I always enjoy visiting with Lucy and the gang. This book isn’t in the lighthouse much. I did find the whole Tom and his disguises a little confusing and unnecessary, I didn’t get the point. I think it is obvious who the killer is from the start, based on the portrayal of the characters. I found the mystery of what was behind the painting more interesting. #TheStrangerintheLibrary #NetGalley

Too many characters at the chapter one. Its difficult to me to remember all the characters mentioned. I give it a try until chapter 5 but honestly I can’t.

Btw, the premises of this story are all good. The ‘valuable’ art are just missing from the library and everyone seems afraid as the key library is duplicate. Someone is entering the library and nothing is missing eventhought the expensive things inside except the copy of valuable art.

Lucy is back from her honeymoon and has installed an art exhibit in the library. With copies and prints being shown in the library and genuine pieces being shown at a different exhibit, it’s odd that a piece turns up missing. But then it its returned and Lucy cannot let it go, she n needs to figure out why and what it happened.

Between the two art exhibits, Lucy is on the trail and soon adds not only the returned piece to her sleuthing lit, but also a murder. Can Lucy figure what’s going on without losing everything she’s worked so hard for? Time, and some sleuthing, will only tell.

Another great entry in this series. I love the setting and all things books, so it’s a perfect place for our protagonist to be based in this series. each entry has a solid mystery, a few quirky characters, a cute kitty and lots of red herrings to follow. It’s a series I have on the top of my must read list and watch for new entries to be released.

Thanks to #NetGalley & author Eva Gates for the opportunity to read the ARC of #TheStrangerintheLibrary - the newest in the Lighthouse Library series. Gates continues to provide great cozy mysteries. There are no surprises here for those that follow this series - the regular cast of characters, the adorable library cat, and what has to be one of the loveliest fictional libraries in the USA. That said, this novel would work fine as a stand-alone.

Stranger in the Library adds the elements of a high-end art show while the book group is appropriately reading _Ripley Underground_ (I love all of the shout-outs to authors old and new which works well with the library setting). There are tensions between artists, art dealers, and art collectors that gather for the event. When a painting disappears and a body shows up, Lucy and her friends are once again investigating.

I'm not sure how long the Lighthouse Library series will continue, but as long as Eva Gates continues to craft very enjoyable cozy mysteries, I will be reading them.

Eva Gates has created another enjoyable visit to the Outer Banks. Freshly returned from her honeymoon, Lighthouse librarian Lucy is tasked with organizing a display of art reproductions at the library in conjunction with the town’s art show of originals. As usual for Lucy and her friends, complications occur. Along with husband Connor, detective Sam, friend/nemesis Louise Jane, and a variety of interesting characters, Lucy finally follows the clue to a successful resolution. I was lucky enough to be able to read an advance copy and enjoyed every minute.

The art world is notoriously full of drama, and when a couple of interesting characters gather at an art show in a small town there is no shortage of drama. Local librarian, Lucy is thrust into the middle of it all when she discovers a body.

I enjoyed 'Stranger in the Library'. It has all the classic elements of a cozy small town murder mystery. The story started off a little slowly but once the action started the pace picked up. I really enjoyed the snippets of art history and thought it was well researched and the fictional art and artists were done very realistically. I also liked the fact that I wasn't able to guess the murderer and enjoyed the surprise ending.

This novel was the first in a long cozy series that I have read, although I love the author's Tea By the Sea series. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into it (likely because I was catching up on a lot of backstory), but after that, I breezed right through it. I enjoyed the art references and the characters as well as the scenery/setting. I adored the ending as well. Reading this book from another likeable series has firmly established this author as one of my top five favorite cozy mystery writers.

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Nag’s Head is the site of an Impressionist art show and Lucy is highlighting art at the Lighthouse Library. Louise Jane lends the library a copy of a famous painting by her ancestor. There is tension among the organizers of the art show during their visit to the library, and one member of the group is found dead during the art show opening.
Louise Jane is attracted to a mysterious man who shows up at the library and admires her family’s copy…and he admires Louise Jane. The painting goes missing and another mystery is in the mix. There are lots of suspects for the murder and the stolen copy. Now Lucy and Louise Jane are on the case. Louise Jane is especially interested in the mysterious stranger.
This was a fun read and I love the setting. It was great to see Louise Jane take a larger role in this book.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This cozy mystery is the first I've read by Eva Gates. The Stranger in the Library is entertaining and I enjoyed Lucy the main character as she searched for clues to the two mysteries unveiled in the novel. Living in North Carolina myself, I loved the Outer Banks setting and was happy to suspend my disbelief and enter the library lighthouse. The art show premise was intriguing and introduced a variety of characters that made for fun suspects.

This was a great installment to the series. I loved the art angle and the larger role Louise Jane had. I hope the series continues forever!

This 11th book in the Lighthouse Library series is, once again, truly enjoyable for cozy fans.

Here, Lucy, the Outer Banks librarian, is involved in intrigue in the art world. All the usual characters are present along with some interesting characters from the art world, Those characters, as well as the Nags Head, NC setting added to my enjoyment, along with a great plot.

Among my favorite cozy series and, again, Eva Gates did not disappoint.

Highly recommended!!

Lucy McNeil, assistant director of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, had set up, as part of a traveling Impressionism art exhibit, copies of some of those paintings at the library while the originals were exhibited at the Granger House. The library exhibit was open to all and the turn out was a success, but the next morning, Lucy noticed that one of the copies was missing. The police were called in and a search and investigation was underway. That night the opening of the Granger House exhibition took place but when one of the promoters didn't show up, it was later discovered that he was found dead in the garden. Lucy later discovered the missing copy, baffling her and the library staff, so this occurrence made her more than ever to see if the two incidents were somehow related and try to get to the bottom of this mystery.
A new cozy in the Lighthouse Library series, with history of the local artists, an elusive dealer/collector and a murder to solve.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-galley of "The Stranger in the Library".

Lucy and Connor are back from their honeymoon in Europe. While there they saw a lot of famous artworks and now the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is putting on an art show to tie into an exhibit of famous Impressionist paintings that will be visiting Nags Head. Lucy is very excited about this and throws herself into the project. Unbeknownst to Lucy, Louise Jane has a famous artist in her family and they offer to display a painting done by that artist's brother in the library display. When that painting goes missing and then is quickly returned, Lucy is puzzled as to why it was taken. Then when one of the people associated with the famous art exhibit is found dead, Lucy wonders if the two events are connected. There were many suspects and I thought that the book was well plotted. I love the recurring characters in this series, and like how this book also involved many people from out of town associated with the art exhibit. A great addition to the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the latest in a string of cozy mysteries I have been reading lately. Whenever I'm feeling in the mood to read but I have no idea what to read, I always reach for a cozy mystery. This one was perfect as it was an interesting plot but was still easy to read. Although I haven't read the rest of this series, I was still able to piece together some of the character's interactions and know the story very well. I wasn't able to guess the ending of this book, which is something I love in a mystery. If I can tell how it's going to end by the first 50%, I'm not interested. I loved the connection of the art world to this small town and how a seemingly worthless painting can cause a lot more trouble than you would think. Overall, it was a great read.

The Stranger in the library by Eva Gates is the 11th book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series due to be published June 4, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books.

“Outer Banks librarian Lucy is working on an art show at the library when paintings-and people-start to go missing, in this 11th Lighthouse Library mystery from national bestselling author Eva Gates. When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history. Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing. No one knows why anyone would bother stealing the picture is of no value-the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show's organizers. Then, the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a party-goer is discovered drowned in a fish pond.” What happened to the man?

The Stranger in the Library by Eva Gates is the latest installment in the Library Lighthouse Mystery series. When a traveling impressionist art exhibit comes to town, strange things begin to happen. First a reproduction of a famous painting that the library has as part of a display disappears. A speaker does not show up for an event and another individual downs in a fish pond. In addition, Tom, who is an art dealer and someone Louise Jane finds attractive, seems to be hanging out in the background during the events. As usual Lucy and her friends become involved and try to solve the mysteries.

I loved that we get to read more about Louise Jane since she is my favorite character. The mystery has a few interesting plot twists and a very suspenseful episode involving Louise Jane and Lucy. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries and/or libraries will enjoy The Stranger in the Library.

When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history. Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing. No one knows why anyone would bother stealing it: the picture is of no value–the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer. Who is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane’s heart?

This is one of my favorite cozy series. I have read all of them and Eva Gates comes up with an interesting plot each time. I like that Louise Jane is featured in this one. I always enjoy the descriptions of the library in the lighthouse and the area surrounding the library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this book. I highly recommend for any cozy fan.

Recently married Lucy has just returned from a honeymoon in Paris and is eager to mount an art show in the lighthouse library where she works. A painting disappears and murder follows, giving Lucy a chance to begin detecting again

I love the lighthouse library mysteries, and I as much as I enjoy the mystery I now read them mostly for Connor and Lucy's romance and relationship. And to set what hero cat Charles gets up. And this one met everything I wanted it to.

I enjoy this cozy series very much and this latest outing for the ‘lighthouse library’ is equally fun and well-written. This time, Lucy and the rest of the library staff, are hosting a library event that ties into a fancy opening night for a traveling American Impressionist Art exhibit that’s in town. Louise Jane, Lucy’s colleague and occasional pain in the side, delights in sharing her ancestor’s works and the anecdotes of family lore with anyone who’ll listen. Events at the library night result in visible animosity by some of the highflyers in town for the exhibition. When that becomes a death at the opening night, everyone looks for solutions to the mysteries, particularly Lucy.