Puzzled to Death

THIS IS FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE OUR PUZZLES AND OUR MYSTERIES SERVED TOGETHER.

Cora Felton has been tricked. Crossword puzzle creator Harvey Beerbaum has decided the two of them should host a charity crossword puzzle tournament. This would be a great idea except for one minor detail; Cora really isn't the creator of her puzzles. Her niece Sherry does that. Unfortunately, they can't think of a way out of it, so Cora must be very careful to not slip up and reveal the truth during the weekend. The week of the tournament, a woman in town is murdered. The police are convinced her husband did it in a drunken rage until they discover his perfect alibi. Cora, however, isn't so sure his alibi is airtight and begins to poke around herself. The first night of the tournament, another murder takes place. Is there a serial killer in town? How does it tie into the tournament? Will Cora keep her secret? I must admit, I had my doubts at first. When the first murder took place, I didn't see how the tournament could possibly be involved. I thought it might turn out to be a sub-plot. But the further I read, the more important it became to the events of the story. As with the first two books in the series, this one had a puzzling mystery. While the solution made perfect sense and I felt stupid for not considering it myself, Cora made quite a leap to reach the conclusion with only a shaky clue to lead the way. The story would have been stronger with more evidence to back up the solution. Weaving through the book is the on-going storyline of Sherry's relationship with newspaper reporter Aaron Grant. I enjoy the characters, but feel that their relationship is a bit too high school. I'd like to think that grown adults would behave different then this. Still, I do get caught up in their struggles. Several crossword puzzles are presented. I'm not a fan myself, but those who are will enjoy trying to solve them along the way. The author doesn't spend too much time reintroducing the reader to his characters. While I didn't mind, this will leave those who haven't read the first two books rather confused. The more the series progresses, the more Cora is taking center stage. While I wouldn't mind seeing more of some of the other characters, Cora is becoming a fun character to hang around. While she still drinks and smokes, it is toned down even more then the last book. Her stubborn attitude serves her well in the investigation, yet she is just soft enough to get what she needs from her suspects. Sherry does get her share of scenes and clues, helping tell the story when Cora can't be present for some reason. The other series regulars are better developed then the new characters, who seem a little two dimensional. One of the things that make this series stand out is the word play. I wish there were more of it, in fact. Several times, I found myself laughing out loud at the quick wit of the characters. The dialog is snappy, often only a sentence or two, but it keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace. While the first tw

The third book in Parnell Hall's series of crossword mysteries finds Cora Felton, the public face of the syndicated Puzzle Lady newspaper column, roped into co-hosting a crossword puzzle tournament in her adopted home town of Bakerhaven, Connecticut. The brains behind the charity tournament, and Cora's co-host, is the smug and pedantic crossword constructor Harvey Beerbaum, also a Bakerhaven resident. (How many professional cruciverbalists, one wonders, can one small town realistically boast of?) Throughout the book Harvey seems ever more interested in having Cora make a display of her puzzle-solving prowess, which leaves her suspicious: does Harvey know that Cora is only acting as the front for the Puzzle Lady operation, and that her niece Sherry is the talent of the outfit? Added to the personal dramas among the series' regulars is, of course, a rash of murders, all seemingly connected to the crossword tournament--just the thing to rouse Cora from her usual state of insobriety and set her sleuthing. Puzzled to Death is a decent addition to the Puzzle Lady books, offering a complex mystery as well as several puzzles for the reader to solve along with the book's principals. But it remains a shame that Cora, an otherwise intelligent and likeable character, is so unapologetically attached to her self-destructive habits. Clever and engaging on the page, she would in the real world have about her the stench of a habitual smoker, and the smoker's rasping cough and abbreviated life expectancy, and she would--if she were not currently involved in a murder investigation (and how often can a layman count on that unlikely distraction?)--very likely be plastered. Miss Felton should lose the liquor and tobacco so she can be around to amuse fans with her amateur detecting for many years to come. Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

In cosmopolitan Bakerhaven lives renowned local celebrity Cora "the Puzzle Lady" Felton. Cora shares a home with her niece Sherry, who actually constructs the syndicated crossword puzzles. Cora does not have the slightest clue as to how to develop a crossword puzzle, but instead prefers applying her skills at solving homicides. Bakerhaven hosts a charity crossword puzzle tournament and naturally everyone expects Cora to chair the event. The idea upsets Cora so much that she feels guiltily glad when someone kills Judy Vale. The prime suspect, Judy's spouse has an airtight alibi. When the victim's neighbor is also killed, Cora figures she has no time for across and down as she begins investigating a myriad of suspects with motives and opportunities. A unique thing about a Parnell Hall tale is that the mystery is always interactive, as puzzles related to the plot are included throughout the story line. Each puzzle contains clues so that colorfully eccentric Cora and the audience can solve the who-done-it. Like it predecessors, PUZZLED TO DEATH adds an extra degree or two of fun to the mystery genre.Harriet Klausner