Dead Man's Puzzle-Parnell Hall

Dead Man's Puzzle
Parnell Hall
Minotaur, Apr 14 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 9780312373993

Bakerhaven, Connecticut police chief Dale Harper asks crossword columnist Cora “the Puzzle Lady” Felton to solve a crossword puzzle found at the death bed of nonagenarian cancer victim Herbert Overmeyer. However Cora is the front as her reticent niece Sherry Carter is the real Puzzle Lady, but she and her husband Aaron Grant are away on their African honeymoon.

Needing help, Cora asks her friend corpulent puzzle maker Harvey Beerbaum to assist her. As he solves the puzzle, which seems to offer no help to the death, the autopsy reveals Herbert died from arsenic poisoning. Dale and Cora go to a remote cabin where they find a gun that ties Herbert to a five decade old Alabama convenience store robbery. Sherry’s former husband Dennis investigates in an effort to get his ex back, but his mouth on TV may have led to the murder of Herbert’s next door neighbor. A third related homicide also occurs.

Besides the usual fun crosswords and sudoku puzzles, the latest Puzzle Lady whodunit is one of the strongest entries in recent years as Cora seeks alternative solutions. The story line is action-packed, but driven by feisty Cora who teams up with Dale to investigate the first homicide that has ties to a crime fifty years ago and leads to more murders (complements of Dennis). Readers will enjoy puzzling through the mystery and newcomers will seek to solve previous cases (see THE SUDOKU PUZZLE MURDERS).

Harriet Klausner