Malice in Puzzle Land - (An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery) by Roz Noonan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

If her life were a puzzle, librarian Alice Pepper would be constantly adding pieces to it. Starting over after a divorce has opened up her world. Everyone in the small Oregon town that Alice calls home has something to add to the big picture. But the murder of one of their own leaves a gaping hole . . .

Alice is excited that the library is going to host its first-ever speed-puzzling competition--until time runs out on a prominent local woman. Glamorous realtor to the rich, Babe Kinkaid, is found floating in her own infinity pool. What police first suspect is an accident or medical crisis turns out to be a homicide when the autopsy reveals that Babe has been shot.

Babe's complicated love life leaves no shortage of suspects--including two ex-husbands and a fiancé. Then there's her family, complete with a spoiled daughter, a ne'er-do-well son, and an always overlooked sister. All of them have the same motive: Babe's massive inheritance.

Alice faces a ticking clock in this investigation. There are a lot of moving pieces, and before she can shake loose a killer, an explosion and disappearance throw the town into even more of a tumult. It's up to Alice to click all the clues into place before those nearest and dearest to her become the next victims . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for the Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Mysteries by Roz Noonan

"The crew's initially breezy investigation takes a dark turn when someone connected to the case turns up dead."--Publishers Weekly on This Missing Piece is Killing Me

"Nearly half the book is devoted to searching for Michelle, and once that's resolved this second book in the series (after Puzzle Me a Murder) expands deeper into Alice's world--which is loving and caring, yes, but also features major pieces of the past she has been unable to resolve."--firstCLUE on That Missing Piece is Killing Me

"Anyone who loves cozies will love this fun mystery. But those who are into puzzles will be particularly delighted to read this second book in the Oregon-based Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club mystery series. After all, the ability to solve puzzles can reflect a skill needed to solve murders."--Auntie's Books on This Missing Piece is Killing Me

"The cozy and real-world elements are blended to give added depth as well as enjoyment. I look forward to seeing what Alice puts together in the next book."--King's River Life on This Missing Piece is Killing Me

"An Oregon librarian gets sucked into a murder case and discovers that her skills in researching give her quite a knack for it."- Kirkus Reviews on Puzzle Me a Murder

"Puzzle Me a Murder has it all--jigsaw puzzle clues, tarot card readings, small-town intrigue, a big, homey house, a looming wedding, and a murder. Alice Pepper and her endearing collection of family members and friends grab your attention and pull you along as they fit the puzzle pieces together to reveal the big picture and solve the big case." --Barbara Ross, author of Torn Asunder

"Suspense, humor, a challenging mystery puzzle, and characters you want to spend time with . . . even if one of them might be a murderer. Roz Noonan's Puzzle Me a Murder has it all." --David Rosenfelt, National Bestselling Author of Dog Day Afternoon

"Much as her librarian sleuth Alice Pepper completes her much-loved jigsaw puzzles, author Roz Noonan snaps the final piece of this delightful and entertaining whodunit into place with a satisfying click. I can't wait for the next Puzzle Club mystery!" --Leslie Meier, author of Patchwork Quilt Murder

"Set in Oregon's picturesque Willamette Valley, and with a cast of lively, engaging characters, Puzzle Me A Murder is an enjoyable read that will have you puzzling over all the pieces of this clever mystery until the end." --Darci Hannah, author of A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor

About the Author

Roz Noonan is the New York Times bestselling author of the Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts Puzzle Club Mysteries, the Laura Mori Mysteries (under the name R.J. Noonan), acclaimed contemporary fiction, and domestic suspense novels. She also co-authored the bestselling collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous with Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, and she also writes crime novels under the name R. J. Noonan. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes in the shade of some towering two-hundred-year-old Douglas fir trees, and can be found online at RosalindNoonanBooks.com.