What do you think?
Rate this book
Faith Fairchild #13
The Body in the Lighthouse
In this, the thirteenth captivating appearance by Faith Fairchild, award-winning author Katherine Hall Page brings her incomparable sleuth to an idyllic vacation spot, where death takes no holiday under the late-summer sun.
Something is very wrong on Sanpere this summer . . . Escaping the misery of a particularly sweltering August in Aleford, Massachusetts, caterer and minister's wife Faith Fairchild and her family take a long drive to their favorite getaway, peaceful Sanpere Island off the coast of Maine. But things have changed since their last visit. The unique ambience of Sanpere is being threatened by aggressive real estate developer Harold Hapswell, whose plans to fill the island with huge, showy new mansions has infuriated many residents. Tensions are high, with animosity between year-round islanders and "summer people" reaching dangerous new levels. It's no wonder that, in an atmosphere so thick with ill feeling, murder rears its ugly head.
The first outrage occurs when a successful real estate agent nearly dies after drinking a turpentine-laced cup of soda pop. Then, while exploring the grounds of Sanpere's historic, now-abandoned lighthouse, Faith has the misfortune of stumbling across the corpse of Harold Hapswell himself. His death is officially ruled an accident, but Faith's tried-and-true instincts tell her otherwise -- an unsettling inkling that is confirmed by the discovery of a second, more obvious homicide.
With fear running rampant throughout the island and volatile emotions approaching the detonation point, the intrepid amateur investigator knows she must throw caution to the wind and track down a murderer, for the sake of an innocent friend and the island she loves -- even if it means placing her own life in peril.
Something is very wrong on Sanpere this summer . . . Escaping the misery of a particularly sweltering August in Aleford, Massachusetts, caterer and minister's wife Faith Fairchild and her family take a long drive to their favorite getaway, peaceful Sanpere Island off the coast of Maine. But things have changed since their last visit. The unique ambience of Sanpere is being threatened by aggressive real estate developer Harold Hapswell, whose plans to fill the island with huge, showy new mansions has infuriated many residents. Tensions are high, with animosity between year-round islanders and "summer people" reaching dangerous new levels. It's no wonder that, in an atmosphere so thick with ill feeling, murder rears its ugly head.
The first outrage occurs when a successful real estate agent nearly dies after drinking a turpentine-laced cup of soda pop. Then, while exploring the grounds of Sanpere's historic, now-abandoned lighthouse, Faith has the misfortune of stumbling across the corpse of Harold Hapswell himself. His death is officially ruled an accident, but Faith's tried-and-true instincts tell her otherwise -- an unsettling inkling that is confirmed by the discovery of a second, more obvious homicide.
With fear running rampant throughout the island and volatile emotions approaching the detonation point, the intrepid amateur investigator knows she must throw caution to the wind and track down a murderer, for the sake of an innocent friend and the island she loves -- even if it means placing her own life in peril.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 29, 2003
About the author
Katherine Hall Page
55 books466 followersKatherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 2, 2015
Normally, I like to read the books in a series in sequential order, but this was one I picked up at a used book sale and I had no idea what number it was. No matter. I had read the first book in the series and enjoyed it fairly well, so I thought I’d give this one a try. And, I’m glad I did, although it did take quite a while before the first body actually showed up in the story and the mystery actually got under way.
Ms. Page did an excellent job of depicting the insular atmosphere and thinking of a small, close-knit community such as an island where, no matter how long you’ve lived there, if you weren’t born and raised there, you are still considered an outsider. She also captured the lobster and fishing aspects of Maine living quite well. And, the lighthouse lore added an interesting, unique touch to the story.
Aside from the tensions and problems of the proposed development of Sanpere spoiling the beauty and tranquility of the island, summer vacation there for the Fairchild family seemed quite ideal and pleasant—until murder reared its ugly head. Once again, I liked Faith and her curiousity, feistiness and willingness to help out in the community even though she and her family were basically outsiders. I really liked Ursula, too, and how she took the Fairchilds under her wing while the renovations were being done on their summer cottage.
These are not particularly complicated, scintillating mysteries, but the characters are quite likeable and the plots are interesting enough to keep a reader entertained for several hours.
Ms. Page did an excellent job of depicting the insular atmosphere and thinking of a small, close-knit community such as an island where, no matter how long you’ve lived there, if you weren’t born and raised there, you are still considered an outsider. She also captured the lobster and fishing aspects of Maine living quite well. And, the lighthouse lore added an interesting, unique touch to the story.
Aside from the tensions and problems of the proposed development of Sanpere spoiling the beauty and tranquility of the island, summer vacation there for the Fairchild family seemed quite ideal and pleasant—until murder reared its ugly head. Once again, I liked Faith and her curiousity, feistiness and willingness to help out in the community even though she and her family were basically outsiders. I really liked Ursula, too, and how she took the Fairchilds under her wing while the renovations were being done on their summer cottage.
These are not particularly complicated, scintillating mysteries, but the characters are quite likeable and the plots are interesting enough to keep a reader entertained for several hours.
June 5, 2016
This was an interesting mystery with a different setting than others I have read in this series. The Fairchilds were on an island off the coast of Maine for the summer where they are renovating a summer home. Of course Faith discovers several bodies and becomes aware of malicious events (fires, etc.) that appear connected to an aggressive real estate developer's plan to fill the island with huge, showy new mansions. Tensions are running high. Faith also gets involved with a play being produced on the island. She places her own life in danger while conducting an amateur investigation of the deaths, which she believes are murders--an opinion not shared by everyone. The book kept my interest until the end.
January 20, 2018
#13. I really enjoyed this, enjoyed the change of pace of the Fairfield family on Sanpere Island off the coast of Maine, of Tom working with the crew on building/expanding their home, while the family living with Pix Miller’s mother, Ursula Rowe in her stately Victorian home overlooking the beach and lighthouse, of Faith’s working on the Island’s production of Romeo and Juliet to raise funds for an indoor pool for the Island. In a time when Maine properties, especially along the coast, were being bought up by big out of state money, who built McMansions, upset the locals and longtime summer people, tensions run high, lobster wars are boiling over, Ursula is uneasy over the feelings on Sanpere and Faith as usual, stumbles over bodies, puts her own life in jeopardy, and still survives. Loved the feelings of pride, history, love of the land and sea, respect for each other Page evokes here. Well done.
September 18, 2014
2.5 stars--Ok culinary mystery. Too many characters to keep straight, not a very surprising ending.
September 29, 2025
Bored to tears and quit. Kristi & Abby Tabby
January 13, 2026
I read some of the earlier books by the author many years ago. I think this one was published in 2009. I remember then she was living in Massachusetts, married to a pastor and had children. Her children are still young in this story and they are off to Sanpere, Maine for part of the summer.
Their home in Maine is not done yet. Faith has to figure out how to manage her time and keep busy. Fortunately, the children can be at a summer daycare during the day which frees her up to do other things on the island.
She gets involved in a Theatre project painting scenes for Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters are young adults who are in love, but their families don’t like each other! Just like the Romeo and Juliet the theme!
She has people she knows on the island. The beginning of the book is basically giving you a feeling of island of life and the people she knows. I picked up the book because I like lighthouses and stories set in Maine.
There are people who want to develop on the island and the island really wants to stay pretty low-key. There is a murder with a body discovered in the lighthouse causing some excitement.
I would say this is a nice cozy mystery. One that you can sink into and get transported to Maine and a different lifestyle. It’s been a long time since I’ve had young children, but I do remember those days! I have never worked on a set for a play so that was fun. The story is pleasant and a nice diversion.
Their home in Maine is not done yet. Faith has to figure out how to manage her time and keep busy. Fortunately, the children can be at a summer daycare during the day which frees her up to do other things on the island.
She gets involved in a Theatre project painting scenes for Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters are young adults who are in love, but their families don’t like each other! Just like the Romeo and Juliet the theme!
She has people she knows on the island. The beginning of the book is basically giving you a feeling of island of life and the people she knows. I picked up the book because I like lighthouses and stories set in Maine.
There are people who want to develop on the island and the island really wants to stay pretty low-key. There is a murder with a body discovered in the lighthouse causing some excitement.
I would say this is a nice cozy mystery. One that you can sink into and get transported to Maine and a different lifestyle. It’s been a long time since I’ve had young children, but I do remember those days! I have never worked on a set for a play so that was fun. The story is pleasant and a nice diversion.
September 13, 2025
Maine’s fictional Sanpere Island in Penobscot Bay typically offers summer tranquility, even with tourists flooding in. However, when Tom and Faith Fairchild visit their island home one hot August, they find anything but peace.
The Fairchilds stumble into a heated clash between developers and locals who cherish the island’s calm. An abrasive real estate agent pushes to transform Sanpere, planning to convert a historic lighthouse into a bed-and-breakfast. Some islanders eye job opportunities, but others argue the changes would ruin their cherished retreat.
