When her former director is found dead in the water, librarian Lucy Richardson will have to get to the bottom of the mystery before the killer ends her tale.It’s summertime in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Bertie James’s college class is having their 40th anniversary reunion. The opening night reception is held at the Lighthouse Library and Lucy and her colleagues have assembled an … have assembled an exhibit of library artifacts showing how libraries have changed over the years. After the reception, some of the women take a walk down the boardwalk to the pier, using flashlights to illuminate the dark path, but what’s scarier than the dark is finding the former director of the Lighthouse Library floating lifeless in the water.
Helena Sanchez, the former director, wasn’t much loved and spent the party being rude to almost everyone there. As a result, Lucy finds herself in deep water as she rocks the boat, questioning several suspects. But she’ll have to batten down the hatches and fast before she’s left high and dry…and right in the killer’s crosshairs.
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A Death Long Overdue is the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates.
Lucy Richardson, assistant director of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, helps Bertie, the director, getting the library ready for an anniversary party. The party will mark the 40th anniversary of Bertie starting her college education, and she has invited three of her close school friends to celebrate that day. When Bertie learns that Helena Sanchez, who Bertie replaced at the library, is in town visiting her twin sister, she invites her as a courtesy and to see how the library has changed since she left. Shortly after Bertie’s friends arrive, Helena arrives. Lucy notices that while everyone is chatting with each other, Helena barely gets friendly with most and rude to others.
As the party is about to end, Louise Jane suggests that they take a walk along the boardwalk, and she will try and conjure up some ghosts that she claims inhabit the area. Midway into the hike, Helena announces that she is heading back to the library. On the way back, Lucy discovers the body of Helena. While being sequestered at the library, while the police investigate the crime scene, Lucy notices that a book on display and a letter opener are missing.
Since Lucy can’t resist a mystery, she will call on her sleuthing skills and help the police with their investigation. She will soon learn of the theft of a valuable necklace some twenty-five years ago. Lucy will also find out that all of the people invited to the party were also at a party when the necklace went missing. She wonders if there might be a link between the two.
The story is well-written and plotted. The characters are well developed and believable. Of course, Louise Jane is back, causing problems once again. And poor Connor, the mayor, and Lucy’s boyfriend will try and ask Lucy a question, but something always happens to prevent him from asking.
I will be watching for the next book in this enjoyable series.
Bertie is hold her college reunion and using the lighthouse library for the kickoff. A highlight is a recent library exhibit on how the library operated in the past. Unfortunately, the evening ends in murder which puts Lucy puzzling out yet another case.
I really enjoy this series. The characters are wonderful, the setting is beautiful, and the story lines have lots of well-thought out detecting. I can’t wait for the next book.
It is July in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I am excited to be back at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library with Lucy, Charles, and her friends and co-workers. Charles is the library cat who lives in the Lighthouse Aerie (top floor apartment) with Lucy. I have loved this series from the start, and this mystery is the best so far. The characters are engaging and three-dimensional, there are beautiful descriptives of the island and Lighthouse Library, and the mystery challenging. There is a healthy helping of LOL humor, too!
Lucy spent many summers on Bodie Island during her childhood. For Lucy, being with her aunt, uncle, and cousin Josie was her happy place. When she had to get away from adult life in Boston, it seemed natural to come here. Not only did she find a job that she loves – Assistant Director at the Lighthouse Library – but she also found her true love. Connor, with whom she had a sweet teenage romance with many summers ago.
Bertie, the library director, has the 40th reunion celebrating the first day of their undergraduate classes for fellow librarians to attend. The reception is being held at the Lighthouse Library. The surprise attendee is Helena, who retired as director of the library when Bertie replaced her ten years ago. Bertie invited Helena, never dreaming that she would attend. Helena was an excellent librarian but not a people person; most people didn’t like her. This evening, it was evident why. With the exception of Bertie, Helena was abrupt and at times rude to fellow librarians past and present.
Louise Jane, “LJ”, imagines she knows more than everyone else about Bodie Island’s history, particularly its ghosts and folk lore. When one of the ladies attending the reception learned about LJ’s knowledge of the island and ability to communicate with spirits, she wanted to have a walk down to the marsh near the library. Several of the women who were riding together went on the walk, as did Helena and Lucy. On the walk, they heard what sounded like a splash, then someone thought they saw a crocodile until realizing it was a body. Sadly, it was too late to help Helena.
Helena’s death was learned to be murder, and because it did not happen on library property, Lucy did not get involved. At first. As she began to hear stories about Helena’s life on Bodie Island and a huge theft that happened during the time she was there, she became curious. LJ got involved in her own way, wanting to do a séance to find out what the spirits knew about Helena’s murder.
There are so many great things in this mystery! Meeting Bertie’s classmates was enlightening, as was meeting Helena’s identical twin sister. LJ can be a pain in the best of times, but she is good for much comic relief. Descriptives of the library and island made me wish the library and “aerie” were real! I love Lucy’s fanciful imagination regarding books in the library and the characters within them. Charles is quite the helpful, delightful library cat! The mystery is fabulous, and it was impossible for me to guess more than part of the solution. Whodunit was not a surprise, but the depth of deception surely was. I highly recommend this novel for fans of well-executed cozy mysteries, cats, libraries, and lighthouses.
