Writers Read: Eva Gates

Monday, June 29, 2026

Eva Gates

Eva Gates, also known as Vicki Delany, is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S.

She has written more than forty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Catskill Summer Resort mysteries for Penguin Random House, the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Delany is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Delany is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

The latest Lighthouse Library mystery is Whose Body in the Library, the thirteenth title in the series.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Delany's reply:

It’s been a great spring so far for reading. Two of my favourite writers have new books out, one right after the other. And they did not disappoint.

Last One Out by Jane Harper:

Jane Harper’s books are set in different parts of Australia, and the sense of place is outstanding. This is not a thriller and it's certainly not a cozy. It's more about people and community and what happens when people lose that community than the details of the plot itself, although it is a good one.

The Keeper by Tana French:

You might be able to tell that I love setting and this book also has an extremely strong sense of place. In this case rural Ireland. It’s also a study of people and community. In The Keeper the community isn't in danger of falling apart, but perhaps of being all too close. A good mystery goes along with it, but again, don't read this for thrills and action.

The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders by Melodie Campbell:

For a total change of pace I picked up this one by a Canadian author. What would be more fun than a cruise to Egypt in the 1920s? If one is rich, of course and Lady Lucy Revelstoke, our intrepid sleuth, is. This is a fun, funny romp aboard said ship as it sails up the Nile, rival archeologists argue, and everyone wonders if the Pharaoh's Curse is on board.