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Sudoku Mystery #1
Death by Sudoku
Maiden's Bay is a small, scenic town on the Oregon Coast where citizens get their number fix thanks to Liza Kelly - Sudoku Maven with the Oregon Daily. Her challenging puzzles sharpen the mind, and her deductive skills unravel even the most enigmatic clues.
Liza enters a Sudoku tournament in which her old friend and competitor turns up dead. Now, she must think outside the boxes to find a murderer.
Liza enters a Sudoku tournament in which her old friend and competitor turns up dead. Now, she must think outside the boxes to find a murderer.
229 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 3, 2007
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February 21, 2025
Liza Kelly, once a prominent Hollywood publicist and a partner at Markson Associates with Michelle Markson, made a bold choice to leave her high-profile career behind after her separation from her husband, Michael. Seeking a tranquil new life in Maiden's Bay, Oregon, she has embraced a fresh start as a freelance writer, crafting an engaging sudoku column for the Oregon Daily newspaper. With a passion for puzzles, Liza has taken the exciting step of entering a sudoku tournament. As she arrives at the airport in Southern California, she is met with unexpected connections leading her to solve far more sudoku puzzles than she ever imagined—well beyond the tournament.
While I do not find solving sudoku puzzles particularly engaging, I was intrigued by the idea of a sleuth using her sudoku knowledge in an investigation. While reading, I found myself skimming through parts of the dialogue after the tournament, during the investigation, and several of Liza’s Sudo-cues columns. As a result, I rated the book three stars. However, I can easily envision the rating elevated to four or five stars from avid sudoku enthusiasts who will appreciate the clever ways the puzzles intertwine with the narrative.
Reviewer’s Note: Kaye Morgan is a pseudonym for Bill McCay. He writes Sunny & Shadow mysteries under the name of Claire Donally. I loved Shadow, with each mystery told from his unique feline perspective. 😻 When I read the Sunny & Shadow mysteries, I was only able to learn that Claire Donally was "a pseudonym for the author of many other critically acclaimed cozy mysteries." I was excited to discover his identity recently and learn about his other books. On some websites, the Sudoku mystery series is marketed as cozy mysteries; however, I present my review within the broader mystery genre due to the descriptions of a crime scene and the various events that occur during the investigation.
While I do not find solving sudoku puzzles particularly engaging, I was intrigued by the idea of a sleuth using her sudoku knowledge in an investigation. While reading, I found myself skimming through parts of the dialogue after the tournament, during the investigation, and several of Liza’s Sudo-cues columns. As a result, I rated the book three stars. However, I can easily envision the rating elevated to four or five stars from avid sudoku enthusiasts who will appreciate the clever ways the puzzles intertwine with the narrative.
Reviewer’s Note: Kaye Morgan is a pseudonym for Bill McCay. He writes Sunny & Shadow mysteries under the name of Claire Donally. I loved Shadow, with each mystery told from his unique feline perspective. 😻 When I read the Sunny & Shadow mysteries, I was only able to learn that Claire Donally was "a pseudonym for the author of many other critically acclaimed cozy mysteries." I was excited to discover his identity recently and learn about his other books. On some websites, the Sudoku mystery series is marketed as cozy mysteries; however, I present my review within the broader mystery genre due to the descriptions of a crime scene and the various events that occur during the investigation.
June 5, 2022
Liza is a recently divorced (or separated? can't remember) former public relations specialist who now creates Sudoku puzzles for her hometown paper. She's off to take part in a Sudoku competition when she encounters Derrick, a minor celebrity who knew her during her public relations days. It's a bit awkward for Liza at first, because she tries to keep her Sudoku and Hollywood public relations selves separate (Sudoku isn't exactly glamorous or cool), but Derrick is also taking part in the competition, so she enjoys the chance to reconnect with him.
Later on, Derrick mentions something about an apparent code he noticed in a particular paper's Sudoku puzzles. Not long after that, Liza comes across his dead body. Was he really on to something with his theories about the Sudoku puzzles and, if so, can Liza figure out who the culprit is in time?
Ehh, this wasn't great, and I'm surprised the series has 6 books in it. I was drawn to it because I like Sudoku puzzles, but it turns out it isn't all that fun to read about someone's thought processes as they solve Sudoku puzzles. The author tried to add another level of appeal to it by including the Hollywood and public relations aspect, but it didn't really work all that well together and felt kind of forced.
