It’s spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach. The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready. Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house. That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.

The first night Lucy’s alone in the house, with the company of Charles the library cat, she hears sounds. Investigating they see footsteps in the dust of the unfinished living room, and the door to the outside is open. Lucy’s reminded that the house is said to be haunted: forty years ago the teenage daughter of the owners fled in the night, and never again stepped foot inside her family home.

But the sounds have an all-too-human origin and one evening Lucy and Connor find the dead body of a man they don’t even recognize in their kitchen. They soon realize he has a long-time connection to their house. Lucy’s forced to find out what happened all those years ago and why it’s threatening her happiness today.

Meanwhile, the Classic Novel Reading Club is reading The House of the Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne, a book about another old house full of secrets. Can Lucy find parallels to her own situation in Hawthorne’s fiction before the killer strikes again?

Spring is blooming in the Outer Banks, Lucy and Connor have finally moved into their historic cottage right on the beach. As the work on the house is finished Lucy and Connor are ready to make it their home. Now Lucy is focusing on her work at the lighthouse library, planning her wedding and decorating their new home. Well, until a dead body is found at their new home. On her first night staying home alone Lucy here sounds and sees foot prints and a place there should be none. They have a house with history and with that person comes baggage.To settle her own mind and get to the bottom of what’s going on, Lucy is forced to find out what the baggage of the past is that is now threatening her future.

I absolutely adore the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series and Death by Beach Read is really something. The mystery is well plotted and the pacing of the book is perfect. I feel Lucy made a lot of personal growth between the last book and this book. She doesn’t take everything that everyone says at face value and is standing up for herself and away I have not seen her down before. I really like that about her. I also love that her and Connor are starting their lives together. They haven’t made it to the altar yet but I know it’s got to be coming soon. Fingers crossed. Eva Gates Draws you in with her wonderful characters, the lovable cat Charles and a mystery that keeps you guessing. This series truly does get better with each book.