The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates: Blog Tour & Book Review

Halloween in North Carolina’s Outer Banks becomes seriously tricky when librarian Lucy Richardson stumbles across something extra unusual in the rare books section: a dead body.

Wealthy businessman Jay Ruddle is considering donating his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but the competition for the collection is fierce. Unfortunately, while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends, Jay becomes one of the dearly departed in the rare books section. Now, it’s up to Lucy Richardson and her fellow librarians to bone up on their detective skills and discover who is responsible for this wicked Halloween homicide.

Meanwhile, very strange things are happening at the library―haunted horses are materializing in the marsh, the lights seem to have an eerie life of their own, and the tiny crew of a model ship appears to move around when no one is watching. Is Lucy at her wit’s end? Or can it be that the Bodie Island Lighthouse really is haunted?

With The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on everyone’s minds and ghoulish gossip on everyone’s lips, Lucy will need to separate the clues from the boos if she wants to crack this case without losing her head in The Spook in the Stacks, the delightful fourth in national bestseller Eva Gates’ Lighthouse Library mysteries.

The Lighthouse Library mystery series was one of the unfortunate victims of Penguin's decision to drastically reduce its popular mystery line. I couldn't have been happier to hear the news that Crooked Lane Books was saving the series, leading to this 4th book.

All of my favorite characters have returned to celebrate Halloween at the Bodie Lighthouse Library. Murder revisits the sleepy Outer Banks when a millionaire announces his plans to donate his valuable collection of historical documents, only to be found strangled by the blue velvet rope used to shut off the used book room. Suspects include his doting granddaughter, personal assistant, and employees of a rival library vying for the collection.

My favorite new character introduced in this book is the victim's granddaughter, "the fair Julia," who steals Lucy's eccentric friend Teddy's heart. I adored the Halloween atmosphere, filled with ghostly legends and mysterious apparitions. Parallels to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are in abundance. Loved it!

Character Guest Post

Charles the Library Cat Returns

It’s Charles the library cat here, and happy to be so. I appreciate being asked to write this post. You’d be shocked to realise how few times I get asked for my opinions.

I’m delighted to be able to tell you that I am back! Yes, thanks to the good people at Crooked Lane Books, the Lighthouse Library series by Eva Gates, staring me, has been saved. The fourth book in the series, The Spook in the Stacks, was released on June 12.

Let me introduce myself. I am named in honor of Mr. Charles Dickens, a great man of letters, because I am a great cat of letters. I live at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, where I work as head cat. I love it there. I keep busy all day greeting patrons and at night I retire to the apartment on the fourth floor and keep Lucy company.

In The Spook in the Stacks once again poor Lucy Richardson, assistant Librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, finds herself involved in a murder.

To make matters worse, it’s Halloween and Lucy considers herself to be the Grinch of Halloween. A model of a ghostly shipwrecked ship has been set up in the main room as part of the decorations. There’s something about that ship I don’t care for. The cat figure seems to move when no one is watching. I’ll have to keep my eye on him.

There’s not a lot I can do to help Lucy with the investigation, being confined against my will to the interior of the library as I am, but I do my best. Like most humans she has a blind spot where other people are concerned. Really, it’s so incredibly obvious who’s planning what and who is up to no good and who’s not to be trusted. It took a while, but I think Lucy is starting to trust my judgement.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Charles leapt onto the desk. He gave a soft meow and stretched out a paw toward Julia. She wiped her eyes and scooped him up. She held him close, and he comforted her.

I felt myself smiling. If Charles believed in Julia, then I would too. “Your parents were both musicians. Do you play?”

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