Header PromotionCrossword Murder (Crossword mystery, 1) – Nero Blanc (Berkley Prime Crime Mystery)
139. The Crossword Murder (Crossword mystery, 1) – Nero Blanc, Berkley Prime Crime Mystery, August 1999, ISBN: 0425169774
Featuring: Rosco Polycrates and Annabella (Belle) Graham
Synopsis:
Thompson C. Briephs is dead. D-E-A-D. The body of the flamboyant crossword puzzle editor was found under suspicious circumstances—and his grief-stricken mother, a wealthy dowager, has hired P.I. Rosco Polycrates to come up with some answers.
To understand the victim's death, Rosco must understand his life. So he consults with the other crossword editor in Newcastle, Massachusetts—beautiful, brainy Annabella Graham, who spends her time creating conundrums for the town's rival paper.
Now this mismatched pair has discovered that a series of puzzles—written by Briephs before his death—may help them fill in the blanks in this investigation. And they'll need to look everywhere—including up, down, and across—to stop the killer from striking again...
Comments:
The first in a crossword mystery series written by a husband/wife team, Cordelia Frances Biddle & Steve Zettler. A lot of "big" words are used (I think it's a play on the whole crossword theme). Anyone reading this book should either already have large vocabulary or plan on getting one while reading. And I'm not a crossword person, but for anyone who is, there are six puzzles included with the book (answers in the back).
re: Crossword Murder
This sounds like a fun concept. Do the crossword puzzles relate to the book and help you solve the murder, or are they just extras?
They all relate to the
The first five puzzles have clues. The sixth, while related, seems to be an extra. I'm reading the second book in the series now...
re: Crossword Murder
Oh neat, I bet my grandma would love these (she is such a crossword puzzle addict...and one of the only people who regularly beats me at Scrabble!). Thanks for the info!
I love crosswords so I
I love crosswords so I bought some of this series a while back. How well I do depends on the crossword though. The NY Times got a new crossword editor a while back and I really do not enjoy the crosswords there so much. Are the clues from the book? THe ones I doi have are buried in my piles.
Merri
Hildie's blog: http://blog.hildie.net
Merri -The puzzles are
Merri -
The puzzles are usually a two page spread. One page of clues and one for the puzzle. The puzzles themselves are clues (in this book they were written by the dead man, in the next someone anonymously sends them, etc.) and give the reader (assuming they do the puzzles) a chance to work out some of the mystery him/herself. Then in the next chapter Belle (the heroine and a crossword editor) discusses some of the clues and/or answers while trying to solve the mystery.