Customer Reviews

The Sudoku Murder: A Katie McDonald Mystery

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This well-written mystery grabbed my attention from page one. Katie is reluctantly drawn into a small New England town murder mystery full of intrigue that rings true, believable quirky characters and all. What with the popularity of sudoku, as well as all puzzles, The Puzzle Museum, almost istelf a character in this plot, will make you yearn to visit. The surprising plot twists will keep mystery lovers, as well as sudoku fans reading way into the night. I look forward to the next Katie McDonald mystery.

Katie McDonald's old friend Professor P. T. Avondale has asked her back home to help him with a problem. So Katie takes a break from her mathematical think tank job. In school Katie was a "geek" and never fit in. That is until the professor took her under his wing at his puzzle museum.

When Katie arrives, she finds the puzzle museum isn't looking so good any more. Plus the mean receptionist doesn't make visitors feel welcome. The professor tells Katie that the bank has threatened foreclosure, and he wants her help in finding where the payments went. When she finds the professor stabbed to death, she knows something is definitely amiss.

This was such a fun mystery to read. I found myself not wanting to put it down to figure out who did it and why. Katie is such a fun character, too. The author did a great job of intertwining information about Sudoku along with the fabulous mystery. It makes for such an enjoyable cozy mystery read.

I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to read #2.

The book was shipped and received in a timely manner. It was a gift and the recipient enjoys doing Sudoku puzzles. She enjoyed it.

I very much enjoyed reading this cozy murder mystery. There are sudoku puzzles included in the book to solve but the puzzles are not mandatory to follow the story.
This mystery set within a small New England town...murder, suspense, light romantic tension plus an interesting cast of characters all made for a satisfying read.

Katie McDonald, the heroine of Sudoku Murder, is an ex-geek who returns to her home town at the request of her old friend & mentor to help him, although she doesn't know what his problem is. She returns to find that he has basically escaped from reality into his own world of puzzles, while their beloved puzzle museum has fallen into disuse & disrepair. Soon afterward he is murdered. The new police chief, a transplanted Bostonian, suspects Katie; the two are instantly antagonistic.

Most of the older residents are delighted to see Katie, especially her Aunt Pru, who is determined to see that 29-year-old Katie does not end up an old maid, as she has. Pru sets Katie up on a number of dates with men who have good manners and substantial futures. However, Katie discovers someone she finds more attractive, whom Aunt Pru does NOT approve of.

Throw in the professor's estranged daughter, who wants to put him in a home, a teen-aged genius who has gone missing, and some extremely colorful characters, and you have a good, fun, fast read. Add some Sudoku puzzles to work after each chapter, and you've got a winner.

Two little things bothered me. One was the use of the word kibbutz, which means an Israeli collective, in place of kibitz, which means to watch a card, chess, or similar game; loathe (hate) was used instead of loath (reluctant). The author or her editor should have caught these. The other was the heavy sentiment for keeping the town "as is" instead of allowing the mall to be built. A townsman speaks of his family leaving because of lack of jobs; the mall might have been incentive for the young people to stay. The museum, Raynelle's cafe, etc, could have been moved to other locations. I can sympathize with the townsfolk, but I think they were wrong. It's obvious they're set in their ways, as they run red lights, park by fire hydrants, and don't bother getting a license to sell food.

I think that Katie will eventually get together with the right man, but I'm glad the author didn't rush into it. I can wait. I'm reading the second book & have ordered the third. If you're reading this review, you should, too!

Shelley Fredont is the author of five Linda Haggerty Mysteries and also pens romance novels under the name Gemma Bruce. She is involved in many writers groups, including the Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and the Kiss of Death RWA chapter. She is also past president of the New York/Tri State chapter of Sisters in Crime. She is a Sudoku aficionado, and loves puzzles of all sorts. She hails from Ridgewood, New Jersey.

In this first Katie McDonald mystery we find the heroine, on break from her think-tank, classified, mathematics position in a think tank, arriving in her home town at the behest of her old friend Professor P.T. Avondale. Katie was a "geek" in school, which made for a lonely existence until the Professor took her under his wing. He runs a puzzle museum, and Katie arrives on the scene to find the museum in extreme disrepair and under the threat of repossession by the bank. Katie knows something is amiss, and when she finds the Professor stabbed she enters into a tension-filled relationship with the new Chief of Police:

"'Cut it out, you little termagant. I'm trying to help.'

That voice. She shook her head. She recognized that voice. She stopped struggling. Made herself look up. Chief of Police Brandon Mitchell stood over her. The light from the flashlight turned his features into Boris Karloff. She took a step back. 'Oh.'

'Oh,' he mimicked. He stepped away from her, leaving chill air in the space between them. 'Would you like to tell me what happened and why you felt compelled to clobber me?'"

THE SUDOKU MURDER is an expertly crafted whodunit with heart. Katie is an inspiring heroine, as she grows into her predestined role in life. The sexual tension between her and the Chief has the reader silently screaming, "Oh, for Pete's sake, get a room, will ya?" Shelley Freydont writes with a sense of humor and a brisk plot. Her characterization of Katie's hometown is smack dab on, and the sweetness of the murdered professor permeates the entire novel. We'll look forward to more Katie!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

When I saw sudoku turned into a mystery novel, I had to read about it. And I must say, this book was very good. I really liked the characters and plot. I definitely look forward to reading her next novel which I see in coming soon. Can't wait!

The only thing I will add to the other reviewers is that this is the most grammatically correct mystery I have read in years! Even Kate Atkinson has fallen into the trap of writing that a character "try and ..." instead of "try to."
Pet peeve, yes, but this author even knows how to use "whom." I have to admit, as an English major of a certain age, I find errors in every newspaper, journal and book I read. But what a delight, whether it is the author or her editor, to find someone who knows the English language and who is truly "literate." You don't have to be highbrow to be literate! Bravo!

This is a good book for that rainy day when, on vacation, you have nothing to do. A little contrived, but what mysteries aren't. I enjoyed the book.

Well written, draws you in, internally consistent. I save 5 stars for truly superb books but this book and its sequels are well worth buying, even for folks like me who simply CANNOT do these puzzles.