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Lighthouse Inn Mystery #2
Reservations for Murder
As local residents preprare for the local County Fair, Alex Winston, proprietor of the charming Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse, stumbles upon the corpse of the town's blacksmith impaled with an iron spike and once again turns sleuth to uncover the killer spoiling their town's rural charm. Original.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 4, 2002
12 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Tim Myers
114 books152 followersAlso writes under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, Chris Cavender, and Jessica Beck.
Tim Myers is the author of dozens of short stories published in mystery magazines and anthologies. He lives with his family near the Blue Ridge Mountains he loves and writes about. He is the award-winning author of the Agatha nominated Lighthouse Inn mystery series as well as over seventy short stories. Tim has been a stay-at-home dad for the last twelve years, finding time for murder and mayhem whenever he can.
Series:
* A Lighthouse Inn Mystery
* A Candlemaking Mystery
* A Soapmaking Mystery
Tim Myers is the author of dozens of short stories published in mystery magazines and anthologies. He lives with his family near the Blue Ridge Mountains he loves and writes about. He is the award-winning author of the Agatha nominated Lighthouse Inn mystery series as well as over seventy short stories. Tim has been a stay-at-home dad for the last twelve years, finding time for murder and mayhem whenever he can.
Series:
* A Lighthouse Inn Mystery
* A Candlemaking Mystery
* A Soapmaking Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 11, 2020
A clinching clue is not a dime a dozen in pulp literature. By that I mean a clue that is not hidden but is camouflaged somewhere in the book. This type of clue is not restricted to mysteries.
In the 1st Harry Potter book, the mystery of who Nicholas Flamel is and why Hermione cannot find a trace of him in the library are both very clever clinching clues. In this book the clue is a bit pedestrian, but it's there! And I could not guess the murderer's identity, so I should probably shut up.
I like cozies like this. This book proves that a book does not need to be your typical race against time, gory thriller to be a page-turner. I don't think the next book will be as good as this one, but I'll take what I can get.
In the 1st Harry Potter book, the mystery of who Nicholas Flamel is and why Hermione cannot find a trace of him in the library are both very clever clinching clues. In this book the clue is a bit pedestrian, but it's there! And I could not guess the murderer's identity, so I should probably shut up.
I like cozies like this. This book proves that a book does not need to be your typical race against time, gory thriller to be a page-turner. I don't think the next book will be as good as this one, but I'll take what I can get.
August 20, 2018
Before I continue I have to say that I haven't read the first book in the series so that may affect my response to this book, although from what I read I had the feeling that there were several books prior to this one.
Alex owns a lighthouse/inn in the Blue Ridge Mountains - that's right, a lighthouse near a mountain ridge. That's actually what made me pick up the book, the setting really intrigued me. Alex has agreed to host a crafters' fair on the grounds of the property but before it can start one of the participants is murdered.
This book was only 180 pages - I think it could have been twice as long using the extra pages to develop the characters and storyline. The author has a decent style but he needs to spend more time developing both. I was surprised by the end but that was more because I didn't really know any of the characters.
Read this if you are okay with a short, decent mystery but you may want to pass if you need more character and story development.
Alex owns a lighthouse/inn in the Blue Ridge Mountains - that's right, a lighthouse near a mountain ridge. That's actually what made me pick up the book, the setting really intrigued me. Alex has agreed to host a crafters' fair on the grounds of the property but before it can start one of the participants is murdered.
This book was only 180 pages - I think it could have been twice as long using the extra pages to develop the characters and storyline. The author has a decent style but he needs to spend more time developing both. I was surprised by the end but that was more because I didn't really know any of the characters.
Read this if you are okay with a short, decent mystery but you may want to pass if you need more character and story development.
June 14, 2014
Two books into the Lighthouse Inn mysteries and these people feel like old friends. A fair demonstrating old-fashioned skills like blacksmithing is being held on the grounds of Hatteras West Inn. It's just a way to highlight some local craftsman and bring some tourism to the area. What could go wrong? Well, the dead body of one of the craftsmen could put a crimp in the festivities.
As with the first of the series, this book is fun and entertaining. Nothing that makes you think too hard, just a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours. Again, the characters are the main draw. The mystery does take a while to figure out but I didn't try too hard because I was enjoying all the new townspeople we were introduced to and the relationship between Alex, Elise and their friends. Good, clean, relaxing fun.
