Review: The Light Keeper’s Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

The Light Keeper’s Legacy
(A Chloe Ellefson Mystery)
3rd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Midnight Ink (October 8, 2012)
Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Paperback: 360 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738733074

Museum curator Chloe Ellefson leaps at the opportunity to be a consultant for the historical lighthouse restoration project on Rock Island. She needs a little time to herself and the tranquility of the Door County state park seems perfect. She will be able to sort through her personal and professionals problems while she attacks the assignment given to her by RISC, the Rock Island Support Circle.

The idyllic place loses its luster though when a dead woman washes ashore below the lighthouse. Now in addition  to researching the time periods and the caretakers of the lighthouse she will try to find the answers to the many questions about the dead woman as well. The women in history that  lived on Rock Island were strong and resilient but all had their own set of problems and strife. Could the woman Chloe found have a link to the women of the past? Chloe  has a feeling she does. She just needs to follow the clues and uncover the mystery.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I have quickly learned one thing about the mysteries written by Kathleen Ernst. Once you start reading them you just can’t stop. So I have learned to plan accordingly. The afternoon spent reading this story was pure joy.

Kathleen has a way of mixing historic times and places with bold characters to create wonderful mysteries. They are smart, well crafted and captivating. The new characters we meet on Rock Island are full, rich and defined. Ernst takes us from 1982 back to the 1860s seamlessly. We get to know the history of the island and the lighthouse and the changes and effects of the fishing regulations. The people who were there on the island then and how they got there and why some left when others stayed. How the past effects the present and the future. I know these books are thoroughly researched and sometimes the best way to learn history is through fictional stories. That is how it has always been back through time. Storytellers are the historians that teach in ways easy to understand. Kathleen Ernst is a gifted storyteller and educator.

I have said before about Kathleen books and it holds true in The Light Keeper’s Legacy, this is not your ordinary cozy, it is so much more.  Everyone will enjoy this story. I recommend it highly. If you haven’t read the first two installments you can start with this one but I guarantee you will want to read them all.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”