A Puzzle to be Named Later

Puzzle Lady #18

by Parnell Hall

New York Times Bestselling Author

“If sweet-looking, gray-haired Miss Marple cursed, smoked, and carried a gun in her purse, she’d be a ringer for Cora Felton.”—Booklist

The Puzzle Lady couldn’t be happier. Matt Greystone, the rookie sensation who just signed a huge contract with the Yankees after coming to the team as the player to be named later in a trade with the Diamondbacks, winning seventeen games as a starting pitcher, was coming to town to rehab from an arm injury. A diehard Yankee fan, Cora was delighted when Matt invited her to a weekend pool party.

On the plus side, she got to meet Derek Jeter.

On the minus side, she had to solve a puzzle (that was also named later), and a couple of the guests got killed.

Solving murders is right up the Puzzle Lady’s alley. Unfortunately, someone has broken into the house of a local psychiatrist and rifled her patient files, and Chief Harper wants Cora to solve that, too.

Cora already knows who broke into the house.

She did!

INCLUDES CROSSWORDS AND A SUDOKU BY WILL SHORTZ THAT HELP YOU SOLVE THE MYSTERY

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Crime

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2017

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Yankee’s pitcher Matt Greystone moves to town to rehab after a car accident, Cora Felton is thrilled. That is before a therapist’s house is broken into and Cora is asked to solve a puzzle that points to something in the therapist’s files. When a second puzzle shows up on the dead body, she knows she has to figure out what is going on.

Like some others in the series, the mystery is the weak link in this book. The action is quick even if it doesn’t always lead us anywhere. The climax is a bit convoluted as well. However, I read these books for the word play and comedy, and that’s here in spades. I laughed multiple times in the book and smiled throughout. Plus, it’s fun to spend time with the gang again, and I liked the new characters as well.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going to give give up on this series. It’s becoming work to read. I like the Stanley Hastings series much much better.

[FangirlNation · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Puzzle to Be Named Later by Parnell Hall is the 18th Puzzle Lady mystery book and the first in the series to be released on commercial audio. Matt Greystone, the newest sensation on the Yankees who just signed a big contract with the team and then got into a serious car accident that night, leaving him disabled for at least a year, has moved to Cora Felton's hometown of Bakerhaven, Connecticut. The public face of the Puzzle Lady, Cora lives with her grown niece, Sherry Carter. Sherry has been privately creating nationally-syndicated crossword puzzles for years but using her aunt as the stated author of the puzzles, since in the earlier books, Sherry was in hiding from an abusive ex-husband and using Cora as her cover in order to keep secret her location. Now, Sherry is married to a journalist and has a pre-school aged daughter.

Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation

[Mac Daly · Rating 2 out of 5]

When an injured baseball star comes to town to recuperate from a broken arm, he enlists Cora, the Puzzle Lady to help set a guest list for a garden party. When a guest is found baked in the sauna, it's up to Cora to uncover the killer. My main issue is with the main character. She's pushy, arrogant and, worst of all, a bully. She refers to the local eccentric as "the witch" for no apparent reason. It something I would expect from a three-year-old. She would be perfect for the annoying sidekick, but as the heroine, she put my teeth on edge.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few mysteries where I figured out who dunnit before the big reveal. Found this entry into the series to be very funny, fast-paced, and with quirky characters.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

tried an earlier book in the series; didn't like that one either. forced cutesiness.

[Liisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parnell Hall gets better and better. This volume kept me laughing right from the start. What could be more enjoyable than a sassy whodunit solver? Parnell rates among the great writers who keep one's spirits up.

[Luis Nuñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the audio version of this mystery because of all the hype about the upcoming TV series starring the amazing Phyllis Logan as Cora, The Puzzle Lady. This is book # 18, and

The narrator was good, but not great. Many times I had trouble deciphering who she was portraying in a conversation...was it Cora, or was it the policeman? This was a bit distracting, but I did understand the general plot.

The book was very funny at times, but Cora, the protagonist was way too cocky and seemed to know it all, even though she didn't. I also found the plot to be a bit far fetched, nevertheless it was inventive and fun.

After listening to this book, I don't feel compelled to start reading the first 17 books or the 19th. either.

I am glad I read it, and this was satisfying enough for me.

[Dan Shonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a couple of the Puzzle Lady books, and have enjoyed them all. But honestly, I'd kind of forgotten about them until I recently got this book and started into it. I'm a baseball fan, and this story didn't disappoint. My only criticism would be the identity of the killer didn't surprise me. I saw it coming for about the last ten chapters, maybe more. (There are a lot of chapters, many quite brief, which I think is good especially if you're reading right before turning out the lights. Easy to find a stopping place.) It's cool that Hall works in some real NY Yankees. It's a nifty addition to a reader's baseball fiction. (well, loosely baseball.)

[Stuart Macmartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical puzzle lady book. Cute light mystery, odd people. As usual, stretches believability because it’s fun and that’s the point of these stories. Story wraps up nicely, with many pieces that I’d guessed at one time or another as possibilities but hadn’t put together.

[Treva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the more confusing stories in the series in my opinion. All of Cora's banter is getting harder to keep up with and I am constantly surprised that anyone puts up with her behavior. Though that probably won't stop me from reading the next one.

[Michael crage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, I was a little disappointed that there was only two easy puzzles and one easy sudoku to be solved. I am used to more than that in her books. And it really did not end all that well. Normally yher puzzle lady solves the problem clearly.

[Moses Gunaratnam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading one of Grisham’s books after he threw in the towel on writing good characters. The mystery in this was baffling…not in a good way. The baseball stuff was fun, but I can’t say I’d recommend this.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clever idea but it seemed to me that the author tried to make Cora (The Puzzle Lady) just too, too cute with her dialog and the conclusion ws a stretch.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Puzzle Lady...

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorites in this series for a while. This had all the elements of a wonderful story and all my favorite characters. Keep writing more like this one. I love Cora.

[Geoffrey Gelb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his past Puzzle mysteries.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun read.

[M.L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are silly, but I do enjoy the bonus puzzles. In this baseball themed story, I highly enjoyed the Mel Ott jokes.

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

vacay read

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bossy obnoxious main character, spineless supporting characters, dumb conclusion to the mystery.

[Julier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I selected this book because of the puzzles, and even photocopied them so I could work on them outside of the book. I have not read any Puzzle Lady books and just couldn't get into this book. A a lot of people seem to like it, so I backed up a little and read it to the end. Have to admit the quirky characters and flippant attitudes and fast action ended up with a more complex resolution than I expected. It actually made the story seem worth reading!

[Grcrow1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh....just couldn't get into this book. Half way through I skipped to the back, scanned and found out "who done it."

[Teri Griffis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Puzzle Lady and her escapades! She is so funny along with Sherry, Becky, & Chief Harper. There is never a mystery she can't solve.

[AB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed while cooking!

[Clyde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I'm tired of this series....to much "nit-picking" word "play", and mystery was kinda weak.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute, mindless story that I like reading in between others. There's not much substance in these books and the idea of a puzzle at every murder is getting a little old.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kooky genre for sure - the comedic murder mystery with crosswords thrown in? A good vacation read, but I won't be seeking out anymore Puzzle Lady novels.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. Very few puzzles, but loved the Yankee tie in. I am such a fan of Cora's.
Zany, but correct. She makes me smile. I love all the Cora Felton books.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun. The characters were a bit weak but it was entertaining.