As the pandemic continues on to another year, we’re all looking for hobbies to occupy our time. Here’s a suggestion for our bookish readers—consider crossword puzzles.
To spark your interest, we’ve collected a bunch of mysteries (and puzzles) you can solve by doing crosswords. An old-school interactive past time or the start of a puzzle renaissance? You tell us.
The Crossword Murder by Nero Blanc
Solving puzzles can be murder when a PI and a crossword editor join forces to catch a killer in the first novel of Nero Blanc’s fiendishly clever crossword mystery series. Readers will delight in solving the crime, along with six crossword puzzles, which can be downloaded as PDFs, with answers in the back of the book. The Crossword Murder is a book to be savored by mystery lovers and crossword-puzzle enthusiasts alike.
Puzzling Escapes The Terrifying Haunted House on Mystery Lane by Beth Martin
What was supposed to be a simple visit to an old house has turned into a nightmare. As soon as you get inside, the door slams shut behind you, leaving you and your friend Bang trapped. As you struggle to find a way back out, strange things keep happening, and you’re pretty sure you saw a ghost. Will you be able to solve all the puzzles to escape the haunted house or will you get trapped forever?
Montague Island Mysteries and Other Logic Puzzles by R. Wayne Schmittberger
Solve logic puzzles AND play sleuth at the same time! This thoroughly unique book—written by the former editor of Games magazine—offers the immersive pleasure of a novel as it follows a group of friends who meet regularly to play murder-mystery games at the island home of a wealthy couple.
Also, here’s a bonus book of crossword puzzles that will not take you on a new book journey, but rather go deep into some of your older favorites with Science Fiction themed puzzles.
The Science Fiction Puzzle Book
Inspired by the Works of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C Clarke, Robert A Heinlein, and Ursula K Le Guin. Containing more than 100 enigmas, riddles, and conundrums, all taking inspiration from their extraordinary stories and vivid worlds, exploring new galaxies and new technologies while solving challenges all written in distinctive and brilliant styles of these five stars of science fiction.