Rating: 
Summary: Reading Pace Changes When Clues Presented
Review: 5/9/03 I purchased the book at a small suburban bookstore ,which specializes in fiction due to the creative jacket of the book(which has a hand filling in the crossword spaces with a red Bic pen... ...the 306 page paperback was not a total intrigue.. Its many puzzles(Pgs 68,126,180,234,260 and a post script puzzle Pg 297)(and "answers" Pgs 301-306)..as well as a little humor in the use of a few Nursery Rhymes as "thoughts to ponder"(Yankee Doodle Dandy/Peter,Peter Pumkin Eater) and the mention of a few current people/entity(s)(e.g. Pg 189 "..calling his office or car phone would be useless and dialing 911 seemed not only a tad hysterical but also premature"),places,things*(e.g.Pg 137 "her chin resting in the palm of her left hand as her right hand drummed the 'Herald's'crossword puzzle with the tip of a red Bic* pen" &(Pg 284/285) a raft of '3' letter Hawaiian words:"lei,hoi,ava,hee,hui,koa,aku,imu,poi" & 4 letter Greek of "Ares,Hera,Leda,Cora,Nike,Hebe,Zeus,Eros,Gaia,Eris,Letodo" spark curious interest ongoingly on everything but solving the mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Reading Pace Changes When Clues Presented
Review: A seemingly amateurish detective story something like Nancy Drew kind of stuff (excluding the sexual references to Thompson Briephs' practices, of course). A mundane love affair --- quite unnecessary in the development of the plot. Such convenient way too, to end up the story so the couple can live happily thereafter. The only thing that kept me curious was the inclusion of the puzzles in the book. A good breather from the predictable 'twists' (if ever there was such a thing in the story). However, my curiosity led to a disappointment after reaching the end of the book. Like, huh? "You made me read it till the end & this is all you have to offer?" (sigh)
Rating:
Summary: Curiosity killed the cat (me)!
Review: A seemingly amateurish detective story something like Nancy Drew kind of stuff (excluding the sexual references to Thompson Briephs' practices, of course). A mundane love affair --- quite unnecessary in the development of the plot. Such convenient way too, to end up the story so the couple can live happily thereafter. The only thing that kept me curious was the inclusion of the puzzles in the book. A good breather from the predictable 'twists' (if ever there was such a thing in the story). However, my curiosity led to a disappointment after reaching the end of the book. Like, huh? "You made me read it till the end & this is all you have to offer?" (sigh)
Rating: 
Summary: cute idea that fails
Review: Combining crossword puzzles with a murder mystery is a good idea, but the authors don't carry it off. The writing is generally amateurish and the plot less than challenging. The authors are even relegated to the triteness of a climax that depends on having the otherwise-intelligent heroine do something laughably stupid, thus putting herself in mortal danger. Lastly, the puzzles aren't very difficult nor do they play a significant role in the solving of the mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: I don't do crosswords, I hate them, however the five puzzles do not interfer with the enjoyment of this story. Rosco and Belle are great fun and this is a great story
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Enough Book
Review: I found the main characters to be likeable. The victim was unlikeable. I liked the mystery. However, I did not like having to solve the crossword puzzles to really get all the clues and the full flavor of the mystery. I would read another one in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Enough Book
Review: I found the main characters to be likeable. The victim was unlikeable. I liked the mystery. However, I did not like having to solve the crossword puzzles to really get all the clues and the full flavor of the mystery. I would read another one in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Trans-Atlantic Read
Review: I picked up "The Crossword Murder" in the airport shop and finished it before I crossed the Pond. Good plot twists, great puzzles, and a nice romance to boot. I found myself wishing I'd picked up the next book in the series for the ride home.
Rating:
Summary: Good Not Great
Review: I picked up this book while shopping one day, intrigued by the fact that it included some crossword puzzles and I am a fan of them. After reading the book, I realised the crossword puzzles were extraneous and that I did not have to do the puzzles to help figure out who committed the murder.
Private investigator Rosco Polycrates is hired by the mother of a murder victim (crossword editor for a local newspaper) to investigate the death, which is first ruled natural causes. He has the help of sexy (of course) but married Anabella Graham, the crossword maven for the rival newspaper.
The writing was lively in some spots, but amateurish in others, particularly in its characterizations of the secondary characters, who mostly came across as stereotypes - ugly secretary in love with handsome boss, prissy society column writer, cheating aging sex goddess married to older man, etc.
Not for sure if I will pick up the second in the series or not.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent Mystery With a Twist
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Nero Blanc's 'The Crossword Murder'. It harkend back to good old-fashioned classic mystery writing. Characters and situations were contemporary but with a feel that was reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles. It was bright, stylish and challanging. The puzzles did however stump me in several places, but I don't want a crossword puzzle to be 'dumbed-down'. I was glad to see that there was a sequel, 'Two Down' and bought it as soon as it was available. Here's hoping this book series has a good long run with many sequels to come!
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