Puzzled to Death (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Parnell Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2002 | Series: Puzzle Lady Mysteries

Miss Cora Felton, the eccentric amateur detective better known as the Puzzle Lady, likes nothing better than to solve a good mystery–and this time she’s got a killer on her hands. What isn’t puzzling is why critics agree that “Cora is emerging as a lovable and unique sleuth” (Chicago Sun-Times) in “a fun series for mystery fans and cruciverbalists” (USA Today).

Bakerhaven, Connecticut, seems like the ideal place to host a charity crossword-puzzle tournament–after all, the town is home to Cora Felton, the beloved puzzle columnist known as the Puzzle Lady. A slew of celebrity contestants are on the way. And the locals have been invited to challenge the veteran puzzlers head-on. But soon the town’s attention is fixated on something far more controversial than crosswords...when the body of the town tart is discovered lying dead on her kitchen floor. Before anyone can stop her, Cora is hot on the trail of the truth, interviewing nosy neighbors, digging up dirt, and drawing out a lonely recluse who just may hold the key to cracking the crime. But will she solve the case before the contest comes to a deadly end? Cora once again proves that sleuthing spells S-U-S-P-E-N-S-E–up, across, and down!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this third book of a well-received series (Last Puzzle and Testament, etc.), we have puzzles within puzzles in every sense of the word. Cora Felton, hailed as the "Puzzle Lady" for her prowess in constructing newspaper crossword puzzles, in truth knows nothing about crosswords. She receives the adulation of the puzzle world while her niece, Sherry Carter, does all the work. Cora's real love is solving murder mysteries in the Murder She Wrote vein. When the townspeople of Bakerhaven, Conn., decide to hold a crossword puzzle contest, after much debate over the propriety and usefulness of such a contest, Cora, who's cohost of the event, gets her chance to do some sleuthing. The town tart turns up dead on her kitchen floor, and soon two more murders follow. What ties all the murders together is that a crossword puzzle (or in one case, a doodle) is found with each body. The author provides us with two crosswords from the contest to solve, though these have only a tenuous connection to the murders. Poor Chief Harper of the Bakerhaven Police Department, Cora's foil, is somewhat befuddled ("Tell me again why she couldn't have done it," he asks her). Numerous suspects, both out-of-town contestants and locals, keep the action moving. The dust jacket, depicting a subtly sinister autumnal landscape with a crossword-grid sky, elegantly conveys the novel's contents.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Cora Felton, now of Bakerhaven, Connecticut, is known as the Puzzle Lady, and her smiling visage adorns her crosswords. In real life it is her niece, Sherry, who is the cruciverbalist (maker of crossword puzzles); Cora is much married and too chummy with the bottle, but she does have a nose for murder. When she's roped into hosting a charity crossword competition, she's terrified she'll be unmasked. Then the murder of a local woman who was cheating on her spouse, followed by the murder of the woman's nosy neighbor, becomes connected to the competition, and it takes all Cora's wiles to connect the clues. Sherry's relationship to the local newspaperman has some rocky if contrived moments. Although the crosswordiana remains engaging, the deadpan deception, the lighthearted trashing of suburbia, and Cora's personal flaws are wearing just a wee bit thin. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (August 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553581465
• ISBN-13: 978-0553581461
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #746,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Parnell Hall's music video, KING OF KINDLE, is on his Amazon author page! Cameos by Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, and dozens of other mystery writers. See how many you can spot. (Scroll down for video)

Parnell is the author of the Puzzle Lady crossword puzzle mysteries, set in the fictitious town of Bakerhaven, Connecticut. Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, has a nationally syndicated crossword puzzle column, but couldn't construct a puzzle if her life depended on it. Her niece Sherry Carter writes the column for her. The much married Miss Felton is much happier solving crime. She made her debut in 1999 in A CLUE FOR THE PUZZLE LADY, and has since romped through LAST PUZZLE & TESTAMENT, PUZZLED TO DEATH, and A PUZZLE IN A PEAR TREE, WITH THIS PUZZLE, I THEE KILL, AND A PUZZLE TO DIE ON, and STALKING THE PUZZLE LADY. Cora is herself a suspect in YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN PUZZLED.