As with the first of the series, this book is fun and entertaining. Nothing that makes you think too hard, just a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours. Again, the characters are the main draw. The mystery does take a while to figure out but I didn't try too hard because I was enjoying all the new townspeople we were introduced to and the relationship between Alex, Elise and their friends. Good, clean, relaxing fun.
March 17, 2015
This story was boring and the killer is crazy. I will chose to focus on other things for my review.
At the time this book was written, I guess cell phones weren't used all that much. I doubt they could have gotten a lot of reception where they are, but the omission of a cell phone was noticeable.
I couldn't help but picture Cheetara from the Thundercats (HO!) whenever Shantara had a part to play in the book. Does that make Alex Lion-O?
Alex must have thighs of steel from climbing all those stairs in the lighthouse. His butt must be verra nice too! :P
Jenny. Jenny, Jenny, Jenny...
Did you really think throwing yourself at Alex like you did would work?
You need a few splashes of whiskey before you do that! Come on now! Everyone knows that!
At the time this book was written, I guess cell phones weren't used all that much. I doubt they could have gotten a lot of reception where they are, but the omission of a cell phone was noticeable.
I couldn't help but picture Cheetara from the Thundercats (HO!) whenever Shantara had a part to play in the book. Does that make Alex Lion-O?
Alex must have thighs of steel from climbing all those stairs in the lighthouse. His butt must be verra nice too! :P
Jenny. Jenny, Jenny, Jenny...
Did you really think throwing yourself at Alex like you did would work?
You need a few splashes of whiskey before you do that! Come on now! Everyone knows that!
October 6, 2010
Another mystery solved. Again, I was able to solve this crime, but not until the last 10% of the book, which is how it really should be. As I look back the author did lay down clues along the way, but they didn't give it all away too early in the book.
I have now read 4 of the 5 books in this series and found them very cozy. They are very easy fast reads that you don't have to think too much to get through, and sometimes you just need an easy read.
I definitely would recommend this series and author to others interested in a quick murder mystery.
I have now read 4 of the 5 books in this series and found them very cozy. They are very easy fast reads that you don't have to think too much to get through, and sometimes you just need an easy read.
I definitely would recommend this series and author to others interested in a quick murder mystery.
February 16, 2016
This is a good series. I think it would be a great inn to visit, a lighthouse in the Blue Ridge mountains, how cool is that!
September 4, 2019
Personal preference - this is not my favorite type of novel. It's very surface and there's no character development. I prefer a bit of a "meatier" story where I get to know and love the characters. I wasn't attached to anyone in this story, there was nothing for me to latch onto. I also couldn't really follow along on the mystery part. Alex (main character) kept saying he was going to investigate but he kind of never really did. He did a couple things here or there but he wasn't much for going around investigating. Things happened to him, information came to him. It wasn't much fun to read along. Even so, I already started the next book.
October 26, 2021
This a part of a series of stories that take place surrounding an old B&B. The proprietor is an ametuer detective who finds himself helping the local police. The plot in this particular volume was not great but I enjoyed the setup and the personalities.
May 25, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Am looking forward to reading more by this author.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars Cozy mystery. An easy read.
May 3, 2020
Against his better judgement, innkeeper Alex Winston is allowing the organizer of a folk art fair to hold the event on the grounds of his inn. As the crowds prepare to enter the fair, one of the crafters, a local blacksmith, is missing. He is soon found murdered on a site of new construction, and Alex finds himself drawn into the hunt for the killer.
Alex is able to convince the sheriff to allow the fair to continue, and in theory, keep the killer in the area. Amidst this chaos of the fair and the murder investigation, Elise, Alex’s employee and friend, is called away to Virginia when her husband has a heart attack. Alex is alone to run his business. Using his position as innkeeper he is able to find evidence pointing to the killer. It isn’t long before he is fighting for his own life.
This is the second book in the Lighthouse Inn mystery series. This book seems to lack character development. Alex is the only character we really know. The setting is a small town in South Carolina, about which we know very little. The area surrounding the inn is rural and seems to attract nature lovers. The pot moves a bit quickly but remains engaging. I recommend reading this series in order so you learn more about the characters. This book could stand alone.
