Murder Most Cryptic is one of those books that I can easily imagine finding its audience, even though I wasn’t part of it.
The premise is undeniably fun: during an AA meeting in Scotland, a man walks in, collapses, and dies almost immediately. When a crossword puzzle is found in his pocket, it becomes clear that the clues may point to his murder. A quirky group of amateur sleuths sets out to solve both the crossword and the mystery behind his death.
The comparison to Richard Osman’s books makes sense. If you enjoy large ensembles of eccentric characters, witty dialogue, and cozy mysteries with an unusual hook, this will likely be worth a look.
For me, though, the mystery leaned a little too far into the implausible, and I never felt particularly invested in either the investigation or the characters. With such a large cast, I struggled to connect with anyone, and several of them felt underdeveloped. While the pacing is brisk and the humor lands more often than not, the story itself never fully grabbed me.
That said, I have to give Alys Cummings credit for an incredibly ambitious feat. Every chapter title is written as a crossword clue, with the answer hidden somewhere within that chapter, eventually creating a complete crossword puzzle. It’s genuinely ingenious. Reading on an e-reader made that element a bit clunky, but I suspect it will be much more satisfying in a finished print edition.
Ironically, that same crossword construction is also what kept me from loving the book. I admired the craftsmanship behind it, but it sometimes felt like the puzzle became more important than the mystery itself. I found myself appreciating the cleverness more than enjoying the story.
This is an impressive debut, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it develops a devoted following among crossword enthusiasts and cozy mystery readers. It simply wasn’t the right fit for my reading tastes.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
Publication date: February 16, 2027
Rating: ⭐⭐½
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