The Cryptic Crossword Caper

Russell Atkinson aptly named his book The Cryptic Crossword Caper and subtitled it, “A cozy mystery.” Mags McPherson, a pie maker, book club member, puzzler (crosswords, sudokus, cryptic puzzles too), widow, and retiree had landed in Buck’s Gap, a small California town along the Big Sur coast (sounds like Elk, California). She just wanted a peaceful place in order to come to terms with the death of her husband. Mags was being relentlessly pursued by Morris Butcher, the richest and most eligible age-appropriate guy in town, but then she stumbled upon his dead body with a large knife sticking out of his back.

The police department, consisting of Sheriff Rick Moran and one other officer, was already overburdened, so Mags volunteered to be their typist until they could get caught up. Of course, that put her right in the middle of this new murder investigation. It turns out that Butcher was also a puzzle maker, especially cryptic crosswords. Oliver Dunlap was seen in town around the time of the murder and he was a recently released convict who was tied to a significant jewel heist in which only half of the jewels had been found. It was a cold case that the FBI had long been working on, so suddenly Special Agent Lisa Murphy arrived on the scene. She was a pretty and seductive woman who had little regard for the “hicks” in Buck’s Gap.

Was there a connection between Butcher and Dunlap? Butcher had never been associated with any criminal activity. But, Dunlap was also a puzzler and he and Butcher seem to have communicated with one another by puzzles – it was a code no one else understood. This is where the clever and unique aspect of this murder mystery comes into play. The author provided a downloadable crossword puzzle and a sudoku puzzle that one could solve as the story progressed – helping the reader to follow the trail of clues. This was a good cast of characters with the added fun of puzzles. If you like mysteries and puzzles, then this one is a winner for you. I've now read three of Atkinson's book and have another one in my reading queue. This one was fun and it gets my strong recommendation.