Something Read Something Dead (by Eva Gates)
The Lighthouse Library Mystery series is my absolute favorite cozy mystery series. Author, Eva Gates, has allowed her imagination to run wild by setting her novels in the Bodie Island Lighthouse, located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The Outer Banks is a special place for me; I used to live in North Carolina and have vacationed in the Outer Banks several times. Bodie Island Lighthouse is the first lighthouse I saw in person, which is likely why it’s my favorite of the lighthouses on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A few years ago, I learned about the Lighthouse Library Mystery series while browsing the Litsy app (you can find me on Litsy here.) I was immediately sold and on the search for the first three books that had been published at that time.
Eva Gates has created an idyllic setting; a library inside the Bodie Island Lighthouse with a tiny apartment. Lucy, the main character works in the library and lives in the apartment, while also taking care of the library’s cat, Charles. Lucy moved to the Outer Banks from Boston to escape relationship drama. Lucy’s mother is from the Outer Banks, so she has an aunt, uncle, and cousin in the area who are regular characters in the series.
In Something Read, Something Dead, Lucy’s cousin, Josie, is planning a wedding. Josie’s paternal extended family arrive in the Outer Banks to help plan the wedding. Their presence is uninvited and their help is unwanted as Josie and her fiancé dream of having a simple, winter wedding in the Outer Banks. As the family drama begins to escalate, Lucy offers to host a bridal shower at the library. Josie, who owns a bakery, insists on making the deserts for the shower. She prepares gluten-free options for her cousin Mirabelle. Unfortunately, Mirabelle collapses after eating the special desserts. Lucy is on the case to find out who poisoned the desserts to keep her cousin and best friend out of jail.
I loved this installment of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. Reading these books always take me back to the Outer Banks as Gates perfectly describes the setting. If you’re interested in learning more about the Outer Banks, check out my adventure blog post from my 2022 vacation here.
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
