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!
Rating: 
Summary: The Crossword Murder
Review: In this series opener of the pseudonymous Nero Blanc's crossword mysteries, private eye Rosco Polycrates investigates the murder of crossword editor Thompson Briephs. Briephs is a scion of the local aristocracy, the son of imposing patrician Sara Briephs and the nephew of her brother, democratic senator Hal Crane. Briephs is also a bit of a loon. Eschewing his family's more traditionally tasteful lifestyle, Briephs lives alone on an island in a house that was built to his specifications, a labyrinthine, red-walled replica of an ancient Minoan palace. This is unlikely in the extreme, of course, but it does provide an excuse for numerous classical references in the book, including a quotation from Sophocles' Ajax: "Silence gives the proper grace to women."The character quoting Sophocles with disapproval is a crossword editor herself, Thompson Briephs's counterpart in a rival newspaper. Anabelle Graham is beautiful and intelligent, capable of reciting a list of four-letter Greek goddesses even in trying circumstances, and she is, unfortunately for Rosco, married. As the solution of Briephs's murder depends on the solution of a series of crossword puzzles--anticipating his demise, Briephs left clues--Belle becomes involved with Rosco's investigation and interested in the private eye himself. Although The Crossword Mystery strains credibility in its description of Briephs's island home, the book is a good read, and the hesitant flirtation between Rosco and Belle is fun to watch. Crossword enthusiasts in particular will enjoy the book: it includes six puzzles for readers to solve along with Belle, among them Harrison Briephs's posthumous cryptics.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor research + Bad puzzles = Uninteresting read
Review: It's a bad sign when you have to put a book down after reading only the first chapter. After several attempts to get started, I finally forced myself to get further into it hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it only got more annoying as the writers showed their lack of understanding of the puzzle world although I have to admit, the idea of a rich crossword editor made me laugh at loud at its ridiculousness. Other problems: normal crosswords are constantly called cryptics even though those are two very different puzzle types, the crosswords included in the book needed to go through a good crossword editor to fix up problems with the clues and poor entry choices, one of the main characters takes a huge leap from seeing BLACK and MAIL in a grid to believing that the constructor was being blackmailed (and the words weren't even close to one another in the grid). If you want crosswords and mysteries put together, you're probably better off reading the earlier Herbert Resnicow books which had puzzles by Henry Hook, a professional crossword constructor.
Rating:
Summary: Fun read. Great couple!
Review: My favorite Christmas gift! Great story with an inventive angle and wry sense of humor. The puzzles are great fun, and Rosco and Belle make a modern couple I'd like to see a lot more of.
Rating: 
Summary: How The Crossword Murder was born
Review: The Crossword Murder is a collaboration created by the husband and wife writing team of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle (AKA - Nero Blanc). Cordelia's previous work has been primarily historical fiction (Beneath the Wind and Murder at San Simeon), while Steve's has been more international thrillers (The Second Man, Double Identity and Ronin). However the concept of writing in partnership has always fascinated us. We met while working as actors on the New York stage several years ago, and perhaps our fondest memories are those from the shows in which we performed together. So, why not pair up as writers? Since we've been crossword puzzle buffs and mystery fans for years, the idea of combining the two seemed the perfect solution. Thus The Crossword Murder was born. The fun for us came in melding our two distinct styles, and thereby creating a "cozy" book that has a feel all its own. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Crossword Murder
Review: The first & only mystery series to feature crossword puzzles that help solve the crime. When wealthy dowager Sara Crane Briephs hires P.I. Rosco Polycrates to investigate the mysterious death of her son, the flamboyant art collector & crossword puzzle editor of the Newcastle Herald, the investigation leads to the crossword editor of the town's rival newspaper. Five puzzles written by the victim before his death are the key to finding the killer.
Rating:
Summary: Unique, fun who-done-it with a twist
Review: Thompson C. Briephs is the crossword puzzle developer for the Newcastle Herald. That is he was the puzzle guru for the Massachusetts paper until he is found dead from an apparent heart failure. No one sees foul play with Thompson's untimely death except his wealthy mother Sara who insists that her fifty-one year old son was in perfect health. Since the police refuse to listen to Sara, she hires private investigator Rosco Polycrates, who tries to dissuade her from wasting her money since the medical examiner already ruled as to cause of death. However, Rosco accepts the case and begins to make inquiries into Thompson's life. To help him understand puzzle makers, Rosco turns to Thompson's rival and peer, Annabell Graham of the Herald. Soon crossword puzzles arrive that Thompson seems to have authored. The clues to the puzzle point towards the identity of the killer. THE CROSSWORD MURDER is an inventive, unique novel that shows there are still many creative ways to distribute clues to readers. The story line is clever, uncanny, and entertaining as fans of mysteries solve the puzzles in order to solve a who-done-it. Is this a gimmick-laden plot? Yes, but it works because Nero Blanc does not ignore his characters or allow them to be overwhelmed by the stratagem. The audience will share in the fun of uncovering the killer's identity along with Rosco and Anna. Harriet Klausner
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