The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates

I am ecstatic that the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series is continuing with Cooked Lane Books. "The Spook in the Stacks" is a terrific addition to the series, a wonderful homage to "The Headless Horseman", and can easily be read as a standalone book (but…for those of you new to the series, trust me, you will want to read assistant librarian Lucy’s entire adventures). Halloween festivities are in full force at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library in North Carolina as the story opens. Even the library book club has the holiday spirit reading Washington Irving’s works. To add to the excitement, former resident Jay Ruddle has returned to his hometown looking for the perfect organization to receive his collection of North Carolina centric historical maps and books. It is down to two choices, with the lighthouse library in the lead, when Lucy discovers Ruddle dead in the rare books room of the lighthouse. Ruddle is known as a ruthless businessman, even as an octogenarian, and does have some enemies. There are plenty of suspects for Lucy to consider, all with good motive, and she definitely has her work cut out for her. I really enjoyed "The Spook in the Stacks". I am a sucker for fall/harvest/Halloween cozy mysteries so this book is right up my alley. I am overjoyed to be back on Bodie Island and spend some time with Lucy, the other librarians, and, of course, Charlie the library cat. Though Gates’ lighthouse setting is a bit of a stretch of the imagination, it is just perfect for Lucy’s exploits. I love everything about the lighthouse, and how cool would it be to actually live in the top of a lighthouse (other than all those stairs)? Lucy is an intelligent, likable protagonist who is inquisitive by nature. It is not too far of a leap to see her involved in the murder investigation. I also really like her boyfriend/town mayor Connor. It is refreshing to have a love interest not in law enforcement. All of the characters are well developed and interesting, including Louise Jane who is so annoying and fun to dislike. We get to see a different side of book collector Theodore, which is nice. There is more going on in the book than Ruddle’s murder, but his storyline is prominent. The mystery surrounding his death drew me in, and there are several red herrings to keep readers guessing along the way. The killer is someone who I dismissed as a suspect so their identity came as a complete surprise. The mystery of Lucy’s horse sightings, lights on the beach, and moving model figures is intriguing and fitting for the Halloween theme. Are they are real or imagined? Connor’s mayoral race provides some comic relief (how many teas and luncheons with senior citizens can one person attend?) and allows the romantic subplot to progress a bit. "The Spook in the Stacks" is delightfully entertaining, and I highly recommend it to cozy readers looking for a tale that is a step above the average cozy. I cannot wait for the next book.