It's been a few weeks since I finished this, and I can remember literally nothing about Liza that was particularly appealing. I didn't dislike her. She was just bland, and even the author's efforts to (already) set up a love triangle between Liza, the guy she went out with in high school, and her ex-husband (soon-to-be ex? again, can't remember) didn't grab me.
The mystery wasn't very good either, to the point where there are basic details I've avoided mentioning because just laying things out feels like spoiling things. It took so long for Liza to make what I felt like were obvious connections that I thought I must have accidentally missed some explanation for why she was avoiding what seemed to be the simplest way to decode the puzzles. But no, it turned out that the stuff I thought was obvious really did just go over Liza's head (seriously, I only had minimal exposure to , how did Liza not figure this out sooner??). If the author hadn't been so committed to making the Sudoku puzzles themselves the mystery Liza had to solve, the clues they pointed to were cryptic enough that they could believably have occupied Liza for a while.
Although I bought this used, the Sudoku puzzles throughout the book were miraculously untouched. And yet I didn't feel an urge to do them myself. I also didn't bother to read Liza's 24-page Sudoku tips article at the end of the book. For those who do decide to do the puzzles, there's a solutions section at the very end of the book that's probably helpful.
It's amazing that something this short could still manage to feel padded. It was a relief when I finished this, and I have no plans to continue on with this series.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Later on, Derrick mentions something about an apparent code he noticed in a particular paper's Sudoku puzzles. Not long after that, Liza comes across his dead body. Was he really on to something with his theories about the Sudoku puzzles and, if so, can Liza figure out who the culprit is in time?
Ehh, this wasn't great, and I'm surprised the series has 6 books in it. I was drawn to it because I like Sudoku puzzles, but it turns out it isn't all that fun to read about someone's thought processes as they solve Sudoku puzzles. The author tried to add another level of appeal to it by including the Hollywood and public relations aspect, but it didn't really work all that well together and felt kind of forced.
It's been a few weeks since I finished this, and I can remember literally nothing about Liza that was particularly appealing. I didn't dislike her. She was just bland, and even the author's efforts to (already) set up a love triangle between Liza, the guy she went out with in high school, and her ex-husband (soon-to-be ex? again, can't remember) didn't grab me.
The mystery wasn't very good either, to the point where there are basic details I've avoided mentioning because just laying things out feels like spoiling things. It took so long for Liza to make what I felt like were obvious connections that I thought I must have accidentally missed some explanation for why she was avoiding what seemed to be the simplest way to decode the puzzles. But no, it turned out that the stuff I thought was obvious really did just go over Liza's head (seriously, I only had minimal exposure to , how did Liza not figure this out sooner??). If the author hadn't been so committed to making the Sudoku puzzles themselves the mystery Liza had to solve, the clues they pointed to were cryptic enough that they could believably have occupied Liza for a while.
Although I bought this used, the Sudoku puzzles throughout the book were miraculously untouched. And yet I didn't feel an urge to do them myself. I also didn't bother to read Liza's 24-page Sudoku tips article at the end of the book. For those who do decide to do the puzzles, there's a solutions section at the very end of the book that's probably helpful.
It's amazing that something this short could still manage to feel padded. It was a relief when I finished this, and I have no plans to continue on with this series.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
October 12, 2018
Whatever made me think that buying a used mystery novel with sudoku puzzles would be a good idea? Some arsehole filled in bits of all the puzzles. With a freaking pen. And didn’t finish a single one of them. Arsehole. I did not enjoy the descriptions of how to solve these puzzles. It was like reading Chinese. They made zero sense to me. It was a good idea to hide codes in the puzzles, quite unique. It was not a good idea to have those codes refer to chapters and verses of the Bible. Yawn! I did lose interest halfway through but plowed on just so I could up my finished book tally for this year.
June 2, 2009
* 1/2
One and a half stars, but I'll round up to two. For all its faults, this book was mercifully quick to get through, so it does not receive my undying loathing. However, it is not completely off the hook for the following reasons.
- The whole premise of the series is rather ludicrous. I can understand a Hollywood publicist as a protagonist, but not a Hollywood publicist / Sudoku columnist. Heck, I can't even understand the Sudoku columnist part of it, period. Sure there may be different tips and techniques to solve these puzzles, but I don't think they warrant a regular column. You can cover them all in a book, probably.
- Also, Sudoku tournaments? Eye-roll! I was a very late convert to the Sudoku thing, so this could just be excessive skepticism on my part, but I think that kind of thing is really lame. I consider crossword competitions to be a bit more challenging -- you have to KNOW the things that the clues talk about, instead of just figuring out which numerals go in which boxes. And cryptic crosswords would be harder than normal crosswords, especially the British ones! So forgive me while I reserve my impressed-ness for the more hardcore puzzle-pagers out there.
- The way all the characters were ever so willing to help out the protagonist with her harebrained detecting schemes was even more ridiculous than the average cozy. And don't get me started on the miraculously useful knowledge everybody had. Liza just HAPPENS to have a codebreaking uncle in Japan who just HAPPENS to be up when she sends him an instant message. Michael just HAPPENS to know all about sailing even though he's a "script doctor" (as he refers to himself many times). I mean, he could very well have picked up this knowledge in the course of researching a script, but the way he actually acquired his knowledge was nowhere near as legitimate as that.
- If I had to read about someone's lips quirking into a smile one more time, those characters would not be smiling anymore. There are some phrases that aren't that great the first time but get REALLY tiresome on reuse.
- Way too much backstory for the characters that was way too clumsily incorporated into the narrative. I know that most first novels in a series are riddled with backstory to an extent, but this was just too much.
- The characters weren't really described all that well, and the aspects that were described about them didn't stick with me. The only one I could picture with any detail was Jenny, and she appeared in the form of Georgia Moffett's character on Doctor Who.
- Speaking of Jenny, that conversation she had with Liza where they complimented each other's looks and talked about being in front of the camera? Blech. Much too unrealistic. I think that was the part I was reading when my boyfriend asked why I was making such a horrible face at my book.
So to sum up, even if you're a Sudoku nut, don't bother with this book. There are much better cozies out there.
One and a half stars, but I'll round up to two. For all its faults, this book was mercifully quick to get through, so it does not receive my undying loathing. However, it is not completely off the hook for the following reasons.
- The whole premise of the series is rather ludicrous. I can understand a Hollywood publicist as a protagonist, but not a Hollywood publicist / Sudoku columnist. Heck, I can't even understand the Sudoku columnist part of it, period. Sure there may be different tips and techniques to solve these puzzles, but I don't think they warrant a regular column. You can cover them all in a book, probably.
- Also, Sudoku tournaments? Eye-roll! I was a very late convert to the Sudoku thing, so this could just be excessive skepticism on my part, but I think that kind of thing is really lame. I consider crossword competitions to be a bit more challenging -- you have to KNOW the things that the clues talk about, instead of just figuring out which numerals go in which boxes. And cryptic crosswords would be harder than normal crosswords, especially the British ones! So forgive me while I reserve my impressed-ness for the more hardcore puzzle-pagers out there.
- The way all the characters were ever so willing to help out the protagonist with her harebrained detecting schemes was even more ridiculous than the average cozy. And don't get me started on the miraculously useful knowledge everybody had. Liza just HAPPENS to have a codebreaking uncle in Japan who just HAPPENS to be up when she sends him an instant message. Michael just HAPPENS to know all about sailing even though he's a "script doctor" (as he refers to himself many times). I mean, he could very well have picked up this knowledge in the course of researching a script, but the way he actually acquired his knowledge was nowhere near as legitimate as that.
- If I had to read about someone's lips quirking into a smile one more time, those characters would not be smiling anymore. There are some phrases that aren't that great the first time but get REALLY tiresome on reuse.
- Way too much backstory for the characters that was way too clumsily incorporated into the narrative. I know that most first novels in a series are riddled with backstory to an extent, but this was just too much.
- The characters weren't really described all that well, and the aspects that were described about them didn't stick with me. The only one I could picture with any detail was Jenny, and she appeared in the form of Georgia Moffett's character on Doctor Who.
- Speaking of Jenny, that conversation she had with Liza where they complimented each other's looks and talked about being in front of the camera? Blech. Much too unrealistic. I think that was the part I was reading when my boyfriend asked why I was making such a horrible face at my book.
So to sum up, even if you're a Sudoku nut, don't bother with this book. There are much better cozies out there.
February 12, 2012
Book #28 read in 2008
This was the first in a series that I picked up only because of the sudoku puzzles. In the end, I didn't even try the puzzles because I was so annoyed with the book. The characters were unlikable and uninteresting, and the plot was disjointed. I will not pick up another one from this series. Maybe someone else will have better luck with the book - I will look to pass this on.
Sent to a bookcrosser
This was the first in a series that I picked up only because of the sudoku puzzles. In the end, I didn't even try the puzzles because I was so annoyed with the book. The characters were unlikable and uninteresting, and the plot was disjointed. I will not pick up another one from this series. Maybe someone else will have better luck with the book - I will look to pass this on.
Sent to a bookcrosser
January 18, 2020
Giving this a generous 3. I'm happy that it was a fast read!
December 6, 2009
I like to work sudoku puzzles - altho I admit to extreme frustration at times and go to the electronic game that lets you know if your guess is incorrect (Yeh! it's cheating!!). This book has clues and sample sudoku puzzles (with a solution key at the end), so if I get really frustrated I can sneak-a-peek for a little help, and the clues were actually very helpful in seeing all the logical ways of solving the puzzles.
Liza, the heroine of the story, creates sudoku puzzles & writes a column for her local newspaper. The story starts with her participation in a sudoku competition, and one of the contestants is killed that night. She, of course, gets drawn into the search for whodunit. It's a cute cozy mystery. The Sodu-cues, as she calls them, and the puzzles salted throughout made this a 3.5* for me.
Liza, the heroine of the story, creates sudoku puzzles & writes a column for her local newspaper. The story starts with her participation in a sudoku competition, and one of the contestants is killed that night. She, of course, gets drawn into the search for whodunit. It's a cute cozy mystery. The Sodu-cues, as she calls them, and the puzzles salted throughout made this a 3.5* for me.
February 2, 2008
Eh. There's a lot of interesting tips and dialogue about sudoku, but the mystery itself was often sidelined by all the puzzle-solving. There's plenty of "cozy" mysteries out there about all sorts of jobs/hobbies, so I may move on to another series next time.
September 15, 2024
I will be getting rid of this because I this was not no 'cozy' mystery that I was told it was by someone. I got this at friends of library sale last year and thought it would be cool since it has Sudoku and you solve murder mystery using the numbers logic. WRONG WRONG WRONG. It was going good until religion was thrown in there.
There was no warning on the book or when I looked at how it's categorized on here either. You can bet your bottom dollar I checked more than once. I wouldn't have picked it up if I had known either. I also didn't like the actual murderer coming out of left field when they had hinted at so many other people. Sorry, I won't be reading the rest of the series either and one of them that said something about ghosts sounded good, but I won't subject myself to this.
Liza writes columns telling people about Sudoku and she also writes her own ones for the newspaper she works for. She's a publicist as well even though she claims she's out the biz the one she works for drags her back in when getting someone knew that Liza finds to be in acting.
I thought that the part on the Sudoku leading to solving not just one but multiple murders that happened over the course of time was neat until the bible was thrown in the mix, sorry, but no. They could have used another book or even a key inside something else to make that work more than what they did with this. Didn't like the ex showing up either. They could have gotten someone else to help besides him.
Of course like usual Liza wasn't believed when she found the clues that Derrick told her about before he was killed. (That's not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book.) Well Liza and her now boss at newspaper teamed up and went and proved what they had found when the detective wouldn't do anything. Typical. I know this was in 2007, but don't care things could have been better. Thank god the dog didn't die. I liked Kevin, but didn't like that he was thrown in there by the elderly neighbor trying to force Liza to be with him. That I despise.
There was no warning on the book or when I looked at how it's categorized on here either. You can bet your bottom dollar I checked more than once. I wouldn't have picked it up if I had known either. I also didn't like the actual murderer coming out of left field when they had hinted at so many other people. Sorry, I won't be reading the rest of the series either and one of them that said something about ghosts sounded good, but I won't subject myself to this.
Liza writes columns telling people about Sudoku and she also writes her own ones for the newspaper she works for. She's a publicist as well even though she claims she's out the biz the one she works for drags her back in when getting someone knew that Liza finds to be in acting.
I thought that the part on the Sudoku leading to solving not just one but multiple murders that happened over the course of time was neat until the bible was thrown in the mix, sorry, but no. They could have used another book or even a key inside something else to make that work more than what they did with this. Didn't like the ex showing up either. They could have gotten someone else to help besides him.