As tensions flare, a woman dies in an apparent accident. Days later, someone kills the real estate agent leading the development push, and fire ravages one of his properties.
Faith dives into the mystery, risking her life for answers. Her chilling night inside the lighthouse delivers a vivid, gripping scene.
The story starts slowly but earns four stars. Watching Faith’s children mature and meeting quirky island characters add charm. Faith helps with a town production of Romeo and Juliet as a fundraiser, and the offstage romance between the young actors mirroring their roles—despite their families’ feud—delights.
Suzanne Toren’s stellar narration elevates the book to four stars. The mystery holds strong, with a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
The Fairchilds stumble into a heated clash between developers and locals who cherish the island’s calm. An abrasive real estate agent pushes to transform Sanpere, planning to convert a historic lighthouse into a bed-and-breakfast. Some islanders eye job opportunities, but others argue the changes would ruin their cherished retreat.
As tensions flare, a woman dies in an apparent accident. Days later, someone kills the real estate agent leading the development push, and fire ravages one of his properties.
Faith dives into the mystery, risking her life for answers. Her chilling night inside the lighthouse delivers a vivid, gripping scene.
The story starts slowly but earns four stars. Watching Faith’s children mature and meeting quirky island characters add charm. Faith helps with a town production of Romeo and Juliet as a fundraiser, and the offstage romance between the young actors mirroring their roles—despite their families’ feud—delights.
Suzanne Toren’s stellar narration elevates the book to four stars. The mystery holds strong, with a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
April 20, 2026
Normally I love this series- Faith Fairchild Mysteries. I have never read them in order, but rather, I read whichever one I pick up. This is an earlier one. It was not one of the best. My conclusions are based on the slowness of the story, and not on the writing style. This book, as are all other Faith Fairchild books, well-written.
It's summer time, and the book begins on Sanpere Island, Maine, where the Fairchilds have gone for the summer. Can a minister just leave his congregation for such a long period of time? Before even asking that question, if I hadn't read a previous book set on Sanpere, I'd be totally confused. In this book, it starts out there. Although I like reading about Faith's life when her children were small, the first death doesn't occur until 100 pages in. The dead man wedged in the rocks below the lighthouse is termed accidental death, even though he is a real estate developer who is buying up the island, cutting down the trees, and building gated communities. The next body, a murder, doesn't appear for some more pages. Finally the book starts to pick up some momentum and Faith even finds herself in danger a few times.
It's summer time, and the book begins on Sanpere Island, Maine, where the Fairchilds have gone for the summer. Can a minister just leave his congregation for such a long period of time? Before even asking that question, if I hadn't read a previous book set on Sanpere, I'd be totally confused. In this book, it starts out there. Although I like reading about Faith's life when her children were small, the first death doesn't occur until 100 pages in. The dead man wedged in the rocks below the lighthouse is termed accidental death, even though he is a real estate developer who is buying up the island, cutting down the trees, and building gated communities. The next body, a murder, doesn't appear for some more pages. Finally the book starts to pick up some momentum and Faith even finds herself in danger a few times.
April 1, 2021
This series has been described as "cozy" but I don't think it is, it's more of a traditional mystery to me. There are a couple of recipes in the back of the book but that's where the coziness stops. I do not read this series in order, just pick them up at book sales and dive in. In this thirteenth entry Faith and her family are on vacation in Maine. For someone like me who has not gone on a vacation in a while it was a real treat to read about Sanpere Island. I did a tiny bit of research and the island may be, in real life, Deer Island Maine.
She wrote this book in the summer of 2001 and there is an Author's Note of 2-1/2 pages at the end of the book regarding 9/11 that is very mature and thoughtful. I highly recommend this series.
She wrote this book in the summer of 2001 and there is an Author's Note of 2-1/2 pages at the end of the book regarding 9/11 that is very mature and thoughtful. I highly recommend this series.
February 18, 2019
Faith and the family are spending August on Sanpere island. Tom is helping to finish their summer home there. In the meantime, they are staying with best friend Pix's mom at The Pines. A developer wants to build a gated community there which is causing much tension among the residents. Some are for, some are against. The old lighthouse that Ursula has wanted to buy (so as to not let it be developed as a BnB) is the scene of the accident/murder that Faith comes across. Along with lobster trap tensions, community theater play with its glitches, and Romeo and Juliet's real-life romance, this book is a quick read. Very slow start.
