The Crossword Connection

Crossword Mysteries #3

by Nero Blanc

From the author of The Crossword Murder and Two Down comes a delightful new addition to the acclaimed hit series. Crossword editor Belle Graham and P.I. Rosco Polycrates have decided to tie the knot, but their wedding vows are put on hold when murder pays a visit.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Joint pseudonym of Cordelia Frances Biddle and Steve Zettler.

Reviews

[Kate]

"DOWN THE AISLE . . .
"P.I. Rosco Polycrates and crossword editor Belle Graham are back for more puzzle and crime solving. This time they discover the ups and downs of married life -- and death.

"Everyone's favorite puzzle lovers -- Belle and Rosco -- have finally decided to tie the knot. But the wedding vows are put on hold when murder pays a visit. Two homeless people turn up dead, a crossword puzzle tucked beneath them. But who could hold a grudge against a couple of harmless vagrants? Then Rosco disappears without a trace. Left to her own defenses, the only thing Belle has to work with is a series of anonymous crosswords delivered to her door. If she can figure out the clues, she can solve the crime -- and find Rosco. It all adds up to a murderous puzzler that's starting to give Belle a serious case of cold feet."
~~back cover

Well I didn't see that ending coming either. Well, perhaps a bit, but certainly I didn't solve it. I think it's because . . . oh that would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that this one is really a cliffhanger, but of course it's all neatly wrapped up in the end. Just in time for the wedding, of course.

[Linda]

Never get married in a mystery, the lead up to the wedding is killer. I enjoyed this story and it definitely kept me guessing. I like these characters and look forward to reading more.

[Courtney Chappell]

I didn’t know this was a part of a series when I picked it up. For the most part, I could easily figure out what was going on without knowing the previous stories. I did wonder about the Peterman brothers, as they were mentioned as being bad but never really why. Perhaps that is another story?
This was a pretty easy read and one that caught me off guard at the end. In the end, there were two crimes taking place and they really came out of nowhere. I felt like the criminal was just picked out of a hat, they were so random.

[Maria]

The idea is novel, adding in crosswords to go with the text. But there are a lot of unresolved issues in this book, and I don't think these were intentional. They were just a result of a lack of a clear plot. Plus I'm not so big on coincidences and wow, is this book just full of convenient run-ins. But it gave me something to read for a while and I enjoyed the crossword puzzles, so I give it two stars.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs]

Oh, a new to me series by the way of cozy mystery book bingo.

Belle, a crossword creator, and Rocco, a private investigator, are just days away from their wedding. Unfortunately, a murder or two interrupts the process. As Rosco looks into the murders Belle has her own thoughts since themed crossword puzzles were at the scenes. The closer they get to solving the more it doesn’t make sense. Will the wedding go off without a hitch?

The Crossword Connection is book three in the series and I was able to pick up with no problems. I will definitely be looking into this series more. It is an older series (early 2000s). I enjoyed that it wasn’t “flashy” like some of the current cozy mysteries.

A bonus: there are crosswords you can work throughout the book. Answers in the back.

#bookstagrammer #kentuckybooklover #readersofinstagram #bookbingo #readwhatyouown

[Jean Johnson]

I’m a crossword lover and received the first three books in this series for Christmas. Belle, one of the main characters, is the crossword constructor at the local newspaper. After a murder occurs in the town, mysterious crossword puzzles show up offering clues to the killer. This book is the third in the series. It was enjoyable and it left me guessing for most of the book, but it didn’t grab me like the first two did. I’ll probably read another one or two just because they are fun to read! There are even crossword puzzles throughout the books to help you solve the mystery along with the characters.

[Janet Adkins]

This was an okay read. The ending seemed a bit random to me. I prefer a cozy mystery where there are clues I can pick up on to figure out the mystery. Once I knew the outcome I couldn't really see anything logical in the story that would have led me to that solution.

[Cathy]

Crossword creator an her detective fiance track down a murderer in the week before their wedding. Bonus of six crosswords that are related to the story.

[Marti]

this is a slight book--248 pages, including a number of crossword puzzles, so i'll hand it over to my husband who does them in hopes of warding off becoming senile. the heroine makes up puzzles for a daily newspaper, and her fiance, with the unlikely name of Rosco (no e) Polycrates is a private investigator, formerly a policeman. there are some strange plot twists--the marriage is to be on a yacht, but the groom suffers from seasickness, and a stray puppy helps save him. i don't plan to check out any of the others in the series which is written by a husband and wife team.

[Jessi]

Someone is killing off homeless people and crossword puzzle clues have been left at the scene. This is a bit of a stretch to connect crosswords to this mystery but still a fun addition to the series.

[Cat.]

Better than the first one I read in this series, less flip & silly. It pays more attention to the plot, which is about a homeless man and the gentrification of a "skid row" kind of area.

[Jean]

Good, but did not fall together at the end very welll..

[Missy]

Book #8 read in 2011

Rosco Polycrates series: Book #3

This was a quick read.

[Bev]

Interesting concept using someone who constructs crosswords as a detective. Decent series.

[Karen]

In general I found the story line a bit boring but the crosswords were well worth it.