Of course like usual Liza wasn't believed when she found the clues that Derrick told her about before he was killed. (That's not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book.) Well Liza and her now boss at newspaper teamed up and went and proved what they had found when the detective wouldn't do anything. Typical. I know this was in 2007, but don't care things could have been better. Thank god the dog didn't die. I liked Kevin, but didn't like that he was thrown in there by the elderly neighbor trying to force Liza to be with him. That I despise.
October 15, 2019
For my birthday, my daughter gave me a stack of books that she had put together from various charity and secondhand shops. Most of them were from my wish list, but there were a couple of 'wild cards' in there too. This book was one of the wild cards.
It was an interesting choice as I absolutely loathe sudoku! (I'm much more of a word puzzle fan.) However, I do like a good murder mystery/conspiracy theory/coded messages story, so she thought she'd take a chance on it.
I really wanted to like it more than I did. The idea of messages being sent via puzzles in a newspaper seems like a good basis for a story. However, it got off to a slow start and the sudoku tournament really dragged for me. After that, the pace picked up, but the whole thing just seemed a bit clunky and disjointed. The writing style just wasn't to my taste but I was invested enough that I wanted to find out how it ended. Sadly, the solution and ending seemed rather rushed and I was left with a feeling of anticlimax.
This is my first time reading a book of this kind and I know there are many fans of the genre out there who will enjoy it far more than me. On the whole, I'm glad it was in with my birthday books as I would never have picked it up myself, but I feel it's good to try something new once in a while.
It was an interesting choice as I absolutely loathe sudoku! (I'm much more of a word puzzle fan.) However, I do like a good murder mystery/conspiracy theory/coded messages story, so she thought she'd take a chance on it.
I really wanted to like it more than I did. The idea of messages being sent via puzzles in a newspaper seems like a good basis for a story. However, it got off to a slow start and the sudoku tournament really dragged for me. After that, the pace picked up, but the whole thing just seemed a bit clunky and disjointed. The writing style just wasn't to my taste but I was invested enough that I wanted to find out how it ended. Sadly, the solution and ending seemed rather rushed and I was left with a feeling of anticlimax.
This is my first time reading a book of this kind and I know there are many fans of the genre out there who will enjoy it far more than me. On the whole, I'm glad it was in with my birthday books as I would never have picked it up myself, but I feel it's good to try something new once in a while.
June 21, 2020
In “Death by Sudoku” by Kay Morgan sets her tale on the Oregon coast in a small village (Maiden’s Bay) where working the puzzles is basically an addiction for Liza Kelly, who creates the puzzles for the local publication, the Oregon Daily.
And as this is a cozy murder mystery, we’ve got to have a body! Liza (with a z) enters a sudoku tournament (yes, they exist, big time) and before she can fill in the first numbers, voila, her longtime friend and competitor is found dead! The friend had just told her that there were hidden clues with news story connections embedded in the puzzles. And before you can count to nine, the game is on! In so doing, of course, she involves the immediate world: her editor, her estranged husband, and an old high school boyfriend. (Yes, these complications retard the final solution, needless to say! But, hey, basically harmless!)
To be fair, of course, while the book is indeed a quick read (and with funny tidbits and helpful hints on how to work sudoku puzzles), it’s not much of a challenge on the “literary meter,” but for those of us not expert in these puzzles, it does provide a good background, all while Liza figure out the clues—and, of course, solves the puzzle, er, murders.
And as this is a cozy murder mystery, we’ve got to have a body! Liza (with a z) enters a sudoku tournament (yes, they exist, big time) and before she can fill in the first numbers, voila, her longtime friend and competitor is found dead! The friend had just told her that there were hidden clues with news story connections embedded in the puzzles. And before you can count to nine, the game is on! In so doing, of course, she involves the immediate world: her editor, her estranged husband, and an old high school boyfriend. (Yes, these complications retard the final solution, needless to say! But, hey, basically harmless!)
To be fair, of course, while the book is indeed a quick read (and with funny tidbits and helpful hints on how to work sudoku puzzles), it’s not much of a challenge on the “literary meter,” but for those of us not expert in these puzzles, it does provide a good background, all while Liza figure out the clues—and, of course, solves the puzzle, er, murders.
March 19, 2020
I'm glad this was a quick read because frankly I wanted it over with. I like a good cozy mystery and even one focused on a hobby but as someone who doesn't know a thing about Sudoku I'm not entirely sure why I picked this one up.
