The Stranger in the Library
Lighthouse Library Mystery #11
By Eva Gates
ISBN 9781639106608
Author’s website: lighthouselibrarymysteries.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Outer Banks librarian Lucy is working on an art show at the library when paintings–and people–start to go missing, in this 11th Lighthouse Library mystery from national bestselling author Eva Gates.
When a traveling show of impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history. Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing.
No one knows why anyone would bother stealing the picture is of no value–the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the art show itself. Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show’s organizers. Then, the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a party-goer is discovered drowned in a fish pond.
Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer lurking at the edges of the receptions on both nights. Tom slipped away from the party early, and he cannot be located by the police. Who, Lucy asks, is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane’s heart?
Something is afoot in Nags Head, and it’s up to Lucy and her friends to get to the bottom of it before it’s not just paintings being framed. (From Goodreads)
Review:
This novel is as captivating as each of the earlier books in its series. Many features appeal to me, including the lighthouse with a library in the Outer Banks and the apartment at the top of the lighthouse where Lucy lived until her recent marriage. She and Connor, currently the mayor of Nags Head, just returned from their honeymoon in Europe where they enjoyed some of the finest art museums in France and Italy.
Their return timing was perfect to attend a special traveling exhibit of original American Impressionist art in Nags Head. Lucy had been asked to prepare a smaller display at the library using borrowed copies of famous works from local people or businesses, and books and periodicals on American Impressionism.
Louise Jane, now on staff at the library, comes from a long line of female storytellers. Her family has lived in the Outer Banks for many generations and she has extensive knowledge of OBX history. Louise Jane was a direct descendent of Robert O’Callaghan, a well-known American Impressionist painter. The copy she brought for the library display was of his finest painting, and the original was part of the traveling exhibit. Louise Jane’s grandmother treasured the copy of Robert’s painting as a family heirloom.
The night the display opened at the library, many guests visited and it was very well received. Organizers of the traveling exhibit were among the guests. A handsome man attended who didn’t seem to be associated with any visiting groups, and Louise Jane was interested in him. Lisa, one of the organizers of the upcoming exhibit, was overheard warning someone about the man who introduced himself as Tom Reilly, even commenting that it probably wasn’t his real name. An uninvited local artist named Ivan came in, argued with several people, and was politely escorted to the door. Louise Jane told anybody who stopped to see the copy of her ancestor’s painting all about Robert O’Callaghan.
The next morning, the O’Callaghan copy was missing from the library display and nobody could find it. They didn’t think anyone had gotten in overnight but Sam, the local detective and good friend of Lucy and Connor, took the report. It appeared, based on fingerprints wiped off the panel, that someone had used the alarm code posted near the security panel, and evidence showed the front door lock had been expertly picked.
Lucy and Connor were invited to attend the opening of the American Impressionism exhibit, as were many who had been at the library. Tom was there, again near Louise Jane. Ivan got in again and was escorted out. A VIP was missing that night. Mark Farrago, whose company was the chief organizer of the event, was to make the opening speech. Lucy, her cousin Josie, and Louise Jane went for a walk in the garden. Unfortunately, they found Mark, dead in the small, shallow pond.
Later that night, the missing copy of the O’Callaghan painting was left on the front step of the library in a large black garbage sack. The only damage was that the backing paper had been slashed and, if anything had been hidden there, it was gone.
The regular characters continue to grow, and their personalities shine through their actions and realistic conversations. Most are very engaging and likable. The people specific to this specific mystery are defined according to their roles, several with sufficient mystique to be investigated for Mark’s murder. Lucy is my favorite, and Charles, the library cat, runs a close second. Louise Jane should get the award for the most improved personality, as she has changed throughout.
The people and setting include excellent elements for a great mystery, especially the building in which the American Impressionism exhibit is housed. It has an elegant, renowned garden, and conversely, a dungeon-like cellar that was closed to public access. The killer and the thief of the O’Callaghan copy were clever in covering their tracks. Tom had disappeared and seemed to not exist online. The twists, turns, and the ending were pure edge-of-the-seat brilliance, and I was very satisfied with the conclusion. I highly recommend this novel and series!
