Murder Most Cryptic

byAlys Cummings, Clare Corbett (Read by)

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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…

© Alys Cummings 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

If this isn't a book of the year, I'll be very surprised. It's where crime and crosswords collide

Janice Hallett

About Alys Cummings

Alys Cummings is a writer and journalist based on the north-east coast of England. She worked on local newspapers and for a news agency based at the Old Bailey, before joining BBC Panorama.

She is an Emerging Creative Associate with New Writing North and a member of their North East Novelists group.

Murder Most Cryptic is her debut novel, and won Pitch Perfect at the 2024 Bloody Scotland festival.
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Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9781405997645
  • Length: 541 minutes
  • Price: £14.00
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