This is the seventh book in the delightful "Lighthouse Mystery" series by cozy author Eva Gates. This is one of my favorite series as its set in a library inside a historic lighthouse. The protagnist works in the library and is very adept at solving murders. I love the setting of the Outer Banks that is so well described by the author. A charming next in series that I highly recommend. Thank you to both the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

This is a wonderful summer setting in the Outer Banks at the lighthouse library with a festive event for the director Bertie's high school anniversary. The staff has decorated for her event which will include a moonlight walk to the water. When they reach the water they find the body of the most disliked person at the event floating. With a murder on their hands Lucy must investigate to find the suspect and save the reputation of her friend Bertie and her job. Louise Jane sticks her nose into the possibility of a supernatural death much to the chagrin of Lucy and friends. Lucy has a talent for finding suspects and soon she is finding red herrings and clues of the women's death . This was such a enjoyable read that I found exciting to conclusion. The author has woven a wonderful mystery amid many interesting and fun clues that kept this reader guessing to conclusion. I highly recommend this next in this charming cozy series.

3.5 stars

The latest entry in the enjoyable Lighthouse Library cozy series. Although it's always nice to have the background from earlier series books, I believe this would work as a standalone.

The setting is a big part of this series: the Nags Head, southern coastal community gives the stories a unique feel. Assistant Librarian Lucy Richardson loves her job and her life. She is happy with her boyfriend, Mayor Connor McNeil, and she likes her boss Bertie and her co-workers. She lives in a small apartment at the lighthouse, a wonderful perk. And it happens that enough bodies turn up along the way so she can exercise her skills at deduction.

Bertie's library class is in town for a college reunion at the lighthouse. All is going well until the last library director, Helena, shows up. She is distinctly nasty, and later that night when the group is having a moonlight walk, she disappears and is found murdered in the coastal marsh.

Lucy is kept busy nosing around the reunion attendees, Helena's sister, and also trying to figure out if there's a tie in to an unsolved jewel theft from long ago. These are pleasant, undemanding reads, with some humor and a nice ensemble cast. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy Richardson's boss Bertie James is excited about the 40th anniversary reunion of her university classmates. The opening night celebration is held at the Lighthouse Library where the guests enjoy treats and a display of historical North Carolina library artifacts. But one guest, former library director Helena Sanchez, made nasty remarks and then seemed shocked after seeing something in the display. Some of the ladies decide to take a moonlit walk along the boardwalk but the outing ends with a splash and Helena is found dead.

Helena had been an acerbic, unpleasant woman but who had wanted to kill her? Helena's twin sister Tina had been estranged from her until her return to town. An unsolved jewel theft from 1995 and the fate of a young man is the key to solving the mystery. Outer Bank resident and volunteer Louisa Jane convince Bertie and Lucy to reenact that fateful boardwalk outing to smoke out the killer. A positive move forward in Lucy's relationship with mayor Connor provides a satisfying ending.

This was another entertaining entry in the Lighthouse Library mystery series.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Another great addition to the Lighthouse Library series. This is book #7 in the series. The book can be read as a standalone title but I would recommend the rest of them because they're all enjoyable. I just love the characters in the story and I always look forward to a new one.

Sure Helena, the former director of the Lighthouse Library, was a pest then and now but murder? Well, someone has murdered her and can it possibly be because of a 25 year old mystery? That's the question for Lucy, our intrepid heroine, who will poke around for answers, in part because she feels a little responsible, She's going to discover some very old secrets in this latest installment in a delightful series which I think will be fine as a standalone. Gates make good use of the North Carolina setting, the characters (including Lucy's cat) are fun, and the mystery nicely twisty. Oh- and Connor, her love interest, has a question to ask......THanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.

A Death Long Overdue is cute, the characters are likeable and the story is a fun mystery. If you need a cozy mystery this one is a great one.

The eighth book in the Lighthouse Mystery series, this one measures up to be just as entertaining as the previous ones. In this book, Bertie, head of the library, is hosting a mini-reunion of her classmates from college. Lucy, the central character in the series, has volunteered to act as server, along with the two other library employees and Louise Jane, the ever present library volunteer whose attitude is that she knows more about the library and Hilton Head than any of the others and she should be revered for that knowledge. The opposite view, voiced often by Lucy, is that Louise Jane makes up her stories about ghosts and the haunting of the lighthouse which houses the library. Theirs is a running feud which is a constant secondary storyline throughout the series.

