What do you think?
Rate this book
Puzzle Lady #1
A Clue for the Puzzle Lady
Miss Cora Felton is an eccentric old lady with a syndicated puzzle column, an irresistible urge to poke into unsettling events, and a niece who’s determined to keep her out of trouble.
When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the cemetery in the quiet town of Bakerhaven, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. A baffling clue leads him to consult Bakerhaven’s resident puzzle expert—his first big mistake. Soon Cora’s meddling, mischief-making behavior drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece, Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer—before she winds up in a wooden box three feet across…and six down.
When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the cemetery in the quiet town of Bakerhaven, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. A baffling clue leads him to consult Bakerhaven’s resident puzzle expert—his first big mistake. Soon Cora’s meddling, mischief-making behavior drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece, Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer—before she winds up in a wooden box three feet across…and six down.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 2, 1999
163 people are currently reading
1978 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
April 7, 2012
I've seen the Puzzle Lady books several times in cozy mystery lists and decided to give it a go. The mystery was simplistic and easily solved. So easily that I kept hoping there would be an interesting twist to liven it up. Alas. No joy.
What no review I've read about this series mentioned is that the protagonist is an unapologetic alcoholic. Not an interesting chain-smoking drunk but a "I have blackouts and don't give a damn" alcoholic who drives drunk and verbally abuses her caretaker niece. The niece is a full blown enabler. Not only her, but friends and even the town sheriff excuse and overlook her binges. Because she solves mysteries.
If, towards the end of this first in the series, there had been any hint that this raging alcoholic would begin to control her irresponsible drinking or that her friends and family would take steps, I might ... that is MIGHT ... consider reading another in this series. But this was never addressed.
As a child, sister, and wife of alcoholics ... I am beyond offended.
What no review I've read about this series mentioned is that the protagonist is an unapologetic alcoholic. Not an interesting chain-smoking drunk but a "I have blackouts and don't give a damn" alcoholic who drives drunk and verbally abuses her caretaker niece. The niece is a full blown enabler. Not only her, but friends and even the town sheriff excuse and overlook her binges. Because she solves mysteries.
If, towards the end of this first in the series, there had been any hint that this raging alcoholic would begin to control her irresponsible drinking or that her friends and family would take steps, I might ... that is MIGHT ... consider reading another in this series. But this was never addressed.
As a child, sister, and wife of alcoholics ... I am beyond offended.
November 9, 2019
DNF I don’t know where to start with this. It is so poorly written. There are actual entire chapters that are just dialogue with *maybe* one or two “he said” or “she said” sprinkled in. Maybe.
“TV month opposite give” is not a crossword clue for “sweepstakes.”It is nonsense. I didn’t even try the one in the front because I couldn’t trust the clues, considering they think that is a good clue. Which is a shame, because I love crosswords. That’s why I started this series. I doubt this author knows anything about writing crossword clues.
But, the worst part, what made me drop out, was the CONSTANT use of characters full names. “Cora Felton” appears 337 times in a (as set up on my ereader) 324 page book. 104% of pages have the main character’s full name. This is the case for every character. It is intolerable. 90% of the time a character’s name is used it will be their full name (There is even a character who is only in one scene, which lasts 3 pages and her full name appears 7 times). For every character. It’s like the author was trying to stretch it out and add words and the best way to do that (aside from you know... developing the pages and pages of straight dialogue more) was to find and replace every character name with their full name. It’s almost impossible to focus on what your reading because all you can read is character’s names over and over.
Additionally, the author doesn’t seem to like any of the characters (except the reporter who’s very obviously a self-insert and he’s so Smart) and seems to go out of the way to make them look bad. Police chief is a bumbling fool. Cora Felton is a drunk fraud, which is an absolute shame. I was super psyched for an old lady who doesn’t care what people think, has fun nights out, writes crossword puzzles, and for a good time solves murders and that was not what I got. Cora Felton deserved better.
“TV month opposite give” is not a crossword clue for “sweepstakes.”It is nonsense. I didn’t even try the one in the front because I couldn’t trust the clues, considering they think that is a good clue. Which is a shame, because I love crosswords. That’s why I started this series. I doubt this author knows anything about writing crossword clues.
But, the worst part, what made me drop out, was the CONSTANT use of characters full names. “Cora Felton” appears 337 times in a (as set up on my ereader) 324 page book. 104% of pages have the main character’s full name. This is the case for every character. It is intolerable. 90% of the time a character’s name is used it will be their full name (There is even a character who is only in one scene, which lasts 3 pages and her full name appears 7 times). For every character. It’s like the author was trying to stretch it out and add words and the best way to do that (aside from you know... developing the pages and pages of straight dialogue more) was to find and replace every character name with their full name. It’s almost impossible to focus on what your reading because all you can read is character’s names over and over.
