Lucy Richardson finds herself embroiled in another murder investigation when a woman is found dead after a reception held at the Lighthouse Library. And this time, she has her work cut out for her when she has to decide how a twenty-five-year-old theft ties in to a very modern murder.

A Death Long Overdue is a quite enjoyable entry in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, and is also very accessible as a first read in the series. With a plethora of sympathetic and well-developed characters, and a truly delightful setting, the world that Gates builds is easy to sink yourself into. At this point in the story there are a lot of ongoing relationships – including Lucy’s romantic relationship with the mayor – that are enjoyable to follow along with. The murder mystery itself is dramatic and exciting to investigate along with Lucy. The book is definitely cozy and comfortable as well as being lively and fun, and is a great combination of everything I’m looking for when I’m looking for a cozy mystery series.

I always love visiting the Lighthouse Library. This time we met Bertie's predecessor who wasn't a very nice person, so what happened wasn't a real shocker. The hunt for the killer was a good one with plenty of good red herrings. I think Sam let Lucy help more in this book than any other so far. Louise Jane wasn't quite as obnoxious as she was once, but she was still a handful that Bertie sometimes had to reign in.

The setup at the end to trap the killer was great and led to a quick but exciting showdown. What happened after that was amazing! It's great how this series never just solves the case and ends like quite a few other books have done. There's always closure and plenty of explanations going on even to what might have seemed trivial at the time. I can't wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

I love this series and this installment was a great addition. Lucy has plenty of suspects for this murder. I love all of the characters especially Charles the cat. The mystery was clever and kept me guessing.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a lover of cozy mysteries, I knew I would be onto a winner with this 7th book in ‘A Lighthouse Library Mystery’ series! A Death Long Overdue ticked all the right boxes before I had even started reading.

The setting – a library in a lighthouse, no less – and an eye-catching front cover meant it had all the makings of a great read for me. The concept of a library in a lighthouse is incredibly alluring and the thought of living and working there even more so. This location is particularly enticing for me as I live on the coast near a lighthouse!

Eva Gates has drawn a lot of fun characters in this fabulous cozy mystery. Likeable Lucy Richardson is a librarian who moved to the Outer Banks, North Carolina and she has a lot going on in this book. It was great to be back with protagonist Lucy who possesses the necessary attributes of any great sleuth – intelligence, curiosity and keenness.

There was a large number of characters in A Death Long Overdue but I think I just about managed to keep track of all of them without being overwhelmed! I wasn’t especially fond of one or two of them and the victim, Helena Sanchez, the former director of the Lighthouse Library was pretty despicable, but it only made a fabulous story even greater. Charles the library cat was, of course, an ever-present favourite.

There aren’t many settings as perfect as a library located within a lighthouse and Eva Gates made great use of this. Outer Banks is a fine coastal town with a real sense of community and a general feeling of nostalgia. I could really feel its beauty and this, as well as a town full of secrets, made it a brilliant backdrop for a murder investigation.

Another of my favourite aspects of this novel was the fluidity of the writing. The details of the plot were very well executed and every chapter left me with a compelling need to read on. The author did a brilliant job of balancing a few different story-lines and different events jumbled matters up somewhat, making figuring out the identity of the perpetrator more challenging. There was a sense of apprehension and spookiness as the story progressed, which definitely helped to keep my interest.

I very much look forward to returning to the Outer Banks with Lucy in Deadly Ever After (book #8), and reading the earlier books in the series, too! So entertaining and engaging, A Death Long Overdue is definitely well worth the time invested.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I love the lighthouse library series. I am familiar with the lighthouse where this series takes place and know that there is no room for a library. But I would LOVE to be able to work in a library located in a lighthouse. The characters are wonderful…so well developed and you have strong feelings about many of them throughout the series. And this seventh book in the series brings in more characters which will evoke a reaction to their personalities.

