BOOKED FOR TROUBLE is Book 2 in the Lighthouse Library cozy mystery series by Eva Gates. Even though this is the second book in the "Lighthouse Library" series, BOOKED FOR TROUBLE can still be enjoyed by readers new to the series. The murder in BOOKED FOR TROUBLE is very personal for librarian Lucy Richardson because her visiting mother soon becomes a suspect.

BOOKED FOR TROUBLE has all the great characters and fun cozy mystery qualities that the previous book did, but the family drama adds extra intensity to the story. I like how the situation involving Lucy's mother keeps Lucy a little off balance. In addition to the murder mystery, Lucy finds herself wondering how well she really knows her mother. I love stories like BOOKED FOR TROUBLE that show another dimension to the main character. It's amusing seeing Lucy's mother interacting with people in Lucy's new life in the Outer Banks -- especially her nemesis and wanna-be librarian Louise Jane McKaughnan.

With each piece of evidence that turns up, and as the noose around Lucy's mother draws tighter, the tension builds to a fantastic breaking point. Eva Gates creates a marvelous balance between lighter moments and more suspenseful ones. All of the characters in BOOKED FOR TROUBLE are interesting, quirky, and add greatly to my overall enjoyment of the story. The villains in this mystery are an eclectic mix and are complex with varying degrees of wickedness, rather than just being cookie- cutter bad guys. Although I don't like romantic triangles in mysteries and find them obnoxious, the one in BOOKED FOR TROUBLE between Lucy, police officer Butch Greenblatt, and mayor Connor McNeil doesn't bug me. Both guys are sweeties and there is no competitive nastiness. I look forward to seeing who Lucy eventually chooses.

BOOKED FOR TROUBLE is a gripping mystery with fascinating characters and a satisfying ending. This is a book that will have you staying up past your bedtime to finish. I greatly look forward to the next book in this Lighthouse Library series by Eva Gates!