A Crossworder's Gift

Five Yuletide mysteries for readers to solve along with crossword legend Belle Graham and PI Rosco Polycrates

The husband-and-wife sleuth team is back in five tales of holiday mystery and mayhem. “Holly, Jolly Roger” takes Belle and Rosco to sunny St. Lucia in the Caribbean as they try to decipher the clues to a legendary buried treasure. “The Mystery of Wordsworth House” may remain just that unless Belle and Rosco can turn their stay at a snowy Montreal inn into a chance for a family to solve the riddle of their past . . . with the help of a ghost. There’s no place like Las Vegas for the holidays, but “A Crossworder’s Gift” may never reach its intended recipient if Belle can’t match up the out-of-order clues strewn throughout a high roller’s suite to form a crossword puzzle that will lead to the cash. Guest of honor at a puzzle convention near the Grand Canyon, Belle—with the help of her detective husband, Rosco—must unravel a murdered crossworder’s last puzzle and testament in “The Eraser’s Edge.” When a blizzard strands a five-woman sewing circle, a “Cross Stitch” in time could save—or destroy—reputations and lives if a puzzling truth about a dead heiress is revealed.

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

“Light-hearted capers . . . each as frothy as a cup of good eggnog.” —The Wall Street Journal

“In keeping with the Christmas spirit, Nero Blanc . . . offers puzzle fans a treat in A Crossworder’s Gift.” —Publishers Weekly

“Steady entertainment, nicely varied locations.” —Library Journal

“Nero Blanc’s holiday anthology makes the perfect gift for mystery and puzzle lovers.” —TheBestReviews.com 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.