Lighthouse Library Mystery Series Books in Order: How to read Eva Gates’s series?
Murder at the Lighthouse Library.
What is Lighthouse Library Mystery Series about?
Written by Eva Gates, a pseudonym used by Canadian mystery novelist Vicki Delany, the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series is a cozy mystery series with librarians, lighthouses, cats, and, of course, murder!
The story follows Lucy Richardson, who becomes the new assistant librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, in a small town where murder happens quite often and Lucy has to go on the case.
How to read the Lighthouse Library Mystery Books in Order?
Every book in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.
- By Book Or By Crook (2015)
- Booked for Trouble (2015)
- Reading Up a Storm (2016)
- The Spook in the Stacks (2018)
- Something Read, Something Dead (2019)
- Read and Buried (2019)
- A Death Long Overdue (2020)
- Deadly Ever After (2021)
- Death By Beach Read (2022)
- Death Knells and Wedding Bells (2023)
What is the plot of the Lighthouse Library Mystery novels?
For more information about the books in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates, you’ll find below the official synopsis for all the books:
By Book Or By Crook – 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 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….
Booked for Trouble – Lucy has finally found her bliss as a librarian and resident of the Bodie Island Lighthouse. She loves walking on the beach, passing her evenings with the local book club, bonding with the library cat, Charles, and enjoying the attention of not one, but TWO eligible men. But then her socialite mother, Suzanne, unexpectedly drops in, determined to move Lucy back to Boston. To make matters worse, Suzanne picks a very public fight at the local hotel with her former classmate Karen Kivas. So, when Karen turns up dead outside the library the next morning, Suzanne is immediately at the top of the suspect list.
Reading Up a Storm – After a successful party at Bodie Island’s Lighthouse Library, 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…
The Spook in the Stacks – Wealthy businessman Jay Ruddle is considering donating his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but the competition for the collection is fierce. Unfortunately, while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends, Jay becomes one of the dearly departed in the rare books section. Now, it’s up to Lucy Richardson and her fellow librarians to bone up on their detective skills and discover who is responsible for this wicked Halloween homicide.
Something Read, Something Dead – Lucy Richardson and her friends joyfully help her favorite cousin, Josie O’Malley, plan her wedding. The owner and head baker of Josie’s Cozy Bakery and her fiancé, chef Jake Greenblatt, want a small, simple wedding. But to their horror, Josie’s imperious grandmother, Gloria, descends with the “Louisiana Mafia”: a gaggle of aunts and cousins who intend to take control of the wedding plans. Gloria doesn’t do small and simple, and cousin Mirabelle has her own ideas for Josie’s wedding. To smooth the waters, Lucy hosts a bridal shower at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. But it turns deadly when Mirabelle collapses-soon after eating the gluten-free treats Josie prepared specifically for her. Now, to save her favorite cousin from prison, Lucy will have to bring a crook to book.
Read and Buried – Workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library’s foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code. The library is overrun by people clamoring to see the artifact. Later that night, Lucy and Connor McNeil find the body of historical society member Jeremy Hughes inside the library. Clearly Jeremy was not the only one who broke into the library–the map and the coded page are missing. Lucy’s nemesis, Louise Jane McKaughnan, confesses to entering the library after closing to sneak a peek but denies seeing Jeremy–or his killer. When Lucy discovers that fellow-librarian Charlene had a past with Jeremy, she’s forced to do what she vowed not to do–get involved in the case.
A Death Long Overdue – It’s summertime in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Bertie James’s college class is having their 40th anniversary reunion. The opening night reception is held at the Lighthouse Library and Lucy and her colleagues have assembled an exhibit of library artifacts showing how libraries have changed over the years. But after the reception, the former director of the Lighthouse Library if found floating lifeless in the water. As a result, Lucy finds herself in deep water as she rocks the boat, questioning several suspects. But she’ll have to batten down the hatches and fast before she’s left high and dry…and right in the killer’s crosshairs.
Deadly Ever After – They’re getting married! Lucy Richardson and Connor McNeil have announced their engagement. but this is when Richard Eric Lewiston III, Lucy’s former almost-fiancé and his overbearing mother Evangeline arrive in town. Push comes to love when Evangeline makes no secret of why she’s here: to get Lucy and Ricky back together. Lucy isn’t temped in the least, and Ricky is nothing but embarrassed at his mother’s desperate ploy. Before returning to Boston Evangeline throws a dinner party at Jake’s Seafood Bar for a reluctant Lucy and her family. Lucy hopes to get the dinner over with and see Evangeline and Ricky returning to Boston. But when a body is found at the restaurant’s kitchen door, Lucy is again forced to unwillingly put on her detective’s hat and do what she can to save her family and her engagement.
Death By Beach Read – It’s spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach. The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready. Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house. That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.
Death Knells and Wedding Bells – Lucy and Connor planned for the perfect Outer Banks wedding-and that’s exactly what they got. Aside from typical rumblings of familial tensions, the late spring weather allowed for a beautiful day, the food was delicious, and everyone had a good time, until one of the guests goes missing.
What should you read if you like the Lighthouse Library Mysteries?
If you like reading Eva Gates’ Lighthouse Library Mystery novels, you may be interested in the Hannah Swensen series,the Bibliophile Mystery series, the Library Lover’s Mysteries, the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries.
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Can’t wait for the next inn the series after Deadly Ever After. This has been a fabulous series for reading.
Eva Gates has a great way with words!!!