Earth and Space News: Parnell Hall Stalking the Puzzle Lady

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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

One Knife, Two Deaths, Four Puzzles Aid in Stalking the Puzzle Lady

Summary: One knife, two deaths, four puzzles aid an anonymous cruciverbalist in Stalking the Puzzle Lady, 7th mystery in the Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall.

Perhaps a one-level motel avoids the first murder of a victim ambushed on the second floor around a balcony afflicted with accident-prone rails; 1978 image of Colonial Park Motel, Meridian CT; by American photographer John Samuel Margolies (May 16, 1940-May 26, 2016); John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive (1972-2008), Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

One knife, two deaths, four puzzles aid an anonymous cruciverbalist (from Latin crux, “cross” and verbum, “word”) Stalking the Puzzle Lady, Parnell Hall’s (Oct. 31, 1934-Dec. 15, 2020) 7th Puzzle Lady mystery.

Number puzzle lady Cora Felton balks at reality ads for new, improved Granville Grains Corn Toasties before Charles Coleson of Truestar Investments brings her bad news. Quentin Burns as reality ads producer claims a Mercedes Benz, a Scarsdale address and a six-figure salary as well as comfortable motel room and tour car. He drives with publicist Jennifer Blaylock and segments director Daphne Decker who, unlike tour crew members who double up in budget motels, dwell wherever he does.

Cora encounters actors, cameramen, electricians, makeup ladies and prop-men such as Lance Griswald, Ginger Perkins; Larry, whose sister-in-law embraces Weston lifestyles; Wayne; Florence Evans; and Pepe.

County Prosecutor Henry Firth, Police Chief Dale Harper, with daughter Clara and wife Ellen, and Medical Examiner Dr. Barney Nathan figure among Bakerhavenites at Danbury filmings.

Attorney Becky Balwin, puzzle-solving constructor Harvey Beerbaum, First Selectman Iris Cooper, bake shop owner-operator Mary Cushman and realtor Judy Douglas Knauer to that first Danbury filming. Kevin Wallace, whose parents hold him back from baseball practice, and sister Molly have the first free bowlfuls for tour audiences at Danbury Stop & Shop. Margaret, whose lost diamond earrings interested Cora during weekend itineraries in Mohonk, New York, with third husband Frank, inspects Stamford Food 4 Less with her son.

One knife in her door, two deaths among tour members and four puzzles jeopardize Cora journeying from Bakerhaven to coastal Connecticut in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Freddy Fosterfield, who as Walmart assistant manager keeps his cats Jeremiah and Sanford in his Danbury residence, knows Cora from New York City Public School 84.

Sherry Carter, with boyfriend, Bakerhaven Gazette reporter Aaron Grant, likes Bakerhaven mall’s movie theater two miles (3.22 kilometers) away, looks after Aunt Cora’s toy poodle Buddy. Sherry, then Aaron and Becky motor to coastal Connecticut when the former’s ex-husband, Dennis Pride, moves around outside New York City without second wife Brenda Wallenstein. Dennis navigates I95 to Mystic and Stamford after nosing around the Carter/Felton residence and Wicker Basket restaurant in Bakerhaven and perhaps Danbury mall’s Stop & Shop.

Dennis obsesses over Sherry, not Cleveland conferences or New Haven appointments, not over offering anybody one knife, two deaths, four puzzles in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Becky passes on dinner invitations from Rick Reed, for Bakerhaven Television Channel 8 on-camera reporter, even as the latter then pursues Jennifer after Mystic and Stamford filmings.

Danbury mall and Mystic and Stamford motels respectively quarter a quick, quiet thief of actress Ginger Perkins’ wallet and a quarrelsome, quenchless, quicksilver, quick-tempered proto-serial killer. Assistant managers, apart Morton Giles of Stamford Food 4 Less, remain removed from one murder in a Stamford motel and a second near a Mystic motel. Dale sees the knife stuck in the Carter/Felton door even as he stays away from murders and stalkings scrutinized by Stamford Police Officers Jerry and Phil.

Cora tolerates District Attorney Samuel Dawson, unlike her never tolerating Henry Firth, as she tracks one knife, two deaths, four puzzles in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Perhaps the second murder victim ambled along a several-block stretch of Interstate 95 (I95) as scary as this bus plaza perhaps appears on a late, lonely night; Tuesday, Sep. 4, 2018, 11:11, image of bus plaza under I-95 at Stamford station: Pi.1415926535, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Hall, Parnell. 2019. Lights! Camera! Puzzles! New York NY; London UK: Pegasus Crime.

Hall, Parnell. 2018. The Purloined Puzzle. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2017. A Puzzle To Be Named Later. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2016. Presumed Puzzled. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2015. Puzzled Indemnity. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2014. NYPD Puzzle. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2013. Arsenic and Old Puzzles. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2012. $10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2011. The Kenken Killings. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2010. The Puzzle Lady vs. The Sudoku Lady. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2009. Dead Man's Puzzle. New York NY: Minotaur Books, A Thomas Dunne Book for Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2008. The Sudoku Puzzle Murders. New York NY: Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin's Minotaur, an imprint of St. Martin's Press.

Hall, Parnell. 2006. You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2005. Stalking the Puzzle Lady. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2004. And a Puzzle to Die On. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2003. With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2002. A Puzzle in a Pear Tree. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2001. Puzzled to Death. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 2000. Last Puzzle & Testament. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Hall, Parnell. 1999. A Clue for the Puzzle Lady. New York NY: Bantam Books, division of Random House, Inc.

Marriner, Derdriu. 27 April 2021. "Granville Grains Corn Toasties Appall Cora in Stalking the Puzzle Lady." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/04/granville-grains-corn-toasties-appall.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 April 2021. "Coastal Connecticut Attracts Reality Ads in Stalking the Puzzle Lady." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/04/coastal-connecticut-attracts-reality.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 April 2021. "And a Puzzle to Die On Augments Bakerhaven Acquaintances by One." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/04/and-puzzle-to-die-on-augments.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 April 2021. "A Birthday Bash And a Puzzle to Die On Await Cora and an Outsider." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-birthday-bash-and-puzzle-to-die-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 30 March 2021. "Bakerhaven Maps Aim a Victim at a Birthday Bash And a Puzzle to Die On." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/03/bakerhaven-maps-aim-victim-at-birthday.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 March 2021. "Four Cryptograms Assure Two Deaths in With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/03/four-cryptograms-assure-two-deaths-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 March 2021. "Honeyed Lemoned Teas Are For Fiancees in With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/03/honeyed-lemoned-teas-are-for-fiancees.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 March 2021. "Manhattan and San Diego Account For Why With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/03/manhattan-and-san-diego-account-for-why.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 March 2021. "Christmas Carolers Are Three Voices Short in A Puzzle in a Pear Tree." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/03/christmas-carolers-are-three-voices.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 February 2021. "A Puzzle in a Pear Tree Alters a Christmas Pageant and a Live Nativity." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-puzzle-in-pear-tree-alters-christmas.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 February 2021. "Tristate Access Adds a Broadway Director to A Puzzle in a Pear Tree." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/02/tristate-access-adds-broadway-director.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 February 2021. "Attorney Becky Baldwin Maybe Aces New York Lawyers in Puzzled to Death." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/02/attorney-becky-baldwin-maybe-aces-new.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 February 2021. "Perhaps Fun Night Attendees Ate All Free Desserts in Puzzled to Death." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/02/perhaps-fun-night-attendees-ate-all.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 January 2021. "New Yorkers Adapt to Less Light and More Parking in Puzzled to Death." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-yorkers-adapt-to-less-light-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 January 2021. "Fifteen Million Dollars Avenge Old Wrongs in Last Puzzle and Testament." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/fifteen-million-dollars-avenge-old.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 January 2021. "Chicken Soup Awes All But Appears Nowhere in Last Puzzle and Testament." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/chicken-soup-awes-all-but-appears.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 5 January 2021. "Interstate Highways Add More Hurley Heirs to Last Puzzle and Testament." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/interstate-highways-add-more-hurley.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 December 2020. "Bakerhaven Acquaintances Afford A Clue for the Puzzle Lady." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/bakerhaven-acquaintances-afford-clue.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 December 2020. "Bakerhaven Alcohol Acts as A Clue for the Puzzle Lady." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/bakerhaven-alcohol-acts-as-clue-for.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 December 2020. "An Actual Bakerhaven Map Never Appears as A Clue for the Puzzle Lady." Earth and Space News. Tuesday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/an-actual-bakerhaven-map-never-appears.html

"Puzzle Lady." Parnell Hall.com > Books. Website by Kate Anchev/Outbox Online Design Studio.
Available @ http://parnellhall.com/puzzle-lady/

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Granville Grains Corn Toasties Appall Cora in Stalking the Puzzle Lady

Summary: Granville Grains Corn Toasties, as free tour bowlfuls, appall Cora in Stalking the Puzzle Lady, 7th mystery in the Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall.

Number puzzle lady Cora Felton abhors the breakfast cereal that she acts like she adores for audiences attending reality-ad sites in Danbury and along coastal Connecticut. She alleviates hunger pangs for what absents itself from her bowls by appreciating pan-seared swordfish with niece Sherry Carter and, perhaps because of April advertisements about National Shrimp Scampi Day April 29, shrimp scampi with ancient admirer Freddy Fosterfield. The latter avoids garlic ingredients in what Cora asks for during their dinner at an Italian restaurant in Weston, Connecticut: Jon Sullivan, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Granville Grains Corn Toasties, as free tour bowlfuls, appall Cora in Stalking the Puzzle Lady, 7th mystery in the 20-book Puzzle Lady series authored by Parnell Hall (Oct. 31, 1934-Dec. 15, 2020).

Number puzzle lady Cora Felton balks at breakfasts other than of buttered muffins, eggs and ham at home or of muffins and scones at Cushman’s bakery. She consumes the breakfast cereals of her puzzle sponsor, Granville Grains, one time, perhaps twice, each year for the television commercials which the latter sponsorship commands. Dismal downturns described by Charles Coleson at Truestar Investments demand that, for new, improved Granville Grains Corn Toasties, Cora drive around Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Alcoholic drinks such as Tanqueray martini with twist enter and, unlike enjoying chain-smoking cigarettes with segments director Daphne Decker, exit her envisaging what exorcises execrable eats.

Toy poodle Buddy Felton favors Milk-Bone biscuits over Granville Grains cereals even as he frequently feeds upon festively filling, non-fattening food from Carter/Felton family and friends.

The tour going into the Stamford Food 4 Less garners gathering cardboard boxes of Frosted Flakes, for grouping away from boxes guarding new, improved Corn Toasties. Larry as cameraman, Pepe as propman, Quentin Burns as tour director and Wayne as electrician have coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts there with boom- and sound-men. Daphne ignores Krispy Kreme, adjacent to Food 4 Less, for the Stamford Starbucks, whose daily issues of the New York Times and hot coffee impress her.

Bakerhaven Police Chief Dale Harper journeys to the first stop, Danbury Stop & Shop, for new, improved Granville Grains Corn Toasties in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Dale keeps away from other tour cities, perhaps because coffee other than Bakerhaven Cushman-brewed kindles the same over-sugaring reactions as sludgy coffee from the department urn.

Cora, who likes eggplant, garlic, onion, pepper and pepperoni daily specials in the Bakerhaven pizza parlor, lists no pizza locations in Danbury, Mystic and Stamford malls. Attorney Becky Baldwin meets Bakerhaven Gazette reporter Aaron Grant at Wicker Basket, two blocks from Bakerhaven pizza parlor, for iced tea with cheeseburger and tossed salad. Neither one nibbles their food or nurses their tea because they notice a blue Chevy Impala with either Felton acquaintances Dennis Pride or Freddy Fosterfield inside.

Overfeeding on Granville Grains Corn Toasties obliges Cora and niece Sherry Carter to order Mystic dockside restaurant’s pan-seared swordfish and lobster in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Aaron and Becky park at the dockside restaurant before peregrinating with Cora and Sherry to motel rooms that Aaron pair with Sherry and Becky with Cora.

Florence Evans, as touring makeup lady, quests 20-ounce (591.47-milliliter) Diet Coke, for $1.50, from the soda machine that the budget motel quarters on the ground level. Cora relishes steak dinners even as she reunites with Freddy at an Italian seafood restaurant in Weston, Connecticut, for respective shrimp scampi and cocktail sauce-dipping prawn. Cora and Freddy share an appreciation for muffins, shipped from Silver Moon Bakery at New York’s Broadway and 105th Street, sold at Mary Cushman’s Bake Shop.

Granville Grains Corn Toasties threaten Cora less than publicist Jennifer Blaylock traipsing, black Russian-tipsy, from dinner with television newsman Rick Reed in Stalking the Puzzle Lady.

Aaron Grant, as Sherry Carter's boyfriend, and Sherry Carter, as number puzzle lady Cora Felton's housemate and niece, acquaint Cora's toy poodle Buddy with canine and human foods. Buddy adapts to eating only the former while Cora advances along coastal Connecticut as actress advocating new, improved Granville Grains Corn Toasties. He appreciates the Milk-Bone dog biscuits with which Aaron, Cora and Sherry attempt to assuage his loneliness during the away-time of reality ads' grandmother-like talisman; 1959 ad for dog food: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons