Book Review: The Body in the Lighthouse

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Body in the Lighthouse     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Katherine Hall Page
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Culinary   Woman Main Character
Series: Faith Fairchild # 13
Morrow, Jun 2003, $23.95, 241 pp.

Tom and Faith Fairchild accompanied by their two children leave their Massachusetts home to spend the summer renovating their cottage on Sanpere Island, Maine. To their surprise the usually serene residents are livid as mansion building is in vogue with the invasion of wealthy individuals having houses built as toys for their use.

Some Sanpere islanders are a bit more active in their resentment, mostly with protests. When the tide ebbs the corpse of developer Harold Hapswell is found jammed between two ledges at the base of the lighthouse. Faith thinks Hapswell was murdered, which is confirmed when someone attacks her near the lighthouse. As the island simmers in anger, summer events continue. Faith unable to ignore the homicide following the attempted assault on her and begins her own brand of investigation.

THE BODY IN THE LIGHTHOUSE is a fun summer breeze cosy that is an ideal beach book. The story line moves in a contrasting way between the murder and the festivities. Though Faith should know better than to risk her life as she does, she remains a fresh amateur sleuth (after thirteen novels, amateur seems wrong, but then again the professional gets paid) willing to do what she thinks is right. This is simply a lighthearted breezy mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner