by Cynthia Chow & Sandra Murphy

This week we have reviews of 2 book related cozies-Shot Through the Book: A Lighthouse Mystery by Eva Gates, and Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of both books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.

Shot Through the Book: A Lighthouse Mystery by Eva Gates
Review by Cynthia Chow

Bodie Island Lighthouse staff are preparing for their Lighthouse Library Young Adult Authors Festival, with the main attraction being bestselling fantasy writer Todd Harrison. Even though Lucy McNeil is a librarian and former resident of the apartment in the Lighthouse, she doesn’t expect to have Todd knocking on her door wanting her help. Before she can find out exactly why he’s come to her she finds Todd right after he had stepped back outside, shot dead with an arrow through the chest.

What Lucy quickly discovers is that her reputation as an amateur detective has spread, and for that reason Todd may have been wanting Lucy’s assistance in an investigation. She’s distracted when Todd’s wife arrives in the Outer Banks, accompanied by an assistant and her own cameraman. Heather Harrison returned to Bodie Island in anticipation of her run as state senator, and she intends to use accusations against Lucy as a launchpad for her campaign. Thrown into the mix are a group of teens who fall on the “fanatic” side of fandom, holding candlelight vigils outside of Lucy’s home. When they go even further it alarms Lucy enough to wonder if perhaps one of them may have learned the archery skills so prominent in Todd Harrison’s books. Rumors that Todd had been planning to end his book series had his readers stirred up and possibly furious, and while not rational their fury may have led to them lashing out at the person they held responsible. Complicating matters further is that one of the local authors is not only willing to step in as a featured presenter, she accuses Todd of having stolen her idea for his books.

The egos of authors and politicians collide in this 12th of the series, making it a combustible situation ready for murder. An added attraction for readers and writers will be the Bodie Lighthouse Library book festival, and bibliophiles will be envious of the planned panels, featured programs, and book celebrations.

Fans of this long-running series will enjoy seeing the return of the library crew, especially since the former jealous irritant Louise Jane is now a more helpful staff member, and she has finally attained her dream by living in the lighthouse apartment Lucy recently vacated. Lucy’s marriage to the town mayor is progressing nicely, and fans will especially enjoy seeing them happily forming a life together in this idyllic town. The mystery plays out in the background as the business side of the publishing world presents itself as being as lethal as the fictional books they promote. This is another witty, very entertaining entry in the series that explores local politics, toxic fandom, and the business side of writing.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin
Review by Sandra Murphy

It’s time for the annual Crosbyville Fall Festival (Crosbyville, Indiana). Pris Cummings is a children’s mystery writer with books that feature her dog Bailey the Bloodhound and Max the Dachshund. She meets a handsome stranger who turns out to be David Townsend who apparently now is the owner of the estate hosting the event, following the death of his grandfather.

She escorts him to the horse arena (it’s a big estate and he hasn’t visited in years), but soon after there’s an altercation between David and Andrew, the stepbrother of one of Pris’ former grade school students—a small matter. David wants an arrest made but doesn’t get his way.

Unfortunately, Andrew is also an employee of the estate and when David can’t get him arrested, he fires him. Things go from bad to worse when Bailey the Bloodhound digs up an old saddlebag—full of cash.
During a search and rescue demonstration, Bailey once again surprises everyone, especially Pris. When Bailey alerts to a shed where presumably the ‘lost’ person is hiding, Pris opens the door—and a body falls out.

You’d think David would seamlessly inherit the estate and a whole lot of money but nothing is that simple. He turns out to be a not-so-nice man, certainly a greedy one who wants his way all the time. By a fluke, Pris and friend are staying at the estate with the young girls who were in the riding competition. It puts her on the scene for solving the crimes. It doesn’t hurt that her boyfriend is the chief of police. Can Bailey sniff out the perps before anything else can go wrong? Pris really needs to focus on fictional crime!

This is the second book in the series. Bailey the Bloodhound is a delight, of course. Readers get to learn more of his detecting methods, get better acquainted with the characters, and solve several seemingly disconnected mysteries. It’s a great summer read.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of both books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “bookish cozies” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 28, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s the editor for the upcoming Yeet Me in St Louis, an anthology with stories from twelve St. Louis writers. Her own short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and anthologies such as The Perp Wore Pumpkin and I (Almost) Died in Your Arms. ‘Lucy’s Tree’, published in The Eyes of Texas, won a Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She lives in St. Louis with Ozzie the Westie Impersonator and his sidekick in crime, Louie the Cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.