November 29, 2018
Slow, plodding overlong murder mystery. Summer on an island off the coast of Maine - conflict between those who want to develop the island and radical environmentalists results in murder of developer. Difficult to follow as over 60 named characters come and go (yes, I counted every one). Murderer turns out to be the son of the victim, who thought he had been abandoned as a child, but biological father was a summer fling, so the murderer also kills his mother. Good flavor of life in Maine, but ponderous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
This is the second book in the series that I have read. It will also probably be my last. The first one I had read I enjoyed. But in this book I really started to dislike the main character. She is such a complainer (and has nothing to complain about). Also, the story just drug on and on and on without a lot of substance.
May 12, 2022
I enjoyed this book I think because the town was putting on a play. It was fun to read about the progress of the scenery that Faith was working on and to hear about how the actors were doing with their Shakespeare.
Reading about the food Faith cooks is always a treat. Gives me some new ideas for meals.
Reading about the food Faith cooks is always a treat. Gives me some new ideas for meals.
November 3, 2022
This is probably the best of the series so far. The book was made to be a perfect vacation read. Sun, shore, and murder. The plot was well thought out and artfully written. The characters flowed together well. The story moved at just the right pace. You start to narrow down the list of suspects and then wham it is over.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 27, 2025
This is my second Katherine Hall Page book. I’ve decided I really like her. The characters are strong, the dialogue flows naturally, the plot is interesting and the writing is good. If I could, I’d give it 3 1/2 stars. You have to be an Anne Cleeves or a Val McDermid before you get four stars from me and five stars is for life-changing books.
September 20, 2017
An interesting cozy for those who enjoy the beauty of holiday life on a Maine island and the machinations of small-towners with a love of gossip. Oh, and of course there's a body or two as well as the feisty wife of a minister.
May 23, 2021
I enjoyed this entry, though I'm always amused when characters in a cozy mystery say things like "This never happens here!" and the series has already demonstrated that it does indeed happen there. This is one of the several so far that have been set on Sanpere Island instead of Aleford.
May 24, 2021
It added to my enjoyment of this book to have vacationed on Penobscot Bat, even doing so once when the main tourist season had closed and the locals were celebrating their absence, and the lighthouses were misty and felt isolated.
July 26, 2021
It is always enjoyable to visit Sanpere Island with Faith and her family. In this one her children are young and the Fairchilds are working on their remodeling their home while enjoying a Maine summer and unusal things are happening. And from there the story gets interesting.
July 19, 2022
Good
It was a nice read. I did pin point the killer, but it didn't spoil the story. I liked the characters and the setting, although I wish it had been real towns. I'm sure I'll read more by this author.
It was a nice read. I did pin point the killer, but it didn't spoil the story. I liked the characters and the setting, although I wish it had been real towns. I'm sure I'll read more by this author.
August 13, 2022
Another fun Faith Fairchild mystery. This one is set in Maine in the summer of 2001. While on hiatus from the church, Tom joins the builders in finishing the summer home, as Faith balances sleuthing with motherhood and set building for the local presentation of Romeo and Juliet.
August 5, 2023
This was a "new to me" author and although I managed to finish the book, I was not impressed. However, I am one person and I did start on 13th book in the series, so I am certain I missed key prior elements. Read the book for yourself and make your own decision. I saw quite a few 5 star reviews.
February 22, 2019
Faith saves the day again while vacationing in Maine. I am enjoying this series!
July 1, 2020
Fast read, cute story ... too many characters? Twist at the end!
August 5, 2022
good book
Really enjoyed beginning to end.
Very muck liked the characters and story
Never a lull moment
Mystery til the end
Loved the location
Really enjoyed beginning to end.
Very muck liked the characters and story
Never a lull moment
Mystery til the end
Loved the location
September 8, 2022
All I can say is, I have got to read more her books. I absolutely loved everything about this story and I'm hungry for more
September 18, 2022
The location descriptions had me immersed, but the plot moved too slowly. I felt like I was halfway throught the book before there was a mystery.
November 16, 2022
This is one of my favourite series I always have a few in my TBR pile when I need a Fairchild visit. As always I enjoyed another mystery with the family.
October 19, 2023
Nice enough, but the ending seems weak.
August 20, 2024
It took me a long time to get into this book as it takes a while for the mystery to really begin. Also, for the lighthouse to really become part of the story. Still a very nice read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews