Thursday, October 10, 2019

Read and Buried by Eva Gates: Review and Giveaway!


Read and Buried

A Lighthouse Library Mystery

by Eva Gates


About Read and Buried

Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Crooked Lane Books (October 15, 2019)
Hardcover: 325 Pages
ISBN-10: 1643852337
ISBN-13: 978-1643852331
Digital ASIN: B07P9MQV3F
Librarian Lucy Richardson unearths a mysterious map dating back to the Civil War. But if she can't crack its code, she may end up read and buried.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while 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. Meanwhile, the entire library staff and community become obsessed with trying to decode the page. But when the library has a second break in, it becomes clear that someone is determined to solve that code.

About Eva Gates

 
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty books:  clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea By The Sea mysteries for Kensington, A Year Round Christmas Mystery series for Penguin Random House, A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series and, as Eva Gates, A Lighthouse Library Mystery series for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It crime writing festival. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Author Links


  • Website: www.vickidelany.com www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor               


  • Twitter: @vickidelany @evagatesauthor               


  • Instagram: vickidelany


  • Bodie Island Lighthouse - Cape Hatteras Outer Banks Nc Print By Dave Allen

    My Summary


    Read and Buried by Eva Gates is the sixth story in A Lighthouse Library Mystery series.  Lucy Richardson works at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library in Nags Head, North Carolina.  When foundation cracks appeared, the community rallied to raise funds for the expensive repairs which are currently being undertaken by Grimshaw Construction.  Work is halted when the workers find a square metal box buried underneath the lighthouse.  When it is opened, they find an old leather journal dating back to 1858.  Two pieces of paper are tucked inside.  One is a map of the Outer Banks with numbers above certain areas and the other is coded page.  Word quickly spreads throughout the island which has residents descending on the library insisting upon seeing what is being referred to as a treasure map.  When Lucy returns to the library after dinner with Connor McNeil, they find the front door smashed and Jeremy Hughes dead in Bertie's office.  The diary is still there but the coded page and the map are gone.  It is a good thing Lucy took photos of both items.  Lucy had no intention of digging into the case, but then Charlene Clayton, the academic librarian, comes under suspicion.  At the Bodie Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club meeting the group prefers to work on the coded page instead of discussing Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth.  When the library is broken into a second time, Lucy knows there will be no peace until the coded missive is deciphered.  Can Lucy find Jeremy’s killer and unravel the coded puzzle? 
    Give paper an antique look using simple household ingredients.

    My Thoughts


    Read and Buried is the sixth story in A Lighthouse Library Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone for those readers who are new to the series.  I just love the description of this beautiful library inside the old lighthouse.  The author states at the beginning of the book that she took creative license with the size of the building because the actual lighthouse is barely big enough for the staircase to the top (think of it as a stationary TARDIS).  There is a cast of characters that include the librarians, the mayor, construction workers and island residents.  Lucy Richardson is our protagonist.  She is a librarian who lives in an apartment inside the lighthouse (lucky librarian).  She is dating Connor McNeil who is the town’s mayor and a dentist.  Bertie James, the director of the library, has her hands full as residents clamor to see the found diary and the coded missive.  Louise Jane McKaughnan is a pain in the patootie (as always).  She does, though, provide humor with her antics.  The mystery was delightful.  A diary dating back to 1858 with a hand drawn map and what they believe is a coded page (I love ciphers).  I like how the author tied Journey of the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne and the whodunit together.  There are multiple persons of interest along with subtle clues to help readers solve the crime.  The reveal and takedown were marvelous.  All questions regarding the mystery were answered which I appreciated.  Charles, the library cat, is a good judge of character and helpful to have around when intruders break in.  If only Lucy could get Charles to deter Louise Jane.  I believe Lucy was happy her evaluation kept getting postponed because she does not like the section on improvement needed (I believe we can all relate).  Read and Buried is an entertaining cozy mystery with a discovered diary, a ferocious feline, a surfeit of suspects, construction chaos, a mysterious map and a coded conundrum.
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    Read and Buried comes out October 15 and is available at Amazon, Amazon UKB&N and Kobo.  You can find the complete list of The Lighthouse Library Mystery series titles here on Amazon.  To win a signed print copy of Read and Buried (U.S. and Canada Only), click here for the form to enter or enter via the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!  Please take the time to visit the other stops on the tour (schedule at bottom).  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow with my An Amish Second Christmas by Shelley Shepard Gray, Patricia Johns, and Virginia Wise.  I hope you have a blessed day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

    Kris
    The Avid Reader

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    Tour Participants

    October 7 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

    October 7 – Babs Book Bistro - SPOTLIGHT - Sapphyria's Books

    October 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

    October 8 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

    October 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

    October 9 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST

    October 9 – eBook Addicts – RECIPE POST

    October 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

    October 10 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

    October 10 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST


    October 11 – The Bookwyrm's Hoard – REVIEW

    October 11 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW

    October 11 – The Book Diva's Reads – SPOTLIGHT

    October 11 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

    October 12 – T's Stuff – SPOTLIGHT

    October 12 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

    October 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

    October 13 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW

    October 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

    October 14 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

    October 14 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

    October 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW  

    October 15 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

    October 15 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

    October 16 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

    October 16 – Diane Reviews Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

    October 17 – Curling up by the Fire – REVIEW

    October 17 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

    October 17 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST

    October 18 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW

    October 18 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIW

    October 18 – Reading Authors – REVIEW

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    1 comment:

    1. Brianne's Book ReviewsOctober 12, 2019 at 8:45 AM

      A great review and a great book, too!

      ReplyDelete