Sudden Death Sudoku: A Katie McDonald Mystery [Hardcover]

I picked this up at the library because it looked interesting-- I like Sudoku and love mysteries. But wow, this is terribly written and terribly boring (although I must say it did help me fall sleep every night). The main murder plot is not developed very well and has a completely predictable ending. But what bothered me the most were all the typos and misspellings in the book-- the editors should be ashamed of themselves! It's not the worst book I've ever read, but I won't be reading anything by this author again.

Katie McDonald is the Avondale Puzzle Museum's curator and is sponsoring The First Annual Avondale Sudoku Challenge. Lots of people are attending and participating in the challenge. She has gotten many of the local businesses and residents to participate in making the challenge a success.

Scandal soon rears its ugly head when Katie is made aware of a cheating scandal related to a top challenger, Gordon Lott. Katie's Aunt Pru thinks he would make a great husband for Katie. She's always on the lookout for a husband for Katie. Katie watches Gordon as he competes and doesn't see him cheat. Even though some of the locals who know his past want him disqualified, Katie lets him continue to compete.

When he makes a mistake and loses, he is quite upset. With a snowstorm bearing down on the town, everyone leaves quickly from the first day of competition. When they arrive early the next day to finish the clean up and setting up, Gordon is discovered dead in the snow. Police Chief Brandon Mitchell wants to shut down the competition. Katie and the local merchants have too much at stake and she finally gets him to agree to keep it open.

When the prime suspect turns up dead, things really start to heat up. With everyone going home after the competition, investigating proves to be much more difficult.

Plus there seems to be tension between the Police Chief and Harry, Kate's teenaged assistant, who lives with him. Kate worries that this tenuous relationship she's pushed upon them will not last.

Can Kate and Harry help the Police Chief without putting themselves in any danger and getting him upset with them?

This is such a fun series. I'm not a Sudoku lover, but I love the setting, the characters, and the plots. The writing is so great that I just fly through each book. While I enjoy that, it means I'm soon waiting another year for the next book! I hope this is a series that goes on for years. Kate, Harry, Brandon, and Pru are such fun characters. Plus the other puzzle lovers and locals really round out the cast of characters.

I highly recommend this book and series.

I REALLY ENJOYED THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS NEW SERIES. IT BEGAN A LITTLE SLOWLY BUT SOON PICKED UP THE PACE. I EXPECTED THIS SECOND BOOK TO KEEP UP THAT MOMENTUM. I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WHEN IT TOO BEGAN SLOWLY, BUT BECAME VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN THE PACE NEVER INCREASED. IT WAS A RATHER DULL AND DREARY READ COMPARED WITH BOOK ONE. EVEN THE CHARACTERS LOST THEIR ENTHUSIASM. MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED THAT THE NEXT BOOK WILL BE MORE ENJOYABLE.