Murder Most Cryptic: A gripping murder mystery blending cosy crime and puzzles

Alys Cummings

Oct 2026 · Penguin · Narrated by Clare Corbett

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9 hr 1 min

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A PUZZLING NEW MURDER MYSTERY WHERE CRIME AND CROSSWORDS COLLIDE, FOR FANS OF JANICE HALLETT AND LUDWIG

The dead body is their first clue - and the answer is murder...but can they solve the crossword, and find a killer too?

Nina is a promising young journalist. She’s also an alcoholic.

Once a week, she attends a recovery group in the local church hall. When a stranger walks in one night, the group think they might have a new member. Until he promptly drops dead.

The police believe it’s nothing more than an accident. But the group soon realise there’s more to this mystery than meets the eye, when they discover a cryptic crossword clue hidden in the dead man’s pocket – the answer to which is Murder.

As more mysterious and threatening clues start appearing in a newspaper crossword, Nina and team must work to crack this cryptic case. Can they solve the clues, and catch a killer?

Or will the next crosssword spell death for one of them...

A PUZZLING NEW MURDER MYSTERY WHERE CRIME AND CROSSWORDS COLLIDE, FOR FANS OF JANICE HALLETT AND LUDWIG The dead body is their first clue - and the answer is murder...but can they solve the crossword, and find a killer too? Nina is a promising young journalist. She’s also an alcoholic. Once a we...

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About the author

Alys Cummings is a writer and journalist based on the north-east coast. She is an Emerging Creative Associate with New Writing North and a member of their North East Novelists group. As a producer and director, Alys has made documentaries for BBC Panorama on subjects including domestic abuse, the world of the UK’s conspiracy theorists, and avoidable deaths in maternity care. Her most recent film was shortlisted for Scoop of the Year at the British Journalist awards. Murder Most Cryptic is her first novel, and won Pitch Perfect at the 2024 Bloody Scotland festival.

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