By Book or by Crook (1959)

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Product Description Get bound up in murder in the first Lighthouse Library mystery! For ten 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 ten-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.... Review Praise for By Book or By Crook ** “ By Book or By Crook is a smart whodunit. Assistant librarian Lucy, is a likeable heroine among an engaging cast of supporting characters.”—Sofie Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Cats mysteries “A library in a lighthouse? And a cat? Sign me up! A fun read for all cozy fans.”—Laurie Cass, national bestselling author of the Bookmobile Cat mysteries “This is a first-rate cozy mystery featuring a spunky librarian, a captivating book collection, an intriguing lighthouse, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading until dawn.”—Daryl Wood Gerber, national bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook mysteries About the Author Eva Gates is the author of the national bestselling Lighthouse Library mysteries. She began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters, with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Now she has more than twenty novels under her belt in the mystery genre, published under the name Vicki Delany. She lives in Ontario. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Praise for By Book or by Crook OBSIDIAN AUTHOR’S NOTE Chapter 1 Only in the very back of my mind, in my most secret dreams, did I ever dare hope I’d have such a moment. Too bad it was being ruined by the cacophony of false compliments and long-held grievances going on behind me. The party was a private affair, a viewing of the new collection for staff and board members of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, as well as local dignitaries and community supporters, before the official opening tomorrow. We were celebrating the arrival of a complete set of Jane Austen first editions, on loan for three months. Jane Austen. My literary idol. So close. I tried to block out everyone and everything and concentrate. I rubbed my hands together. Perspiration was building inside the loose white gloves. That, of course, was the purpose of the gloves: to keep human sweat and other impurities off the precious objects. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes. And I touched the worn leather cover. I imagined I could feel the very power of the words themselves coming up through my fingers. “Incredible,” a voice beside me said. My eyes flew open. I snatched my hand back, embarrassed to be caught in a moment so emotional, so personal . “Go ahead, honey,” Bertie said, with a laugh. Her eyes danced with amusement. She understood. “Open it.” “Am I allowed to? I wouldn’t want to damage anything.” “These books are precious, to be sure. But they’ll be put back in their cabinet as soon as the party’s over. And they’ve been cherished, cared for, and thus aren’t as fragile as some would be at that age. Enjoy, Lucy. Enjoy. But don’t spend too long here. I have people I need you to meet.” The head librarian touched my arm lightly, gave me another smile, and went back to her guests. I turned the heavy cover, flipped pages with shaking