Additionally, the author doesn’t seem to like any of the characters (except the reporter who’s very obviously a self-insert and he’s so Smart) and seems to go out of the way to make them look bad. Police chief is a bumbling fool. Cora Felton is a drunk fraud, which is an absolute shame. I was super psyched for an old lady who doesn’t care what people think, has fun nights out, writes crossword puzzles, and for a good time solves murders and that was not what I got. Cora Felton deserved better.
January 11, 2009
I have thoroughly enjoyed all the puzzle lady books. I love old ladies as a protagonists and I particularly enjoy ornery old ladies who do what they shouldn't. Cora Felton is great. The books are lighthearted and fun. I think the puzzles are a nice addition.
May 10, 2012
This is the first book in the puzzle lady series. I liked it so much, I read it in 2 days. It's a good little cozy with a "not so typical" female slueth.
Cruciverbalists, rejoice!!! Pick up a pencil and get ready to solve the puzzle--and a puzzling murder--in this lively debut of a unique amateur detective, Miss Cora Felton, the reigning queen of crosswords. Cora's an eccentric old lady with a nationally syndicated puzzle column, an irresistible urge to poke into unsettling events, and a niece who's determined to keep her out of trouble. In a slyly amusing and wickedly suspenseful mystery, this delightful heroine takes her first crack at playing sleuth. Only this isn't fun and games....It's murder.
Violent crime is rare in tiny Bakerhaven. When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the local cemetery, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. Nothing about this case is straightforward. Even a thorough search of the crime scene fails to reveal who she was, the murder weapon, or why the killer left her body in a graveyard minus her shoes. A cryptic message on a scrap of paper she carried seems to be a crossword puzzle clue. Could it have been left by the killer? If so, what does it mean?
Fortunately for Harper, Bakerhaven is the new home of Miss Cora Felton, the famed "Puzzle Lady" herself, whose popular crossword puzzle column graces newspapers nationwide. Yet bringing Cora Felton into this case could be his most costly mistake. For though she may look like someone's sweet old grandmother, behind those twinkling eyes and that slightly mysterious smile lies a woman with a whopping secret...and some hidden vices. What's worse, one whiff of mystery turns Miss Felton into a modern-day Miss Marple.
Now Cora is snooping through crime scenes, questioning witnesses, and gaining a lot of unwanted attention. It's just the sort of meddling, mischief-making behavior that drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer--before she winds up in a black box three feet across...and six down.
A delicious brew of colorful characters, irresistible intrigue, and dazzling plot twists, Parnell Hall's A Clue for the Puzzle Lady is just what a mystery should be--a generous helping of fun and a puzzle that never fails to surprise and entertain.
Cruciverbalists, rejoice!!! Pick up a pencil and get ready to solve the puzzle--and a puzzling murder--in this lively debut of a unique amateur detective, Miss Cora Felton, the reigning queen of crosswords. Cora's an eccentric old lady with a nationally syndicated puzzle column, an irresistible urge to poke into unsettling events, and a niece who's determined to keep her out of trouble. In a slyly amusing and wickedly suspenseful mystery, this delightful heroine takes her first crack at playing sleuth. Only this isn't fun and games....It's murder.
Violent crime is rare in tiny Bakerhaven. When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the local cemetery, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. Nothing about this case is straightforward. Even a thorough search of the crime scene fails to reveal who she was, the murder weapon, or why the killer left her body in a graveyard minus her shoes. A cryptic message on a scrap of paper she carried seems to be a crossword puzzle clue. Could it have been left by the killer? If so, what does it mean?
Fortunately for Harper, Bakerhaven is the new home of Miss Cora Felton, the famed "Puzzle Lady" herself, whose popular crossword puzzle column graces newspapers nationwide. Yet bringing Cora Felton into this case could be his most costly mistake. For though she may look like someone's sweet old grandmother, behind those twinkling eyes and that slightly mysterious smile lies a woman with a whopping secret...and some hidden vices. What's worse, one whiff of mystery turns Miss Felton into a modern-day Miss Marple.
Now Cora is snooping through crime scenes, questioning witnesses, and gaining a lot of unwanted attention. It's just the sort of meddling, mischief-making behavior that drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer--before she winds up in a black box three feet across...and six down.
A delicious brew of colorful characters, irresistible intrigue, and dazzling plot twists, Parnell Hall's A Clue for the Puzzle Lady is just what a mystery should be--a generous helping of fun and a puzzle that never fails to surprise and entertain.
July 2, 2017
This was an okay read. The story was quick and good. The characters were good, and the writing was good as well. I thought it was a bit confusing. There are some parts that were boring, while other parts were intriguing. The ending was good, but I was also a bit confused. I can't wait to see what will happen as the series continues. Overall, an alright read.
August 28, 2011
The mystery was OK but the Puzzle Lady is an unpleasant alcoholic. I wouldn't care to read anything else with her as a major character.
March 25, 2016
The murdered body of an unknown girl is found in a cemetery in the middle of the night. She holds a slip of paper on which is written what appears to be a crossword puzzle clue, so police chief Dale Harper brings it to Cora Felton, a newcomer to Bakerhaven (Connecticut) who publishes a national newspaper column called The Puzzle Lady. Cora is a fall-down drunk with a nose for a mystery, and soon Dale, Cora, and the Puzzle Lady’s niece Sherry Carter are in pursuit of a killer who seems to be toying with them, who doesn’t stop at just one victim. An aggressive newspaper reporter with something to prove, pushy TV camera crews, a teenaged girl with a theory of her own, a violent ex-boyfriend, and a community not so far impressed with the police chief’s work race toward either uncovering the murderer or getting away with it.
In pleasantly short chapters with shifting third-person points of view, Parnell Hall creates an engaging, difficult-to-put-down story with well-defined characters in a story that’s easy to follow but difficult to predict. I’ve been on a bit of a cozy mystery bender lately, and while the genre tends toward a certain sameness (which I am not a complaining about), here is one that stands out stylistically, taking a noticeably different path to its end. While certain linguistic tics take some getting used to (there are a couple of sentence structures that drove me crazy until midway through), A Clue for the Puzzle Lady is the first novel in the genre that had me wishing I could dive immediately into the rest of the series. Although an appreciation for crossword puzzles isn’t necessary for thorough enjoyment, puzzle devotees will find an extra layer of involvement, a kind of challenge within the whodunit challenge that’s extra-engaging. And a lot fun. Highly recommended for mystery lovers.
In pleasantly short chapters with shifting third-person points of view, Parnell Hall creates an engaging, difficult-to-put-down story with well-defined characters in a story that’s easy to follow but difficult to predict. I’ve been on a bit of a cozy mystery bender lately, and while the genre tends toward a certain sameness (which I am not a complaining about), here is one that stands out stylistically, taking a noticeably different path to its end. While certain linguistic tics take some getting used to (there are a couple of sentence structures that drove me crazy until midway through), A Clue for the Puzzle Lady is the first novel in the genre that had me wishing I could dive immediately into the rest of the series. Although an appreciation for crossword puzzles isn’t necessary for thorough enjoyment, puzzle devotees will find an extra layer of involvement, a kind of challenge within the whodunit challenge that’s extra-engaging. And a lot fun. Highly recommended for mystery lovers.
October 5, 2025
Da grande amante dei cruciverba e dei gialli, non potevo farmi sfuggire questo libro che li fonde insieme: un'idea originale che l'autore ha saputo gestire con abilità, creando un cozy mistery piacevole e coinvolgente.
Gli elementi del genere ci sono tutti: un delitto efferato in una rispettabile cittadina in cui tutti si conoscono, una protagonista eccentrica con l'immancabile spalla più posata e pragmatica, in questo caso la nipote, e dei toni leggeri e vagamente ironici; la tensione c'è, ma è più mentale che emotiva. Insomma un prodotto confezionato a puntino e pensato per un target specifico, che non resterà deluso. Il che non significa che sia un'opera priva di difetti: c'è qualche ingenuità di troppo e ogni tanto si nota che la trama è stata tirata per le lunghe, ma soprattutto i dialoghi (in particolare tra i due "giovani") risultano forzati. Non si può trasformare ogni conversazione in duello verbale, è divertente all'inizio ma diventa presto stucchevole.
Sommando pro e contro, però, il bilancio resta positivo: è un giallo senza pretese, a cui non si chiede altro che di intrattenerci per qualche ora e che assolve il compito piuttosto bene, lasciandoci anche la curiosità di leggere i volumi successivi.
Gli elementi del genere ci sono tutti: un delitto efferato in una rispettabile cittadina in cui tutti si conoscono, una protagonista eccentrica con l'immancabile spalla più posata e pragmatica, in questo caso la nipote, e dei toni leggeri e vagamente ironici; la tensione c'è, ma è più mentale che emotiva. Insomma un prodotto confezionato a puntino e pensato per un target specifico, che non resterà deluso. Il che non significa che sia un'opera priva di difetti: c'è qualche ingenuità di troppo e ogni tanto si nota che la trama è stata tirata per le lunghe, ma soprattutto i dialoghi (in particolare tra i due "giovani") risultano forzati. Non si può trasformare ogni conversazione in duello verbale, è divertente all'inizio ma diventa presto stucchevole.
Sommando pro e contro, però, il bilancio resta positivo: è un giallo senza pretese, a cui non si chiede altro che di intrattenerci per qualche ora e che assolve il compito piuttosto bene, lasciandoci anche la curiosità di leggere i volumi successivi.
March 17, 2014
A dead body has been found in the cemetery, but there's a weird note attached to it. Is it a crossword puzzle clue? If so, what does it mean? And can Cora, who doesn't actually write the crossword puzzle column that bears her name, figure it out? I enjoyed this series debut despite Cora's drinking, a vice she gives up a few books down the road. The word play more than made up for it to me.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 2, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I’m not sure if Hallmark is basing their crossword movies on it because I have not watched them. I may have found a new series to read. What started as a cemetery murder of a teenager with an accidental clue blossomed into a crossword puzzle. A case from the past that was supposedly buried was solved and so was the present. Another cozy mystery and it’s not set in an English village.
November 10, 2018
Good first book to the series that kept me guessing. The story was good but everything thing seemed dated and I know it was really just the technology of the time.
April 13, 2016
I can only hope that a small-town police force, confrontated with their first murder investigation, goes for help to the State Police or the FBI, and not to a dysfunctional alcoholic who spends most of her days falling from bar-stools and crawling on all fours to her car!
Nevertheless I gave this series the benefit of the doubt and started reading the sequel, but no, no, NO!!
Nevertheless I gave this series the benefit of the doubt and started reading the sequel, but no, no, NO!!
August 24, 2016
This was such a delightful read. It was witty, fast paced and kept my attention from beginning to end. I thought the personality of some of the characters would start to grate on my nerves but they didn't. All of the characters grew on me and I can't wait to continue on with the Puzzle Lady's adventures...
February 8, 2019
"Cruciverbalists, rejoice! Pick up a pencil and get ready to solve a puzzling murder -- an an actual crossword puzzle -- in this sparkling debut of a unique amateur detective. Miss Cora Felton, an eccentric old lady with a syndicated puzzle column, an irresistible urge to poke into unsettling events, and a niece who's determined to keep her out of trouble.
"When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the cemetery in the quiet town of Bakerhaven, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. A baffling clue leads him to consult Bakerhaven's resident puzzle expert -- his first big mistake. Soon Cora's meddling, mischief-making behavior drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece, Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer -- before she winds up in a wooden box three feet across ... and six down."
~~back cover
A great little mystery -- almost a cozy but better plotted than most of the newer ones. Better characters too.
"When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the cemetery in the quiet town of Bakerhaven, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. A baffling clue leads him to consult Bakerhaven's resident puzzle expert -- his first big mistake. Soon Cora's meddling, mischief-making behavior drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece, Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer -- before she winds up in a wooden box three feet across ... and six down."
~~back cover
A great little mystery -- almost a cozy but better plotted than most of the newer ones. Better characters too.
March 30, 2022
This was a fun read with an interesting concept. While this is the first Puzzle Lady book, at times I felt as if I was missing something. I can see some of the characters being much more developed in the next book(s). If you are a fan of crossword puzzles as well as mysteries, this book is for you!
July 27, 2019
3.5 star rounded up.
A pleasant read.
Sherry Carter has moved to a small town with her aunt, Cora Felton, to escape from her abusive musician husband. No one knows that the famous puzzle lady is actually Sherry, not sweet, white haired Aunt Cora. Cora may be a drunk, and she may not know puzzles, but she is still able to figure out who killed two young women and why.
A pleasant read.
Sherry Carter has moved to a small town with her aunt, Cora Felton, to escape from her abusive musician husband. No one knows that the famous puzzle lady is actually Sherry, not sweet, white haired Aunt Cora. Cora may be a drunk, and she may not know puzzles, but she is still able to figure out who killed two young women and why.
December 31, 2022
This wasn’t predictable. I liked that. I also appreciated the concept. However, I didn’t care for Cora, and Sherry got on my nerves. I loved Aaron and adored the police chief. So, there was a mix of characters I liked and disliked. It was an easy read.
June 10, 2021
Awesome book. Already started reading 2nd book in series.
August 13, 2025
Kind of clever using crossword clues to solve a murder or two. I didn’t think I would like it but I mostly did. Apparently the author has a couple other series but not available at my library.
October 4, 2025
The people in this book are unbelievably stupid and unbelievably unbelievable.
March 24, 2025
One of the best cozy mysteries that I've read in a long time. These are characters that are flawed but funny and lovable. I found the addition of a "puzzle" to the mystery to be an intriguing asset.
June 9, 2020
The second star is solely because the mystery was actually somewhat interesting. I had no real expectations going into this except to be entertained by a mystery. Well that basic expectation was reached.
The writing however left a lot to be desired and is an English major’s nightmare. Two words: comma splice. Super big pet peeve number 1. And used to absolutely horrible effect. Reading most of the sentences was like watching a 3 Act play but never getting to see Act 3. Constantly made the story feel disjointed and not smooth flowing at all. Had to skim and add the correct grammar myself to stay sane.
A comma is not a conjunction and never will be. Get over it and stop trying to make it be what it is not.
The man runs, jumps over a waterfall.Falls. And what? Who knows it’s the end of that thought and that is why commas are NOT conjunctions. Most of the sentences were like that and most of the rest were were not. Not sentences that is. They read. Like this. All felt. Very choppy. If you were annoyed reading that little bit imagine a whole book.
Yes, I get in dialogue sometimes people don’t use full sentences, yes I get comma splices can add a more immediate feeling to a scene, and and yes, I get that non sentences can be used to add emphasis to an action or scene. However the book takes it to an almost unbearable unreadable extreme.
I want my action to flow. I don’t want to pause every two sentences to try to figure who is doing what and how the verbs fit together. There were lots of times two characters were mentioned the the previous comma spiced sentences and I had to figure out which one was doing the action in the non-sentence verb that followed.
The comma splices made reading more of a juttering slog than a smooth ride. They were not put to good effect. Neither were the non sentences. What is the purpose of a non-sentence that says. The old farmhouse. It’s not a sentence, there’s no drama to emphasize or effect. It is a noun with an adjective and article. It is not a sentence. Using it as a sentence adds nothing to the plot nor narrative. Such ‘descriptions’ and use of non-sentences run rampant throughout the novel.
So the characters at least make up for the bad grammar right? Wrong. Most of them were one dimensional characters and quite undifferentiated boring ones at that, not to mention inept. Comparing Cora to Ms.Marple is like comparing dark chocolate to white chocolate. The only thing they have in common is the word chocolate and the only this Cora has in common with Ms Marple is the word ‘old’. As a reader I could care less about Cora. I didn’t think she was insightful, just a deus ex machina lucky drunk and how she figured out ‘the who’ wasn’t really explained. She had 0 basis for her suspensions. There was no rhyme to her logic as to why ‘the who’ did it. She just ‘figured it out’ because the author meant her to so that she would seem keen. How did ‘the who’ even know/meet the first victim?? It’s never really clarified nor explained.
As for the puzzles they were interesting, though by the second clue I had my suspicions and by the third I had already figured out 1) there was a 4th clue and 2) the answer to the fourth clue. Though I entertained myself with making up my own hint #) A golf accouterment (3)
But yes there were small redeeming parts. Sherry and Aaron were fun characters and their scenes of bantering wordplay were the best parts of the book, and actually the most interesting characters by far.
There was a lot of potential for this to be so much more than it was, if only it wasn’t bogged down in horrid, ineffectual grammar and random one dimensional characters. Overall it met the basic expectation of a mystery with at least 2 characters that this reader found at least entertaining.
The writing however left a lot to be desired and is an English major’s nightmare. Two words: comma splice. Super big pet peeve number 1. And used to absolutely horrible effect. Reading most of the sentences was like watching a 3 Act play but never getting to see Act 3. Constantly made the story feel disjointed and not smooth flowing at all. Had to skim and add the correct grammar myself to stay sane.
A comma is not a conjunction and never will be. Get over it and stop trying to make it be what it is not.
The man runs, jumps over a waterfall.Falls. And what? Who knows it’s the end of that thought and that is why commas are NOT conjunctions. Most of the sentences were like that and most of the rest were were not. Not sentences that is. They read. Like this. All felt. Very choppy. If you were annoyed reading that little bit imagine a whole book.
Yes, I get in dialogue sometimes people don’t use full sentences, yes I get comma splices can add a more immediate feeling to a scene, and and yes, I get that non sentences can be used to add emphasis to an action or scene. However the book takes it to an almost unbearable unreadable extreme.
I want my action to flow. I don’t want to pause every two sentences to try to figure who is doing what and how the verbs fit together. There were lots of times two characters were mentioned the the previous comma spiced sentences and I had to figure out which one was doing the action in the non-sentence verb that followed.
The comma splices made reading more of a juttering slog than a smooth ride. They were not put to good effect. Neither were the non sentences. What is the purpose of a non-sentence that says. The old farmhouse. It’s not a sentence, there’s no drama to emphasize or effect. It is a noun with an adjective and article. It is not a sentence. Using it as a sentence adds nothing to the plot nor narrative. Such ‘descriptions’ and use of non-sentences run rampant throughout the novel.
So the characters at least make up for the bad grammar right? Wrong. Most of them were one dimensional characters and quite undifferentiated boring ones at that, not to mention inept. Comparing Cora to Ms.Marple is like comparing dark chocolate to white chocolate. The only thing they have in common is the word chocolate and the only this Cora has in common with Ms Marple is the word ‘old’. As a reader I could care less about Cora. I didn’t think she was insightful, just a deus ex machina lucky drunk and how she figured out ‘the who’ wasn’t really explained. She had 0 basis for her suspensions. There was no rhyme to her logic as to why ‘the who’ did it. She just ‘figured it out’ because the author meant her to so that she would seem keen. How did ‘the who’ even know/meet the first victim?? It’s never really clarified nor explained.
As for the puzzles they were interesting, though by the second clue I had my suspicions and by the third I had already figured out 1) there was a 4th clue and 2) the answer to the fourth clue. Though I entertained myself with making up my own hint #) A golf accouterment (3)
But yes there were small redeeming parts. Sherry and Aaron were fun characters and their scenes of bantering wordplay were the best parts of the book, and actually the most interesting characters by far.
There was a lot of potential for this to be so much more than it was, if only it wasn’t bogged down in horrid, ineffectual grammar and random one dimensional characters. Overall it met the basic expectation of a mystery with at least 2 characters that this reader found at least entertaining.
May 9, 2016
For all the "cozies" I've been reading lately, this one felt really different in a good way. With the Puzzle Lady, Cora Felton, having her own secrets, this was a strong first book in a series with a well-plotted mystery with a realistic amount of mess and noise of an older case muddying the waters and crossword clues. The main character is actually not Cora, but her niece, Sherry. Another small town setting with a put-upon police chief, always trying to defend his job against a know-it-all public prosecutor that seems to want to to everyone's jobs. My only real sadness is that I love crosswords and the author's website does not have any place to print out ALL the crosswords from the books. A few more recent ones are there, but reading this book on Kindle didn't give me a chance to try out the puzzle, which combines standard clues with clues whose answers are within the book's plot. I might have to get future installments out of the library and make a copy or scan of the puzzle page so I can "play along".
January 1, 2017
Cora and Sherry are Aunt and niece. They live together and have moved to a small town to get away from Sherry's ex-husband who was abusive.
A young girl turns up murdered in a graveyard with a crossword puzzle clue in her pocket. The Puzzle Lady, Cora is called in to assist in the investigation.
This plot has a lot of twists in it and I love the characters interaction - mostly Sherry and Aaron, a reporter for the local paper.
The only issue I have with the story is that Cora has a real problem that Sherry enables and does nothing to help with. That aspect of the story does not improve the story at all in my opinion but still I liked the reading and the storyline itself. I thought the mystery was well thought out and well presented.
Perhaps the issue I have will get better as the series goes on.
A young girl turns up murdered in a graveyard with a crossword puzzle clue in her pocket. The Puzzle Lady, Cora is called in to assist in the investigation.
This plot has a lot of twists in it and I love the characters interaction - mostly Sherry and Aaron, a reporter for the local paper.
The only issue I have with the story is that Cora has a real problem that Sherry enables and does nothing to help with. That aspect of the story does not improve the story at all in my opinion but still I liked the reading and the storyline itself. I thought the mystery was well thought out and well presented.
Perhaps the issue I have will get better as the series goes on.
February 24, 2016
I like series mysteries and I'm always in search of a new one to enjoy. I like the idea of incorporating puzzles. I've read the first few chapters, and I'm not sure I'm going to love these characters. But it seems like a fun read.
Having finished the book, I'm still pretty lukewarm about it. Again, I'm not entranced by the characters. Cora is an annoying active alcoholic constantly in need of management (not all that fun to read about) and Sherry is her bristly enabler. But the story itself was fairly entertaining, and it was well-written. I might read one more and see if the characters develop.
Having finished the book, I'm still pretty lukewarm about it. Again, I'm not entranced by the characters. Cora is an annoying active alcoholic constantly in need of management (not all that fun to read about) and Sherry is her bristly enabler. But the story itself was fairly entertaining, and it was well-written. I might read one more and see if the characters develop.
February 5, 2020
The mystery and writing were ok. The rating was downgraded for having an unsympathetic cardboard “detective, “ whose persona made no sense and had zero charm. I figured out the deal with the shoes long before she did, but then I am sober.
February 26, 2015
This is a fast easy read, the introductory book in the Puzzle Lady series. I like that each book includes a crossword puzzle that can be solved by reading the book.
January 28, 2019
Well, it was a quick read for a blustery winter day, but not "great" literature! It won't win any awards for its literary merit, clever language, engaging characters, or even the puzzle aspect. I got the book for 25 cents at a thrift store, because I love mysteries and I love crossword puzzles. It was an easy read, which was nice after some deeper things I've read lately.
The jacket blurb compares The Puzzle Lady (Aunt Cora) to Miss Marple ("... one whiff of mystery turns Miss Felton into a modern-day Miss Marple." What an insult to Agatha Christie!
Aunt Cora is a useless alcoholic. Any clues she finds or conclusions she draws are accidental. Of course, she isn't even the real Puzzle Lady. She stumbles, literally, drunk, through the story, from her breakfast bloody Mary to her near to passing out late-night benders.
The story was okay, if not terribly original. Two murdered woman found by the same grave, without shoes or socks. What connection is there between the two? The first victim has what looks to be a crossword clue in her pocket, and soon other clues appear. The city prosecutor, for some unknown reason, wants the chief of police removed from the case, and the job, citing the chief's lack of suspects the first hour after the first murder. Or sooner. The chief is a bit bumbling; I suppose to allow Aunt Cora to shine with her unrealistic reaches that just happen to be correct. The chief hides evidence from the other officers, ones Aunt Cora and her little gang of investigators know (her niece and a newspaper reporter, one year out of college, who talks of "stopping the presses" a lot).
The chief just doesn't seem to know proper procedure and lets Aunt Cora run the show. She gets to scenes before he does, searches the body, removed evidence, etc. Maybe he should be fired. And his daughter, a teenager I believe, behaves in a much younger fashion, playing at being Nancy Drew.
The author seemed to vacillate between the date of publication (1999) and a few decades earlier technology wise. The police ask for typewriter samples, and most town residents provide just that, actual typewritten samples. Even the library has typewriters, not computers. The Puzzle Lady, or her niece, who is really the puzzle author, has a computer, which Aunt Cora can barely manage to use. The murdered is a lawyer in New York City, but still uses a typewriter to type his threatening letters and "puzzle clues." Even I had a computer in 1999!
I would have enjoyed the book more without Aunt Cora and her drunkenness coming up SO often! Not just a few times, but constantly. She passed out drunk in restaurant bars. She stumbles and slurs her words. When her niece first moved in with her it was with the promise never to tell her she couldn't drink! The niece is downright stupid to go along with their charade. It seems outright fraudulent to me.
Mostly, I disliked the drunken aunt... a woman with a really serious drinking problem. It wasn't cute. It wasn't a lesson on how cognizant and intelligent someone can be while so drunk she can't function, even forgetting where she is, before begging the bartender for the fifth time to give her more, more, more!
The jacket blurb compares The Puzzle Lady (Aunt Cora) to Miss Marple ("... one whiff of mystery turns Miss Felton into a modern-day Miss Marple." What an insult to Agatha Christie!
Aunt Cora is a useless alcoholic. Any clues she finds or conclusions she draws are accidental. Of course, she isn't even the real Puzzle Lady. She stumbles, literally, drunk, through the story, from her breakfast bloody Mary to her near to passing out late-night benders.
The story was okay, if not terribly original. Two murdered woman found by the same grave, without shoes or socks. What connection is there between the two? The first victim has what looks to be a crossword clue in her pocket, and soon other clues appear. The city prosecutor, for some unknown reason, wants the chief of police removed from the case, and the job, citing the chief's lack of suspects the first hour after the first murder. Or sooner. The chief is a bit bumbling; I suppose to allow Aunt Cora to shine with her unrealistic reaches that just happen to be correct. The chief hides evidence from the other officers, ones Aunt Cora and her little gang of investigators know (her niece and a newspaper reporter, one year out of college, who talks of "stopping the presses" a lot).
The chief just doesn't seem to know proper procedure and lets Aunt Cora run the show. She gets to scenes before he does, searches the body, removed evidence, etc. Maybe he should be fired. And his daughter, a teenager I believe, behaves in a much younger fashion, playing at being Nancy Drew.
The author seemed to vacillate between the date of publication (1999) and a few decades earlier technology wise. The police ask for typewriter samples, and most town residents provide just that, actual typewritten samples. Even the library has typewriters, not computers. The Puzzle Lady, or her niece, who is really the puzzle author, has a computer, which Aunt Cora can barely manage to use. The murdered is a lawyer in New York City, but still uses a typewriter to type his threatening letters and "puzzle clues." Even I had a computer in 1999!
I would have enjoyed the book more without Aunt Cora and her drunkenness coming up SO often! Not just a few times, but constantly. She passed out drunk in restaurant bars. She stumbles and slurs her words. When her niece first moved in with her it was with the promise never to tell her she couldn't drink! The niece is downright stupid to go along with their charade. It seems outright fraudulent to me.
Mostly, I disliked the drunken aunt... a woman with a really serious drinking problem. It wasn't cute. It wasn't a lesson on how cognizant and intelligent someone can be while so drunk she can't function, even forgetting where she is, before begging the bartender for the fifth time to give her more, more, more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2017
After reading the most recent book in the Puzzle Lady series first and completely loving it, I decided to read the very first book in the series to see how much of the back-story and character development I could pick up. And, the answer is "some, but not always in a good way." It turns out that some of the back-story changed between books 1 and 18. And, one piece that changed confused me because of the way it affected the plot. I will not give it away due to spoiler issues. But, please know that if you read the series out of order too - then, no, you are not crazy. I think from reading books 18 and then 1 back-to-back demonstrates that the author has improved on the basic premise. For example, some of the characters are more 3-dimensional in the last book of the series than they are in the first, and that helps the story. But, some characters I enjoyed in book 1 had very reduced roles in book 18. I will have to read a couple more to see if characters come and go in importance.
I am sorry to make this more of a series review than an individual book review. To focus only on "A Clue for the Puzzle Lady" for a moment: It is a cute story that sets up the basic characters and their roles very well. However, I figured out who the bad guy was WAY too early due to what seemed to be over-eager foreshadowing. So, that took a bit of the fun away. I also thought the protagonist spent about 75% of the book very drunk (this is not a spoiler), which made some of the actions less believable and went from being kind of funny to kind of annoying. I still very much enjoyed the story and plan to read more in the series.
I am sorry to make this more of a series review than an individual book review. To focus only on "A Clue for the Puzzle Lady" for a moment: It is a cute story that sets up the basic characters and their roles very well. However, I figured out who the bad guy was WAY too early due to what seemed to be over-eager foreshadowing. So, that took a bit of the fun away. I also thought the protagonist spent about 75% of the book very drunk (this is not a spoiler), which made some of the actions less believable and went from being kind of funny to kind of annoying. I still very much enjoyed the story and plan to read more in the series.
October 7, 2022
The first word that comes to mind to describe this book is FUNNY. There are many sentences and dialogue pieces in the book that are hilarious, and it's what I'm looking forward to most about reading the next installment in the series.
I also love books that are set in the 1990s, and being written in 1999 gives it that early-technology charm -- landlines, the occasional flip cellphone, a desktop computer with WordPerfect.
It's a quick read -- I checked out the e-book from my library, and Libby tells me that reading it took me 48 minutes.
I was a little torn between whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. On the one hand, I enjoyed the writing and the multiple mystery plots woven through the book. The author does a great job of keeping you engaged with all of them until the last. I also love the colorful character descriptions. On the other hand, Cora goes from seeming like a quirky aunt with a drinking problem to clearly being an overt raging alcoholic, and I didn't enjoy the interactions between her and Sherry when she was drunk. Wish I could give this 4.5 stars.
Nit-picky piece of feedback: I wish the solution to the crossword puzzle at the beginning wasn't printed on the page right after the last chapter ends -- I turned the page almost expecting one more chapter, and was confronted with the solution to a crossword that the author specifically tells you not to solve until you're done reading. If anything, that page should be printed with a reminder to go back to do the crossword, with the solution on the following page.
I also love books that are set in the 1990s, and being written in 1999 gives it that early-technology charm -- landlines, the occasional flip cellphone, a desktop computer with WordPerfect.
It's a quick read -- I checked out the e-book from my library, and Libby tells me that reading it took me 48 minutes.
I was a little torn between whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. On the one hand, I enjoyed the writing and the multiple mystery plots woven through the book. The author does a great job of keeping you engaged with all of them until the last. I also love the colorful character descriptions. On the other hand, Cora goes from seeming like a quirky aunt with a drinking problem to clearly being an overt raging alcoholic, and I didn't enjoy the interactions between her and Sherry when she was drunk. Wish I could give this 4.5 stars.
Nit-picky piece of feedback: I wish the solution to the crossword puzzle at the beginning wasn't printed on the page right after the last chapter ends -- I turned the page almost expecting one more chapter, and was confronted with the solution to a crossword that the author specifically tells you not to solve until you're done reading. If anything, that page should be printed with a reminder to go back to do the crossword, with the solution on the following page.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews