Murder Most Cryptic

PRE-ORDER NOW! A PUZZLING NEW MURDER MYSTERY WHERE CRIME AND CROSSWORDS COLLIDE, FOR FANS OF JANICE HALLETT AND LUDWIG The dead body is their first clue - and the answer is murder...but can they solve the crossword, and find a killer too? 'Intriguing and ingenious, Cummings has cracked the code of setting the reader a thrilling mystery with a cryptic edge' HARRIET TYCE ----- Nina is a promising young journalist. She's also an alcoholic. Once a week, she attends a recovery group in the local church hall. When a stranger walks in one night, the group think they might have a new member. Until he promptly drops dead. The police believe it's nothing more than an accident. But the group soon realise there's more to this mystery than meets the eye, when they discover a cryptic crossword clue hidden in the dead man's pocket - the answer to which is Murder. As more mysterious and threatening clues start appearing in a newspaper crossword, Nina and team must work to crack this cryptic case. Can they solve the clues, and catch a killer? Or will the next crossword spell death for one of them... ----- Why readers are loving MURDER MOST CRYPTIC! 'This is a wonderful murder mystery debut that provides an enjoyable and engrossing read' 5* reader review 'The best book I've read this year...the combination of a murder mystery with a crossword theme makes this a perfect story for me. Highly recommended for a really fun read' 5* reader review 'A genuinely gripping whodunit, made even better by the crossword clues woven through every chapter. An original, strong and distinctive debut. Sharpen your pencils readers, there are clues to be solved!' 5* reader review

Alys Cummings is a writer and journalist based on the north-east coast of England. She worked on local newspapers and for a news agency based at the Old Bailey, before joining BBC Panorama. She is an Emerging Creative Associate with New Writing North and a member of their North East Novelists group. Murder Most Cryptic is her debut novel, and won Pitch Perfect at the 2024 Bloody Scotland festival.