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Puzzle Lady #5
With this Puzzle, I Thee Kill
Crime, cryptograms, and killer conundrums abound for the Puzzle Lady in the fourth installment of the series USA Today raves is “a fun series for mystery fans and cruciverbalists!”It looks like wedding bells again for the much-married Cora Felton when distinguished widower Raymond Harstein III moves into town and makes a play for the Puzzle Lady. That is, it does until the mail brings puzzling cryptograms, which, when deciphered, warn Cora off the match.Or do they?As the puzzles keep coming, a killer’s game must be played in earnest, and it’s up to the Puzzle Lady to solve the riddle—if anyone is going to live to make it to the altar!
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2003
24 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 13, 2013
I guess this thing is trying to be cute. From what I can tell there are a number of these books and they all follow this formula. A criminal in the little town of Bakerhaven accompanies his misdeed with the creation of some kind of cryptogram, with the idea that the local "Puzzle Lady" sensation will solve it for the police. Except the Local Puzzle Lady Sensation is actually a bit of a fraud, you see: she doesn't really know a damn thing about puzzles; what she does is solve crimes!
Once again, I'm well aware that i'm hardly the intended audience for this novel, but it came upon my workdesk and I pretty much had no choice but to read it, so I figure my thoughts are as valid as those of the bored, late middle-aged ladies that Mr. hall no doubt anticipates will be reading the thing along with the other entries in the Puzzle Lady formula. I apologise for stereotyping dreadfully, but what else can I say? I work with a few of the sorts of people to whom I feel hall may have been writing, and I'm not trying to offend anyone by suggesting that they'd rather have a "cutesy" mystery with some literal puzzles for them to excitedly solve than a tenebrous, challenging narrative that burrows deep into the mind of a sadistic killer.
But I don't want to cut this thing any slack. The book commits several grievous sins.
There are murders, commited by people about whom we have very little idea and have barely had any "page time". It's the equivalent of a revelation in a slapdash giallo movie that the killer was the protagonist's nondescript neighbour whose face we only saw for twenty seconds as he was hauling out the garbage one morning. The response can never be anything but a hearty "that guy? Who cares?!" In this book, pot smokers are inevitably cocaine fiends too, and probably something worse, and that assumption isn't even questioned. Joining a rock 'n' roll band (or staying in one after you've become a married man and are supposed to settle down, FOR GOD'S SAKE!) is a pigheaded and utterly wrong thing to do, deserving nothing but the town's scorn--unless of course you happen to be famous, unlike The Puzzle Lady, who has apparently been married an uncountable number of times. There are short paragraphs upon paragraphs of pointless, inane back-and-forth dialogue that may as well be the characters shouting "yes!" and "No!" at each other (in fact, I'm almost certain that happened at some point). Oh, they talk about wedding dresses, parties, shoes--you know, the kind of thing that real people do indeed often talk about but which a stranger like you or me would just tune out or walk away from, or maybe nod and mumble at if we were desperately trying to be polite for some reason. No need to have all this in a novel, is there?
Despite all this compulsion to recount every detail of every irrelevant conversation conducted by our two protagonists (cantankerous, smug and irreverent Puzzle Lady/sleuth and her slightly frazzled niece, who doesn't know jack about crimes (or human psychology) but is in fact responsible for all of Puzzle Lady's puzzles), we don't get inside anybody else's head. It would certainly help this novel to have some more perspective, but we just aren't supposed to be interested in those things. There are scurrying, half-hearted attempts to say something about domestic abuse and why some might fall into the trap of being repeat victims despite themselves, but it's all so wishy-washy that no real message or cogitation comes out of this. Most chapters end with a sting that would, were this a made-for-TV movie, call for a quick and sudden explosion of minor-keyed "suspense" symphonics before a dissolve to commercials. Some of the stings are quite funny, but I'm thinking less intentionally so than the author might like.
And yes, this thing is trying to be fun and light-hearted, or as much so as a book involving drugs, domestic abuse and murder can be. In a way, that's part of the failing, or my failing, at least, as I refuse to be content with this kind of narrative drivel, where everything is wrapped up in a neat little package (practically with a bow) by Cora the Puzzle lady and explained in the last few pages in a most self-satisfied manner, but oh, with a hint of the bittersweet as well, since one of the two murder victims was her husband-to-be! But Cora has had many husbands, and while she may shed a tear at the end there (what a picturesque image to close on), you bet she'll be back to her irrascible self by the time the next book hits the shelves.
Oh, and there are a few simple cryptographic puzzles the reader can solve, if so inclined. They're very straightforward and require a minimum of effort, and the solutions are always given in the text anyway. I won't fault the author for the simplicity of the puzzles at all as who wants to be distracted from a good murder mystery by a silly substitution game for more than a few minuts? A good mystery though, this ain't. I'm informed by the publisher that Mr. Hall has won the prestigious Edgar Award. Either pickings among mystery writers are very slim these days, or else that victory was reached on the back of a very different novel.
Once again, I'm well aware that i'm hardly the intended audience for this novel, but it came upon my workdesk and I pretty much had no choice but to read it, so I figure my thoughts are as valid as those of the bored, late middle-aged ladies that Mr. hall no doubt anticipates will be reading the thing along with the other entries in the Puzzle Lady formula. I apologise for stereotyping dreadfully, but what else can I say? I work with a few of the sorts of people to whom I feel hall may have been writing, and I'm not trying to offend anyone by suggesting that they'd rather have a "cutesy" mystery with some literal puzzles for them to excitedly solve than a tenebrous, challenging narrative that burrows deep into the mind of a sadistic killer.
But I don't want to cut this thing any slack. The book commits several grievous sins.
There are murders, commited by people about whom we have very little idea and have barely had any "page time". It's the equivalent of a revelation in a slapdash giallo movie that the killer was the protagonist's nondescript neighbour whose face we only saw for twenty seconds as he was hauling out the garbage one morning. The response can never be anything but a hearty "that guy? Who cares?!" In this book, pot smokers are inevitably cocaine fiends too, and probably something worse, and that assumption isn't even questioned. Joining a rock 'n' roll band (or staying in one after you've become a married man and are supposed to settle down, FOR GOD'S SAKE!) is a pigheaded and utterly wrong thing to do, deserving nothing but the town's scorn--unless of course you happen to be famous, unlike The Puzzle Lady, who has apparently been married an uncountable number of times. There are short paragraphs upon paragraphs of pointless, inane back-and-forth dialogue that may as well be the characters shouting "yes!" and "No!" at each other (in fact, I'm almost certain that happened at some point). Oh, they talk about wedding dresses, parties, shoes--you know, the kind of thing that real people do indeed often talk about but which a stranger like you or me would just tune out or walk away from, or maybe nod and mumble at if we were desperately trying to be polite for some reason. No need to have all this in a novel, is there?
Despite all this compulsion to recount every detail of every irrelevant conversation conducted by our two protagonists (cantankerous, smug and irreverent Puzzle Lady/sleuth and her slightly frazzled niece, who doesn't know jack about crimes (or human psychology) but is in fact responsible for all of Puzzle Lady's puzzles), we don't get inside anybody else's head. It would certainly help this novel to have some more perspective, but we just aren't supposed to be interested in those things. There are scurrying, half-hearted attempts to say something about domestic abuse and why some might fall into the trap of being repeat victims despite themselves, but it's all so wishy-washy that no real message or cogitation comes out of this. Most chapters end with a sting that would, were this a made-for-TV movie, call for a quick and sudden explosion of minor-keyed "suspense" symphonics before a dissolve to commercials. Some of the stings are quite funny, but I'm thinking less intentionally so than the author might like.
And yes, this thing is trying to be fun and light-hearted, or as much so as a book involving drugs, domestic abuse and murder can be. In a way, that's part of the failing, or my failing, at least, as I refuse to be content with this kind of narrative drivel, where everything is wrapped up in a neat little package (practically with a bow) by Cora the Puzzle lady and explained in the last few pages in a most self-satisfied manner, but oh, with a hint of the bittersweet as well, since one of the two murder victims was her husband-to-be! But Cora has had many husbands, and while she may shed a tear at the end there (what a picturesque image to close on), you bet she'll be back to her irrascible self by the time the next book hits the shelves.
Oh, and there are a few simple cryptographic puzzles the reader can solve, if so inclined. They're very straightforward and require a minimum of effort, and the solutions are always given in the text anyway. I won't fault the author for the simplicity of the puzzles at all as who wants to be distracted from a good murder mystery by a silly substitution game for more than a few minuts? A good mystery though, this ain't. I'm informed by the publisher that Mr. Hall has won the prestigious Edgar Award. Either pickings among mystery writers are very slim these days, or else that victory was reached on the back of a very different novel.
March 1, 2019
"The eccentric Puzzle Lady, Cora Felton, and her brainy niece Sherry find themselves up against a killer whose identity is worse than a mystery ... it's a cryptogram!
"Wedding bells are a-ringing, and though Cora is no stranger to saying 'I do,' she has a special feeling that this marriage will be her last. And who better to play the part of maid of honor than her beloved niece Sherry?
"Sherry has doubts about her aunt's latest fiance, and when the first threatening cryptogram arrives, it's clear someone else does, too. But when her best friend comes back to Bakerhaven to marry Sherry's abusive ex at a dual ceremony where Sherry is to do double duty as aid of honor, things go from bad to worse to murder.
"As Cura puts herself in harm's way to find out who ruined her special day, Sherry sets out to catch a cryptic killer determined to lead another victim to the altar or murder."
~~back cover
This series surprises me with every book I read. I think "how many murders can be connected to crossword puzzles?" and then of course the next one is even more bizarre than the last, just as enjoyable, with of course the laugh-out-loud element which the author has become so proficient at. I'm liking them even more than I thought I would.
"Wedding bells are a-ringing, and though Cora is no stranger to saying 'I do,' she has a special feeling that this marriage will be her last. And who better to play the part of maid of honor than her beloved niece Sherry?
"Sherry has doubts about her aunt's latest fiance, and when the first threatening cryptogram arrives, it's clear someone else does, too. But when her best friend comes back to Bakerhaven to marry Sherry's abusive ex at a dual ceremony where Sherry is to do double duty as aid of honor, things go from bad to worse to murder.
"As Cura puts herself in harm's way to find out who ruined her special day, Sherry sets out to catch a cryptic killer determined to lead another victim to the altar or murder."
~~back cover
This series surprises me with every book I read. I think "how many murders can be connected to crossword puzzles?" and then of course the next one is even more bizarre than the last, just as enjoyable, with of course the laugh-out-loud element which the author has become so proficient at. I'm liking them even more than I thought I would.
August 17, 2017
This was a quick read (I bought a used hardback copy for $1 and had it read by the next day while on vacation). Fun, funny, and quick read! I hadn't read one of the books in this series in a while, but fell right into understanding the quirky characters Mr. Hall portrays.
June 6, 2024
I didn't like this one as well. I know quality in any series will go up and down, and this one is down. I don't mind a degree of ridiculousness, and I'm pretty willing to suspend disbelief, but this one pushes crazy plotlines too far into the unrealistic. There is so much stupidity from the characters. It might be easier to list the characters who don't act like idiots.
The book opens with Cora and Sherry in a bridal shop in New York City where Cora is trying on dresses in advance of the proposal she expects to get from her beau, Raymond Harstein III. Cora is gaga, but Sherry doesn't like him. She's tried to research the man's background but can't find anything. He says he's a hotelier from San Diego, but he doesn't go into details about his past, or his work, and Cora doesn't ask. Cora doesn't want to hear anything that might put a damper on her schoolgirlish happiness.
While at dinner with Cora and Raymond, Sherry is surprised by the appearance of her college roommate and good friend Brenda Wallenstein. Brenda is super excited to tell Sherry that she's getting married! And in walks Sherry's abusive ex-husband Dennis. Yes, Sherry's best friend is engaged to marry her worthless ex-husband. Ugh.
Even worse, Brenda and Dennis want Sherry to be the maid of honor. Brenda actually thinks this is a reasonable request and doesn't want to let Sherry say no. Cora thinks she's saving Sherry by saying that Sherry isn't available to be Brenda's maid of honor because she's going to be Cora's. Cora and Raymond haven't set a date yet, but Cora impulsively decides to make sure her wedding falls on the same day as Brenda and Dennis's wedding. Hearing that their wedding is less than two weeks away doesn't deter Cora from claiming the same date. Raymond goes along with her. Then Dennis (and Brenda) declares that they can move their wedding from New York City to Bakerhaven. He even suggests a double wedding. This is the point where it got too ridiculous. Cora, the difficult, often cranky, always opinionated woman, suddenly becomes unable to say no? That was hard to believe. When, feeling trapped, Cora agreed, I felt sure that Cora would think of a way out of it.
