Thank you to Alys Cummings for this early review copy, I have been eager to get my hands on a copy since she whispered the news to me last year! This is a cleverly plotted, well paced crime debut. The characters are an absolute delight and I am wondering if this could possibly turn into a series? We should note that I am absolutely useless with a cryptic crossword so I worried if this would spoil my fun reading - it didn't. However, I think if you are good at these crosswords it would simply enhance your reading enjoyment. Delighted to recommend this on to fans of good mysteries! Very much looking forward to seeing what Alys writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book. I absolutely loved this debut novel from Alys Cummings. The best book I've read this year. When an unknown man arrives at Sandra's alcohol support group, and promptly dies, most of the police are inclined to put it down as an accident. But the group are not so sure, and begin to investigate. Who was this man? Why was he here? And why does he have a cryptic crossword clue in his pocket to which the answer is “murder”? With DC April Danso also feeling something isn't right, there is a mystery to be solved. The mystery starts simply, but as we progress, more clues emerge and everybody is found to have secrets. It all leads to an exciting climax, with a few misdirections on the way. If you love a proper mystery, this is definitely for you! Every chapter begins with a cryptic clue. Some are just for the reader, and others form part of the plot, but all are explained. Don't worry if you've never understood cryptic crosswords, the story doesn't require any prior knowledge of how they work. This is such a great book. I taught myself to do simple cryptic crosswords a few years ago, and the combination of a murder mystery with a crossword theme makes this a perfect story for me. The individual characters in the book are very well written and have depth and a bit of bite to them. There are no cozy crime clichés here. Highly recommended for a really fun read. I hope to see more books from this author.