There are other secondary stories featuring the other two library employees which don’t figure into this book. However, Charlene’s need to care for her ailing mother is referenced here. None of these are important to understanding or enjoying this novel.

The one constant secondary storyline that does feature somewhat in this book is the relationship between Lucy and hef childhood boyfriend Connor who is now the mayor. Their relationship has been building throughout the series and, while it doesn’t affect the mystery, if readers like following relationships as they grow and change, they will prefer to read this series from the beginning.

The main story features the murder of Helena, the previous library director, who is invited to join the group for the first night. The four women who are Bertie’s friends all know Helena and each one has some history with her. She is a distinctly unpleasant person and none of the women demonstrate any grief resulting from her death. In contrast, there are hints about bad experiences between Helena and each of the women, the question is do any of these have anything to do with her death.

The charming parts of these books are the romantic idea of a library housed in a lighthouse, the Outer Banks themselves, and a well rounded group of characters who are interesting and friendly. They combine to make the town one where the reader might like to live, or at least visit on a regular basis.

The puzzle of the mystery is a good one. There are some good hints about who the murderer is, although they may not be as specific as in some novels. The solution is a satisfactory one, and the book is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes cozy mysteries. I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an Advance Digital Read copy of this nove. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Another fantastic novel by Eva Gates! This is a wonderfully engaging read and firmly places the Lighthouse Library series as one of my favourite cozy novel series. We join Lucy and library director, Bertie, for Bertie's class reunion, which introduces us to an interesting cast of characters. A former coworker is murdered, which opens up unsolved mysteries of stolen jewelry and a missing person.
The plot moves quickly and is well written, with plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. I find the characters easy to follow, and they are easily likeable. This novel could be read as a standalone. I love the consistency of quality of Gates' series - I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for review.

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.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

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.

Lucy is a librarian who lives in an apartment atop a lighthouse library. While helping with a party for the director's college classmates, one of the attendees is murdered. Lucy becomes involved in solving the mystery.

While this may sound like a typical cozy mystery storyline, this particular mystery has a whole lot more. The characters are each unique and easy to visualize given the descriptions. The setting, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is picturesque and charming. And, the library has a cat, a Himalayan named Charles. And, unlike several other cat mysteries where the cat is just ornamentation, this cat has a personality and subtly guides Lucy to clues. Just what I expect in a mystery with a cat on the cover!

I thought I was sure who the killer was a couple of chapters into the book. But, there are enough twists in the plot line that it wasn't quite that easy to discover. Another hallmark of a good mystery. So, I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading many more from this series!

This new title in the A Lighthouse Library Mystery series features librarian Lucy playing detective on the case of a murder of a former library director and a famous necklace that disappeared 20 years earlier. A delightful series with interesting characters.

4 Stars




The lighthouse library is all on board helping Bertie, the library director, host a reunion of college colleagues and friends that haven’t seen each other in 20 years. Lucy and crew of the Lighthouse Library thought it would be fun to assemble some long forgotten artifacts of librarians of the past. The opening night festivities go off without a hitch until the evening winds down and the ladies decide to go for a walk. Lucy stumbles upon the dead body of the former unpopular librarian of the lighthouse library. Lucy finds herself knee deep in a murder mystery that may just be the most confusing thing she’s ever dealt with. Now it’s up to Lucy to find a murder before they get off scott free.

A Death Long Overdue is my first adventure with the crew of the Lighthouse Library and will not be my last. Author Eva Gates made it very easy for me to fall into book seven of this well established series. The characters are well developed and each has traits that bring that something to the story. Lucy and Bertie both had me wanting to get to know them more. Connor is wonderful. That man is too sweet and oh so cute in all the right ways. Charles the cat is the smartest of them all. The humans just haven’t figured that out yet. The setting of the Outer Banks is peaceful even with murder a foot. I love the concept of the Lighthouse Library. A bit of history with some sting out of the box. Ms. Gates has a layered plot and a story within a story with A Death Long Overdue. The story was nicely paced with twists you don’t see coming.