I love mysteries, but when you factor in the location in a library, I am a huge fan. The plot is well developed and has you guessing until the end. There are great twists and a delightful surprise at the end that has you anxiously waiting for the next lighthouse library book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. The next book will definitely be on my to-read list!

If you're looking for a cozy book, this one hits all the right feelings. However I did get a bit bored reading it. I thought the characters were really well written, but I just didn't feel any connection to them. The only characters that were close to my age were Lucy and Conner, and that probably had a lot to do with how I felt about this book. I wouldn't turn away from the book simply because the characters aren't your age because that is definitely everyone's personal preference, and everyone connects to characters differently. While I liked the story, I thought it moved a bit slow. If you're looking for an enjoyable, easy to read cozy mystery, I think you'll still enjoy this book.

Bertie James, the director of the Lighthouse Library is hosting her 40th class reunion in Outer Banks. Helena Sanchez, the former director of the library, is also in attendance and spending the majority of her time being rude to everyone in attendance. When the group takes a stroll down the pier after dark, Helena is found floating in the water and chaos ensues. Narrowing down where everyone was during the walk is proving to be difficult as Lucy again takes the reigns to find the killer among them.

I absolutely love the Lighthouse Library series and every book is fantastic. Each book is filled with terrific writing, wonderful character interactions, a plausible murder mystery, along with a fantastic and breathtaking setting. I love the anticipation the author creates with the death of Helena and the whos and whys. There are so many potential suspects it becomes hard to narrow the list down to any one person. Means, motive, opportunity, lack of alibi all plague those who made it to the list.

As per my reviews of the other books in the series, I love the setting, the characters, and the mysteries in each. Lucy is a wonderful character. She may come from money, but she doesn't act like it or flaunt her family's riches. Her character is down-to-earth and likeable. I enjoy her growing relationship with Connor. They are sweet together and you can definite feel their chemistry. The secondary characters are unique in their own way and believable. Oh, and how could I forget about Charles?! The library cat is a delightful addition to the cast.

The story is well paced, enjoyable, and full of suspense, anticipation, joy, and redemption. The author did a wonderful job describing the characters and scenery within the book. I was able to visualize the story as it played out. A Death Long Overdue is a fantastic cozy mystery and addition to the Lighthouse Library series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It is the first one I've read in this series but found it enjoyable without having read the previous books. Lucy is a likable heroine. A librarian, she has good instincts and a desire to know the truth. When a murder occurs during her boss's reunion of college classmates, Lucy is on the case. I like her procedure of doggedly pursuing leads.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this cozy mystery was the setting, a library in a lighthouse. While there is a real working Bodie Island Lighthouse on the outer banks of North Carolina, Gates says it is not large enough to house a library so she imagined one that was.

This is a fun mystery with some entertaining and quirky characters, a good amateur sleuth, a fun setting, and just a hint of romance.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is such a fun cozy mystery! How have I missed this series? Even though this was my first book in the series the author did a great job of making this a standalone book. I never felt like was behind or in the dark as to who all the characters were. In a nutshell, its a cute cozy about a library in a lighthouse and a mysterious death. What more can you ask for? AND, there was a cute cat! Four paws up!
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

By all accounts, Helena Sanchez was a nasty rude woman. She insulted most of the attendees at Bertie’s fortieth college reunion. However, even she didn’t deserve to be murdered for her sins. For the murderer, it was A Death Long Overdue as Helena was the former Library Director at the Outer Banks Lighthouse Library. With so many suspects, Assistant Library Director and amateur detective Lucy has a challenging mystery to solve.

It always feels like coming home for Thanksgiving when I read the Lighthouse Library mysteries. There is not just a mystery to solve. Each time I learn what happened to the characters in the months I’ve been away. I liked that catching up and the movement in the characters’ lives the best in A Death Long Overdue. The mystery itself was much easier to solve this time around. Still, it was fun to see my old friends from the Outer Banks. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Death Long Overdue is an entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Well developed plot and a great setting. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

"A Death Long Overdue" the 7th instalment in the "A Lighthouse Library" Mystery series by Eva Gates. I really enjoyed this book!
This is the 2nd book I have read in the series but I had no trouble following along. I really enjoyed this story, and it has made me want to catch up on the series. I have several books in my TBR pile. In fact I am now a fan girl for Vicki Delany/Eva Gates and bought a few books in her other series too.