**Light spoilers ahead**
This book was a bit all over the place in my opinion, a bit scatterbrained in some parts and rather unrealistic with some major leaps in logic as well. I know to keep a book like this moving things happen fast and all at once but this felt like a different level. At one point she is worried about her dog, and while we learn he will be ok when things get moving we literally never mention him again (or pick him up from the vet?). The Sudoku puzzle to bible references felt odd and the leap poorly explained (that might have to do with me not knowing Sudoku though). Overall I was not impressed even as someone who generally likes this type of book (hobby based cozy mysteries). And while this is setup like the beginning of a series I'm not really sure how it would continue based on how this one ended...and I don't plan on finding out.
**Light spoilers ahead**
This book was a bit all over the place in my opinion, a bit scatterbrained in some parts and rather unrealistic with some major leaps in logic as well. I know to keep a book like this moving things happen fast and all at once but this felt like a different level. At one point she is worried about her dog, and while we learn he will be ok when things get moving we literally never mention him again (or pick him up from the vet?). The Sudoku puzzle to bible references felt odd and the leap poorly explained (that might have to do with me not knowing Sudoku though). Overall I was not impressed even as someone who generally likes this type of book (hobby based cozy mysteries). And while this is setup like the beginning of a series I'm not really sure how it would continue based on how this one ended...and I don't plan on finding out.
May 6, 2017
I picked this book up because it was short, looked to be a light mystery, and I didn't really understand Sudoku and had never attempted it. The puzzles are integrated well into the book, and they include enough hints that the puzzles are doable even for someone who has never done one before. The actual plot of this book was a bit silly, involving a publicist/columnist, a TV star, an ingénue, a couple washed-up ex-football guys, and a ridiculous terrorist group. There are sub-plots involving a dog, office politics, and a small town love triangle. None of these is particularly engaging, but they're not totally boring either.
In the back of this book I saw that the publisher offers other mystery series aimed at similar audiences: One focused on quilting by Eugene Fowler, scrapbooking by Laura Childs, and two completely independent knitting series by Maggie Sefton and Monica Ferris. So if you're in the mood for a goofy hobby-based mystery, they've got you covered.
In the back of this book I saw that the publisher offers other mystery series aimed at similar audiences: One focused on quilting by Eugene Fowler, scrapbooking by Laura Childs, and two completely independent knitting series by Maggie Sefton and Monica Ferris. So if you're in the mood for a goofy hobby-based mystery, they've got you covered.
January 15, 2022
The scale of this mystery is just too huge and widely geographically spanning to comfortably fit into such a short little book. I could accept the slightly contrived "Hollywood talent agent turned sudoku columnist in a love triangle" angle - hey, a little wish fulfillment is fine - but only if the story has a satisfying payoff, and this one doesn't. For all the characters introduced, the Big Bad ends up being someone unrelated and nameless until the final chapter.
This book is clearly gearing up for a series, but honestly, there's not enough here to make me invested enough to even see if there's a part two. The story spends too much time on the half-baked right wing terrorist plot (yes, seriously) to really develop the characters, but also too much time introducing new characters to invest in the mystery.
This book is clearly gearing up for a series, but honestly, there's not enough here to make me invested enough to even see if there's a part two. The story spends too much time on the half-baked right wing terrorist plot (yes, seriously) to really develop the characters, but also too much time introducing new characters to invest in the mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2019
More than a good first effort, this cozy could hold its own with an awful lot of more published authors. Manages to combine a readable mystery with not just sudoku puzzles but also tips for solving the puzzles, ranked from easy first techniques to quite complex ones.
February 5, 2019
Boring. I won't be reading this series again.
May 8, 2019
I kept falling asleep when reading.
June 10, 2019
Unexpectedly good! Good twist to the solution.
June 8, 2020
Someone is sending messages coded in Sudoku.
After a friend reveals this he is murdered and Lisa investigates and solves the mystery.
Insight into Sudoku tournaments and solving puzzles.
After a friend reveals this he is murdered and Lisa investigates and solves the mystery.
Insight into Sudoku tournaments and solving puzzles.
June 30, 2025
Oh so cheesy…
September 19, 2012
I love a good cozy mystery and something little to read, so I picked up this book at a local discount store as we were headed to the airport for a trip to New York, figuring this would be good lite reading for the plane.
