The Sudoku Murder

A Katie McDonald Mystery
April 2007
Carroll & Graf
ISBN 0-786-71977-X

Professor P.T. Avondale is found murdered at his desk at the Avondale Puzzle Museum. Katie McDonald, master puzzle-solver, has returned home to save her childhood mentor’s museum from being auctioned off when she learns of the Professor’s death. Now she finds herself curator of the museum and in charge of the Professor’s newest mentee, a fourteen-year-old runaway. Katie is now faced with working to solve the puzzle of the Professor’s murder before a ruthless killer applies his own deadly solution.

Released Overseas

Germany	Turkey

Reviews

"Given the current popularity of sudoku puzzles, a mystery incorporating the game was due. Katie McDonald leaves her job at a Washington think tank to return to her small New Hampshire town to help her old friend and mentor, professor P.T. Avondale, save his puzzle museum. But he is found murdered lying on his desk with a half-finished sudoku puzzle. Someone wants the old Victorian house that also functioned as the professor's museum. Now Katie must find his killer and rescue the museum where she spent the best days of her unhappy childhood. In this captivating series debut, Freydont, author of the Linda Haggerty mystery series, introduces a new sleuthing heroine with plenty of spunk. Think Parnell Hall's Puzzle Lady novels when looking for a read-a-like. For cozy and puzzle fans." --Library Journal (starred review)

"The world of mystery is not immune to the attraction of those fiendish numerical puzzles as we see in Shelly Freydont’s The Sudoku Murder (C&G, $24.95) which introduces mathematician and puzzlesolver Katie McDonald. An unfinished puzzle on the desk of the murdered proprietor of the Avondale Puzzle Museum provides crucial clues to Katie in this cleverly plotted mystery that will appeal to readers who like a mental challenge." -- Mystery Lovers' Bookshop

"This intriguing first in a new series from Freydont (A Merry Little Murder and four other mysteries featuring dancer Linda Haggerty) introduces mathematician and Sudoku whiz Katie McDonald. Katie, a self-professed geek who works for a hush-hush government think tank, returns to her hometown of Granville, N.H., at the behest of her former mentor, P.T. Avondale. Katie is shocked to find Avondale frail and preoccupied, his beloved puzzle museum in serious disrepair and dire financial straits. Before Katie can make sense of the situation, she discovers Avondale murdered in his office—slumped over an unfinished Sudoku puzzle that may provide a clue to the killer's identity. She tops the brash new police chief's suspect list and decides to solve the case on her own, not only to clear her name but to save the Avondale museum from the wrecking ball. Readers will want to see a lot more of the intelligent and endearing Katie. " -- Publisher's Weekly

Excerpt

Coming soon!