Dear Raymond has coaxed Cora into agreeing to give up smoking and heavy drinking. She tries to smoke without him finding out, but this volume has a surprisingly sober Cora. This in-love Cora is kind of annoying. She's got her head firmly planted in the sand and resists all efforts by Sherry to introduce a little reality into the rose-colored daydream. Sherry is also annoying, and I think her efforts are counterproductive. When Cora sneaks out onto Raymond's front porch to smoke she sees his neighbors, a pair of old hippies who smoke marijuana. Jack and Daffodil Dirkson even have an old VW van in their driveway.
Harvey Beerbaum, the other crossword puzzler in town, expresses his surprise that Cora is getting married to someone who isn't a crossword puzzler, and basically gives away that he has a thing for Cora. I was surprised by that because I thought his age was somewhere between Sherry and Cora, not contemporaneous with Cora.
Then a cryptogram shows up at the police station. It's a simple substitution code (very easy to break if you've got any experience with them) addressed to the Puzzle Lady. The letter says her relationship is a bad match, and she should end it. This is actually kind of confusing, because the letter could be meant for Cora, telling her not to marry Raymond, or it could be from Dennis (who knows the truth about the Puzzle Lady's identity) for Sherry, wanting her to break up with Aaron. Either reading is equally likely, I thought.
Dennis acts weird for a man engaged to another woman, coming to Sherry's house and wanting to talk to her. It's clear pretty soon that, whatever reasons he has for marrying Brenda, it isn't that he loves her. He wants Sherry to object. Sherry does object, but not because she wants Dennis back; she thinks he'll start hitting Brenda. Brenda, like Cora, doesn't intend to listen to anything she doesn't want to hear. Brenda is sure that Dennis has given up drinking and his band, and that it was alcohol that made him violent.
Then Raymond receives a cryptic letter at his house telling him to butt out of the writer's business. Cora finds more coded messages. Dennis is a lying, manipulative jerk.
And then somebody murders Raymond. Evidence points strongly to Dennis. While Sherry doesn't like Dennis, she's sure he's not a murderer. She starts to feel protective of him. I don't understand why. Sherry's behavior towards Dennis while he was under suspicion of murder confused and frustrated me.
It also confused Aaron, who believed Dennis's lies about getting on well with Sherry. Aaron decides to pull back from her, and Sherry is too up-to-her-ears with Cora and Dennis problems to straighten him out. It takes Cora pulling him aside, near the end, and pointing out that Dennis is a big fat liar and Aaron is doing exactly what Dennis wants by retreating in a jealous huff.
Daffodil tells Cora that she saw something the night of the murder, and arranges a meeting in the church. Of course, when Cora and Sherry arrive Daffodil has been murdered. But by whom? Aaron is also there in the church, but he has a gap in his memory. Was he knocked out by the killer?
In the end Cora figures things out and explains everything to Chief Harper so he can explain it to the media while Cora goes home to mourn Raymond's death.
The book opens with Cora and Sherry in a bridal shop in New York City where Cora is trying on dresses in advance of the proposal she expects to get from her beau, Raymond Harstein III. Cora is gaga, but Sherry doesn't like him. She's tried to research the man's background but can't find anything. He says he's a hotelier from San Diego, but he doesn't go into details about his past, or his work, and Cora doesn't ask. Cora doesn't want to hear anything that might put a damper on her schoolgirlish happiness.
While at dinner with Cora and Raymond, Sherry is surprised by the appearance of her college roommate and good friend Brenda Wallenstein. Brenda is super excited to tell Sherry that she's getting married! And in walks Sherry's abusive ex-husband Dennis. Yes, Sherry's best friend is engaged to marry her worthless ex-husband. Ugh.
Even worse, Brenda and Dennis want Sherry to be the maid of honor. Brenda actually thinks this is a reasonable request and doesn't want to let Sherry say no. Cora thinks she's saving Sherry by saying that Sherry isn't available to be Brenda's maid of honor because she's going to be Cora's. Cora and Raymond haven't set a date yet, but Cora impulsively decides to make sure her wedding falls on the same day as Brenda and Dennis's wedding. Hearing that their wedding is less than two weeks away doesn't deter Cora from claiming the same date. Raymond goes along with her. Then Dennis (and Brenda) declares that they can move their wedding from New York City to Bakerhaven. He even suggests a double wedding. This is the point where it got too ridiculous. Cora, the difficult, often cranky, always opinionated woman, suddenly becomes unable to say no? That was hard to believe. When, feeling trapped, Cora agreed, I felt sure that Cora would think of a way out of it.
Dear Raymond has coaxed Cora into agreeing to give up smoking and heavy drinking. She tries to smoke without him finding out, but this volume has a surprisingly sober Cora. This in-love Cora is kind of annoying. She's got her head firmly planted in the sand and resists all efforts by Sherry to introduce a little reality into the rose-colored daydream. Sherry is also annoying, and I think her efforts are counterproductive. When Cora sneaks out onto Raymond's front porch to smoke she sees his neighbors, a pair of old hippies who smoke marijuana. Jack and Daffodil Dirkson even have an old VW van in their driveway.
Harvey Beerbaum, the other crossword puzzler in town, expresses his surprise that Cora is getting married to someone who isn't a crossword puzzler, and basically gives away that he has a thing for Cora. I was surprised by that because I thought his age was somewhere between Sherry and Cora, not contemporaneous with Cora.
Then a cryptogram shows up at the police station. It's a simple substitution code (very easy to break if you've got any experience with them) addressed to the Puzzle Lady. The letter says her relationship is a bad match, and she should end it. This is actually kind of confusing, because the letter could be meant for Cora, telling her not to marry Raymond, or it could be from Dennis (who knows the truth about the Puzzle Lady's identity) for Sherry, wanting her to break up with Aaron. Either reading is equally likely, I thought.
Dennis acts weird for a man engaged to another woman, coming to Sherry's house and wanting to talk to her. It's clear pretty soon that, whatever reasons he has for marrying Brenda, it isn't that he loves her. He wants Sherry to object. Sherry does object, but not because she wants Dennis back; she thinks he'll start hitting Brenda. Brenda, like Cora, doesn't intend to listen to anything she doesn't want to hear. Brenda is sure that Dennis has given up drinking and his band, and that it was alcohol that made him violent.
Then Raymond receives a cryptic letter at his house telling him to butt out of the writer's business. Cora finds more coded messages. Dennis is a lying, manipulative jerk.
And then somebody murders Raymond. Evidence points strongly to Dennis. While Sherry doesn't like Dennis, she's sure he's not a murderer. She starts to feel protective of him. I don't understand why. Sherry's behavior towards Dennis while he was under suspicion of murder confused and frustrated me.
It also confused Aaron, who believed Dennis's lies about getting on well with Sherry. Aaron decides to pull back from her, and Sherry is too up-to-her-ears with Cora and Dennis problems to straighten him out. It takes Cora pulling him aside, near the end, and pointing out that Dennis is a big fat liar and Aaron is doing exactly what Dennis wants by retreating in a jealous huff.
Daffodil tells Cora that she saw something the night of the murder, and arranges a meeting in the church. Of course, when Cora and Sherry arrive Daffodil has been murdered. But by whom? Aaron is also there in the church, but he has a gap in his memory. Was he knocked out by the killer?
In the end Cora figures things out and explains everything to Chief Harper so he can explain it to the media while Cora goes home to mourn Raymond's death.
December 1, 2018
Καθόλου του στιλ μου.... Εντελώς γελοίο!
Well... Different strokes for different folks I guess, but to be honest the characters of this book were completely unbelievable and superficial, the plot ridiculous, the dialogues completely unnarutal and the writting quite poor. How many times one can read that "she melted into his arms" or "he got egg on his face" ?
This book was so bad and over the top that it turned up entertaining, so instead of throwing it on the wall, I actually read it in one go. Twisted logic maybe, but hey, it worked!
Not my cup of tea...
Well... Different strokes for different folks I guess, but to be honest the characters of this book were completely unbelievable and superficial, the plot ridiculous, the dialogues completely unnarutal and the writting quite poor. How many times one can read that "she melted into his arms" or "he got egg on his face" ?
This book was so bad and over the top that it turned up entertaining, so instead of throwing it on the wall, I actually read it in one go. Twisted logic maybe, but hey, it worked!
Not my cup of tea...
September 12, 2021
Oh my! Perhaps one of the most ridiculous things I have read in a long time! Breezed through this book in a day. Laughed so many times at the crazy antics. Double wedding. A Man no one can say no to. Strangers coming out of the wood work. Shenanigans all over the place.
I did not see any of it coming. The only reason for the 4 stars was the wavering of Sherry - hate him/need to protect him. Completely uncalled for and frustrating to not end. No consistency in her beliefs about the puzzles throughout the book.
I did not see any of it coming. The only reason for the 4 stars was the wavering of Sherry - hate him/need to protect him. Completely uncalled for and frustrating to not end. No consistency in her beliefs about the puzzles throughout the book.
July 11, 2017
I've read the entire Puzzle Lady series but book #5 had gotten away from me until recently.
They were all breezy and enjoyable except this one: something is "off" with the #5.
The principal characters often don't sound or act like themselves, the premise is wacky, the conclusion a real shmazzle. All of it is just plain weird.
It's more than a stretch to believe that one of the character's closest friends is getting married and she doesn't know. It's also a stretch to think that a wedding that feeds several hundred can be rescheduled in a matter of days to a different venue.
They were all breezy and enjoyable except this one: something is "off" with the #5.
The principal characters often don't sound or act like themselves, the premise is wacky, the conclusion a real shmazzle. All of it is just plain weird.
It's more than a stretch to believe that one of the character's closest friends is getting married and she doesn't know. It's also a stretch to think that a wedding that feeds several hundred can be rescheduled in a matter of days to a different venue.
October 23, 2024
2 stars because the plot of this one moves fast. Cora is still highly irritating with her complete inability to talk to people correctly, and she is still shoving her nose where it doesn't belong.
I would probably enjoy the series more if Sherry were the FMC and Cora was a supporting character.
Definitely not reading again.
I would probably enjoy the series more if Sherry were the FMC and Cora was a supporting character.
Definitely not reading again.
January 25, 2025
the ending felt a little rushed like there was buildup but it was lowkey hard for me to follow ngl
also dennis and brenda like worst ppl ever bro. like dennis obviously sucks bc he's abusive and a jerk but brenda how're you gonna do that to your best friend?? idc if he's "changed" still violates the girl code too cmon now
the puzzles were cool ig
also aaron is lowkey a tool im sorry
also dennis and brenda like worst ppl ever bro. like dennis obviously sucks bc he's abusive and a jerk but brenda how're you gonna do that to your best friend?? idc if he's "changed" still violates the girl code too cmon now
the puzzles were cool ig
also aaron is lowkey a tool im sorry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2022
Il libro non raggiunge mai un ' apice della suspence: i colpi di scena avvengono tutti verso la fine del libro , ma anche qui, a mio parere , non c'è la tensione che caratterizza tutti i gialli / thriller
February 27, 2017
Funny mystery. I like this series.
February 18, 2019
To many unrealistic things happening.
People are not acting is realistic ways. (How wedding location changed, brides parents weren't notified immediately, etc)
Did enjoy the puzzles.
People are not acting is realistic ways. (How wedding location changed, brides parents weren't notified immediately, etc)
Did enjoy the puzzles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 16, 2019I just started reading this book. I'm not sure if I like it yet or not, but I know this is the first book where I dislike so many characters! From Cora, to Mrs. Wallenstein, to Razor, and then the hippies. I'll finish this, but my interest is waning...
September 12, 2019
Didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the series. Still, if you need a little diversion, this book will do the trick.
May 7, 2020
Worth it
March 14, 2021
Fun read. Well planned mystery. Well done!
March 16, 2023
A cozy, easy read. Small town mystery starting with intentions of a double wedding.
July 14, 2023
Best one so far in the series. Read this in a day!
January 4, 2024
Good cozy mystery read. Found Cora a bit more abrasive in this book than in the first. There were a lot of things that were a bit too simple. But I enjoyed it overall.
August 14, 2024
A library find. August 2024.
Quirky characters.
Well written.
Quick read.
Quirky characters.
Well written.
Quick read.
August 12, 2025
struggling to come up with my honest thoughts. i didn’t hate it…. but im not sure if i liked it? i found myself not liking any of the characters but i did want to finish the book
February 7, 2023
First book by this Author for me. Fun and light. Feels more like a spoof on mysteries and than a true mystery novel. Liked the dialogue and the characters.
October 21, 2022
This book was fine. I enjoyed reading it. I don't have much else to say about it. I did enjoy some of the wackiness, and it was interesting seeing Dennis up close and personal after his off-page presence in the previous books.
June 22, 2009
A very fun read. Cora, with her rather laid-back attitude to life and easygoing humour, is a little hard to identify with because she spends most of the novel detached from the reader, but it doesn't make her difficult to like in any way. The same goes for Sherry; she's quick and intelligent, and although more serious, she provides the necessary balance for Cora's character. The other side characters are there more as ornaments than anything, which was a shame, because I would have liked to know more about Aaron. We're never really given a description of him - all we know is that he's young and he's currently dating Sherry. Her ex-husband, Dennis, is very well fleshed-out, though, and we dislike him almost instantly.
The mystery itself wasn't particularly exciting, nor were the puzzles themselves very hard to figure out. Hall did manage to completely trick me with the identity of the real villain, however - Raymond looked quite suspicious up until the end, when Cora unmasked the true killer. The one thing that really annoyed me about the mystery was that the readers were not given the reasoning behind the crime, or really how Cora solved it. It seemed more like a combination of good luck and asking the right things at the right time, and then stumbling on the correct answer. The correct answer was also extremely anticlimatic and rather disappointed me - the most annoying thing with crime fiction is the habit of some authors to make the murderer a character that wasn't even present for most of the story. It has the feel of simply placing the blame on an irrelevant character and using it to "trick" the reader, which is irritating. I want a chance to exercise my own detective side, too!
The relationships between the characters were extremely well developed, and provided a great background to the events. In fact, the relationships and conflicts were probably dwelled upon more than the actual mystery itself. That said, the book made quite a fun read, and I'll definitely look up more Puzzle Lady books, if only to find out more about Sherry, Cora, and maybe Aaron. However, if you're looking for something that would really challenge your detecting skills and give you an adrenaline rush, then I'd suggest that you pick up an Agatha Christie novel instead.
The mystery itself wasn't particularly exciting, nor were the puzzles themselves very hard to figure out. Hall did manage to completely trick me with the identity of the real villain, however - Raymond looked quite suspicious up until the end, when Cora unmasked the true killer. The one thing that really annoyed me about the mystery was that the readers were not given the reasoning behind the crime, or really how Cora solved it. It seemed more like a combination of good luck and asking the right things at the right time, and then stumbling on the correct answer. The correct answer was also extremely anticlimatic and rather disappointed me - the most annoying thing with crime fiction is the habit of some authors to make the murderer a character that wasn't even present for most of the story. It has the feel of simply placing the blame on an irrelevant character and using it to "trick" the reader, which is irritating. I want a chance to exercise my own detective side, too!
The relationships between the characters were extremely well developed, and provided a great background to the events. In fact, the relationships and conflicts were probably dwelled upon more than the actual mystery itself. That said, the book made quite a fun read, and I'll definitely look up more Puzzle Lady books, if only to find out more about Sherry, Cora, and maybe Aaron. However, if you're looking for something that would really challenge your detecting skills and give you an adrenaline rush, then I'd suggest that you pick up an Agatha Christie novel instead.
April 23, 2012
Sherry Carter's best friend has turned up - Brenda is engaged to marry Sherry's abusive ex-husband. They also want Sherry to be the maid of honor. But Aunt Cora, engaged to Raymond Harstein III, a recent resident of Bakerhaven, tries to save Sherry by saying Sherry will be HER maid of honor the same day that Brenda is getting married. Which turns out to be the next Saturday. But Dennis, Sherry's ex-husband wants it to be a double wedding so that Sherry can be maid of honor for both. But the evening of the wedding rehearsal, Dennis and Brenda are supposed to bring Raymond to the church. Sherry doesn't trust Raymond and gets Aaron to check into things and he finds that Raymond is a drug dealer. When Sherry tells Cora she goes immediately to Raymond's and enters his house with Brenda, a bit behind Dennis. When theyw alk in the living room, they see Dennis pulling a knife from Raymond's chest. Cora goes immediately into hysterics. Raymond's next door neighbors, aging hippies, have seen something - or at least Daffy (Daffodil) has, but her husband Jack doesn't want her to tell. Then Daffy is found dead and Aaron is nearby, just recovering consciousness. Cora is determined to find out who killed Raymond. Sherry is trying to convince Brenda that despite what he says, Dennis has NOT changed. But Dennis is a prime suspect for the murder of Raymond and cocaine is discovered in his suitcase. Add to that, cryptogram warnings are being sent that Sherry and Cora are having to decode.
SPOILER:
Turns out Raymond is not a drug dealer, but a narc, as Cora discovers. So she is vindicated.
SPOILER:
Turns out Raymond is not a drug dealer, but a narc, as Cora discovers. So she is vindicated.
December 30, 2014
Interesting that I've marked this as read previously, because I don't recall it now. Well, I mean I recall it NOW because I just read it, but... ah, never mind.
I found myself less endeared than irritated by Cora, and OK, mystery writers? Here's the problem with ciphers and puzzles in your books. I hate to break this to you, but many of us don't buy and retain your books. We buy and return for credit on the next, or we get them from the library. So we need to photocopy the silly puzzles in your book, or reduce the resale value drastically (at best), or be on the library blacklist.
So:
1. Put all the blank puzzles in the back for easy copying or
2. Pub them up on a web site (and if you have an access code, make it good for more than one user per book, or
3. Realize you're going to annoy some of your readers.
So, acceptable evening's diversion, especially since I'm not feeling my best, but feeling ambivalent about further catching up with this series.
I found myself less endeared than irritated by Cora, and OK, mystery writers? Here's the problem with ciphers and puzzles in your books. I hate to break this to you, but many of us don't buy and retain your books. We buy and return for credit on the next, or we get them from the library. So we need to photocopy the silly puzzles in your book, or reduce the resale value drastically (at best), or be on the library blacklist.
So:
1. Put all the blank puzzles in the back for easy copying or
2. Pub them up on a web site (and if you have an access code, make it good for more than one user per book, or
3. Realize you're going to annoy some of your readers.
So, acceptable evening's diversion, especially since I'm not feeling my best, but feeling ambivalent about further catching up with this series.
June 5, 2012
In this 5th book of the Puzzle lady series, Cora finds herself getting married again. Raymond is a nice gent with a dubious past, but Cora is in love. Also getting married is Sherry's abusive ex, Dennis. He is marrying Sherry's best friend, Brenda, but Sherry knows why he is doing it and tries to talk Brenda out of it. She isn't going for it and asks Sherry to be her maid of honor.
I liked this because of the two story lines going on at once. It was a bit ridiculous as to the plot lines at times (such as why Sherry could make it clear to Brenda that she was against the marriage, but couldn't say no to being maid of honor, as well as "Outspoken" Cora being unable to say no to a double wedding), but this is a cozy and those are the things you have to overlook when reading them.
I liked this because of the two story lines going on at once. It was a bit ridiculous as to the plot lines at times (such as why Sherry could make it clear to Brenda that she was against the marriage, but couldn't say no to being maid of honor, as well as "Outspoken" Cora being unable to say no to a double wedding), but this is a cozy and those are the things you have to overlook when reading them.
December 27, 2011
I greatly enjoyed this 5th book in the Puzzle Lady series of cozy mysteries. Cora is about to get married, for the umpteenth time, to a mysterious man from California, and suddenly Sherry's abusive ex-husband shows up engaged to her best friend. Before the nuptials can take place, Cora's fiance is found dead in his home with knife sticking out of his chest. The plot is contrived and not at all based on anything close to reality, but it kept me engaged anyway right up to the end. I did not appreciate the puzzle aspect in this one as much as in the previous novels, mostly just because they were anagrams, but also because the final puzzle was just too complicated.
March 4, 2014
Puzzle Lady Cora Felton is getting married again. But the engagement has just happened when her husband to be starts receiving threatening puzzles. As always, this book is fun with lots of stuff happening. However, the ending is rushed, a common flaw of the series.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
May 29, 2016
#5 in the Puzzle Lady, Cora Felton, and her niece Sherry Carter mystery series set in small town Bakerhaven, Connecticut. It looks like wedding bells again for the much-married Cora Felton when her mysterious fiancee is murdered. Cora is know for her crime solving skills and is soon involved in solving what happened. The tone is light with humor centered on Cora's character. The story involves Sherry's former husband who is marrying Sherry's best friend adding complications.
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