This book combines two things i love: crossword puzzles and mysteries! There was also a lot of reference to the narrator's OCD and her frustration in how people close to her responded to her. I especially liked the narrator's parents as characters as they were sweet and quirky. It was an enjoyable read, but the mystery part of it felt a little all over the place and random, and the conclusion (I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers) to the mystery was disappointing and felt like it just happened to be convenient.

I received a free digital advance review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by the unique premise of Puzzling Ink, which centers on a mystery solving crossword puzzle creator. The main character Quinn has obsessive compulsive disorder and depression and is navigating life after experiencing some sort of breakdown which is alluded to but never described in detail. She has returned to her small hometown to live with her supportive parents and is working as a waitress in a diner where a customer ends up dead. Along with her childhood best friend who is a member of the police force, Quinn investigates the crime and includes clues to her list of likely suspects in a crossword puzzle that she writes for the local newspaper. The book includes the actual puzzle, which was difficult to access in e-book format, but which would have been fun to solve if I had a paper copy. The murder mystery part of this book was not the most compelling aspect for me, and I would be interested to see how the characters' relationships with each other continue to develop if the author writes a sequel. The author's acknowledgements include two people who shared their experiences of living with OCD with her, and I am interested in reading #ownvoices reviews of this book to see whether Quinn's portrayal rings true.

Quinn Carr has been diagnosed with OCD, and has come back to her home town after having a hard time in Denver. She's waitressing at a diner, composing crossword puzzles for the local paper, and hanging out with an old friend and her lovable, kooky parents.

She can focus on coping with her OCD and figuring out what to do with her life, since it doesn't look as though she'll be able to succeed as a police officer -- her first career choice.

Then all of a sudden she finds a murder victim in the diner. The diner's owner is arrested and Quinn has to manage the diner completely on her own... while she tries to figure out who the killer really is. Fortunately, the whole town steps up to help her.

I don't know enough about OCD to vouch for the accuracy of the portrayal in this book, but I found it very interesting. The author is certainly ,making an effort to educate ignorant people like myself. I liked the characters, though the plot of the book seemed implausible most of the time. The book is well written and often witty.

If the puzzle is the most important part of a mystery for you, you'll probably find this one disappointing. However, I enjoyed it and look forward to learning more about Quinn and her community.

Quinn is an interesting character, and did enjoy her parents. Overall though, I struggled to stay invested in this story. Not sure why. I liked the crossword focus though, and did stay invested to skim to the end. Would recommend, but not my favorite.

I’m really on the fence with this book. It started off in a bizarre way, and as I continued to read, it continued to be bizarre.
I’m not sure if I would be interested in reading another book.

2.5 Stars

First in a new series by Becky Clark. I'm not sure how I feel about Quinn Carr. She claims to have a mild case of OCD, but I beg to differ. I was getting twitchy 15 pages in. A saving grace is her love for crossword puzzles. When she is left to run the diner where she works singlehandedly when her boss is arrested for the murder of a customer, things spin way out of control. Her delightful parents try to assist her, but to me their cooking skills are way over the top. I'd be hard pressed to eat a cumin frosted cupcake no matter what the occasion, Unsure about this series. I'd have to read another one in the series.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new series by innovative writer, Becky Clark. Quinn Carr deals with her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) on a daily basis. Anonymously creating crossword puzzles for the local newspaper, her world is best when things align and are set just so. It’s when the rest of the world intrudes that things get very messy. Close to 30 and living at home with her parents after a failed attempt to complete the police academy, Quinn now works as a waitress at the local diner. Diner owner and cook, Jake, upends Quinn’s world when he’s arrested for poisoning an old enemy. Quinn, working almost single-handedly, struggles to keep the diner running by cooking, cleaning, waitressing, managing her OCD and, as an aside, working to find the true killer.
Ms. Clark sympathetically details the characteristics of an intelligent person who recognizes their OCD challenges and navigates everything that entails. In the credits, she acknowledges two contributors who suffer from OCD and I applaud her research into portraying Quinn realistically. This is a solid cozy and a heroine that you’ll enjoy, even when her coping mechanisms aren’t those that others might choose. The book includes some fun characters like Quinn’s parents. It also includes some recipes and crossword puzzles. (Note: the crosswords are harder to read in e-form.)