Puzzling Ink was my second attempt at the cozy mystery genre and even though I quite enjoyed it I think the genre is not my thing. But the book was well written, it had a good pace and I really liked the main character. And eventhough it lucks the high tension of a regular mystery it managed to keep me hooked until the end. True to my self, once again I failed to find who the killer was 😁

Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark is the first book in the new cozy Crossword Puzzle Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries this first book of the series does contain it’s own mystery that is solved within so it can be enjoyed as a standalone. The character development that happens in each book however will carry over for those that continue to read the series.

The Crossword Puzzle Mystery series introduces readers to Quinn Carr who suffers from a mild case of OCD. Quinn’s original plans for her life didn’t quite work out so now she’s trying to get her life on the right track. Quinn has a day job working at the local diner for an eccentric boss and a side job of creating crosswords for the local paper.

Quinn knows that if she’s ever going to move out of her parents house she needs the job at the diner as a waitress to work out but quickly notices all of her boss’s faults. When he decides to leave Quinn on her own for the night Quinn wants things to go well and they do for the most part, that is until closing when she discovers a man had died in his booth.

As some of you may know I am a huge fan of quirky and humorous cozies and it seems the author of the Crossword Puzzle Mystery series is a fan of the same. This new series was full of fun and had me chuckling quite a few times. The protagonist is incredibly likable, she’s doing her best to cope with her OCD and while a little naive she still came across as a strong lead jumping in and doing what she needed to solve the murder. Definitely a series I will continue in the future after such a nice opener.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a fun cozy mystery to read. The protagonist, Quinn, is quirky, complex, and entertaining. The mystery is well-written with loads of twists and turns. There were several suspects and well place red herrings to keep the reader engaged in guessing who the murder was. I am looking forward to seeing how the characters develop in the next installment of the series

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the mention of crosswords, but was not expecting the way the story line unfolded. Quinn Carr is a very unusual protagonist, as she has OCD, has returned to her hometown and is living with her parents, trying to get her life back together. She is a waitress at the local diner and is forced to takeover running the diner after her boss is accused of murder. Quinn demonstrates she is very resourceful, not only running the diner in unique and unusual ways, but also in assisting her best friend Rico investigate the murder at the diner. Quinn's parents add a great touch to the story, particularly her mother who is always combining unique ingredients to come up with "interesting" food concoctions.

Quinn has many ways of dealing with her OCD and the story sometimes spends too much time discussing them. True to Becky Clark's other mystery series there is humor woven into the story, but it seems a bit subdued.

Overall, the book was a very enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series!

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting idea behind this story and I liked inclusivity of this story. I found the OCD mostly well done with some awkward moments. The crime aspect of the story was also quite good.
An OK read.

Princess Fuzzypants here: it took a while to get into this book, partly because Quinn’s OCD makes her such an unusual heroine. What starts as a drawback ends up being an asset. The story started to move along when Quinn tries to run the diner where she works singlehandedly and not very well. A drunken customer, late at night, ends up slumped dead in a booth. The initial rumour that Quinn must have poisoned him accidentally does nothing for her anxiety nor her confidence. But when her boss is arrested for the murder, she, with great pluck, steps up and tries to keep the restaurant open on her own. This would be hard for someone without her challenges. The reader has to admire her resolve and courage in meeting the task to the best of her ability.

Add to that, she is trying to help her best friend, Rico, investigate the murder. She wants her boss, Jake, to be innocent. But the more she learns about the relationship between Jake and the deceased, the more she wonders. But there are enough clues and other potential suspects out there and while she is juggling her day job duties, she is checking things out. It leads to more than a couple of confrontations including a big one with Rico. He is concerned she is being reckless. But Quinn is more than the sum of her various conditions. In fact, the reader and the villain discover this at the denouement.

It turns out Quinn is a capable and smart lady. She is a character worth watching. Four purrs and two paws up.

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end

First off, I have to say that I did enjoy this book, to an extent. Puzzling Ink has tremendous potential for a new series. Most of the characters are charming and easy to like, even if they are a little rough around the edges. I loved Quinn’s mom and dad; they added humor and quirkiness to the story. I like having the crossword puzzles be the main character’s focus, and it gives the story a unique twist. However, there are some glaring issues with this story.

Quinn really isn’t all that liable. Describing her as having “a mild case” of OCD is like describing Buckingham Palace as quaint. In reality, Quinn’s OCD would be a significant problem, and not just when she was feeling stressed. Unfortunately, having her OCD be the storyline’s main focus made it challenging to get into the puzzle (mystery) aspects. The constant dialogue about counting, color coding, and general habits, with the rubber band snapping and so forth was distracting at best and added very little understanding to the character, to those with OCD, or the story.

The murder investigation was not as prominent as it should have been, and there was little interaction with any real suspects. Evidence is also lacking distinction. The killer is barely in the story, and what twists and turns there are don’t add any action or drama to the plot. I think the puzzles should have been more of a factor, as I felt it would have made a solid foundation for future installments. However, I can live with all of the issues I listed above, but the fact that not all of the questions were answered, even those that seemed to be important to the investigation, is where I have to draw the line. It is imperative in a cozy book, no matter that it is part of a series, that in the end, all questions brought up as evidence or possible motives have to be resolved. In this book, some questions were left open, with no relevance to future books.

Overall, I felt Puzzling Ink was a puzzle of its own and could have been much better, but I also see the potential for future books that hopefully will address the issues of this first one. I know that Ms. Clark is a talented writer with a sense of humor, so I know she can make the next book far better than this one.

Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark is the debut of A Crossword Puzzle Mystery series. Quinn Carr is a woman in her late 20s who has returned to her hometown of Chestnut, Colorado where she has moved back in with her parents. She has been diagnosed with a mild case of OCD (I think the doctor got this one wrong) plus depression. Quinn loves crossword puzzles and creates them for the local paper which is something she does not want her best friend, Nico Lopez to know about. I could not warm up to Quinn. Her OCD is anything but mild. I became agitated after reading a couple of chapters. I did like the way the author addressed OCD. Quinn’s OCD issues dominated Puzzling Ink. Quinn’s parents are great characters. They are happy, upbeat people (it is hard to believe that Quinn is there child). I would never eat her mother’s cooking (a cumin frosted cupcake sounds disgusting), but she is a cheerful woman with a husband who loves her dearly. Officer Rico Lopez is Quinn’s best friend, and he cannot tell a lie. He is a very patient and kind man (must be if he is Quinn’s friend). There are a variety of other quirky characters including Jake and his ex-wife. The author did not devote enough time to character development. We learn the bare bones minimum about Quinn. I did enjoy the descriptions of the various chestnut statutes around town. I thought that it was a cute touch. The mystery was a disappointment. It was not at the forefront of the story and it is not one reader can solve (which is my favorite part). I wish the author had devoted more time to the mystery. The ending came out of left field. Crossword puzzles did not really play into the story. I thought the puzzles would have more of a tie in especially to the mystery. Puzzling Ink is not a good fit for me, and I will not be reading the next book in the series. I read to relax and for enjoyment and I got neither one in Puzzling Ink.

Puzzling Ink: A Crossword Puzzle Mystery
By Becky Clark
Lyrical
November 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Quinn Carr loves crossword puzzles. There are clear rules, only one correct answer, and you even have more than one chance to fix a mistake. It’s too bad life isn’t like that, which is why Quinn failed her chance at a Denver Police Department interview and landed back home in Chestnut Station, Colorado. An OCD panic attack may have forced her to flee her DPD interview, but her gift for organizing and making logical connections led her to becoming the Chestnut Station Chronicle’s crossword puzzle creator. It also allowed Quinn to help her friend Officer Rico Lopez catch a local bicycle thief. It’s a skill that will again be in demand when Emmet Dubois is poisoned to death at a Denver fundraiser. Quinn’s boss at the diner is quickly arrested for serving up poisoned mushrooms to the victim, and rather than hiring an attorney Jake Szabo looks to his waitress to prove his innocence.

Placing the fate of his future in Quinn’s hands is pressure she’s not sure she can handle, but that doesn’t compare to also being forced to take over the diner during Jake’s incarceration. The lack of staffing is matched only by the dearth of supplies, which is why Quinn is soon serving up all-you-can eat pancakes and serve-yourself beverages. Dubious assistance comes in the form of Jake’s attention-attracting ex-wife Lola, who provides background on suspects if not actual help in the kitchen. That comes in the surprising form of Quinn’s enthusiastic parents, whose enthusiasm is matched only by Quinn’s mother’s creativity with ingredients. Quinn’s symptoms and need to organize escalate the more it looks like Jake may stay in jail as the diner goes bust, so the timer is on for her to put together the puzzle pieces to save both herself and her employer. Blackmail, Russian brides, and thieving employees are all puzzles that Quinn must fit into her grid if she is ever to find the mushroom killer.

I was absolutely charmed by this first in the series, which provides a fresh and unique glimpse into the life of someone with OCD. Depression, anxiety, and unrelenting obsessive thoughts can spring up and completely consume her if not confronted. That Quinn’s compulsions are a coping mechanism for her obsessive thoughts is something rarely discussed, and seeing her continually learn how to adapt to her illness is fascinating. Chapters viewed from Rico’s perspective reveal how others may sympathize with and be affected by those with OCD. Rico’s and Quinn’s status as friends-who-could-be-more is brilliantly and refreshingly handled, quickly dealt with in a realistic manner that doesn’t serve as a mere plot point. A crossword puzzle and Quinn’s mother’s recipes for rather unique specialties are included at the end, and they should delight fans of both (although I’m not sure how many will be fans of mashed potatoes-chocolate pudding Redneck Ravioli). Quinn is a likable character whose OCD condition is sympathetically showcased, making this a promising and welcome debut series. I can’t wait to read more about Quinn, diner dialogue, crossword puzzles, how she learns to adjust to the condition that has both abled and hindered her life.

Quinn Carr is one of the most authentic and unusual crime solvers it’s been my pleasure to meet. Puzzling Ink is set in the fictional town of Chestnut Station near Denver. A small community where everyone knows your name is so appealing and Clark brings it to life beautifully.

The town of Chestnut Station was spread thick with creamy sunshine, fragments of music from the marching band settling over the festivalgoers while Quinn walked the few blocks to the diner. She had to detour around a couple of town dogs sprawled across sidewalks, including bloodhound Jethro, the unofficial mascot of the Chestnut Diner.

Quinn, like many thirty-somethings, has a couple of gigs. She’s a waitress at the Chestnut Diner and unbeknownst to most folks, she supplies the local newspaper with a weekly crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzle mystery series is enjoying a moment in the sun, like Hallmark’s Crossword Mysteries series which has the imprimatur of crossword puzzle master Will Shortz, a contributor to the storylines.

Being a crossword puzzle creator is a novel character trait, but Quinn is also beset by an occasionally crippling condition, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Her goal last year of being accepted at the Denver police department did not end well. She had a breakdown, ended up in the hospital, and is now living at home, taking her meds (when her dad reminds her). Quinn wants to be independent, but money is needed if she’s to leave home i.e., her tips at the diner. Some of her customers are friendlier than others. Chief Chestnut is not her biggest fan, but he does seem to love her crosswords. Quinn offers him a pencil from “her collection of writing utensils,” but no thanks.

“I ain’t no sissy.” He plucked a pen from her hand with his bony fingers and clicked it at her.



Quinn took it as a dismissal and backed away. Jerk. She knew that crossword enthusiasts prided themselves on their ability to do puzzles in ink without making mistakes that needed to be erased. But most of them weren’t so snippy about it.

Surly customers notwithstanding, Quinn’s happy place is turning an idea for a crossword puzzle into reality … and not being judged for her choices and foibles.

Crossword puzzles never judged you. Unlike the people who thought they knew all about you simply because you were in your thirties, had to move home with your parents, and needed—needed—to alphabetize their spices before you could continue creating the crossword puzzle for the local Chestnut Station Chronicle.

“The people who thought they knew all about you,” is one person, her childhood friend Rico. He’s part of the Chestnut Station police force and he cares and worries about Quinn, and even flirts with the idea of dating her but they turn out to be better buddies than beaus. Quinn’s parents are fantastic, caring but not smothering (although she can tell that they’re worried about her). Her dad gently but persistently presses the notion that she meet with an OCD specialist while leaving the decision up to her.

Quinn has her life tenuously under control until “a customer ends up dead at her table—face down in biscuits and gravy.” He’s a culinary business associate of Jake, the owner of the diner, and Quinn’s boss. The Chestnut Station police arrest Jake for murder by poisonous mushrooms and lock him up. Guess who’s in charge of running the diner now? Imagine if you will how difficult it would be for a person who wants needs everything to be just so, to switch to cooking/serving/cleaning up a diner. Quinn has always thought of herself as perceptive and intuitive, a good person to assist the police (ahem, Rico) with crime-solving but now it’s urgent. She must find the murderer so Jake can get back in the kitchen where he belongs. Some of her trials and tribulations are hysterical, like the potato incident.

Suddenly the pungent odor of burning filled the kitchen. Smoke poured from the oven. She grabbed oven mitts and carefully opened the door.



Sabotage? No. Baked potatoes.



Silas poked his head into the pass-through. “Everything okay, Quinn?”



