THE CROSSWORD CONNECTION

There’s trouble in the realm of Belle Graham, the Queen of Cryptics (The Crossword Murder, 1999), who’s having trouble with both her crossword construction and her prenuptial arrangements. Her sister-in-law-to-be Cleo hired a pair of Vermont craftspeople to redecorate her kitchen for the wedding reception, but Geoff stained the cabinets magenta, and Sharon damaged the back-ordered dishwasher. The homeless shelter where Belle volunteers has more serious trouble: The Petermans, powerful developers, intend to gentrify the shelter out of the neighborhood. When two corpses turn up, one a local homeless man, Belle’s wealthy friend Sarah, concerned about the man’s missing puppy, tells Belle’s fiancé, Rosco Polycrates, to investigate. Then a handmade crossword with threatening clues is delivered to Belle’s door. Is some psychopath trying to make Belle the five-letter answer to 1 across and 6 feet down? Newspapers at the scene of the murders seem to connect the crossword criminal with the murder victims. While Belle races to solve the puzzles, Rosco is kidnapped. Mud on Rosco’s car seems to link his disappearance to the Petermans’ landscaping—and, incredibly, to something much closer to home. Every loose end is tied up before Belle and Rosco finally tie their own knot, and the denouement features some clever bait-and-switching with the suspects. Puzzle fans may enjoy the four crosswords, too.

But the biggest obstacle to readers’ sharing in Belle’s happiness isn’t magenta cabinets; it’s the numerous clichés that fill in the blanks.