The Body in the Lighthouse

by Katherine Hall Page

Book Overview

Something was very wrong on Sanpere this summer . . .

To escape the misery of a sweltering August in Aleford, Massachusetts, caterer and minister's wife Faith Fairchild and her family head for their cottage on Maine's peaceful Sanpere Island in Penobscot Bay. But things have changed since their last visit. An aggressive developer is moving forward on plans that will destroy the unique ambience of the island, infuriating residents. Tensions...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380813866
• ISBN13: 9780380813865
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Summer vacation and murder

Faith Fairchild and her family have gone to Sanpere Island, Maine, to their summer vacation home during a hot August. The renovations on their place aren't finished, so they move in with her friend Pix's mother. She learns a lot about the attitudes of the residents versus the summer people and especially the problems of residents losing their property to those building McMansions. The unrest is also evident by a feud going on between two families. Faith discovers a body while exploring Sanpere's historical lighthouse and its grounds. Things begin to get serious, and Faith worries about keeping her family safe while she tracks down a killer. I enjoy the books in this series. The first one I read featured Pix, so when I read the next one featuring Faith, I was confused. But Faith has won me over. She is a great character. She didn't do as much catering in this book as usual due to being at their summer place. But her outlook on life and family rang true through this book. I enjoyed getting to know Pix's mother and the struggles of the island. I highly recommend this book and series.

Engaging Mystery

What a fun book! This is the second Faith Fairchild mystery I've read, and boy, what a great read! It's a book that the reader wants to take their time with, savor the words and the situations. This is a must series for Mystery lovers, both men and women!

fun summer breeze cozy

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 cozy 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

Just okay

I am always in a rush to get the latest "Faith Fairchild" mystery and have read them all, however, this one wasn't my favorite. Too many characters and a boring ecoterrorist plot made this book drag on forever for me. Still, I'm hooked on this series and will anxiously await the next book.

Well written, engaging mystery

This is the thirteenth novel in the Faith Fairchild series, and Katherine Hall Page continues to provide a fine reading experience. Unlike some other long running series, Page's writing continues to be clear, consistent, and the story lines and characters remain congruent. The Body in the Lighthouse finds Faith and her family at the summer vacation home in Maine. While waiting for renovations on the home to be completed, the Fairchild family moves in temporarily with the mother of Faith's best friend Pix. This creates the setting for Faith to gain understanding of and empathy with the long-term residents of the town and their slow loss of their property and livelihoods to summer residents and newcomers building "MacMansions." The unrest in the town is also portrayed through a quarrel between families over lobster traps, a local play that puts a spotlight on the unknown talents of some residents, and a Romeo & Juliet type love story. As in the other stories in the series, Faith's family life runs in parallel to these activities and the crimes in the town.Well written and contemporary without relying on undue violence or profanity, The Body in the Lighthouse is an enjoyable read. Although the final conclusion will not be a surprise to most readers, it is satisfyingly consistent with the story line and human nature.