and they are in my tbr pile but now really do want to read them!)

Librarian Lucy Richardson unearths a mysterious map dating back to the Civil War. But if she can’t crack its code, she may end up read and buried.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library’s foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code.

The library is overrun by people clamoring to see the artifact. Later that night, Lucy and Connor McNeil find the body of historical society member Jeremy Hughes inside the library. Clearly Jeremy was not the only one who broke into the library--the map and the coded page are missing.

Lucy’s nemesis, Louise Jane McKaughnan, confesses to entering the library after closing to sneak a peek but denies seeing Jeremy--or his killer. When Lucy discovers that fellow-librarian Charlene had a past with Jeremy, she’s forced to do what she vowed not to do--get involved in the case. Meanwhile, the entire library staff and community become obsessed with trying to decode the page. But when the library has a second break in, it becomes clear that someone is determined to solve that code.

The series is set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina one of my favourite settings. One day I will actually visit there I hope.

I found the characters to be well developed and i really liked Lucy and Charles her Himalayan cat.
The story was well paced, and I found I couldn’t put the book down. There are 2 mysteries in this story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you wanting to find out what will happen next.

I highly recommend to anyone who loves cozy mysteries!

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.