Series: Puzzle Lady Mysteries | Publication Date: September 28, 2004
Crime, cryptograms, and killer conundrums abound for the Puzzle Lady in the fourth installment of the series USA Today raves is “a fun series for mystery fans and cruciverbalists!”
It looks like wedding bells again for the much-married Cora Felton when distinguished widower Raymond Harstein III moves into town and makes a play for the Puzzle Lady. That is, it does until the mail brings puzzling cryptograms, which, when deciphered, warn Cora off the match.
Or do they?
As the puzzles keep coming, a killer’s game must be played in earnest, and it’s up to the Puzzle Lady to solve the riddle—if anyone is going to live to make it to the altar!
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"Hall’s trademark word play and gift for creating eccentric characters remain as sharp as ever." --Publishers Weekly
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Inside Flap
Crime, cryptograms, and killer conundrums abound for the Puzzle Lady in the fourth installment of the series USA Today raves is "a fun series for mystery fans and cruciverbalists!"
It looks like wedding bells again for the much-married Cora Felton when distinguished widower Raymond Harstein III moves into town and makes a play for the Puzzle Lady. That is, it does until the mail brings puzzling cryptograms, which, when deciphered, warn Cora off the match.
Or do they?
As the puzzles keep coming, a killer's game must be played in earnest, and it's up to the Puzzle Lady to solve the riddle—if anyone is going to live to make it to the altar!
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.
This review is from: With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill: A Puzzle Lady Mystery (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a delightful book, upbeat and fun. The main characters are Sherry Carter and her beloved aunt, Cora Felton. As with all the author's books, it is heavy on witty repartee between characters, most notably, Sherry and her aunt. Sherry is a crossword puzzle maker and solver, but it's her aunt who always solves the crimes. While Cora can figure out whodunit, she can never settle on a man, being the sometime drinker, smoker and carouser that she is. In this book of the series, marriage is on the horizon again with a man from out of town, while her niece Sherry tries to help her fast-living aunt decide if she isn't just rushing into things a little too quickly again. Sherry has her own share of male trouble when her conniving ex comes back to torment her by getting engaged to Sherry's best friend from college. A double wedding looms as Cora receives threats to ditch her fiance in the form of cyphers. Cora decyphers the clues with, ahem, a little help from her niece. Something's gotta give...The bottom line is, two wacky cruciverbalists out to save the day.
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This review is from: With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill: A Puzzle Lady Mystery (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
Cora Felton is getting married. Again. She may have lost track of how many times she's walked down the aisle, but this time it will work out. Really.
Her niece Sherry Carter isn't happy about the arrangement, convinced that her aunt is making a mistake again.
Unfortunately, Cora's nuptials aren't the only ones pending. Sherry's best friend has just announced her engagement - to Sherry's abusive ex Dennis.
Between the two weddings, there was enough drama even before the first cryptogram shows up. It's a warning to Cora to abandon her plans to wed. More and more follow before the first dead body appears. Now Cora needs to set aside her wedding veil and pick up her sleuthing hat to find the cryptic killer. Can she succeed?
If you are a fan of the series, you'll be pleased to know that this book has more of what you love. The characters are sharp, the puzzles clever, and the mystery baffling. There are even a few scenes of word play that had me laughing. Unfortunately, the ending is once again too abrupt. Several of the important clues are sprung on us as Cora is explaining events. That's not to say the ending isn't satisfying or logical. I just wish the clues were planted better earlier in the book.
A weak ending is hardly a reason to pass on this fun series. I enjoy spending time with this feisty old lady and look forward to many more puzzling adventures to come.
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This review is from: With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill: A Puzzle Lady Mystery (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed this mystery about a double wedding that never happens. I liked the short chapters and wanted to finish it to find out the murderer and connect all the characters. Very easy reading and can finish in a couple of hours. Will read more mysteries by this author.
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