| Title | : | Last Puzzle Testament (Puzzle Lady, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0553581430 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780553581430 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 383 |
| Publication | : | First published September 5, 2000 |
Last Puzzle Testament (Puzzle Lady, #2) Reviews
-
While I found this book to make for pleasant reading, I do not like the idea of one of the major characters being an alcoholic. No matter how much Cora loves her niece, Sherry is not wise to trust a drunk to keep her secret, that she is the real Puzzle Lady. I do not find anyone who drinks to the point where they black out on a regular basis to be charming and amusing. To me they are objects or either pity or contempt.
I will continue to read the series because I like the original concept and I hope that Cora will realize that her drinking is a problem and that she could unintentionally hurt the niece she loves. -
Carino, a tratti poco chiaro anche se a metà del libro si capisce chi è l'assassino ma il movente si apprende solo alla fine. Comunque lettura scorrevole e leggera...
-
The plot was great and moved along at a good pace. I love crosswords and was excited to read this. However, I didn’t enjoy the style of writing. Characters are consistently referred to by their full names, which drove me nuts. I know who Cora is! I don’t need her full name twice per page. Elements of the subplots made me roll my eyes as well. None of the main characters seemed fully developed. Sherry is just a nerdy, puzzle loving divorcée. It was a “meh” for me.
-
I enjoyed this one slightly more than the first one in the series because the plot reminded me of
The Westing Game, which was my favorite book when I was young. I still haven't decided whether I like this series enough to read it all the way through, but I'll at least move on to #3. -
The Puzzle Lady was kind of irritating in this one but I think I'll keep reading them anyway.
-
I have read several books in this series, but this one seemed to be a cut above the rest. I really liked the plot and the way it kept me turning pages to find out who the murderer was.
-
While the grammar is still English Major cringe-worthy with horrid comma splices and pointless non-sentences it is better than the first book and does seem to have slightly-slightly!- less grammatical eyesores. I happen to be a non-English major and even I can spot the atrocious grammar aspects. Again I had to rewrite the sentences in my head to the correct flowing version to keep myself sane while reading the grammatical inanity.
Half the action reads like a laundry list of verbs (Ran.Jumped. Fell into the bushes) While such choppy actions can add immediacy to action, overuse of this technique just makes the reader feel like they are reading an elementary vocabulary lesson. Sadly this held true for some of the major action sequences in the book.
Thankfully the mystery was actually interesting and the plot made a lot more sense. The solution didn’t seem to come from out of nowhere like the previous book and the characters for once seemed competent this time around. Cora actually remained sober for most of the book which was a very nice treat, and the readers got to see more of Sherry & Aaron (2 of the better, more developed characters from the previous book). The beginning of the book makes it seem like the writer is obsessed with alcoholics and their enablers as it begins with what seems like a male version of Cora. Thankfully after the first few chapters things begin to be more interesting.
Some of the characters get more background and show a bit more differences. There’s still not a lot of coherent description but there is some which works. Most of the minor ‘townspeople’ characters still feel like interchangeable NPCs but at least some of the more major characters appear to have more going for them.
Overall the characters have some depth with the most fun and interesting characters still being Sherry & Aaron. Cora is a little more likable when she’s sober(she’s still a far far cry from any kind of Ms Marple) and the police chief is much more sympathetic when he’s showing competence. As stated previously the mystery was much more engaging this time around and the solution much more believable and well explained. That alone gets an extra star bumping up a 2-Star writing job to a 3-star hey that was a fun and rather entertaining read. -
"Emma Hurley died the way she lived -- surrounded by an air of mystery, with only her servants at her side. That is, until she finally passes away ... and her greedy heirs crawl out of the woodwork to stake a claim to Emma's fortune. But unlike most people, Emma was not content to leave behind a simple will. Instead, her final testament include, of all things, a clever ... one to be given only to her living heirs. The first one to solve the puzzle will inherit Emma's entire estate; everyone else will be left without a pittance.
"Complicating maters further, the will stipulates that Cora Felton -- local celebrity and famed author of a popular syndicated crossword puzzle column -- must referee the contest. Unfortunately, Cora knows far more about the fine art of mixing a martini than creating -- let alone solving -- crossword puzzles. It's Cora's niece Sherry who's the brains behind Cora's 'Puzzle Lady' persona. And it's up to Sherry to unravel the bizarre riddle Emma Hurley engineered before her death. For soon it's plain that Emma's game is one without a clear winner ... and that the players could lose far more than they ever imagine.
"Before long, would-be heirs are scouring every nook and cranny of the town as they scramble to solve a forty-year-old puzzle, while the Puzzle Lady herself adds to the chaos with her less-than-sobering antics. Meanwhile, Sherry has some pressing problems of her own: Her romantic interest in a mild-mannered local reporter is turning into an unpleasant love triangle -- one that involves a glamorous young lawyer. And when one of the participants in Emma's contest is knifed to death, the last thing Sherry needs is amorous advances -- especially when they're coming from the number one suspect in the crime ...
"Last Puzzle & Testament is a devilish concoction of gamesmanship, malice, and mystery for anyone who loves a puzzle -- acro9ss, down, or any way around!"
~~front & back flaps
A very clever plot, and I didn't foresee the ending at all. Which is mark of a good mystery, at least in my book! -
Absolutely delightful! I passed this book on the library shelf and grabbed it based on the cover alone. The back-cover blurb reminded me of The Westing Game, which is still one of the most clever books I’ve ever read, so I checked this out and couldn’t put it down once I started reading! I love crosswords anyhow, and this book gives a blank crossword grid in the front so the reader can solve the puzzle along with the characters if they so choose. It’s a simple crossword, which some might find off-putting, but there’s a reason for that, as we find out later in the book. Plus, it’s more conducive to reading the story to have an easy puzzle to solve. Who wants to pause reading and work on a crossword for an hour? The plot is wildly unrealistic, and the characters over the top, but it works for this story. When an eccentric and rich older lady dies, she leaves a puzzle for her heirs to solve in order to determine who gets the inheritance. As the dysfunctional family assembles and fights (literally) to win, strange things start happening around town, and people are found murdered or attacked. That may sound grisly, but Parnell Hall manages to keep it light and almost whimsical. Imagine Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife solving a murder in Mayberry. That’s the feel here. This book is witty, clever, and funny. Bravo, Parnell Hall!
-
2.5 stars. I think it would have been 3 stars, maybe even 3.5, except for the ending ().
A reason I love Agatha Christie so much is that her stories hold up so well to re-reading and when you read it through with knowledge of who the murderer is, you pick up on so many clues dropped throughout the writing. This book is the opposite of that. The solution is interesting, but not at all satisfying.
Edit: I see a lot of reviews comparing this to The Westing Game. I can see the similarities in the premise...but The Westing Game is a 5-star book. -
I was ready to give this book 4 stars, but then I had to suffer through pages 205 - 300. Honestly, the whole twist could have taken half the page count. Fortunately, the author got it all back on track after that and the rest of the book was nicely done. In fact, this is one of the best cozys I've ever read.
The relationship between Sherry and her Aunt Cora is a bit much, but Parnell Hall plays them off each other better than most authors in these types of books. The 'puzzle' is also the macguffin, and it let's the author show how the two work well together despite everything else. If that doesn't make sense, I won't spoil it for you.
Definitely pick up if you like cozys, or mysteries in general.
Find it. Buy it. Read it! -
Cora, the “puzzle lady” and her niece are dealing with the publicity from their first foray into crime solving when Cora is asked to officiate on determining the heir to a vast fortune upon the death of Emma Hurley. The heirs are charged with solving a puzzle, winner to get the fortune. What follows is a sort of scavenger hunt based around solving the quadrants of a crossword puzzle, with Cora and Sherry trying to stay ahead of the contestants. Then some mysterious deaths and attempts prove this to be much more serious. This book was much better than the first. Cora was sober for most of the action although not willingly. Characters are growing on me and I hope to see more emotional growth in future volumes.
-
A five star 🌟 rating for me is simple - I don't want to put the book down. While I am not completely enthralled with the main characters, this second book in the series kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I often like to guess who dunnit - my guess was correct right from the onset, although the motive was unclear to me. What kept my interest was the puzzle Emma put forth for her heirs to solve.
I'm looking forward to continuing in this series as I am hopeful that Cora and Sherry's characters will grow in time. -
Unread shelf project 2021: book 94.
A very convoluted story!! Wow. This one had my head spinning near the end trying to keep up.
On the plus side, Cora wasn’t as much of an unabashed lush in this book. There was one main scene at the beginning where she was hammered but throughout the rest of the book, her drinking subsided and a few comments were made about how staying busy solving crimes helps her avoid drinking to excess.
Very curious to see how the series continues… -
This was an interesting combination of mystery and inter-family intrigue. Talk about a dysfunctional family dynamic! Starting with the deceased aunt who planned a series of crossword puzzles as a scavenger hunt to be a winner take all inheritance of $13 million. She was trying to get the family to work together and solve her convoluted clues and instructions.
-
Puzzle lady branches out to detective lady.
One of the more amusing books I’ve read recently. The characters are interesting. Cora is a believable alcoholic. Quirky as the plot runs, it has enough twists and turns to keep one’s attention. -
Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, is the judge for an unusual contest. Emma Hurley died and her last will has the heirs solving a crossword puzzle. Oh, and 2 other people have died who knew Emma.
Is it murder?
A fun plot to follow! -
This is the second “Puzzle Lady” book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I learned absolutely nothing and possibly even lost a few brain cells, but this read with its silly characters was enjoyable from start to finish. And isn’t that what reading for pleasure is all about?
-
Quite the tour of the town in this journey.
-
An enjoyable cosy mystery with well-written characters and a plot that moves at a steady pace. A most enjoyable read.
-
Sappy writing, implausible plot elements, and the puzzle was too easy for crossword lovers.
-
It keep me guessing until the end was a good read love that it had a crossword puzzle in there to solve as you go along reading
-
Decidedly lightweight, but not annoying.
The plot did not get really interesting until the final quarter of the book.
Not sure if I will read any more in this series, but this one was okay. -
Before reading make a cheat sheet of characters, especially the heirs. Fun and easy reading with a real red herring. Overall, worth the effort.
-
Perhaps if I had read the first book in the series I would have liked this one more. I found it hard to like the main characters.