From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
What a fun read! This new addition to the Lighthouse Library Mystery series is a great story to unravel and find the killer of a visitor to the Lighthouse Library where a reunion of Director Bertie James’ college class is having a weekend get together. Former director of the library, Helena Sanchez, happens to be in town at the time of the reunion and Bertie includes her. On the first night reception at the library, most of the ladies have left but a few decide to take a walk through the marsh nearby via the boardwalk. Unfortunately, Helena wounds up in the water when no one is around and it is discovered that she was killed. A small cut on the back of her neck indicates that she was stabbed with a small object, maybe a letter opener like one on a display inside the library put together by Assistant Director Lucy Richardson and fellow librarian Carlene for the ladies. Lucy decides to do her own investigation as well as being helping Detective Sam Watson. They have quite a pool of suspects to weed through. Helena was not a popular person with those who remember her before she left the library. Some of the ladies visiting for the reunion knew her while others did not. Another surprise in the mix is Tina Ledbetter, Helena’s twin sister who also did not care for Helena. This is a page turner that kept me guessing to the end, not necessarily the killer, but the motive.
On the other hand, Mayor Connor O’Neil, Lucy’s boyfriend, has something up his sleeve but keeps getting interrupted. Hmm.
I received a complimentary ARC from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
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.
Another great cozy mystery by this author. In this one Librarian Lucy Richardson is attending a 40th class anniversary being held at the Lighthouse Library. After the main part of the party is over some of the attending find the body of the former Lighthouse Library director floating in the water. She was not a very nice person while alive but Lucy and friends try to discover who did it before Lucy becomes the next target. A fun read with some of the old crowd returned in the book and some new. Was a fast read and quite entertaining.
I really enjoyed this cozy. What’s not to love, a library inside a lighthouse, a librarian who lives in the lighthouse, and a library cat. So fun. The setting is North Carolina, which sounds beautiful. Lucy and her co-workers are helping at a reunion party for their boss. Bertie has invited women who trained as librarians at the same college. On a whim, she invites her predecessor to come and see how things have changed. After the party, a few of the attendees, including Lucy go for a walk in a marsh next to the library. It’s dark, and spooky. The perfect setting for a murder!
The characters are fun, even the grouchy ones. The story moves along and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It was easy-to-read and a great escape Lots of clues and suspects. The murderer was a surprise.
Wonderful characters. Bertie is hosting a college reunion of librarians when they discover a dead body.
Love the antics of Dickens the cat.
I knew within the first few chapters that I would love this book. This is the seventh book in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries which features librarian Lucy Richardson, I haven’t read the previous entries and had no difficulties following along so it would work wonderfully as a standalone but after reading it I want to read the earlier entries!. The author smoothly introduced the back story and the residents of Nags Head and Lucy’s coworkers at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. The descriptions of the Outer Banks area of North Carolina are an added plus.
I thought the mystery was good and even though I had my suspicions of the murderer I didn’t have a motive. and others had motives as well. There is also a secondary mystery of the theft of a heirloom necklace worth millions that may or may not be related. Lucy did a great job of tying together all the clues and then setting a trap for the murderer.
I received an ARC from Crooked Lane Books via Net Galley. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is one of my favorite series. Although this is part of a series, it can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone. This book grabbed my attention almost from the first page. The mystery is well-plotted with twists and turns to keep me guessing. The characters feel like they are old friends. They are likable, relatable, and realistic. The secondary story between Lucy and Conner was humorous as Conner’s plans kept getting interrupted. The result of the secondary storyline gives me; even more, to look forward to in the next book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
A Death Long Overdue by Eva Gates was both engaging and entertaining from the first page. I do love visiting the Bodie Lighthouse and catching up with old friends. Lucy, Josie, Aunt Ellen, Uncle Amos,Bertie, Connor, Charlene and Ronald have all become “real” to me thanks to Ms. Gates’ writing.
With a well crafted plot that kept me turning the pages, red herrings that totally lured me away, a few twists that kept me guessing completely until the reveal, I couldn’t have been happier spending time with this book. I did love Lucy’s total cluelessness about Connor’s actions though. It made me laugh at each interaction because I just “knew” what he was leading up to each time. I’m ready to go back to Nag’s Head right now.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
library, librarian, library-cat, amateur-sleuth, murder, theft, family-dynamics, friendship, deceit, small-town, situational-humor, verbal-humor
The head librarian in this Outer Banks seaside lighthouse brings together her old friends from college and on a whim invites a cranky retired librarian who once worked there. All were having fun, including the overbearing self centered volunteer theoretically helping with refreshments who decides that all need to go out for a walk in the dark for whatever misguided reason. It could have gone well anyway except that the odd librarian wound up dead in the marsh. And it turned out to be murder. Lucy is the assistant librarian with the mayor for her boyfriend, an apartment in this same lighthouse, a good relationship with the local law, and a talent for sleuthing. No apparent motive, odd clues, and a possible tie to a priceless necklace gone missing twenty-five years earlier make it really different. Great read in a fun series that doesn’t require reading in sequence!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!