This series is so much fun, and I need to tell you, this book was even better than the first! Never a spoiler in my review, here is REALLY what you need to know: Quinn a waitress at the local diner and her best friend Rico is the cop assigned to the case. One of the diner's patrons is accused of murder and suffice it to say, Quinn just can't help herself trying to help by dropping clues in a crossword puzzle to get the 'guy in charge' to pay attention! All in all, a well-written mystery with relatable characters, with a little education about OCD as a bonus! Twists and turns and laugh-out-loud moments guide you to a surprise ending, and best of all, this book can be read as a stand-alone, but the first book is a good read as well! I received an ARC of this book but that in no way influenced this review.

An OCD waitress/crossword puzzle creator solves the murder mystery, sort of. A clever and engaging tale with a surprise or two along the way along with some chuckles. Entertaining and delightful characters and dog. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Synopsis:

1 DOWN: A PERSON OF INTEREST

Quinn Carr has been quietly creating crosswords for the Chestnut Station Chronicle in her small Colorado town since she was in high school, but she has yet to solve the puzzle of how to make a living from her passion. So she lives with her parents and works at the local diner, catering to regulars like The Retireds, a charming if cantankerous crew of elderly men. The most recent member to join the group is a recently retired tailor, the unfortunately named Hugh Pugh.

4-LETTER WORD FOR “IMPALE”

But Hugh’s misfortune dramatically increases when he’s arrested for stabbing his husband with a pair of fabric shears. With a cryptic crossword clue left at the crime scene, Quinn seems tailor-made for solving this murder. The local police may be determined to pin the crime on the kindly tailor, but Quinn will use her penchant for puzzles and what her therapist calls her “obsessive coping mechanism” to get the clues to line up and catch the real culprit—before the killer boxes her in. . . . ( Goodreads)

Review:

This time around, one of the Retireds from the restaurant is accused of killing their spouse. Quinn does not know him well, but she can tell how much he loved his husband and feels that they have the wrong person. She is going to work very hard to prove this and see that justice is served. She will need the help of her friend, Rico, who happens to be a policeman, to get to the bottom of this.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions took me on an adventurous ride with Quinn and Rico. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am sure that Quinn and Rico will find another mystery to solve in the next book.

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

I'm loving this series so much! Quinn's a normal, likable main character who happens to be battling OCD along the way, but sometimes it actually comes in a little handy when investigating a case with her pal Rico. I enjoyed the side mystery too that involved a girl named Eliza.

When a friend's husband was murdered in their house, Quinn took their dog to keep for awhile, because her friend Hugh was very despondent over the murder. Quinn's mom and dad loved having little Gin at the house, and I'm sure she was well-spoiled. Once again, Quinn's secret crossword weapon of getting the police chief to investigate in a different direction worked.

The showdown was pretty crazy, and I can say I've never read about one quite like it. Especially the part where someone came in drunk, lol, such a comedy of errors! It's the most fun you'll ever have reading and wondering if someone was going to get killed or not. Everything of course, ended well, and Hugh eventually got out of his slump. I'd sure love to see Rico get to be police chief eventually and have Chestnut retire somewhere that he can just fish all day, but maybe that'll happen next time.

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

Murder Makes No Sense
This is a fun cozy mystery. One of the co-stars is a delightful, fox-colored Pomeranian. The plot is pretty good. Our heroine is fighting a serious case of OCD but uses it to create anonymously published crossword puzzles. More than one of the characters loves puns, so expect quite a few of them. There are more than a few giggles and groans throughout the book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Retired tailor Hugh Pugh is accused of murdering his husband, Creigh, with a pair of shears - setting off a real hue and cry in Chestnut Station. Quinn jumps in to solve the puzzle, while dog-sitting Hugh's fur-baby, Virginia Woof and dealing with what her therapist calls her “obsessive coping mechanism.” Using strategic clues the local paper's crossword, Quinn attempts to steer the cantankerous chief of police toward finding the real killer - before she finds herself 6 down and 3 across.

What ensues is a wonderful ride down and across author Becky Clark's world of wit , red herrings, and whodunit. Come spend some time in Chestnut Station, and bring your pen, because only sissies work crossword puzzles in pencil!

I loved everything about this book. From Quinn, the OCD diner waitress who creates crossword puzzles in secret to Virginia Woof, a Pomeranian/Husky mix. This is the best kind of cozy, it's what I think of as a smart cozy,Quinn never puts herself in danger, she's a great protagonist. The book is funny and well paced, with plenty of red herrings and crossword puzzle clues. I will eagerly await book 3 in this series.

Quinn Carr continues to deal with her OCD issues while working at the local diner, living with her parents and secretly creating crosswords for the Chestnut Station Chronicle. Among the diner locals are the Retireds, a group of grumpy old men. The newest member is a recently retired tailor named Hugh Pugh. Quinn is shocked to hear that Hugh has been arrested for stabbing his husband with a pair of his fabric shears. Quinn does not believe that Hugh is guilty and reluctantly agrees to care for his dog Virginia Woof aka Gin while he is in police custody. She also prods her police cop friend Rico to look for other suspects while trying to get police chief Chestnut to stop focusing on Hugh by adding clues to her crossword puzzles. A strange key and wads of money are among the items that Quinn finds while she cleans up the mess in Hugh's home.