A Death Long Overdue is a highly enjoyable read. A story of mystery, friendship and a touch of romance. Just how I like my reads.

I love this series by Eva Gates. I can almost see the lighthouse from her description.
In this book a visitor comes by for a party, and is murdered on the beach. It's up to the library staff to figure out who murdered her, along with solving a few other minor mysteries.

Bertie, the current library director of the lighthouse library, is having a 40th anniversary college reunion and every member of the lighthouse library staff is pitching in to make sure this is a memorable experience. The reunion will be memorable, just not in the way anyone anticipates, as Lucy once again stumbles upon a dead body. The body belongs to a former unpopular library director for the lighthouse library. Of course Lucy jumps at the chance to lend her investigative expertise and lead her own investigation into the murder. Of course Louise Jane is just as determined to lend a helping hand as well, much to Lucy's disdain. The investigation soon becomes a tangled web as Lucy learns there is a connection between the current case and the theft of a famous diamond from 25 years ago. As the investigation proceeds, Lucy successfully gains the ire of many different members of the community as she asks questions and attempts to get to the bottom of things. However it's not long before she gains the attention of the killer as well.
A Death Long Overdue is an entertaining read from the action packed start to the satisfying ending. The mystery itself is complex and multi-layered, with plenty of swifts turns and well placed clues to allow readers to join in the sleuthing fun. However the true highlight of the book comes from the highly entertaining personal lives of the characters that is carefully interwoven into the mystery. The seventh in the Lighthouse Library series is sure to delight fans both old and new. While this story can be enjoyed as a standalone, readers will miss out on some delightful character backstories developed in previous books in the series.

4.5 stars

This is the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates.

I have to admit that when I dove into this series with book 5, I had a hard time connecting with it. Now with three books under my belt (so to speak), it is all coming together nicely. I think I just needed to get to know the residents a bit more before I could start enjoying the journey. So I would suggest you start reading this one at the beginning so you can love it from the start. I totally need to do that myself.

During the 40th reunion of the library, an old librarian from the past, who was not well liked, shows up and then ends up dead. Lucy uses her connections with the library to help the police solve the murder. Lots of great clues here. I loved the part where the victim had an identical twin who didn’t like her at all just like everyone else. And also loved the whole motivation as to why Helena, the victim, was mean to begin with. It all was wrapped up so nicely. And you don’t really see that in a lot of books these days.

Great mystery that captivated me. Loved the setting at the lighthouse. Love the crazy community, even the ones who drove us crazy during the reading of the book. Loved how Collin kept trying to talk to Lucy throughout the book and ask her an important question but kept getting interrupted. I felt bad for the guy. But it all turned out well in the end.

Definitely a series to dig into and follow! A must read.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I can’t get enough of this series. I love everything about it. This is everything a cozy should be. The Bodie Island Lighthouse library is the setting for Berties reunion party, and of course, a murder. I like that the tables have turned and Lucy is trying to stay out of the investigation, but Sam Watson pulls her in. Makes the amateur sleuthing seem more believable. Well written mystery with just a touch of romance, and I want to live in this series. One hundred percent recommend.

An excellent addition to this cozy library mystery series. The focus on the reunion of a group of college friends who became librarians added to the pleasure of the story. Truly an enjoyable afternoon read with familiar characters and an interesting setting..

I found this series by reading a cozy case file sampler. Nice continuation of the cozy series. Good, quick read. Enjoyable series and book. I plan to continue reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is amazing! I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read this book early.

Eva Gates has such a great way of writing the story that draws you in and you don't want to put it down. Lucy is a great character that seems like someone you could instantly be friends with. This series makes me want to visit the lighthouse and town this is based on in NC. I also like that Lucy gets along (now) with the local police and they accept her help. In some cozies the leading character doesn't have such a great relationship with the local police as they think the person is butting in where they don't belong. Lucy has a lot to offer Sam Watson and his deputies.

Eva has yet another winner on her hands this time. We get to meet a lot of new characters and learn more history about some as well as the town from years past. Also, the ending is something I didn't see coming but absolutely loved. I won't say anything in case someone reads this and is spoiled by it. I really hope there are more in this series because I cannot wait to see what happens next with Lucy.