The Sudoku Murder: A Katie McDonald Mystery (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: puzzle day, mall consortium, puzzle museum, Aunt Pru, Chief Mitchell, Ginny Sue (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This intriguing first in a new series from Freydont (A Merry Little Murder and four other mysteries featuring dancer Linda Haggerty) introduces mathematician and Sudoku whiz Katie McDonald. Katie, a self-professed geek who works for a hush-hush government think tank, returns to her hometown of Granville, N.H., at the behest of her former mentor, P.T. Avondale. Katie is shocked to find Avondale frail and preoccupied, his beloved puzzle museum in serious disrepair and dire financial straits. Before Katie can make sense of the situation, she discovers Avondale murdered in his office—slumped over an unfinished Sudoku puzzle that may provide a clue to the killer's identity. She tops the brash new police chief's suspect list and decides to solve the case on her own, not only to clear her name but to save the Avondale museum from the wrecking ball. Readers will want to see a lot more of the intelligent and endearing Katie. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Mathematician and puzzle master Katie McDonald takes some time off from her job at the Institute of Theoretical Mathematics to return to her hometown and help her mentor try to save the Avondale Puzzle Museum. When Katie finds her friend dead at his desk, she becomes the de facto curator of the museum and chief suspect in the professor's murder. Solving the unfinished Sudoku puzzle that the deceased was working on becomes the key to proving Katie's innocence. Entertaining fare for mystery-reading Sudoku addicts. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762434929
• ISBN-13: 978-0762434923
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #240,765 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars puzzles within puzzles, May 23, 2007

By	Pearl Wolf "An avid reader" (Southampton, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Sudoku Murder: A Katie McDonald Mystery (Hardcover)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally literate light cozy, February 26, 2009

By	C.O'Hara (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

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!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read, July 10, 2007

By	colmlt (Abingdon, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sudoku Murder: A Katie McDonald Mystery (Hardcover)

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.