Book 104, 2020

[chez_jae]

Something Read Something Dead: A Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I stayed up until the wee hours to finish reading Something Read, Something Dead, the fifth part of Eva Gates' "Lighthouse Library" mystery series. Story is told in first-person pov by assistant librarian, Lucy Richardson.

Lucy is busy with work and with helping her cousin, Josie, plan her wedding. Josie and her fiance, Jake, are planning a small ceremony, which they intend to pay for themselves. Josie's grandmother, Gloria, has other ideas, however. She bursts into town with three other family members in tow, bent on making sure her only granddaughter has a wedding for the ages. Cousins Florence and Mirabelle have a fledgling wedding planning business, and Mirabelle, especially, wants to use Josie's wedding to launch their own enterprise. Gloria seems to steamroll everyone in her path, from Josie to her mother, Ellen, to Lucy herself. What puts Josie over the edge, however, is when Mirabelle begins flirting with Jake. Josie blows her stack and declares the wedding is off. It's up to Lucy and the other bridesmaids to soothe Josie's ruffled feathers.

Just when it seems things are calming down, Mirabelle falls ill at Josie's bridal shower and dies in the hospital. It's soon discovered that something she ate killed her, and since Josie made the treats for her own shower, including special, gluten-free treats for her cousin, she becomes the prime suspect in Mirabelle's murder. Lucy knows Josie would never resort to murder, and she takes it upon herself to identify some other suspects for the police to focus on.

Characterizations were excellent, and the plot flowed well. There were some interesting twists and turns, and I always enjoy reading about Charles, the library cat. The biggest turn-off for me (and it's completely subjective) is how Gloria and the "Louisiana Mafia" (as Josie referred to those members of her family) just rolled into town and tried to take over, completely ignoring the bride's wishes in the process. People who act like that scruff my fur up the wrong way, and I was glad when Josie snapped and told them all off.

Favorite line: I have trouble making dinner in my microwave if the instructions on the packet aren't detailed enough.

An enjoyable read, four stars.