This was a better read than the first book but the ending with the killer was contrived.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! I found Quinn to be quite a realistic heroine with many facets, I especially like the addition of the crossword puzzle writing. There are many characters in the book but it wasn’t overwhelming keeping up with everyone. The mystery was robust enough with lots of clues and dead ends. Look forward to reading others in the series!

Punning with Scissors by Becky Clark is book two in The Crossword Puzzle Mystery series.
The main character Quinn secretly writes crossword puzzles for the local paper and often uses these to nudge the police chief in the right direction during his investigations.
Quinn also suffers from OCD and much of the time we spend in Quinn's head is her attempts to both control and utilize her condition to investigate a recent murder.
The supporting characters feel fleshed out, I especially enjoyed Quinn's mother and honest Officer Rico.

I have rarely seen such a charming canine companion. A Husky Pomeranian mix that is frequently mistaken for a fox, Virginia "Gin" Woof is easily the scene stealer in this story.

This had all the elements of a cozy mystery, but had an extra layer of intensity due to Quinn's internal struggles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing me with an ARC and the opportunity to give an opinion about this book.

“Punning with scissors”, the second in Becky Clark’s Crossword puzzle series, finds our heroine Quinn Carr reluctantly solving another mystery. This one involves Hugh Pugh, the newest member of The Retireds, a group of retired men who frequent Quinn’s diner. Hugh, a retired tailor, finds his husband Creighton stabbed to death in the bathtub with Hugh’s fabric shears. Naturally the police arrest Hugh and Quinn attempts to help him clear his name.

Quinn’s inherent kindness is on full display in this story. Hugh and Creighton have a Pomeranian-Husky mix named Virginia Woof (Gin for short), and Quinn becomes Gin’s short term caretaker while Hugh is in jail and after he is released, since he is so grief-stricken he is unable to care for Gin himself. Considering the fact that Quinn has OCD and has previously only cared for her goldfish Fang, this is quite an undertaking. She is assisted by her mom, Georgia, who is extremely supportive and and also very kind to Hugh. Quinn’s best friend Loma was a little less prominent in this story, and while I missed her, Gin almost made up for it by becoming a sidekick to Quinn.

Quinn’s OCD Is also explored more in this story as author Clark gives us more of an insight into Quinn’s internal struggles including her belief that she is “cured” and doesn’t need any more therapy. As in the first book, Quinn’s condition is treated with a great deal of compassion by the author and the positive aspects of OCD, including how it helps Quinn in her investigation, are highlighted as well.

And of course, the “punning” in the title also is highlighted, since Creighton had a habit of leaving punny messages in…well, a very unusual place. The puns do become part of the mystery’s solution and in the course of her investigation, Quinn also discovers an interesting fact about an old family with roots in Chestnut Station.

Quinn’s second adventure saw more character growth and I am very much looking forward to her next adventure.

Quinn returns and is still battling her OCD and creating crossword puzzle to lead the bumbling police chief to correctly solve the murder. Hugh Pugh, newly retired, has joined the retireds at the Diner. Unfortunately, his husband is murdered the same day and Hugh is the prime suspect according to the police chief. Fortunately, Quinn is ready to find the real murderer.

This is an enjoyable series and a little off beat. I like the characters and the crossword theme. I look forward to more.

What a wonderful lighthearted mystery. Kept me hooked until the end, sorry that I was finished reading. Ready for more.

What makes a cozy mystery? A cozy is typically set in a small town with a female amateur sleuth who either knows the victim or discovers the body. Our sleuth has a few close friends she relies on as she investigates whodunit. The author drops subtle clues (and red herrings!) along the way for the armchair detective to puzzle out along with our fictional sleuth.

The Crossword Puzzle Mystery series fully embraces all my favorite elements of a cozy: an amateur sleuth who isn’t perfect but tries to do her best, a couple of good friends to help when the going gets rough, and a small town setting with plenty of interesting characters. In Quinn’s case, she sees a lot of them while she works her shift at the diner.

In this particular mystery, Quinn is faced with a whodunit of epic proportion: Creighton McLellan is found dead at home, stabbed with a pair of his husband Hugh Pugh’s scissors. The police chief (always ready to close the case and get a murder off the books) thinks it’s an open and shut case. But Quinn is skeptical – she doesn’t think Hugh would hurt Creighton. She volunteers to watch Hugh’s dog Virginia Woof while Hugh is awaiting bail (conveniently giving her ample time to snoop for clues in their house). Quinn is on the case.

You may wonder where the crossword puzzle fits into everything. Quinn happens to be the anonymous author of crossword puzzles in the town’s paper, and has been for years. Chief Chestnut is an avid solver of said crosswords. And when the chief is determined to quickly close the investigation, Quinn uses her crossword puzzle skills to secretly send a few subliminal messages to him about the case. It’s fun to read Quinn’s thought process and how she designs the weekly puzzles.

