Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #16 and #17

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.  Actually two!

This week's puzzles are Hallmark's "Mystery Story Puzzle - Who Gets the Cake" and "Will Anna Elsa Miss the Ball?"  Both of these are 24 piece puzzles that revile the answer to the question posted on the last page of the booklet.

There is at least a third in series about Mickey Mouse, that I have still yet to try. 

They are a fun read for the kids and quick and easy puzzles to do with the kids to find out the solution.

I wrote to Hallmark to thank them for making these puzzles.  All I got back was a form letter letting me know that my letter would be passed on to the proper department.

The completed puzzles, booklets, and boxes. 

Last page of the booklet. 

Puzzle solution. 

Last page of the booklet. 

Puzzle solution.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #15 (sort of...)

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.  Well sort of.  I didn't really complete the puzzle, but I did solve the mystery/crossword.

This week's puzzle is "Paguzzle Crossword Two." It's a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle with a crossword twist.  The front of the box is NOT the solution to the puzzle.  The crossword is only a partial completion to the puzzle.  It was published in 1995.

The trick to this puzzle is that there are several clues that have no questions and are left blank on the paper.  The jigsaw has the questions but not the answers to those questions.  Other across and down clues have their answers spelled out. 

Sadly, the numbers for the starting boxes are NOT present for those clues that are already solved.  So it's really hard to start to place the start of words.  You have to search through each of the letters to find their location.

Once you have the answers to the blank clues, you mail in your postcard and hopefully get a button/reward for the solved mystery puzzle.  Fingers crossed that the publisher is still around at the same address since 1995.

The puzzle box.

About all that I completed of the puzzle.  Enough to realize that it would not be worth it.  

Partially completed puzzle answers. 

Paper crossword filled in. 

Copy of postcard that I filled in and mailed in this week. 

Back of pieces have this logo that can sort of help you place pieces, but who really wants to do a puzzle from the back end?!?!

Overall this would be a really hard puzzle with a minimal payoff for the crossword portion of the puzzle.  Yes, you would know the clues to the blank lines to complete the puzzle, however, I finished the crossword without these clues.  A good crossword does this for you! I didn't see the point to find out the clue that would lead to pencil in "Sean Penn" when all the down clues spelled it out for me. 

I wish the puzzle at least had the starting numbers for all the clues like a prior crossword mystery puzzle that I completed.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #14

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.

This week's puzzle is "Clue Mystery Puzzle - To Kill a Dying Man." It's a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle with a story book that sets the scene.  The front of the box is NOT the solution to the puzzle.

The clue series story has your typical characters - Professor Plum, Ms. White, etc.

The story has the solution in the back of the book, but requries a red viewing lense to see the solution. If you lose the lens it's a pain pain to find a replacement.

Completed puzzle, box, and red decoder. 
Plus an extra piece! 

Full puzzle.

A highlight of noticeable hand with glasses. 

This a fake beard? 

Overcoat in the oven. 

Wig in the umbrella bin. 

I liked how the puzzle made references to "Plum" and "Mustard."

Solution page with red decoder. 

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Solution Page with red spy glass. 

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #13

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.

This week's puzzle is "Highlights' Hidden Pictures." It's a 35 piece jigsaw puzzle the border showing a variety of objects that are hidden within the puzzle.  The box cover is the solution to the general puzzle.

For thos of you who have done Highlight's Hidden Pictures, it's the same concept.  The orientation of the hidden objects is the same as those found in the picture (i.e. the blue glove in found in the water spray.)

 Box and puzzle.

Close up of puzzle.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #12

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.

This week's puzzle is "Search for Small Stuff." It's a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle the border showing a variety of animals that are super miniaturized somewhere in the center of the puzzle.  The box cover is the solution to the general puzzle.

The puzzle also comes with a booklet telling you a little about the animals.  It's supposed to come with a small magnifying glass.  Our puzzle is missing the magnifying glass.

Each border animal comes with a pair.  There is the flying bat and the rested upsidedown bat, etc.

Most of the miniature animals are close by to the larger/obvious animals in the main part of the puzzle.

This puzzle with completed during our anniversary of the Puget Sound Correspondence Society meeting at Constellation and Co.

Completed puzzle and box (small child's head in the way.)

Completed puzzle and booklet.  As an example of a miniature picture: there is a small rhino on top of the elephant's right ear. 

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #11

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.

This week's puzzle is "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" jigsaw puzzle. It's a 300 piece puzzle that comes with a crime clue book.

Yes, you are chasing the most classic Carmen Sandiego's Henchmen from V.I.L.E. (Villain's International League of Evil) after they have stolen the worlds' most unique natural treasures.

After putting together the puzzle of the world.  The front cover of the box is the solution to the puzzle.  Asia goes where you think Asia should go.  There are close-ups of the artic region and Antarctica.

Following and reading along in the crime book you realize that certain letters of countries; areas of the ocean; or native animal names are bolded.  You take these bolded letters in order and form the names of the items that were stollen and by whom.

 Puzzle box, clue book, and completed puzzle.

 The completed puzzle. 

Clue book for chasing down V.I.L.E. Henchmen.  

Example of bolded letters and Vic, the Slick is hiding in New Orleans. 

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Mystery Puzzle SPOILER #10

Warning!  This post contains spoilers to a mystery puzzle.

This week's puzzle is "Crossword Jigsaw" 2017 edition.  It's a 550 piece puzzle that is actually a two-part puzzle.  First, you solve an actual crossword and then you put together the jigsaw puzzle of what you just solved.  The puzzle is made by Babalu Inc.

The puzzle box comes with 1 large copy of the crossword but you can download others from their website (hint: the web link is on the bottom of the inside box:  http://crosswordjigsaw.com/2017.)

The crossword part of this puzzle is more fun than the actual jigsaw.

On the plus side, the font for each letter is the same. Meaning that all the "O" all look alike and the hard part is just finding which "O" fits into what area. 

I solved this puzzle with my mom while she was visiting.  We solved this puzzle by dividing the pieces among three groupings:  Edge pieces, Crossword clue pieces, and "number" in the crossword to show the start of each clue word.

There are really only two or three all-white pieces close to the clue side, between the Across and Down lists.  The black pieces were placed last, as they could only be placed based on the shape and minor area of white that were cut off.

Box and completed puzzle. 

Completed Puzzle

Clues don't quite line up as on the pdf print out.  See how #44D has no 2nd line on the completed puzzle but it does have an extra line on the pdf sheet. 

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex