HALL, PARNELL — Last Puzzle & Testament

New York, Bantam Books. 2000, Uncorrected Proof. (ISBN: 055380099X) Trade Paperback. Book, Second mystery featuring Miss Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, and her long-suffering niece Sherry Carter, set in a small town in Connecticut. Wealthy widow Emma Hurley died with only her servants at her side -- but after she passes away, her greedy heirs crawl out of the woodwork to stake a claim in Emma's fortune. To their surprise, Emma was not content to leave behind a simple will. Instead, her final testament includes a clever puzzle .. one to be given only to her living heirs. The first one to solve the puzzle will inherit Emma's entire estate; everyone else will be left with a pittance. The will also stipulates that Cora Felton -- local celebrity and famed author of a popular syndicated crossword puzzle column -- must referee the contest. Unfortunately, it's Cora's niece, Sherry Carter, who is the brains behind Cora's "Puzzle Lady" persona. And it's up to Sherry to unravel the bizarre riddle Emma Hurley engineered before her death. For soon it's plain that Emma's game is one without a clear winner .. and that the players could lose far more than they ever imagined!339p. [Note - The blank puzzle page is unused so you can still challenge yourself with this puzzle] 339 pp. Very Good.