Murder Most Cryptic - by Alys Cummings (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A debut mystery about an unlikely group who discover cryptic clues a dead crossword setter--and the cryptic clues that could lead to his killer.

Nina is a young journalist in the UK. She is also an alcoholic and attends a weekly recovery group, along with bossy former teacher Sandra, crossword-loving retired policeman Eric, and socially awkward bus-driver Mouse. The problem is that Nina is not really sober at all most of the time.

One night, when Nina is absent, a stranger walks into one of their meetings, promptly collapses, and drops dead.

While the top brass of the police see it as nothing more than an accident, the group discover a cryptic crossword clue hidden in the dead man's pocket--the answer to which is "murder." And Nina realizes that she knew the victim: a crossword setter at the paper where she works.

Determined to give the dead man back his dignity, the recovery group regulars set out to discover who killed him, and why, only to learn that Nina might not have been the only one to have known him. But with Nina's memory becoming increasingly unreliable, and her actions more erratic, can they uncover who the murderer is?

Murder Most Cryptic is packed with clever clues and easter eggs for amateur and expert puzzlers alike, with a fantastic cast of characters and gripping twists and turns. This is a brilliant debut from an exciting new writing talent . . . and you don't even have to know how to solve cryptic crosswords to enjoy it.

About the Author

ALYS CUMMINGS (she/her) is a writer and journalist based on the north-east coast of England. She is an Emerging Creative Associate with New Writing North and a member of their North East Novelists group. She worked on local newspapers and for a news agency based at the Old Bailey criminal court in London, before joining BBC Panorama to make current affairs documentaries. Murder Most Cryptic is her first novel, and won Pitch Perfect at the 2024 Bloody Scotland festival.