This is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library series and this series is still going strong. The characters are relatable and I loved the storyline of a ghost, considering the house belonged to a relative of Louise Jane.

Lucy and Connor have moved into their dream home on Nags Head Beach in spite of the house needing a lot of work. Connor was out of town and when Lucy spent her first night alone she heard a noise that woke her. She woke to the sight of Charles, the library cat, all freaked out, and went to investigate the sound. She found Charles outside and wondered how he got out there. Soon after, Lucy and Connor find a dead body of a man in their kitchen. While investigating the man, she discovers he is related to the previous owner.

It was a fun story with the haunting and Lucy trying to plan her upcoming wedding. The usual cast of characters are there as well as some new ones. There were several suspects in this story and I have to say, the killer really surprised me because I can usually guess them. Great job! The backstory of the original owners of the house was interesting as was the history of rum running in the area. The way Ms. Gates describes the region makes me want to go visit.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

1 star
A total no go for me. I do not like paranormal, ghost or any of the like stories. I did not realize that this was that type of book. DNF

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in this series that I have actually read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which means I will now have to read all of the others! The setting for this book is in Nags Head which is in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Lucy is the local librarian and is engaged to Connor McNeil. Connor is the mayor and dentist in the town. Apparently Lucy is always in the midst of some type of mystery. They have purchased their dream home on the beach and are in the midst of renovating the home. Some say the home is haunted! Lucy has several late night encounters which cause her to wonder if it is indeed haunted or if the intruder is very much alive! Once a dead body is found in the kitchen, then the true mystery begins. This is an enjoyable mystery with pleasant characters. I think my favorite is Lucy's cat, Charles. Charles is also the library cat. Eva Gates does a great job of describing the area and the characters so that you can lose yourself in the book. I can almost feel the ocean breeze! The library is also located in the Bodie Island Lighthouse. I kept thinking what a delightful place to have a library! I was completely surprised by the ending because I never dreamed this would be the person responsible for murder. If you like a clean mystery, you will love this book.

5/5
Death by Beach read has to be, hands down, one of my new favorite books ever. I can't explain the level of enjoyment i've experienced while reading this book!.
The story follows Lucy and Connor, a couple that just moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They bought this Historic Cottage, next by the beach and everything goes according to plan: they are happy, they are ready to decorate and start a new journey in this amazing house.
However, during their first night, Lucy experiences a paranormal event that leads up to a real murderer investigation. There's a dead body in the house, and Lucy and Connor had no idea how it ended there.
This book gave me major Agatha Christie vibes for some reason. The murder mystery, the house, the paranormal events... it's extremely atmospheric and creepy at times but really enjoyable. Our main character Lucy is smart and determined, and her relationship with Connor was really cute. I loved the writing style and the built-up to the mystery and the final resolution. The plot twists kept me on edge and i couldn't stop reading this book because it was really compelling and unique. I think Eva Gates wrote a wonderful story and I'm intrigued to see what she has in store for us next.

"The Lighthouse Library Mystery Series is a cozy mystery series with librarians, lighthouses, cats and, of course, murder!" I'm sorry I have missed #1-8 in the series, but it did not take away from this little treasure of a mystery. The coolest part is the atmospheric setting of Nags Head and the Outer Banks barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. Eva Gates writes a heck of descriptive story that glides you right into the scenery. The setting appears as a charming and cozy Hallmark movie! I loved the lighter mystery feel.

With Lucy, the librarian of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, as the main character be ready for a journey on this hunt for a killer. With her fiance, Connor, who is also the mayor of Nags Head, they are remodeling their dream home on the beach. The house has a dark past to it! 40 years ago the previous owner's daughter ran out of the house in the night never to return to it again. The haunt continues when they return one day to find a murdered man in their house.

Such a simple, light book with a cute little character, Charles the cat. With footprints of sand in the house, a secret trap door and slight uncanny noises, Lucy delves into this mystery to find a killer before the killer finds her.
Thanks NetGalley for this fun mystery read in exchange for my honest review.

A fun book to read in an afternoon. The Outer Banks, a historic lighthouse, a library, a haunted house and a dead body. What's not to like?

I've become a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery. Maybe not my ultimate favorite but definitely worth a read

It was hard to get into this book it took a long time to get to the root of the mystery. I didn’t know it was part of a series of I would have read those before requesting this one and it may have made more sense. By the end of it I really can’t remember anything I read.

Beach Read is the ninth installment in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. With no knowledge of the previous books, I enjoyed I was able to jump in and start reading without needing to have read The first eight.

What I didn't care for was the pace of the book. It took longer than I would have liked for the action to pick up and the mystery to happen. Because of that, it took me a while to complete this book as I found my mind roaming while reading and ultimately, I was unable to stay connected the characters.

A great comedy with some misunderstandings and lots of motives that make for a great read. Also has a character that is a strong protagonist good characters with strong writing. This is a sure bet for those that love a library loving cozy readers.

Keywords: ghost, cat, beach views, library, lighthouse, some romance, paranormal, home renovation, community, family history

Whenever I see a title by Eva Gates (a.k.a. Vicki Delany), it goes directly on my TBR pile. I have read the entire Lighthouse Library Mystery series and I always look forward to returning to Bodie Island, North Carolina. The series follows novice sleuth Lucy Richardson, a librarian that works in a lighthouse. Up until this book, she also lived in the lighthouse.

In Death by Beach Read, the series changes focus a bit. Lucy Richardson moves out of the lighthouse and into a historic new beach house. The book focuses on the move, so the library is less central than earlier books. I was worried I would enjoy the book less, because I loved the cozy (and delightfully creepy) setting of the lighthouse. The new setting turned out to be a strength for the book as it widened the reader’s imagined map of the island. It also, of course, added a new crime scene. Also, who doesn’t love hearing about the renovation of a historic house?

As with the rest of the series, I love the focus on libraries as places of community-building. This was especially the case in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of this book for a honest review.

New to me series, but at the 9th book, a fast and easy read with an entertaining mystery and characters.

This was the 9th book in the series, but I feel like Eva Gates did a good job of explaining who the characters were since I hadn't read any of the others. I feel that it was just a touch too slow for my liking, but I was able to get into it. I loved the beachy feel with a murder mystery built in - best of both worlds. Definitely a great vacation read!

I was given an ARC of Death By Beach Read in exchange for an honest review.

Another fun entry in the series, although I do miss the Lighthouse Aerie.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I'm grateful for the digital copy I received from NetGalley and the publisher, and I did find some interest in the mystery.
Unfortunately, I didn't care much for this novel about a murder that takes place in the small town of Nags Head, right inside the main character's new home. I was excited by the title and the description, but I was disappointed by the way the story came together. I knew I was reading the ninth book in a series, and I didn't mind that I wasn't familiar with all the details because Gates does a good job of exposition for events and people that were introduced in earlier novels. However, if I'd read book one, I don't think I would've gotten to book nine. I don't care for the main character, which makes it difficult to like the book itself, and I think the plot is interesting but weighed down by extraneous details. I was most interested in the murder, but the side plots didn't interest me much.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

From the book’s synopsis: Librarian Lucy’s new historic house comes with a lot of baggage and family secrets. Can she put them to rest or will a killer bring Lucy’s family to their downfall, in the 9th Lighthouse Library mystery?

The setting is a North Carolina lighthouse that has been turned into a library. Now that Lucy is settled in to her new job (Mysteries 1-8), she is alone in her new home with fiancé Connor McNeil, (she previously lived in the lighthouse aerie) and begins hearing sounds. It’s dark, and even the cat is on edge.

When Lucy and Connor find a dead body in the kitchen and then realize the person is connected to the house, Lucy starts trying to figure out who killed him and why.

I love these sorts of “Jessica Fletcher”-type characters and stories….even more so because they are a series. This is book number 9 – and I’ve already gone back and read 1 and 2 – so I can catch up with all the characters. As for the characters – they are charming, quirky and fun. With a heavy on the quirky. They remind me of the other similar murder mystery series I’ve been reading by Jennifer Lonif Schiff, about reporter Guin Jones on Sanibel Island.

It’s a fast, entertaining read with all kinds of twists and turns for the main characters: Lucy and Connor McNeil – her boyfriend and also the Mayor. Bertie James the head librarian, Charles, the very personable library cat, Louise Jane McKaughnan, library worker and part time ghost historian, to name a few.

Highly recommend for those who enjoy mysteries, beachy reads and recurring character series.

Lucy Richardson and Connor MacNeil are engaged, and have found a house in which to begin their life together. It's a beach cottage previously owned by Ralph Harper, the cottage has sat empty for decades, not wanted by Ralph nor his sister Jo, but he's refused to sell until now, stating that he knows Lucy and Connor will take care of the home.

But since it's been empty, there are many renovations that need to be done, and are being handled by Connor and his father, Fred. Still, Lucy doesn't mind living in the home while everything is being fixed, and her co-worker Louise Jane is ecstatic because now she's living in the library loft once occupied by Lucy. But it doesn't stop Louise Jane from telling tales about the house, especially that it's haunted. While Lucy refuses to listen, one night while Connor is out of town she hears noises, and awakens to find footprints in the dust in the living area and her patio door ajar. Not telling Connor, she still refuses to believe it's a ghost.

But when Connor returns home and they go out one evening, they return to the house only to find a dead body in the kitchen -- which turns out to be the twin brother of Ralph Harper. Jimmy Harper has been gone for decades, the black sheep of the family who's spent time in jail for various crimes.
They've come to believe that he was searching for something valuable, but everything worth anything Ralph has already removed. To add to the mystery, Jo hasn't stepped foot in the house for decades, ever since she was chased away by the ghost of her grandfather. Since then, she's lived with Ralph and refused to leave the house except for short walks. Now Lucy wants to know who's going into her home when she's away, and more importantly, who is the person who killed Jimmy, and why?

This is the ninth book in the series and I have read them all. In my opinion, this is the best of the series. I love mysteries, and I especially love historical mysteries within them. Since the original mystery is decades old, that needs to be solved also, and Lucy is on top of both. She likes Ralph and when she meets his sister Jo, she likes her too, and doesn't want to believe that either one of them killed Jimmy. But the suspect list is sparse, since there aren't a lot of people around who knew the man and would have a reason forty years later to kill him.

Yet there most definitely is someone stalking Lucy, and she wants to know who it is, and why. She can't put her head to planning her wedding or decorating her new home until she knows what is going on, and she's not getting the information she needs from the Harpers.

I think part of the reason I like this book the best is the fact that Lucy finally grows a spine and stands up to people. It's about time that she stopped allowing everyone to walk all over her and push her around just because it was the path of easiest resistance. It's good seeing this 'new' Lucy; she finally is able to say no to people and it helps in her investigation. It also strengthens (believe it or not) her relationship with Louise Jane, who had always pretty much been a nemesis until this point.

In the end, when the killer is revealed, it comes as a surprise, which is a good thing, and the reasons are as old as time itself. The mystery is solved (as we know it will be) and Lucy and Connor can look forward once again to planning their wedding, and I hope that we as readers will be right there with them. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Death by Beach Read is set in a quaint little beach town in North Carolina, and is the 9th book in the Lighthouse series by author Eva Gates. This book is perfect for those looking for mysterious events, possible paranormal activity and a murder mystery! As Lucy and her soon to be husband, Conner, are remodeling the old house they just purchased, they start to learn about events from the past surrounding this old house. Lucy is at it again, using her natural curiosity, she helps the police solve the murder that occurred in their own kitchen.

This book started off a little slow, but quickly sucked me in as more and more suspicious events happened. It would help to have read the other books in the series to have the history of the characters, but the author did a good job of providing enough back story that it wasn’t terribly hard to understand the dynamics. The characters are well developed, some you love and some you instantly dislike. I felt the tension as Lucy heard noises and saw strange things around the house, and cringed when she chose to not share what she was experiencing.

By the second half of the book, I was reading later at night and waking up early to continue reading. I was kept guessing as to the guilty person until the very end. Very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to going back to read the other books in this series and will watch for more to come.

Another great addition to the Eva Gates' cozy mystery series, Lighthouse Library Mystery. Read it and be happy you did.

I was sad to see Lucy move from the Lighthouse, but in her new house on the beach, there is still plenty of mystery and surprises. This was another excellent read, with new characters, a bit more history of the area and people, with the usual cast of loveable and familiar people we've come to know and love. I really love this series and Gates has produced another very readable addition to the tales of Lucy and Connor.