Series: Lighthouse Library Mystery #1
Published by NAL on February 3, 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Pages: 339
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Audible
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Also in this series: Read and Buried
Also by this author: Read and Buried
Get bound up in murder in the first Lighthouse Library mystery!
For ten years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family’s social whorl or her sort-of-engagement to the staid son of her father’s law partner. But when her ten-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite.
Calling on her aunt Ellen, Lucy hopes that a little fun in the Outer Banks sun—and some confections from her cousin Josie’s bakery—will help clear her head. But her retreat quickly turns into an unexpected opportunity when Aunt Ellen gets her involved in the lighthouse library tucked away on Bodie Island.
Lucy is thrilled to land a librarian job in her favorite place in the world. But when a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen and the chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy suddenly finds herself ensnared in a real-life mystery—and she’s not so sure there’s going to be a happy ending....
Review
By Book or By Crook kicks off a delightful cozy mystery series by Eva Gates, a pen name of Canadian mystery author Vicki Delany.
Lucy Richardson, a 20-something librarian newly arrived on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, makes a charming (and reliable) first-person narrator. The library and town are full of interesting characters, some sympathetic, some decidedly not. Lucy is fiercely loyal to her new boss, head librarian Bertie, and loves her new job as assistant librarian and her little apartment on the fourth floor of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, just below the big light. And she’s excited about the library’s upcoming exhibit: a complete set of Jane Austen first editions. But when one copy goes missing, and the unpleasant chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy’s innate curiosity and desire to recover the book lead her to investigate… with or without the approval of the police.
I thoroughly enjoyed making Lucy’s acquaintance, along with her library, her fellow librarians, her aunt, uncle, and cousin Josie (a fantastic baker — the descriptions of her confections had me practically drooling!), detectives Sam Watson and Butch Greenblatt, and mayor (and former heartthrob) Connor McNeil. Oh, and I mustn’t forget Charles, the library cat, who is as much a character as any of them (though not in the least anthropomorphised.) Even the less sympathetic characters, like the arrogant young woman who wants Lucy’s job despite her lack of qualifications and an eccentric local book collector, are interesting; Gates avoids turning them into mere caricatures (a pet peeve of mine, since it has become quite common in light cozy series.)
Gates (Delany) knows how to plot a good mystery. There are plenty of red herrings, and I can honestly say that the real culprit only crossed my mind once or twice as I considered the suspects. Lucy’s involvement in the investigation arises naturally out of her character, and her relationship with the police is more plausible than in many cozy mysteries. She’s also smart. If there’s one thing I hate in a mystery series, it’s a protagonist who is TSTL*, constantly getting herself (it’s almost always a woman) into dangerous situations that any reasonable person would have seen coming. Thankfully, Gates avoids this pet peeve as well. Lucy may occasionally find herself in a dangerous situation, but it’s not through any major fault of her own… and furthermore, she keeps her wits about her when she does.
There’s a hint of possible romance in Lucy’s attraction to two of the characters, but it’s clear that any romantic relationship, if one does develop, will do so slowly, over several books.
About the only thing I had a hard time swallowing is the library itself. Not that it doesn’t sound charming — who can resist a library in a lighthouse, after all? But this library/lighthouse seems to resemble the Tardis: it’s bigger on the inside. The truth is, no lighthouse tower could encompass the library described in this book; there simply wouldn’t be room. A lighthouse with an attached house could do so, perhaps, but not a single tower like the real and iconic Bodie Island Lighthouse. (To be fair, Gates/Delany acknowledges this in the afterword.) You’ll have to forcibly suspend your disbelief on that one point… but it’s worth it for this appealing series.
* TSTL = too stupid to live
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
I’m glad this one was enjoyable! It’s been on my radar for a while, but I haven’t picked it up yet. I’m also very glad to hear that the cat on the cover makes an appearance in the book itself. 🙂
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…Goodreads TBR Declutter #26
Lark_Bookwyrm
I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point. 🙂
Lark
Gotta love a character who’s a librarian! Especially when she’s involved in a mystery like this one. 🙂
sjhigbee
This one sounds great fun – I love the idea that a librarian becomes the investigator:)
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I’ve read a more recent book in this series and enjoyed it and am looking forward to picking up the newest book soon. I need to go back and start at the beginning though. I know I have this one but I just need to read it! Glad you enjoyed it!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Friday Fives – Books I’m Rereading This Month
Anne - Books of My Heart
OoOo a librarian and NC. I might have to consider it if I ever get in the mood for cozies again. I just seem off them right now. Fantastic review!
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Audio: A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting
Lark_Bookwyrm
I go in and out of the cozy mood, too, and generally they have to be both good and believable for me to enjoy them. But I like this series.