The Sudoku Murder - Bev Russell, Library Director

(This column appeared in the August 26, 2007, Star-Herald)

I felt the need to read something a little lighter this week and noticed "The Sudoku Murder" by Shelley Freydont among our new books. Puzzle mysteries have been around for a while. Most frequently authors use crossword puzzles or jigsaw puzzles to create a theme for their novels. Shelly Freydont’s book is the first one to use the newly popular Sudoku puzzle as a focal point.

"The Sudoko Murder" is not Shelley Freedont’s first book. She writes another mystery series, centering on a dance company, as well as popular romances under a pseudonym. She is also a professional dancer—hence her series about a dance company. She grew-up loving to play board games and do puzzles. A jigsaw puzzle was always set up in her family’s living room, and she still maintains a puzzle room in her house with the ever-present jigsaw puzzle.

After leaving college Shelly began doing the "New York Times" crossword puzzle, which she still works each day. She says it is, "A kind of priming the brain for work on all those plot twists and character traits." Those of you who do crosswords know that the "New York Times" crossword is the elite of crossword puzzles. (I’ll stick with the "World-Herald".) Sudoku puzzles simply added another layer to her puzzle repertoire. So adding puzzles to her next mystery series was a natural. "The Sudoku Murder" is the first in the Katie McDonald puzzle museum mystery series.

Math and puzzle "geek" Katie McDonald takes a leave of absence from the Institute of Theoretical Mathematics to return to her hometown of Granville, New Hampshire. Her mentor, Professor P. T. Avondale implored her to return to save his life’s dream the Avondale Puzzle Museum from foreclosure. The bank and a new shopping mall threaten the museum with the wrecking ball. The museum and Professor Avondale were Katie’s salvation during her unhappy childhood when schoolmates called her "Katie the Geek" because of her prowess in math. However, when she finds the professor stabbed to death and slumped over a Sudoku puzzle, she becomes the chief suspect in the murder investigation. The unfinished puzzle may contain the only clue to the professor’s murderer. Now, she has more on her hands than just the rescue of the museum. Katie must also find the murderer and prove her innocence.

"The Sudoku Murder" is a cozy mystery that includes the usual eccentric cast of characters. Katie’s unmarried Aunt Pru is one of those characters. Her one goal in life is to see Katie married but definitely not to the new virile Police Chief. Because he is an outsider from Boston, Granville residents refuse to accept Chief Mitchell. He incurred Aunt Pru’s wrath by actually ticketing her for running a stop sign. Another interesting Granville resident is elderly Alice Hinckley who lives next door to the museum. She leads the militant Granny Activist Brigade whose goal is to save the museum from destruction. The museum’s grumpy receptionist Janice Krupps is probably the least welcoming personality who could be found working as a receptionist. She hates Katie and almost everyone else except the professor. Katie suspects her of embezzling from the museum and creating its financial mess.

"The Sudoku Murder" is definitely a light read, but it contains just enough mystery and humor to keep a reader involved. Katie McDonald is a spunky heroine. Although her relationship with Chief Mitchell gets off to a rocky start, it shows signs of developing romantically. Aunt Pru and the residents of Granville, N. H. will keep you chuckling. Look for more Katie McDonald mysteries in the future.

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