The Puzzle Lady cozy mysteries never disappoint. I love when Cora and Melvin get together. They are like oil and water where they don’t mix. I would have liked to see Sherry in the story a little more but I still loved the book. I loved the twists and I always get a great laugh when I read these stories. I look forward to reading the next book. ( )

This is my first introduction to this series. Instantly, I connected with the characters. They were quirky. Just how I like my characters in cozy mysteries. This is the best art of these types of books. Cora is so sweet and someone that I would want to hang out with. Although, no offense as she may be known as the Puzzle Lady but she is not that great at solving crossword puzzles. The person that showed he had a real knack for solving puzzles is Harvey Beerbaum. I give credit to people who can solve crossword puzzles. I struggle at them. My forte are word searches.

Not to be forgotten is Chief Dale Harper. He did not showcase in my eyes that he is a strong leader but he is an alright guy. He does work well with others. When it counts the most, he does come through.

This book was made fun by the characters. The whodunit aspect was laid out and wrapped up I a nice package. Added bonus are the crossword puzzles inserted in this book. The puzzles actually help to solve the case. Which makes reading this book interactive. ( )

3.5 Just pure fun , a series I go to whenever I need some bumbling humor. The Puzzle Lady, Cora Felton is a hoot, if she gets involved in a case, which she often does, anything goes. There are crossword puzzles as clues, even some soduko, and they can be the cause of much speculation. The witty dialogue and a woman, who can be compared to the deceiving clever, Columbo, just make these books so entertaining. The case is often secondary, but somehow, and I'm not sure how, they all get solved, come together in the end. The secondary characters even the police officers add greatly to the fun, all seem to fall under the cleverness of the Puzzle Lady. Though of course there is a story there too. No need to read from the beginning, though as always starting there adds insight to the characters and their relationships, but this one would be fun on it's own.

I also learned a new phrase I quite like, perennial millennials, quite clever. ( )

The Purloined Puzzle...A Puzzle Lady Mystery
By
Parnell Hall

What it's all about...

Cora is famous for creating these amazing crossword puzzles. The problem is that she doesn’t write them and she actually hates crossword puzzles. Her niece is the one who writes them. But no one really knows this...except...perhaps...for Cora’s ex husband. Cora has a rocky relationship with him. When he returns to Cora’s little town...he becomes a prime suspect for murder. This murder then becomes two murders. Cora seems to love this kind of puzzle and she gets overly involved in finding out what really happened and who really committed these murders.

This is the 19th Puzzle Lady book and my first Puzzle Lady book.

Why I wanted to read it...

Cora sounded as though she was a really unique character. The dialogue in this book was fast and clever. Cora was sarcastic and full of dry humor. I checked other Puzzle Lady books and Cora seemed to be a sort of elderly lady. Covers with her showed a white haired kind of sweetly chubby woman. However in this 19th book she seemed much younger. She was really active and dare I say seemed to be kind of interested in “getting busy”...especially with Melvin...accused murderer and ex husband. She denied any interest in him but there seemed to be an undercurrent of sexuality between the two of them.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

The plot and characters were fantastic in this book. It ranged from teenage Peggy Dawson and the first Puzzle to sex, drugs and rock and roll. I never was bored while reading this book. The banter among all characters was delightfully fun!

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love a different kind of cozy mystery will really love this book. I think it can be read as a stand alone even though there are 18 books before it. I really want to read the earliest ones to see how Cora grew and changed.

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher...St. Martin’s Press...through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it. ( )