READING UP A STORM is Book 3 in the Lighthouse
Library
cozy mystery series by Eva Gates. The murder mystery in
this latest installment is set
against a backdrop of dark stormy nights, suspicious
flashing lights on the beach, shipwrecks, and tons of
dubious characters. In a case of life imitating art for
the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library reading group, their
focus is on the books of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Librarian and amateur sleuth Lucy Richardson has good
reasons to jump into the murder investigation when
suspicion falls on her new friend Stephanie and on Lucy's
love interest and town mayor Connor McNeil.
One of the things that makes this Lighthouse
Library
series great for cozy mystery fans, is that Lucy is given
the space to investigate. She doesn't have a hostile
relationship with the local police, and she has the kind
of job and boss who allow her to take time to hunt down
clues and suspects. There are a lot of good suspects in
READING UP A STORM, since the victim was not the kind of
man who attracted ethical or caring people in his life.
The people the victim surrounded himself with reflected
who he was, and he did not leave a particularly favorable
impression on those not close to him. Lucy has her work
cut out for her trying to find out the identity of the
murderer, which makes things more fun for the reader.
In READING UP A STORM there is an even mix of town locals
and outsiders who play a major role in the murder
investigation—both as a help and a hindrance. Since
the
victim was at one time a local, once again Lucy's Aunt
Ellen is a fountain of information. Doug Whiteside makes
a reappearance as Connor's slightly slimy mayoral
competition, and whacky Louise Jane is back as Lucy's
nemesis. Suspects range from the ditzy Marlene who adds a
little humor to the story, to more sinister characters in
the shadows. Eva Gates strikes a great balance between
the humor and pinch of romance that make cozy mysteries
so enjoyable, with more dangerous moments which add a jolt
of adrenaline to READING UP A STORM.
READING UP A STORM is an atmospheric cozy with red
herrings and a delightful dash of romance on the side.
Supporting characters like Lucy's co-workers and Lucy's
friend Butch give READING UP A STORM extra pizzazz. I
look forward to the next Lighthouse Library mystery
by
Eva Gates.
The national bestselling author of Booked for Trouble
returns with another charming mystery set in the most
literary lighthouse in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.Misfortune blows into North Carolina’s Outer Banks when a
dead body in a boat on the shore leaves local librarian Lucy
Richardson racing to solve a strange new mystery....
After a successful party at Bodie Island’s Lighthouse
Library, librarian Lucy Richardson is ready to curl up with
her cat, Charles, and a good book. But her R and R is cut
short when she notices some mysterious lights leading a
small boat to crash into the coast.
The two shipwrecked seafarers survive the ordeal—but one of
them shows up dead ashore a few days later. Lucy finds
herself again roped into a murder investigation and
navigating a sea of suspects, all of whom had motives to
deep-six the deceased. And this time, she has a sinking
feeling that finding the real killer won’t be so easy...