Alex is able to convince the sheriff to allow the fair to continue, and in theory, keep the killer in the area. Amidst this chaos of the fair and the murder investigation, Elise, Alex’s employee and friend, is called away to Virginia when her husband has a heart attack. Alex is alone to run his business. Using his position as innkeeper he is able to find evidence pointing to the killer. It isn’t long before he is fighting for his own life.
This is the second book in the Lighthouse Inn mystery series. This book seems to lack character development. Alex is the only character we really know. The setting is a small town in South Carolina, about which we know very little. The area surrounding the inn is rural and seems to attract nature lovers. The pot moves a bit quickly but remains engaging. I recommend reading this series in order so you learn more about the characters. This book could stand alone.
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February 13, 2015REad this one years ago as a paperback. The DH accidently added it to his kindle... It's an excellent read, and now that we have it in ebook format, I may just have to go back and reread it again. Book 2 in the Lighthouse Inn series. Well written with well developed characters and lots of great scenery not to mention a good bit of humor and fun thrown in to keep you reading. I'd recommend this whole series to anyone looking for a good mystery series.
August 18, 2007
I just adore the setiing of this series. The characters do not have much depth and the plot, well, I deduced the killer WAY in advance, but I just want to be and the lighthouse inn...reading, so I continue reading. (Plus, once I start a series I try to ride it out. Myers is writing 3 other series, so I don't think there will be too many.)
January 16, 2015
love this book and the author!!!! Loved reading this book about the Hatteras West Inn And lighthouse. Alex the inn keeper is trying to solve the murder of the towns favorite blacksmith while trying to run his hotel!!!! This is a real page turner and loved the ending which I am not going to tell!!!!!!
September 8, 2024
Alex has agreed to allow his friend to host a fair on the grounds of his lighthouse inn when one of the crafters ends up dead. Alex's friend begs him to find out who did it.
I love the side characters that make this series great though Elsie had to leave to go visit her Dad. The story had a great story line with twists and turns that kept me guessing almost to the end. Love this series.
I love the side characters that make this series great though Elsie had to leave to go visit her Dad. The story had a great story line with twists and turns that kept me guessing almost to the end. Love this series.
March 16, 2009
Simple mystery story. Simple writing. Simple conclusion. Fast read. Clean characters and language, though, which is hard to come by these days. As a mystery it was Ok. This author has several series and the stories are all pretty similar.
October 10, 2010
Book #10 for 2010. This series captures the essence of small-town life well, and Tim does a really good job with the red herrings. I think I would have liked this one better if the clues had been presented more "fairly," but the puzzle was pretty solid.
March 6, 2016
Enjoyable cozy mystery that took me until near the end of the book to solve. This is the second in the series, I'll be looking for the first to read as well. It was a perfect book to read on my flight.
January 2, 2022
Another nice cozy mystery. I think I liked the first mystery better, but in this sequel we got to learn more about the main characters and their relations became more complex and were explored more, which was good.
January 5, 2008
Was a fun light read. No real brainpower needed.
July 6, 2010
Enjoyed this second of Tim Meyers books I have read. A quick read and was very entertaining. I will read more from him now that I have found some old copies of his paperbacks.
September 15, 2011
Very Good; Continuing character: Alex Winston; innkeeper has another murder on his hands when a craft fair participant turns up dead
February 20, 2012
Book #84 read in 2007
A little predictable, but an easy, light read nonetheless. I enjoyed it and will continue the series.
Sent to a bookcrosser
A little predictable, but an easy, light read nonetheless. I enjoyed it and will continue the series.
Sent to a bookcrosser
July 27, 2012
This was the first book in the lighthouse series that I've read and I enjoyed it. Sometimes I got a little overwhelmed with all the characters but overall very nice. It was a quick read too.
September 21, 2012
Not as good as the first, but still showing a bit of promise.
December 5, 2015
Enjoyable 2nd book in the Lighthouse Inn Series. Alex and Elise still exploring their relationship or lack of it while dead bodies at the fair held on lighthouse grounds requires Alex's detecting.
February 5, 2014
Another great mystery. Tim Myers really makes you feel like you are part of the story and leaves you hooked to the end.
February 15, 2015
Decent story - I'm not going to review story in detail, but I'll say I've really come to like the characters in this series. Alex, Elise, More have become friends!
July 5, 2015
I figured out who did it way too early.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews