Puzzle Me a Murder by Roz Noonan

Puzzle Me a Murder 

Book Summary

Empathetic to a fault, librarian Alice Pepper always had a natural talent for figuring out people and puzzles in the small Oregon town of West Hazel. But as a mystery permeates the quiet Pacific Northwestern community, murder is a challenge she’s not prepared to solve . . .

Down-on-her-luck Alice had hoped to retire before turning sixty-five, not struggle to keep her cozy home and dependable job. But even after divorce leaves her golden years a mess, the pieces always come together with a little help from her friends—a fun-loving crew who thrive on jigsaws over coffee, cocktails, and gossip. So, when it’s time to defend close confidant Ruby Milliner, she springs into action. Only, in this case, supporting Ruby means proving she didn’t murder her cheating husband!

Ruby never wanted to kill George, although anger can make a person say questionable—and incriminating—things. And scheming, deceitful George made a lot of people angry. A quick investigation reveals the man was blackmailing whoever he could for a quick payday, from his mistress to the most prominent residents in town . . .

Alice dives into a secret search to exonerate Ruby, fiercely committed to cracking the crime and patching up torn relationships along the way. Despite using her unassuming persona to fly under the radar, slimming down a massive suspect list and restoring peace to West Hazel is a real gamble. Because if successful, Alice will meet a vengeful killer whose game she doesn’t yet know how to play.

My Thoughts

Puzzle Me a Murder by Roz Noonan is the debut of An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mysteries (that’s a mouthful).  I was drawn to this series because, like Alice, I have a penchant for puzzles.  Alice Pepper is a woman in her mid-sixties, a librarian, and has a knack for solving puzzles. I did not find Alice and the rest of the cast to be likeable (I found most of them to be irritating).  The story is heavy on the dialogue which leads to repetitive details. One person learns something, they then must tell another, and so on.  The pacing was languid.  I wish it had been peppier.  

The whodunit had me rolling my eyes often (I gave myself a headache).  Alice’s friend, Ruby, is a prime suspect (of course), so Alice and her friends set out to prove her innocence.  They trample all over the crime scene (I can see the guilty party getting off scot-free thanks to them) and have access to information that they should not (Alice’s granddaughter, Madison is a police officer).  It was unrealistic.  Alice’s other granddaughter lives in her basement and acts like a teenager instead of an adult.  I did feel that mystical elements were not needed (there was enough going on).  Puzzle Me a Murder is a story that I struggled to finish.  Puzzle Me a Murder is an upbeat tale with mystification, murder, mayhem, family, and accommodating mates. 

Puzzle Me a Murder is available from Amazon*.  You can find Roz Noonan's other books under R.J. Noonan.  You can also visit the author's website to learn more about her and her books.  Thank you for joining me today. I really do appreciate it.  It is hard to believe that today is the last day of July.  The month went by swiftly.  Tomorrow I will be sharing my thoughts on The Protector by Wanda E. Brunstetter.  It is the first book in A Mifflin County Mysteries.  I hope that you have a gratifying day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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