By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates is the first book in the new “Lighthouse Library” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, February 2015

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.

I love it. A library in a lighthouse, what a perfect setting that captured my attention from the first page all the while making feel at home, as I read my way to an ending that was justifiably served. I love the ease of how the story progressed that made it hard to put down, as it quickly became a page-turner. Lucy is a gutsy heroine who took a stand and made a new beginning for herself and showed her loyalty by gathering as much clues as she could to prove her friend was not responsible for the murder and thefts. The mystery kept me glued to the pages and I love all the twisty turns to make me ponder who was behind these acts. Boasting a diverse cast of characters, engaging conversations, and a small home town-feel, this was a very enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this delightfully charming debut series that I hope is here to stay.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog