Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8): A Memoir of Love, Exile, and Crosswords

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I wish Balfour had concentrated more on his love of crosswords and less on the memoir. The crossword discussion and examples were fascinating and educational. I've learned a great deal on the art of solving the cryptic variety of crosswords. By the end of the book my chances of solving these clues had gone from none to slim. The deciding factor now is a matter of culture. So many of the clues in the British puzzles relate to British culture and/or slang as well they should. I'm fairing better with the clues in the Games Magazine cryptic crosswords which is a huge step forward for me.

Rating:
Summary: An Faithfully Enjoyable Oboe to the Ear*
Review: What can one say that will accurately describe this book?
That it's a marvelous memoir that reads like a novel? Yes!
That it's a special treat for cruciverbalists of the cryptic kind? Most definitely!
That it's quite unlike anything you've ever read? Probably
That Sandy Balfour should just keep writing more and more? Most assuredly!
But, to sum it up in a phrase...?
O.K. *A truly fun read (reed)!!![.]