By Book or by Crook Audiobook By Eva Gates cover art

By Book or by Crook

Lighthouse Library Mystery Series # 1

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By Book or by Crook

By: Eva Gates
Narrated by: Elise Arsenault
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For 10 years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family's social whorl or her sort-of engagement to the staid son of her father's law partner. But when her 10-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 - and some confections from her cousin Josie's bakery - 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....

©2015 Penguin Group (USA) LLC (P)2015 Tantor Amateur Sleuths Cozy Detective Fiction Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"This charming, entertaining, and smart series launch by Gates, who also writes under the Vicki Delany pen name, features an unusual (and real) setting and colorful cast of characters that set it apart from other bookish cozies." ( Library Journal starred review)
Engaging Mystery • Interesting Setting • Pleasant Voice • Relatable Protagonist • Likable Characters • Plot Twists
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I liked it was in the Outer Banks. The mystery was light and could have used more twists. If you are a cat lover, you’ll enjoy this book.

Lighthouse Story

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Clean story with a solid mystery ending. The narration was flat and nasal. Love the cat!

Nice story

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The narrator is bad. So many good stories are ruined because of a bad narrator. I don't know how and why they are chosen. If my eyes still worked I may have enjoyed the story. There are many great ones out there. Maybe its a gifted talent. Hopefully you'll find a talented one.

Good idea... Love The setting and the cat!

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Had to read/listen to the whole book without stopping, when I had to do something I listened, when I didn't have something I had to do I read. It was a good story, it kept my attention and drew me into the story...I sometimes wanted to shake Lucy for not seeing something or for doing something dumb...haha. I bought books 2 & 3 along with the audiobooks so I am now going to start book 2. I hope you enjoy this book too.

Very good start to the series

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There was no life in the voice of the person reading the book. Her voice was monotone and droning. It was so bad that I stopped listening. Sad because the storyline is really good.

Good Story!!! Awful Narrator!!!

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I mainly read cozies and this is the first one that has really fallen flat for me. It was partly the narration, which I felt was monotone and dull. I live an hour north of the Outer Banks. I loved the idea of the library in the Bodie lighthouse, even though it wouldn’t be possible but I still enjoyed that aspect. I really loathed the accents. No one sounds like that in the Outer Banks. The story lacked character development. I wanted to like Lucy but it wasn’t easy. Nothing remotely interesting happens until 5 hours in. The ending was better than I expected but it was still a push to finish.

Wanted to Love It

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Such a wonderful story with good characters! Hope more to come soon!
Library setting is so entertaining!

Great new series

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I really enjoyed the narrator. I read the reviews and almost decided to send it back because of some negative reviews but as soon as I started it I became wrapped up in the story. So I am glad I wasn’t totally influenced and gave it a chance. I didn’t care for all the charms and ghost talk from one of the characters. She sounded batty but other than that and the author repeating herself a few times, such as ‘took off her shoes’ and a sentence or two later she ‘took off her shoes’. But other than those issues the book was good.

By Book or by Crook

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I wasn't a fan of the readers lisp and the plot was a bit slow but I enjoyed the descriptions and the story overall.

library mystery

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The voice and voices of the narrator and the other people in this particular audio book are fantastic. They're very interesting to listen to and they bring the story and mystery of what happened in the lighthouse to meaning and interest and it makes it the book you Don't Want To turn off and just take with you Everywhere. You're going? The story is well written. And the voices are fantastic. I highly recommend this book..

Intriguing storyline somewhere on the coast .

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