Customer Reviews

With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill: A Puzzle Lady Mystery (Puzzle Lady Mysteries)

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Parnell Hall is a fantastic writer. All of his books are craftily written and well developed. The author expertly draws you in until you feel as if you know the characters intimately. This installment of the series is unique in that it shows a side of Clara we haven't seen before - her love life. I highly recommend this series to any mystery book lover!!!