Murder Most Cryptic - by Alys Cummings (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A debut mystery about an unlikely group who discover the body of a 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, socially awkward bus-driver Mouse, and yoga enthusiast and newcomer Omar. 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.

Review Quotes

"When this quirky band of misfits in recovery sets out to solve the mystery of one of their own's death, they must follow a path of cryptic crossword clues to uncover the killer. Clever and compelling, fans of Janice Hallett will gobble this up."--Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author This Weekend Doesn't End Well For Anyone

"Brilliant and bold, full of twists and headscratching puzzles that leave you wanting more. Crime fiction at its very, very best! A real treat of a mystery."--Jonathan Whitelaw, award-winning author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

"Thoroughly enjoyed it even though I don't understand crosswords at all! Intriguing and ingenious, Cummings has cracked the code of setting the reader a thrilling mystery with a cryptic edge."--Harriet Tyce, internationally bestselling author of Blood Orange

"Fans of The Marlow Murder Club rejoice! A crew of recovering alcoholics adds some welcome gravity to this clever, conundrum-filled cozy mystery. A wonderful debut!"--Jo Nichols, author of The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective

"Murder Most Cryptic is a surprising debut novel, righteously paced, filled with remarkable characters, and paints, for me, an amazing portrait of an England I didn't know anything about!"--P. J. Nelson, author of Booked for Murder

"Clever clues, warm humour, and a delightful puzzle. The very quintessence of murder mystery fun."--Kelly Mullen, author of This is Not a Game

"If you love a good puzzle, Alys Cummings' (crossword) cracking debut will blow your twisted mind. When a crossword compiler drops dead at an alcoholics' recovery meeting, his fellow ex-drinkers try to work out what happened to him. Was he murdered? As a host of colourful characters, including a pair of desperately mis-matched cops, look for answers, so do readers as they try to tackle the cryptic puzzles scattered throughout the book. The one thing that no-one is short of is clues! Hugely recommended but make sure you've got a pen handy when you're reading it!"--Trevor Wood, author of The Silent Killer

"[Murder Most Cryptic] had me gripped from the first chapter and zipped along from there and didn't let go! . . . It was pacey and suspenseful, but also very human and insightful."--Tanya Sweeney, author of Esther Is Now Following You

"Relentlessly gripping and the puzzling is pristine. When's the next one?"--Alan Connor, crossword editor for The Guardian

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.