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Rating: 
Summary: Mysteries to sleep by
Review: "A Crossworder's Gift" by Nero Blanc is a collection of five short stories with crossword puzzles, four of which feature crossword puzzle editor Belle Graham and P.I. partner Rosco Polycrates. The stories are bland and inoffensive, the perfect example of the stereotype of a cozy mystery, with thinly drawn characters and mysteries that are not very mysterious. Some pleasure in spending time in various vacation locations (Grand Canyon, Montreal, the Caribbean), but better mysteries can be found that accomplish that with far more style. Biggest mystery: how this series managed to reach seven books.
Rating:
Summary: Just terrible
Review: I read this book with great anticipation because I love crosswords and mysteries. What a horrible disappointment. The characters are poorly developed, the dialogue is not realistic at all and the worst part -- which ironically is the most important part of a mystery -- the slick, and a reader would hope, clever, unraveling of the solution is far from either.Every one of the short stories sputters along and then the "solution" is thrown at the reader like a bag of soggy oatmeal. Clumsy and unsatisfying. Steer clear of this fiasco. The only reason I give it more than one star is because I still like the premise -- I just wish the authors were more respectful of their readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book - Great gift
Review: Loads of fun and the perfect gift for all my crossword puzzle fiend friends. Once again Nero Blanc takes the reader to five exotic holiday spots, as he did with last year's A CROSSWORDER'S HOLIDAY. I'm a big Nero fan, so I may be biased, but I really enjoy this series, and especially this new addition. These short stories are all within the realm of believability, which make the mysteries all the more interesting. The writing moves with a quick and entertaining flow, and the puzzles a super. There's even one in the shape of a pirates Jolly Roger.
Rating:
Summary: Just terrible
Review: When Digger Bonnet died on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, the secret of his treasure stash died with him. Bell and Rosco spend a week down there. The puzzle constructor and the private detective, with a little help from a parrot, try to decipher the clues to Digger's treasure puzzle. "Holly, Jolly Roger" is a humorous brainteaser. In "The Mystery of Wordworth House", a ghost tries to right an old wrong using Rosco and Belle to translate his message to his two granddaughters. This is a cute ghost story. When a gambler dies, he leaves a goodly amount of his estate to an animal shelter. To find the valuables, Belle Graham is asked to create and solve a crossword puzzle that should lead to the money. "A CROSSWORDER'S GIFT" is a delightful holiday mystery. A puzzle constructor's convention is taking place at the hotel near the Grand Canyon with Belle as the guest of honor. When one of the conventioneers is found dead, Rosco and his wife start sleuthing. "The Eraser's Edge" is one mystery that is almost impossible to solve. In "Cross Stitch" a sewing circle gets stranded during a blizzard and the five women bond with each other. After completing a crossword, the truth about a late heiress surfaces, but to find out what it is, the reader must decipher the crossword puzzle. Nero Blanc's holiday anthology makes the perfect gift for mystery and puzzle lovers. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: perfect gift for mystery and puzzle lovers
Review: When Digger Bonnet died on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, the secret of his treasure stash died with him. Bell and Rosco spend a week down there. The puzzle constructor and the private detective, with a little help from a parrot, try to decipher the clues to Digger's treasure puzzle. "Holly, Jolly Roger" is a humorous brainteaser. In "The Mystery of Wordworth House", a ghost tries to right an old wrong using Rosco and Belle to translate his message to his two granddaughters. This is a cute ghost story. When a gambler dies, he leaves a goodly amount of his estate to an animal shelter. To find the valuables, Belle Graham is asked to create and solve a crossword puzzle that should lead to the money. "A CROSSWORDER'S GIFT" is a delightful holiday mystery. A puzzle constructor's convention is taking place at the hotel near the Grand Canyon with Belle as the guest of honor. When one of the conventioneers is found dead, Rosco and his wife start sleuthing. "The Eraser's Edge" is one mystery that is almost impossible to solve. In "Cross Stitch" a sewing circle gets stranded during a blizzard and the five women bond with each other. After completing a crossword, the truth about a late heiress surfaces, but to find out what it is, the reader must decipher the crossword puzzle. Nero Blanc's holiday anthology makes the perfect gift for mystery and puzzle lovers. Harriet Klausner
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