Read and Buried

Read and Buried is the sixth story in A Lighthouse Library Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone for those readers who are new to the series. I just love the description of this beautiful library inside the old lighthouse. The author states at the beginning of the book that she took creative license with the size of the building because the actual lighthouse is barely big enough for the staircase to the top (think of it as a stationary TARDIS). There is a cast of characters that include the librarians, the mayor, construction workers and island residents. Lucy Richardson is our protagonist. She is a librarian who lives in an apartment inside the lighthouse (lucky librarian). She is dating Connor McNeil who is the town's mayor and a dentist. Bertie James, the director of the library, has her hands full as residents clamor to see the found diary and the coded missive. Louise Jane McKaughnan is a pain in the patootie (as always). She does, though, provide humor with her antics. The mystery was delightful. A diary dating back to 1858 with a hand drawn map and what they believe is a coded page (I love ciphers). I like how the author tied Journey of the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne and the whodunit together. There are multiple persons of interest along with subtle clues to help readers solve the crime. The reveal and takedown were marvelous. All questions regarding the mystery were answered which I appreciated. Charles, the library cat, is a good judge of character and helpful to have around when intruders break in. If only Lucy could get Charles to deter Louise Jane. I believe Lucy was happy her evaluation kept getting postponed because she does not like the section on improvement needed (I believe we can all relate). Read and Buried is an entertaining cozy mystery with a discovered diary, a ferocious feline, a surfeit of suspects, construction chaos, a mysterious map and a coded conundrum.