She stepped aside and showed him the inside of the detonation zone, covered in exploded potato bits, all in varying states of incineration.



“Oh dear.” He shook his head. “Didn’t you poke holes in them before you started baking them?”



“No. Why?”



“So they don’t explode. Everyone knows that.”



Quinn glared at him. “Does everyone know how I’m supposed to clean this?”

But Quinn is a quick learner, and she takes the reader along for an eccentric and unexpected ride. It’s fun learning diner lingo à la Jake, like “Adam and Eves on rafts (two poached eggs on toast), Murphys in the alley (hash browns on the side), and several stacks of Vermonts (pancakes).” Chief Chestnut won’t explore any of the promising avenues Quinn has uncovered to prove Jake’s innocence, so she goes to work on a bonus crossword that will subliminally encourage the Chief to open his eyes. Even bloodhound Jethro has a star turn, discovering an important clue wedged in the recesses of the diner’s seats. The customers are irascible, occasionally endearing, and supportive of Quinn’s efforts to man the torpedoes and keep everyone fed while she solves the mystery. I can’t wait to read the sophomore Crossword Puzzle Mystery: Becky Clark is off to a great start.

I really enjoyed this book, and Quinn was such a likable character. She struggles with her OCD, but she hung in there and kept the diner open when her boss, Jake gets arrested for murder. Unbeknownst to most people Quinn makes the cross word puzzles for her local paper. She hopes to find the murderer before Jake gets sent away permanently for a murder she is so sure he did not commit. This book is filled with many characters that help pull this whole story together. Quinn's parents are just amazing people and just love their daughter tremendously. Her friend, Rico, worries about Quinn alot, but always has her best interest. Add in the Retireds from the diner and you got one great cozy mystery.

Puzzling Ink, the first book in Becky Clark’s Crossword Puzzle Mystery series, is a fresh and intriguing take on the cozy mystery genre. The concept of using crossword puzzle clues to nudge the reluctant police in the right investigative direction grabbed my attention from the start.

Following her ouster from the Denver police academy, Quinn Carr has returned to her parents’ home in Chestnut Station, Colorado, taking a job as a waitress at the local diner to make ends meet. Unbeknownst to anyone except the paper’s editor, she is also responsible for the crossword puzzles in the local paper. She is barely settling into her waitressing position when one of the diner’s customers is poisoned and her boss, Jake Szabo, is arrested for murder, leaving Quinn solely in charge of the restaurant. Unequipped to act as waitress, cook and general business manager on her own, Quinn sets out to clear Jake’s name with the help of her best friend (and police officer) Rico.

Here’s the thing. Quinn is quirky, but in a good way. Her recently-diagnosed OCD turns out to be an asset, as does her police academy training. And, despite the somewhat heavy-handed mention of her OCD, I found myself liking her a great deal. The story was filled with interesting and largely memorable characters, but it was difficult to learn about them in any depth. No doubt this is the result of this being the first in series, but there are several characters whom I would like to know better. Quinn’s parents, for example, were prevailed upon to help out in the diner and did so in a way that was unique and utterly charming. Another character whom I hope to see more of was Quinn’s OCD counselor, Mary-Louise Lovely.

While I definitely enjoyed Puzzling Ink, I do feel that the series could be strengthened in subsequent books by placing a greater emphasis on using crossword puzzles to solve the crime and by downplaying the dramatization of Quinn’s OCD. That said, I will be looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Note: I received an ARC of Puzzling Ink from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

Becky Clark kicks off her new Crossword Puzzle Mystery series with Puzzling Ink. I really enjoyed this 1st instalment and I am interested enough to pick up book 2 when it becomes available.

After bombing out of the police academy in Denver Quinn Carr has arrived back home in Chestnut, Colorado and is currently living with her folks. As well as devising crossword puzzles for her local rag, she is employed as a waitress in a diner. When a customer is found dead in the diner and her employer and another co-worker go AWOL, Quinn juggles her regular waitressing as well as the cooking, herself. Although not faultless, Quinn keeps a sense of realism and humour as she assists her police officer friend with the subsequent murder case. Quinn is a OCD sufferer and I liked the sensitive way she was portrayed by the author. All in all, a great cozy mystery with some witty interludes and a fun bunch of characters. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

I love the Mystery Writer's Mystery series from this writer, and this series is starting off a winner just like that series. It was so funny, and I did find myself laughing out loud in parts. There's just something so fun about her writing style! Quinn was a great character, and I got a kick out of her wanting to help her boss Jake when he was accused of murder. And boy did she go to some lengths to help him, but I couldn't blame her for wanting that diner to get back to normal.