Ms. Clark keeps the mystery moving, and it’s full of humor. I do wish we could have seen more of Jake at the diner and built upon his friendship with Quinn from the first book, but the story focus didn’t really allow for that.

Punning with Scissors is a light-hearted mystery that is full of chuckles (and maybe even a few pun-inducing groans), and is the perfect pick for your next cozy book.

I read another series by this author and wasn't a fan, this is the first book I read in this series and thoroughly enjoyed it.
A well developed plot that kept me guessing, quirky characters and a lot of fun.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am really enjoying this series. Quinn is back, still working at the diner, and dealing with the Retireds. One in particular, Hugh Pugh, is one Quinn has recently been getting to know. She likes Hugh, his character, and how smitten he is over his husband, Creighton.
All is well until Creighton is found murdered with Hugh's scissors sticking out of him. Now Quinn, with the help of her long time friend and cop, Rico, must do all they can to prove that Hugh is innocent.
Quinn is such a lovable character. Her OCD issues are really tough on her. Those parts in the book where she was struggling to keep it under control really pulled at my heart strings. I love that she secretly does the Crosswords for the local paper. One thing I admire most about Quinn is her loyalty to her friends and her tenacity to find the truth.
Becky Clark has written another great book for this series. I am so hooked, and I can't wait to read more and see what other shenanigans Quinn gets herself into.

Quinn Carr is super smart (she's been writing the local newspaper's crossword puzzle since high school!) but her OCD has kept her from pursuing much of a career. So, she lives with her folks and works at the local diner. But she also refuses to let an injustice go unchallenged so when one of the diner's customers is accused of murder, she jumps in to 'help'.
The police chief has arrested a suspect and washed his hands of the investigation until Quinn places some clues in the crossword for him, then he assigns Quinn's friend (and best cop! Rico to do some actual investigating. All the while, Quinn is dog-sitting and trying to help the man who was accused.
This is the 2nd Quinn Care Crossword mystery from Ms Clark, and I like that it can be read as a stand-alone. The story flows well and the descriptors of Quinn's OCD are terrifyingly real. For anyone who can't walk past a crooked picture without cringing (or fixing it!), that is so mild compared to what Quinn goes through. Ms Clark takes care to write up even the worst of the symptoms and treatments to help us understand.
AND, the book includes the 2 crosswords that Quinn uses to nudge the police chief. So much fun!

It's fair to say Quinn Carr's life is not exactly as she envisioned. People worry about her when she would rather they didn't, she still lives at home in Chestnut Station when she would rather she didn't, and she works in the local diner when she would rather she didn't!

With her OCD on a lifetime quest to trap her in a spiral of unanswerable questions Quinn relies heavily on her parents, best friends and her secret part time job as a crossword creator to get her through the days and nights. Lately however, murder investigation has also become part of her daily existence and as a lover of clues and questions it is right up her alley.

When she accidentally witnesses the arrest of her new and poetically named friend Hugh Pugh for murder Quinn knows he is absolutely incapable of killing the husband he loved so much. Whatever their publicity hungry sheriff says to the contrary she knows a mistake has been made and begins her own investigation into clearing the name of the devastated widower while also looking after his equally bereft dog, Virginia Woof.

This is an easy read but that doesn't mean it is simplistic in any way. Quinn is a great main protagonist, obsessive, original, and laugh out loud funny at times. The friendships and family ties throughout are strong and her relationship with her OCD, which is vital to the storyline, defines Quinn in a way which makes her all the more likeable.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this and will absolutely be on the look out for more books by this author.

This was a clever book filled with cryptic messages, a smart dog, and witty characters that make it fun for the reader to try and solve the mystery. After reading it, I learned that it was second in a series, but it can totally be read as a standalone novel. Quinn is a unique heroine, and I like how she used her OCD to solve mysteries/crimes. Fans of cozy mysteries and/or crossword puzzles will likely enjoy this book.

Quinn Carr has returned to her parents home in rural Colorado, where she has established herself as a waitress at the local diner owned by Jake. There she caters to an eclectic group of patrons, one of whom is “The Retireds.”

Her position there gives her ample opportunity to exercise her OCD proclivities, an anxiety disorder.

Quinn is also a professional cruciverbalist—creating puzzles for the local newspaper. She has used this skill in the past dealing with the local police captain of Chestnut Station. Now she is working a murder that dealt the newest member of the Retireds in the slammer. Following the arrest of Hugh, she has taken on the care of Virginia Wolf, his dog also known as Gin.

I started this series with Book 1, but was left scratching my head a few times. However, I did enjoy this book for the mystery and the characters whether or not I could really connect with Quinn. Also, loved the wit and sense of humor encased in the cozy.

I like the support characters—all are well developed, the mystery, the investigation, and puzzling scenes. In Book 2, Quinn has graduated into a more astute woman sleuth, tending to be more methodical while obsessive.

Novel two of the series is smoother and If you didn’t start with Book 1, no prob—Book 2 could be read as a standalone, but not while multi-tasking. Bring your thinking cap and enjoy. 4.5 stars