Read and Buried

Even if you have not read previous books in this series, grab this one and dive in. The whole town wants to be included in deciphering a secret code and maybe a hunt for buried treasure.

When a less than upstanding member of the community is found dead in the library after hours, and pages of a mysterious diary are missing, motives seem to multiply as this case is investigated.

With wonderful characters and complicated relationships, and enough secrets to keep you guessing, this was an enjoyable book to escape into.

The descriptive passages will make you add the Outer Banks to your destination bucket list.
Preferably without murder involved.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Repairs are underway at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library and a surprising discovery is made. A notebook, with a loose page of mysterious code and a map that had been buried underground for years. To find its value the code needs to be cracked and it isn’t easy. Many try and many fail. Correlations are drawn between the notebook and the book the library’s Classics Book Club is now reading, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.

Everyone seems to want to take a gander and the find, but Jeremy Hughes, the newest historical society member, breaks in to accomplish the deed. Sadly, someone else either accompanied him or had the same idea and absconded with the page of code and the map and left behind a very dead Jeremy Hughes. Librarian Lucy Richardson finds out her nemesis Louise Jane McKaughnan and her co-worker Charlene could both be involved. After a second break-in, Lucy knows it is imperative to solve the code. She also knows all the suspects will be at an event on the library grounds. Can she find the key and catch the killer before she is the next thing buried by the lighthouse?

I love this series! Readers need to stretch their imaginations to fit all the wonderful goodness in under the Bodie Lighthouse roof but it is soooooo worth it. From Bertie’s office to Lucy’s Aerie apartment on the 4th floor and everything in between the Lighthouse Library is a fantastic place. The author describes everything so well you will feel like a butterfly on Lucy’s shoulder taking in each and every step she takes.

This time Lucy tries to stay out of the investigation but an indecipherable code and a request from Detective Sam Watson pulls her right in. Twists, turns, a spur of the moment seance and a fair bit of mayhem take place all on the road to crack a code and catch a killer. The author takes her characters on one heck of a journey. The ending was unexpected and exciting. She throws in the perfect amount of humor and romance along with daily life details to check all the cozy boxes. Ms. Gates is a marvelous storyteller.

I really liked the whole code theme. I wished I had had a copy so I could take a crack at it myself. It added an interesting element that brought several characters together in their efforts to crack that code.

I love this series for many reasons. The characters are unique, diverse and realistic. The setting is one of my favorites of all the cozy mysteries I have read. And most of all, Eva Gates always gives her readers a top-notch mystery, that we ache to solve before Lucy but rarely do. Read and Buried is an excellent addition to this series. I enjoyed every single page! I highly recommend for all cozy mystery lovers.

Note: This book can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment, you should read them all in order.

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

I think this series gets more addicting each time we get a new book. The historic lighthouse attached to the library has developed a huge foundation crack that requires repairs. These are underway when the workers discover a long buried box with unknown contents. Once they open it everyone starts fighting for it because one sheet of paper looks like a map and the other a hidden code. Before either can be researched there is break in, a murder, and a theft. Looks like Lucy has another case to get involved in whether she likes it or not. Makes for a really fun read full of small time charm, great characters, and a mystery to keep you guessing. The cat adds just the right touch too. A must read for fans of library cozies. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

Now that was a Great story! There was the usual eye rolls (LJ and Charles) and I finally got my wish as to who the bad guys were . BUT it was the treasure that made this book Great! Even if it takes forever to get it straightened out it is still perfect. I can’t wait to see what happens next at the Bodie Island Lighthouse but I’m sure it will be good.

Favorite so far…

During repairs to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, a box is found with an old journal inside. The journal also has two sheets that are separate, an old map of what looks like the area as it was in the 19th century and what looks like a coded message. Soon the entire community is in a treasure hunting mode. Connor returns Lucy to the library after a date they discover that someone has broken into the lighthouse then they find the body of Jeremy Hughes in Bertie’s office where the map and coded message have been stolen. Despite her best intentions, Lucy is soon drawn into the investigation and things become intriguing. When she faces the killer will she survive the encounter?

I love this series and this book is no exception. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and kept hooked until the end. The book’s well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you like and others you don’t. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.

An entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and reading about the history of the area. The mystery was a fun one. This is the first book I’ve read in the series but I didn’t feel lost.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.

There are six books in this series and each one becomes my favorite. Spending time with Lucy, her boyfriend Connor, her family and friends and assorted other residents of Nag’s Head is always fun. As Eva Gates says, she takes artistic license with the inside of the Bodie Island light house (think Dr. Who and his TARDIS) but her description of Nag’s Head is the real deal. Just probably not with such a high body count, I’m sure. In the previous book, something Read, Something Dead, the light house has developed a very large crack in its foundation and that means construction work to make the repairs. So, here is the library with a gaping hole beside it and safety fencing and, if that’s not enough, at the bottom of the deep hole lies a buried metal box. Now what kind of treasure might it hold? when shaken nothing rattles, not like coins or jewels. Nope, when it’s opened all that is revealed is a small journal and a couple of loose pages. None of it makes any sense. The journal seems to be daily notations of tides and weather, one loose page is a map that seems to be Nag’s Head during the period of the Civil War and the other page is a jumble of numbers that don’t make a lick of sense. However, it sure is enough to get most of the town all hot and bothered with rumors of a map and buried treasure. Everybody wants a piece of the action, everybody wants a look see and some are more determined than others to get there first.
The library is also Lucy’s home – she lives on the fourth floor in a cozy apartment with the resident cat, Charles. The evening of the discovery, with the box and contents safely locked in Bertie’s desk drawer, Lucy and Connor go out for dinner and return to find somebody didn’t want to wait to see the map. The door has been broken in and Bertie’s office is a shambles. If that wasn’t enough to scare Lucy, the body of one of the people most eager to examine the book and map is found dead on the floor. as this is Lucy’s home and she is also one of the librarians, no way will she be able to keep her distance from this criminal act. When Detective Sam Watson needs to interview a possible suspect and hasn’t got a female police officer to accompany him, he asks Lucy to join him. It also helps that she know the suspect. One thing leads to another ad Lucy is very much involved in finding the killer.
This series is one of my must reads and it always gives me a well crafted mystery with characters I enjoy spending time with. As for reading order, I prefer to read series in order but this one can be read as a stand alone if you are new to the series.

I’ve read two of the books in this series, both in random order, and I love the stories. In fact, I went back and bought all of the books in the series that I hadn’t read!

The mystery keeps your attention and will grab you from the beginning. I love Lucy and Conner and some of the secondary characters. And, of course, as with any community, there are people who will get on your last nerve.

Between the murder mystery and the intrigue of the map and diary found buried in the ground next to the lighthouse, you will be flipping the pages quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books and any future ones in this series.

The sixth book in Eva Gates Lighthouse Library Mystery series is again set on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. This novel opens with work being done to shore up the historic library and a coordinating children’s construction zone where the young library guests can practice their digging skills and pretend to be part of the construction project. Lucy, the protagonist of this series is in the library when the construction foreman comes in to announce all the library staff needs to follow him outside. As it turns out, all the digging has uncovered a small tin box which contains a diary another sheet of nonsensical writing, and a map. Speculation abounds as to whether or not it is a treasure map or something else relating back to the “War Between the States”.

The library staff and uninvited members of historical society have crowded into the director’s office, all intent on examining the contents of the box. As soon as the director sees the document and the lack of any buried treasure, she announces the book will be locked until their rare documents specialist can examine it, as she is the only one who is trained in handling old documents without destroying them.

Later that night, Lucy discovers someone has broken into the lighthouse and one of the people who were in the office earlier in the day is dead, clearly murdered. Lucy vows this time she is not going to get involved in the search for the killer and is going to focus her efforts on trying to break the code that will reveal the message from the author of the boxes contents. As expected, circumstances and her natural inclination toward solving puzzles keeps pulling Lucy back into the investigation.

There are some regular secondary characters including Louise Jane, a local storyteller and sometimes Lucy rival for the library position, Conner, the mayor and Lucy’s boyfriend, Sam Watson, the chief investigator for the police department as well as the library director, the rare documents specialist, and some town residents who appear briefly, but help round out the reader’s knowledge of the community.

Throughout the book there are two mysteries, first is who is the murderer and second is what is the significance of the coded message found in the box. The two investigations intertwine nicely and help to pull the reader through the book at a steady pace. Both investigations reach a satisfying conclusion. There were both reasonable clues and some good red herrings that help keep the reader on their toes. After the mysteries are solved, there is a nice, short wrap-up that helps tie off any loose threads.

The book works well as a stand-alone, however if the reader plans on reading the series, there are some secondary storylines that build as the books develop and it might be more enjoyable to read the series from the beginning. This series is a good cozy series, with some interesting glimpses of life on the wild coast of the Outer Banks which also adds to the book itself. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries and who might enjoy a virtual trip to the coast. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me an Advanced Digital Read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.