Oh her parents especially her mom were so hilarious! That woman had no fear of any ingredient in the kitchen and experimented with the weirdest concoctions which made her cooking for the diner that much more hysterical. I loved Loma's character and hope that despite their age difference, she and Quinn continue to be good friends in the series. I definitely hadn't pegged the killer, great twist and a nail biting but still funny in places ("Did you just--staple me?"--I was almost on the floor picturing that! Read it and you'll see!). Loma got to prove just what an awesome pal she was, Jake got his diner back, well sort of, and I'm super anxious to read the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, any my opinions are my own.

Synopsis:

1 DOWN: DEATH BY HOMICIDE

Quinn Carr wishes her life could be more like a crossword puzzle: neat, orderly, and perfectly arranged. At least her passion for puzzles, flair for words—and mild case of OCD—have landed her a gig creating crosswords for the local paper. But if she ever hopes to move out of her parents’ house, she can’t give up her day job as a waitress. She needs the tips. But when a customer ends up dead at her table—face down in bisquits and gravy—Quinn needs to get a clue to find whodunit . . .

6 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “M”

It turns out that solving a murder is a lot harder than a creating a crossword. Quinn has plenty of suspects—up, down, and across. One of them is her boss, the owner of the diner who shares a culinary past with the victim. Two of them are ex-wives, her boss’s and the victim’s. A third complication is the Chief of Police who refuses to allow much investigation, preferring the pretense their town has no crime. To solve this mystery, Quinn has to think outside the boxes—before the killer gets the last word . . .

“FRESH, FAST, AND FURIOUSLY FUN . . . Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority.”
—Brad Parks , Shamus Award-winning author (on Fiction Can Be Murder)

Includes original crossword puzzles! (Goodreads)

Review:

The premise of the book is different and I enjoyed that. Quinn is suffering from OCD, which she had been recently diagnosed with, and she is trying to figure things out. She has moved back in with her parent’s and she has a job working at a diner. When her boss is accused of killing someone, she feels like she needs to find the killer. She is good at solving crossword puzzles and she is hoping finding a killer will be just as easy.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The mystery was well plotted and it kept me engaged from the start.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

What a fun start to a new series! Characters with just the right amount of "quirk," an adorable small town setting, a delicious whodunit to solve, and A CROSSWORD PUZZLE! As the series moves forward, I would love to see less emphasis on the diner and Mom's culinary concoctions, and more on Quinn's crossword puzzles. I'm anxious (ha!) to see how she does as she attempts to wrangle her OCD into submission. Becky Clark writes with wit and humor, and illustrates Quinn's psychological issues with insight and compassion. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark is the 1st book in the Crossword Puzzle Mystery. I so enjoyed this fun new series and look forward to the next in series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

Quinn Carr has moved back home to Chestnut Colorado after flunking out of the police academy and is working as a waitress and living with her parents. She has OCD which is very common and interesting to read about. She is diagnosed with OCD and also depression. I so appreciate a author that writes of current and common conditions of a normal person . The author wrote it with sensitivity and compassion.

The author wrote Quinn and the supporting charcters with depth and strength of charcter. I appreciate how Quinn's parents are featured as kindly loving people and they have a close relationship. The other supporting charcters were equally nicely written and quirky.. Quinn also has a unique skill of writing crossword puzzles for her local paper and I look forward to learning more about this in the next book . The sleuth was interesting to conclusion and enjoyable.

I look forward to the next in series and enjoyed this debut cozy mystery .

Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark is the 1st book in the Crossword Puzzle Mystery, and it is off to a good start. Quinn Carr puts together crossword puzzles for the local newspaper, is OCD, a waitress, and lives with her parents. When Quinn's customer dies, she is determined to find out who killed him. I found this book to be clever, I especially liked how Quinn put clues into the Crossword Puzzle, to direct the Chief of Police. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy fun cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While I would give this three and a half stars, I am rounding down as my cons outweigh the pros.

• Quinn, the protagonist has a diagnosed mild case of OCD. Although we learn some about it and how it affects her, but it seems to be an opportunity missed for her character. She just comes off as frenetic. It's not necessary to like every character, but I need to understand them better.
• Crossword puzzles are what originally interested me in this book. Hoped they would be more central to the story or its solution, but the how-to- create a puzzle had to suffice.
•Quinn's problems in running the diner were just exhausting.
•Enjoyed Quinn's relationship with Rico and that they could just be good friends

This series has potential and I hope the next book will live up to it.