Though poor at words, Cora proves most adept at numbers in THE SUDOKU PUZZLE MURDERS. New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz constructed the sudoku puzzles that help solve the mystery. Sudoku puzzles also play a part in DEAD MAN'S PUZZLE, and THE PUZZLE LADY VS. THE SUDOKU LADY. Cora tackles a new number puzzle in THE KENKEN KILLINGS.

As research for the Puzzle Lady books, Parnell competed in the National Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, Connecticut, where out of a field of 254 contestants he finished 250th, just ahead of the four people who failed to turn in a paper. Parnell composed the puzzles for his earlier books. He now has them created by New York Times constructor Manny Nosowsky, and edited by National Tournament winner Ellen Ripstein.

Parnell also writes the Stanley Hastings mystery novels, and the Steve Winslow courtroom dramas. His first novel, DETECTIVE, was nominated for an Edgar award by the Mystery Writers of America, and a Shamus award by the Private Eye Writers of America. His tenth Stanley Hastings novel, MOVIE, was nominated for a Shamus award for Best Private Eye Novel of 1995, and for a Lefty for the funniest mystery novel of 1995. Recently, Stanley and his wife Alice vacationed at a New England bed-and-breakfast in COZY, a takeoff on that subset of the genre; the book is full of recipes and the cat solves the crime. Stanley returned to the mean streets of Manhattan in MANSLAUGHTER, HITMAN, and CAPER. He has his first paranormal encounter in the short story DEATH OF A VAMPIRE, in the Charlaine Harris anthology, CRMIES BY MOONLIGHT.

Parnell worked for two years as a private detective in New York City. His experiences form the basis for his Stanley Hastings series. He has no courtroom experience, however, and owes his Steve Winslow series to a childhood spent reading Erle Stanley Gardner.

Parnell is an actor, who has done summer stock and regional theater, and appeared in a number of movies, including Arnold Schwarzenegger's first movie, Hercules in New York (in which he appeared clad in a leopard skin) and A New Leaf with Elaine May and Walter Matthau.

Parnell is a member of the Writers Guild of America East with several screenplays to his credit, including the underground horror movie C.H.U.D., which has been satirized on Saturday Night Live, the Simpsons, Pushing Daisies, The Dailey Show, and The Colbert Report.

Parnell's career as a professional songwriter began at the age of sixteen, when Pete Seeger sang The Literacy Test Song on the Folkways album, Gazette, Volume 2. Parnell has performed his songs at several mystery conventions, including the Edgar Awards, Magna Cum Murder, Malice Domestic, and the Bouchercon. This year he is performing The Ballad of Alferd Packard,
a song celebrating Denver's most famous cannibal, at the Left Coast Crime banquet.

Parnell Hall is a former President of the Private Eye Writers of America, and a member of Sisters in Crime. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny mystery, October 30, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Puzzled to Death (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Weak Ending to This Puzzle, July 25, 2006

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Puzzled to Death (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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 two books in the series were stronger, this is still a tale sure to entertain Puzzle Lady fans.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars passable puzzle, January 20, 2002

By 

charles falk (Novato, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Puzzled to Death (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Parnell Hall may be a candidate for an award in the most-unlikely-occupation-for-a-fictional-detective sweepstakes. Jockey detectives, bookstore-owner detectives, and gourmet-chef detectives pale by comparison to a bogus crossword puzzle-maven detective. His sleuth, Cora Felton, is a syndicated crossword puzzle composer -- or rather she poses as one. Her niece Sherry is the real composer; Cora just solves murders.

Cora is the best thing about this book. She is an unsentimental, tough-talking, hard-drinking, much-married old bird. The late Eileen Heckert would have been perfect to play her on screen. How she came to be the beloved Puzzle Lady is never explained.

Apart from Cora, "Puzzled to Death" is a pretty ordinary mystery. The locale is Bakerhaven Connecticut, as patently artificial as the village in Murder She Wrote. It boasts a daily newspaper, a paper mill, a medical examiner, two crossword puzzle experts, a passel of bed-and-breakfasts, but only one lawyer. All the residents seem to have surnames that originated in the British Isles; an unlikely circumstance even in the most remote corners of Litchfield County. Bakerhaven is about to host a charity crossword puzzle contest when a local housewife is murdered. Cora and the chief of police compete at solving the crime while most of the town is busy solving crossword puzzles.

Hall's dialogue is snappy and he offers some interesting insight into crossword puzzle composition and contests, but he violates the rules of the classical murder mystery in his denouement. My overall reaction is ehhhh!