Death by Sudoku is billed as the first book in a brand new series, and after reading the book, I am not sure how the series can or will continue, but as the first book it was pretty good.
We met, Lisa, who has been a publicist in Hollywood for a number of years, but after the recent death in her family, she has left her estranged husband, moved back to the family home, and begun writing sudoku puzzles and articles about the craft of solving the puzzles, under an assumed name in that small town. She is lured back to Hollywood by a friend to compete in a Sudoku tournament, where she runs into a "washed up" actor friend, and finds that he believes someone is sending messages in a certain papers sudoku puzzles, when the guy turns up deceased the next morning, Lisa feels she has to take him seriously and discover what has happened and why.
The story is pretty well written and it does use more brain power to figure out the sudoku angle, and for plane reading i was great, especially since we were stuck in Baltimore on the way to New York and the way home both. If I find the second book, I would have to give it a try, but t the moment, I am happy with it as a single book.
Death by Sudoku is billed as the first book in a brand new series, and after reading the book, I am not sure how the series can or will continue, but as the first book it was pretty good.
We met, Lisa, who has been a publicist in Hollywood for a number of years, but after the recent death in her family, she has left her estranged husband, moved back to the family home, and begun writing sudoku puzzles and articles about the craft of solving the puzzles, under an assumed name in that small town. She is lured back to Hollywood by a friend to compete in a Sudoku tournament, where she runs into a "washed up" actor friend, and finds that he believes someone is sending messages in a certain papers sudoku puzzles, when the guy turns up deceased the next morning, Lisa feels she has to take him seriously and discover what has happened and why.
The story is pretty well written and it does use more brain power to figure out the sudoku angle, and for plane reading i was great, especially since we were stuck in Baltimore on the way to New York and the way home both. If I find the second book, I would have to give it a try, but t the moment, I am happy with it as a single book.
May 25, 2010
Liza Kelly left Hollywood to get a break. She went from a publicist to the stars to Liza K, Sudoku specialist for an Oregon newspaper. Only when she returns to LA for a Sudoku tournament does her life get back in the fast lane. One of her good friends is killed after he tells her he thinks there are clues to some crazy news stories embedded in the Sudoku puzzles. Now, she takes the puzzle by the horns and is forced to help once it gets personal. Along with her editor, her estranged husband and her high school boyfriend, she has to get down to solving business before more people die.
I picked up this book because I love Sudoku. My dad got me hooked on it a few summers ago. I don’t just stop at Sudoku though, I love crosswords and word searches and you name it, I’ve got a book for it. I was actually surprised how much I learned about the number puzzle in this book. There were solving tips and little explainers on how to get the hard ones. And that was on top of the drama and death.
I definitely liked this book and will pick up the rest of the series. It was written well, kept me on my toes trying to figure out the murders and the puzzles and made me feel like less of a nerd knowing there are other goobers out there who are puzzle dorks.
I give Death by Sudoku 5 bookmarks.
I picked up this book because I love Sudoku. My dad got me hooked on it a few summers ago. I don’t just stop at Sudoku though, I love crosswords and word searches and you name it, I’ve got a book for it. I was actually surprised how much I learned about the number puzzle in this book. There were solving tips and little explainers on how to get the hard ones. And that was on top of the drama and death.
I definitely liked this book and will pick up the rest of the series. It was written well, kept me on my toes trying to figure out the murders and the puzzles and made me feel like less of a nerd knowing there are other goobers out there who are puzzle dorks.
I give Death by Sudoku 5 bookmarks.
February 11, 2009
Okay, I have a new definition of fluff reading now.
I had read some other Goodread reviews, so I decided to skim over the Sudoku-solving exposition. Other than that, it was a perfectly fine fluffy mystery.
If the writer isn't familiar with the Pacific Northwest, she didn't make any gaffes. I expect that Californians (especially those in the south) will chafe at the overuse of "La-La Land" for L.A.
The Big City Po-leece were written in less than one dimension - in fact, the first scenes involving the police were almost enough to make me put the book away. There was no reason for the main character to believe that she would be accused of the crime, no reason for the cops to be hard-asses and treat her like she was a suspect, blah, blah, blah. I'm not even sure what plot device it served.
Even having said that, I enjoyed the book.
I had read some other Goodread reviews, so I decided to skim over the Sudoku-solving exposition. Other than that, it was a perfectly fine fluffy mystery.
If the writer isn't familiar with the Pacific Northwest, she didn't make any gaffes. I expect that Californians (especially those in the south) will chafe at the overuse of "La-La Land" for L.A.
The Big City Po-leece were written in less than one dimension - in fact, the first scenes involving the police were almost enough to make me put the book away. There was no reason for the main character to believe that she would be accused of the crime, no reason for the cops to be hard-asses and treat her like she was a suspect, blah, blah, blah. I'm not even sure what plot device it served.
Even having said that, I enjoyed the book.
January 28, 2016
Liza Kelly was a publicist in Hollywood but after splitting with her husband she moved to her hometown in Oregon and now writes a sudoku column and creates sudoku puzzles for the local newspaper. Liza travels back to California for a sudoku tournament and runs into an actor pal Derrick Robbins. Derrick tells her he believes someone is sending coded messages through sudoku puzzles in a Seattle paper. When Derrick is murdered Liza decides to investigate the coded sudoku puzzles. There isn't a huge mystery in the book but there is a nice minor romance that likely continues into the next book in the series. I did like the tips on sudoku puzzles. I like doing sudoku but never read techniques on how to solve the more complex ones before.
October 4, 2019
This super-fast read got me through a long flight home. It had some personal character stuff that set up the series well if the reader wanted to continue but the mystery itself stands alone if the reader wanted to stop here. I'm not against reading more if I come across them but probably won't go out of my way to find them.
I like Sudoku puzzles and the tips on how to solve challenging ones were a nice bonus. The actual puzzles scattered throughout the book probably would be nice for some people as well but not for me - I bought a used copy so they were already complete but even if they weren't, I'm not sure I could get past my ingrained bias against writing in books to do them (maybe in pencil, haha).
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
I like Sudoku puzzles and the tips on how to solve challenging ones were a nice bonus. The actual puzzles scattered throughout the book probably would be nice for some people as well but not for me - I bought a used copy so they were already complete but even if they weren't, I'm not sure I could get past my ingrained bias against writing in books to do them (maybe in pencil, haha).
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
February 6, 2013
One thing I will say about this book is its definite statement that I am definitely not numerically swift. The oh so easy sudoku puzzle is still sitting unfinished and I couldn't really fathom the logic of the techniques they explained. The story was interesting but the competition was a little strange, definitely not something to draw viewers. Do they really have competitions like that? Probably, since every interest has its own type of public performance. I think you really have to enjoy sudoku to enjoy this series (if it is a series now). Oh, and the cover is completely accurate to the text. I'm becoming quite sensitive to cover art it seems.
July 21, 2009
An enjoyable first book in a the cozy Sudoku Mystery series. The main character is likable as are the supporting characters. I enjoyed the coded Sudoku puzzles part of the mystery and overall it was a quick fun read. I like the two men in Liza's life. Not sure which I would choose for her but look forward to getting to know them both a little more. Love Mrs. H, Liza's matchmaking next door neighbor. Looking forward to reading #2 to see where the author goes with the story.
July 1, 2014
Liza Kelly is a public relations woman in Los Angeles, and trying to leave the pressure of the job behind by becoming a sudoku columnist for an Oregon newspaper. She attends a Sudoku tournament and runs into an old friend, Derrick Robbins, an actor, who is found dead outside his home. Derrick tipped her off to a conspiracy sending messages via Sukoku puzzles.
Lightweight mystery that includes puzzles and lots on tips on how to solve them.
Lightweight mystery that includes puzzles and lots on tips on how to solve them.
July 20, 2013
It was a fairly decent book, if not a little predictable. One thing that really bothered me about the book was how much attention was given to solving the sudoku puzzles in the beginning, even though it had nothing to do with the plot. Is it too much to ask that people just write "I solved the sudoku; it was much to easy and I was finished in minutes"? I don't want to read "I wrote a six in the second box in the first square".
But, all in all, the book was fairly enjoyable.
But, all in all, the book was fairly enjoyable.
December 27, 2008
A good first cozy by author Kaye Morgan about a former LA publicist that becomes involved with the sudoku world and is carrying on a "secret" life that most of LA doesn't know about.
Of course someone dies and she gets involved in solving the crime. It was a good book, would probably give it 3.5 stars. I would be interested in checking out a 2nd in this series.
Of course someone dies and she gets involved in solving the crime. It was a good book, would probably give it 3.5 stars. I would be interested in checking out a 2nd in this series.
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