Last Puzzle & Testament
Read Last Puzzle & Testament Online
Authors: Parnell Hall
Raves for Parnell Hall’s
LAST PUZZLE & TESTAMENT
“Cora is emerging as a lovable and unique sleuth. [She’s] no sweet-natured Jessica Fletcher or wise-as-an-owl Miss Marple.… This series is a joy for lovers of both crosswords and frothy crime detection.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“[
Last Puzzle & Testament
]
has its merry way with the cozy concept of the small-town spinster-sleuth.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Fun from the first page … This cozy mystery has a slightly different point of view and pair of detectives.”
—The Dallas Morning News
“Takes a sweet-faced grandmother on the gumshoe spree of a lifetime.”
—The Washington Post Book World
“Cora’s heart-of-gold personality gives
Last Puzzle & Testament
a special feel that turns this novel into a keeper that will be read many times over in the years to come.”
—The Midwest Book Review
“The author proves himself very adept at constructing the puzzles that are at the core of his mystery. The reader gets a chance to solve the puzzles before the protagonists do, which adds to the fun.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“A decidedly different pair of detectives.” —
Creative Logic
“Crossword puzzle fans, this one is for you.”
—The Daily Oklahoman
“This novel’s puzzles within puzzles will charm and so will its attractive cast.”
—Booklist
“Just the ticket for the puzzle addict(s) on your list.”
—Booknews
from The Poisoned Pen
“Laced with witty dialogue and enough twists to satisfy the most demanding of mystery fans.”
—Greenburg
(PA)
Tribune-Review
“Parnell Hall pulls off a clever and entertaining crossword-based mystery.”
—Mystery Lovers Bookshop News
Raves for Cora Felton’s debut in
A CLUE FOR THE PUZZLE LADY
“Some puzzles are real killers … devious and delightful.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“Deft … clever … fun.”
—Booklist
“The real lure here is the mystery, whose ingenuity takes quite unexpected forms en route to the final unmasking. Heaven for crossword fans, who’ll rejoice over the solve-as-you-go puzzle!”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Cora Felton is a delightfully different sort of sleuth—hardly the decorous, tea-sipping village spinster. In truth, she’s a hoot. I hope her niece can keep her out of too much trouble so that we can all savor future adventures of the Puzzle Lady.”
—Joan Hess, author of the Claire Malloy and Maggody mystery series
“In addition to his trademark zippy, witty dialogue, Hall provides a dandy puzzle, congenial secondary characters, plenty of laughs, and a true original in Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady.” —
Publishers Weekly
“A
Clue for the Puzzle Lady
is fresh, funny, and ingeniously devised. It kept me guessing right down to the end—just like a good crossword!”
—Will Shortz, Crossword Editor,
The New York Times
> “Parnell Hall’s superb new series dazzles like the Fourth of July, crackling with fun, wordplay, more twists than a maze, and a clever, vulnerable, wild woman sleuth—Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady. Sheer delight!”
—Carolyn Hart, author of
Death on Demand
and the Henrie O mystery series
“A twisting plot, an intriguing puzzle, and a surprisingly satisfying romance. This one is hard to beat.”
—Janet Evanovich
“A fresh series with an engaging sleuthing duo … a lighthearted romp.” —
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
“A fun and entertaining story to challenge all mystery readers … A great premise … lively characters, an intriguing plot and a well-written story.” —
Rendezvous
“
A Clue for the Puzzle Lady
is going to please puzzle fans and mystery lovers alike.”
—Romantic Times
This edition contains the complete text
of the original hardcover edition.
NOT ONE WORD HAS BEEN OMITTED.
LAST PUZZLE & TESTAMENT
A Bantam Book
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Bantam hardcover edition published September 2000
Bantam mass market edition / September 2001
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2000 by Parnell Hall
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-020150
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information address: Bantam Books.
eISBN: 978-0-307-77955-7
Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Random House, Inc., New York, New York.
v3.1
A GRID FROM THE PUZZLE LADY
T
he following crossword puzzle grid wint ]ll be used
in the course of the book. This copy is supplied
for your enjoyment. If you would care to use
it to attempt to solve the puzzle ahead of
the characters in the story, feel free.
The clues will be along shortly.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25