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Sudoku Mystery #2
Murder By Numbers
Puzzle master Liza Kelly must sharpen her pencil-and her wits-to solve a calculated killing. Second in the Sudoku mystery series--from the author of Death by Sudoku.
Taking on the role of publicist puts Liza in the center of the action on the production of the film Counterfeit, where inflated egos and artistic temperaments clash both on set and off. But when one of the film's major players is found dead, Sudoku Maven Liza realizes that the numbers don't quite add up. Now it's up to her to investigate the cast and crew in order to determine just who wrote this death scene.
Taking on the role of publicist puts Liza in the center of the action on the production of the film Counterfeit, where inflated egos and artistic temperaments clash both on set and off. But when one of the film's major players is found dead, Sudoku Maven Liza realizes that the numbers don't quite add up. Now it's up to her to investigate the cast and crew in order to determine just who wrote this death scene.
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 2, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 24, 2022
2.5 stars. I did not read the first book so that might be part of the problem. But I had trouble keeping all the characters straight and at times the action.
December 23, 2015
Maybe it's because I didn't read the first one (I bought this one at a library book sale for 25 cents not knowing anything about it), but I could not get into this book. I made multiple attempts before I just gave up. Since I didn't read the first one, I had no real clue as to who most of the characters were and by the time I got to the 8th chapter, I didn't care so I put the book down. I'm not sure I'm interested enough to even go back and read the first one.
July 5, 2016
Nice little mystery that seemed to pick up not long after the first book ended (it's been a while since I read the first one but this is what it seemed like to me). I didn't figure it out ahead of time but I did get a weird vibe from the culprit. Good story.
April 21, 2009
Second book in this series. Doesn't advance characters much. Plot OK. Some stilted writing that a better editor could have helped with.
July 5, 2009
Couldn't get into it. Did not finish.
October 2, 2011
The second in the series - an ok mystery. The writing is pretty poor. Not sure if I will bother with the next.
May 17, 2020
I have to admit that the sudoku puzzles are very districting.
I kept stopping to pick up a sudoku book and dash off several at the strangest times in this plot.
There is a TON of references to book one, which I have not read.
There is a film location in Maiden's Bay Oregon that has the town folk all excited. When sabotage stops production and the payment for locations and extra's is delayed because the movie is not complete, these same town folk become restless. There is physical damage to several stores and the body buried in the sandy beach has drowned.
Liza is there to help her client Jenny get through the outrageous changes the new director is making. She hops on several planes to do investigating in Santa Barbara, where the previous book was located. Beyond this she is repeatedly questioning the neighbors and letting the local police have the information. They in turn share with her. She has both her soon to be ex husband and former boyfriend in town, but the ex husband is not acting much like an ex.
This has a small town feel and there are a lot of characters to like.
I enjoyed this and plan to read book three which I already own.
I received a copy of this as a Christmas present in 2009.
I kept stopping to pick up a sudoku book and dash off several at the strangest times in this plot.
There is a TON of references to book one, which I have not read.
There is a film location in Maiden's Bay Oregon that has the town folk all excited. When sabotage stops production and the payment for locations and extra's is delayed because the movie is not complete, these same town folk become restless. There is physical damage to several stores and the body buried in the sandy beach has drowned.
Liza is there to help her client Jenny get through the outrageous changes the new director is making. She hops on several planes to do investigating in Santa Barbara, where the previous book was located. Beyond this she is repeatedly questioning the neighbors and letting the local police have the information. They in turn share with her. She has both her soon to be ex husband and former boyfriend in town, but the ex husband is not acting much like an ex.
This has a small town feel and there are a lot of characters to like.
I enjoyed this and plan to read book three which I already own.
I received a copy of this as a Christmas present in 2009.
January 30, 2021
It helps to have read the first book as many references were made to it.
April 30, 2013
Liza is a publicist and a sudoku passionate, who after getting tired of Hollywood life decided to go back to the small town where she grew up, Maiden's Bay. Jenny is a young actress, represented by Liza, who had a really bad experience in Mayden's Bay, experience a director is set to use to give more dimension to her interpretation in a movie that is filmed on location. Liza needs all her talents to help Jenny when one of the movie's major is found dead...
Liza write a column on sudoku in the local newspaper and one of these columns is provided at the beginning of each chapter of the book, which I enjoy. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this time, the fun was not as present. Some of the characters were weak (I guess playing with somebody's head is not as easy to render in a cozy book as the author thought) and I had a hard time with the end of the book (not the solution itself, but rather how the guilty was outed by Liza). I will probably check for the third at the library anyway.
Liza write a column on sudoku in the local newspaper and one of these columns is provided at the beginning of each chapter of the book, which I enjoy. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this time, the fun was not as present. Some of the characters were weak (I guess playing with somebody's head is not as easy to render in a cozy book as the author thought) and I had a hard time with the end of the book (not the solution itself, but rather how the guilty was outed by Liza). I will probably check for the third at the library anyway.
August 27, 2013
Perhaps I'm being unfair about this book because I started on the second book in the series. But it was a gift, so I thought I'd try it. There was a jumble of characters right off the bat. I think the author was trying to summarize what went on in the first book, but it was too much at once with no context. I've read books where there is basically a recap of what went on in the prior book of the series. But this was disjointed and confusing. I got through three chapters before deciding that life is too short to waste on books you don't enjoy.
July 25, 2009
I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first book in the series. The mystery in this one really had nothing to do with Soduko, and in itself was not that interesting. Liza's thought process in trying to figure out who done it was rather drawn out and repetitive. Will continue with the series to see how the next book is, but was not overly impressed with this one.
July 25, 2008
I'm not sure what possessed me to pick up this book other than it was on the "staff recommends" shelf at the library and it took place on the Oregon Coast. It was so-so. I'm not sure why I finished it as I have a pile of way more promising books on my nightstand!
February 10, 2008
The first book was interesting enough that I decided to give the second a try.
May 19, 2008
A mystery and sudoku puzzles...what more could you want.
October 21, 2008
Excellent murder mystery - there are 4 actual suduko puzzles in the book, however, you do not need to complete the puzzles to solve the mystery! A new twist on murder mysteries. Very enjoyable!
March 22, 2009
I really want to like this series but I'm having a hard time relating to the characters. *sigh*
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July 6, 2009I thought this series was boring. I finished this one and only got through a short part of book 2 before I decided not to read anymore.
Maybe if I was in to Sudoku I would have liked it more.
Maybe if I was in to Sudoku I would have liked it more.
November 12, 2011
What a snore! I was surprised at how difficult it was to make myself finish this one. I expected a fun, fluffy mystery and got the complete opposite. Run far, far away!
April 1, 2013
Very little character development. The sudoku angle did not play a role until the very end and even then, it was very far fetched. This is book 2 in the series and I won't be reading 3-5.
March 5, 2016
I had a hard time getting into this book. The ebb and flow of the story just wasn't there. I kept putting it down and taking a break from it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews