A Crossworder's Holiday

Murder never takes a holiday—as husband-and-wife sleuths Belle Graham and Rosco Polycrates discover when they tackle five crimes hidden in crossword puzzles

In “The Proof of the Pudding,” Belle and Rosco interrupt their Vermont holiday to solve a crossword that’s a recipe for murder. Pennsylvania Dutch Country is the setting for “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” as Rosco helps a college buddy crack a case of foul play concealed in a puzzle. “Mum’s the Word” for mobster Freddy Five Fingers. Before he croaked, he was sending tip-offs to the cops via crosswords printed in the local tabloid. Now Belle and Rosco are in Philadelphia to help the Feds figure out Freddy’s final puzzle.

While in the Cotswolds to visit old friends, Belle and Rosco encounter “A Ghost of Christmas Past” when they find a fragment of a puzzle that holds clues to a haunted house’s secret history. And in the title story, Belle and Rosco are enjoying a quiet Christmas in Nantucket when a purveyor of priceless Americana asks for their help in solving a puzzle hidden inside a forgery. Now the race is on to decipher clues that could save a life.

This ebook includes five crossword puzzles that can be downloaded as PDFs, with answers in the back of the book.

“Wonderful . . . Each story is a delightful mix of mystery and fun. . . . Even if you’re not a puzzle fan, the characters are so likable, you will have trouble putting this book down.” —Romantic Times

“A cleverly designed holiday anthology that crossword puzzle fans and mystery buffs will enjoy.” —BookBrowser.com

“At last puzzle fans have their revenge. . . . Super sleuthing and solving for puzzle lovers.” —USA Today on The Crossword Murder Nero Blanc is the pseudonym of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle, who are husband and wife and serious crossword buffs. Biddle is also the author of the Martha Beale historical mystery series, which is set in Philadelphia, Zettler and Biddle’s hometown. Their website is www.crosswordmysteries.com.