Saturday, April 28, 2018

Book Review: Booked for Trouble (Lighthouse Library Mystery #2) by Eva Gates @evagatesauthor


Book Details:

Series: A Lighthouse Library Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley 
Publish Date: September 1, 2015
ISBN-10: 045147094X
ISBN-13: 978-0451470942


About the Book:

The author of By Book or By Crook returns to the Outer Banks and the Lighthouse Library, where Lucy Richardson must shed light on a shocking murder…

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—and reunite her with her ex-fiancé.

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. Now Lucy must hunt down a dangerous killer—before the authorities throw the book at her poor mother…


Booked for Trouble is the wonderful second book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates. In book 2, Lucy gets an unexpected visit from her mother, Suzanne, who is trying to persuade Lucy to move back to Boston. Lucy continues to dodge her mom's attempts to guilt her into coming back home and back into a life she wasn't happy with as the story unfolds. Not only is Suzanne pressuring Lucy to leave the Outer Banks, she is also causing scenes with hotel employees that she went to school with - very public scenes.

When her classmate, Karen, is found dead outside the lighthouse the morning after a book club meeting, in which Suzanne also attended, all fingers point at Suzanne. As Lucy is trying to get a little more settled into her home and job at the lighthouse library, she now has to figure out who killed Karen and why. She knows her mother didn't kill anyone but as the evidence mounts and clues show up, Lucy must up her game to keep her mother out of jail for a crime Lucy knows she did not commit. 

Lucy is a wonderful character. She may come from money but she doesn't act like it or flaunt her family's riches. Even with her mother in the Outer Banks, Lucy is still pretty down-to-earth and likeable. She doesn't put on airs or look at anyone as being beneath her. I love Charlene's continued obsession of rap music and her passion for wanting to share, especially with Lucy's upper crust mother. The love triangle possibility is still on the table and being explored but it doesn't overstep the death of Karen. I like how the romance is a subtlety that adds substance to the story without taking charge or undermining the death. All of the secondary characters are unique in their own way and believable. I enjoy both Connor and Butch's characters so much and know who I'm rooting for but you'll get no hints from me. Charles, the library cat is a delightful addition to the cast. I love that the library has a pet. 

The story is well paced, enjoyable, and full of suspense. The author did a wonderful job describing the characters and scenery within the book. I was able to visualize the story as it played out. An enjoyable second book in the Lighthouse Library series, Booked for Trouble is engaging, doesn't divulge the suspect right away, and keeps the reader guessing. I'm really enjoying this series. 

Note: I was finally able to read the entire series in March 2018 (my TBR pile is pretty tall) and am just now able to write reviews for them. You'll see reviews for the rest of the series soon - including The Spook in the Stacks, book 4, releasing in June 2018.

I purchased this book myself.

My Rating:


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