The setting of the Bodie Island Lighthouse library in the Outer Banks of N.C. is a dream location that I would really love to go to. I could picture it in my mind from the descriptions which really helps make it come to life in your mind.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. Lucy, her cousin, Bertie and her adorable cat Charles make a good team. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I enjoyed the sub-story with Connor too.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ooops, another case where I've forgotten I was given a book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I also checked the book out from the library. Obviously, I'm a fan of the series since I ended up with two copies(and made a special trip to the library yesterday just for this).

That said, it was just OK. It probably has the weakest mystery plot of them all and the reader is not given enough details to figure out why until after the fact. We know by mere opportunity and I'm not sure that the facts for that are completely laid out.

Many of the usual secondary characters pop in briefly, but it seemed to miss some of the comradery that makes this series so enjoyable.

I'll definitely give the next book a go, but A Death Long Overdue (really great title for this book BTW) left me checked out.

Again, I got a hard back copy from the library, which is the one I read, and an ecopy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who does vacation on the Outer Banks and has climbed the 214 steps to get to the top of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, this was very interesting to read. Sometimes it nice to read about a real place and a place you have been to.

When you come into the series at 7th installment you can expect some gaps and missing information. However, Eva Gates has done a great job with A Death Long Overdue. Yes, I would love to know the characters from 'hi, how are you'. But I was given enough backstory and glimpses at relationships and connections to understand who is who and why.

A Death Long Overdue is all about books, old secrets, thwarted love and librarians. It is set in a very picturesque place and is inhabited by a bunch of colourful characters. Author has done well making the narration suspenseful. Reader gets to 'talk' to different characters and see a bit of their lives, pasts and motives.

A very fun, light, interesting cozy mystery set in an interesting place - a mecca for book lovers - library.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy! Listen, I know I talk about it all the time, but I absolutely adore this series! I’ve been reading, loving, and reviewing the Lighthouse Library novels since I started my blog in 2017 and these books are just getting better and better!

The novel starts with a party at the lighthouse library. An evening of fun, catching up, and remembering the history of library science as Bertie and her classmates from her college days meet up for the weekend. When the previous director of the lighthouse library shows up, upsets lots of people, and then turns up dead in the marsh, Lucy knows something stranger is afoot, and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

This mystery is a lot deeper than it seems on the surface! A stolen gem. A missing man. A drifter. Shady twins. A secret romance. Librarians with lots of secrets. This newest installment kept me guessing until the very end. Every time Lucy talked to someone else and got a little more information I was just left with more questions, and just when I thought I had maybe figured it out I was completely wrong! I think we can all agree those are the best kinds of mystery books.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the way the novels sort of parallel to the book that Lucy’s book club is reading. In the book the club was reading The Moonstone, a classic detective novel surrounding a missing jewel and lots of secrets. Sounds familiar, eh? Despite Lucy’s attempts, her book club always turns to talk of the real case happening and I love the way we can see those parallels and the classic mystery elements that Gates ties into her stories.

The mystery aspect of this novel, per usual, is top notch. But there’s so much more to love about these books! Lousie Jane and Lucy’s little frenemies relationship gets more and more fun. All the local people get kookier and funnier as the books go on. And this series is just so dang cozy. I love Charles, I love the day-to-day of Lucy’s library life, I love the romance (that really takes off in this!) between Lucy and Connor. Reading these books are like slipping into a dream life, a cozy little Hallmark movie, almost. Connor and Lucy’s relationship is like a focal point of this installment and you can really see the way they compliment one another, the way Connor goes along with Lucy’s sleuthing and wackier plans. And I adored the ending and am really looking forward to the next book, Deadly Ever After!

Another intriguing visit to the lighthouse library. Class reunions can be murder. Cute subplot with Conner. Kept me guessing as to the real culprit. I look forward to reading the next one in this charming and entertaining series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Lucy Richardson really enjoys her job at the Lighthouse LIbrary in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She is happy to help the library’s director Bertie James host an event at the library for a 40th reunion of her college class. As a courtesy, Bertie also invites the abrasive former library director, Helena Sanchez, to the event since she is in town for the weekend. Most of the group of current and former librarians love the exhibit of the history of libraries in North Carolina that Lucy and some of her co-workers put together for Bertie’s reunion. The evening is going well until the women take an evening stroll on the pier and someone takes advantage of the darkness to murder Helena. The official investigation seems to be stalling, so Lucy uses her skills to do some sleuthing of her own.

This is the seventh in the series but only the second I’ve read, and I had no trouble keeping the various characters straight. Lucy and Bertie are the best part of the book. They have a great working relationship and are also friends. I enjoy the parts when they are working together to solve the crime. Lucy is a little more impulsive, and Bertie helps keep her grounded. The scenes with Lucy and her boyfriend Connor are sweet, but sometimes frustrating. It’s pretty clear what Connor is trying to plan for Lucy, but for someone who is so good at finding clues to solve crimes, she doesn’t catch on to what Connor is doing. Eventually, this subplot has a great resolution that long-time fans of the series will especially appreciate.

Since the victim is opinionated, outspoken, and sometimes mean, there is no shortage of suspects in her murder. That gives Lucy a lot of people to research and question, which makes the story interesting. However, I’m not sure Helena was the most irritating character in town. Some of the suspects, as well as some of the other characters associated with Lucy, most notably Louise Jane, are so overbearing it detracts from the story. This is especially true when Lucy allows herself to be pushed around by them. It doesn’t show her in the best light and also gets tedious to read. Louise Jane finally does something to help by the end and things come together for the characters and the investigation. I haven’t read all the books in the series, but based on how things end in this book, I am interested in reading the next one.

Readers who follow this series as well as those who enjoy cozy mysteries by Vicki Delany, which is the same person as Eva Gates, will like this book. Fans of Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lover’s series will also want to check out this title by Eva Gates.

~ Christine

Review will be posted on the blog 10/9/2020

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. What a fun little cozy mystery! This series focuses on Lucy, a librarian who finds herself in the middle of sticky situations time and time again. I especially enjoy the characters in this series. They are fun to read about and the main cast center around a library so there is lots of talk about books! This is the seventh in the series and while it is definitely helpful to read in order to get a sense of the town, you can definitely pick up on what you need to know and get the plot if you read it as a stand alone.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries I definitely recommend checking out Eva Gates’ Lighthouse Library Mystery Series!

A DEATH LONG OVERDUE, the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates, is another entertaining addition to a long enjoyed series! I adore the setting: a library situated in a lighthouse in the Outer Banks (I wish I could hang out there!). With the protagonist, Lucy Richardson, a delightful librarian living above the library, the setting becomes even more important and features prominently in the book. I like that the supporting characters are well-developed and have grown throughout the series. In this newest addition, the reader gets to know the backstory of the head librarian Bertie. As in each of the books, this gives a sense of community which is why I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series instead of later. While this can certainly be read as a standalone, the author has done a marvelous job of creating a wonderful cast of characters. Seeing how they’ve changed and grown is well worth starting with book one.

With a well-paced plot, the action and entertainment starts from the very first and the clues are sprinkled throughout to keep sharp readers on their toes. As the mystery unfolds, there are plenty of suspects and twists to throw readers off track but with the final reveal, the clues fall into place with a satisfying conclusion. Added into the mix is a sweet and humorous subplot surrounding Connor, Lucy’s beau. It added a light touch to the story which made this all the more enjoyable!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.