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...

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...

Between a kidnapping, a double booking, and a crew of hapless volunteers, Charlee worries the writing conference will go to the dogs. Mystery author Charlee Russo agrees to speak at a Portland writers' conference organized by her friend Viv Lundquist. When Viv picks her up at the airport, she frantically tells Charlee that her daughter Hanna has been kidnapped. Charlee takes over the conference preparation so Viv can search for her daughter, but the situation gets tense when the hotel double-books the event with a dog show. Despite this, Charlee is compelled to investigate after she learns shocking secrets about both Hanna and Viv. Can she find Hanna in time, or will a plot twist lead her to a ruff ending? Praise: "So good I wanted to read it twice! It has everything I love in a funny mystery: characters I care about, a plot that grabs me from page one, voice, and laughs galore. Clear your day, because this...

"The charming heroine and the supporting cast shine in Clark's fun and funny solo mystery debut...which doesn't take anyone too seriously in the best way possible."—Kirkus Reviews "Cozy fans should enjoy this funny and affecting view into a mystery writer's life."—Publishers Weekly "Charlee Russo is my new favorite amateur sleuth! Wickedly witty author Charlee takes us along on her wild ride to prove her innocence in the murder of her literary agent, a murder based on the plot of one of her own books! Giving readers an inside look at the writer's life, Becky Clark pens a funny, clever page turner of a mystery and I can't wait for the next one in this terrific new series!"—Jenn McKinlay, bestselling author of the Library Lover's Mysteries LIFE BECOMES STRANGER THAN FICTION WHEN CHARLEE'S LATEST NOVEL INSPIRES A REAL MURDER Mystery author Charlemagne "Charlee" Russo thinks the twisty plots and peculiar murders in her books are only...