Gates has created a good set of suspects, and a strong premise for an interesting cozy mystery. She includes a good romance between Lucy and the mayor of Nags Head, Connor MacNeil, and yet does not let that romance take the story off in another direction. Everything fits in well. It should also be noted that Gates’ police officer is portrayed as an intelligent detective who recognizes the value of Lucy’s input—a nice switch from other cozies. The writing is strong with good description, heavy tension, and a good sense of location. Gates does a particularly good job of setting clues and red herrings for the reader to deal with and ties up all the loose ends. It’s a fast read; save a weekend for this one. It won’t be disappointing.
This follow-up to Read and Buried features a huge cast of librarians, and sometimes it’s difficult to keep everybody straight. Series fans will be excited to catch up with Lucy, her romantic partner, the mayor, and Lucy’s friends.
Solving Helena’s murder isn’t quite a closed-house mystery, but the remote location of the lighthouse limits the pool of suspects to the party guests. As Lucy talks with them, she learns of connections among the group that have been long hidden. A fine addition to the growing shelf of library-themed mysteries.
... [an] exceptional seventh Lighthouse Library mystery ... Lucy and her clever cat, Charles, form an amusing sleuthing team, and the lively and endearing supporting characters add to the fun. Cozy queen Gates (a pen name of Vicki Delany) is at the top of her game.
