Review: The Crossword Murders
Getting another book in a series that you love is like your birthday and Christmas all in one. I was thrilled when I heard that the fifth installment of Helena Dixon's The Secret Detective Agency series was coming out and couldn't wait to read it.
The Crossword Murders opens with Miss Jane Treen accompanying Arthur Cilento as he attends the funeral of his college mentor. Also gathered are the other members of the professor’s Crossword Compilers' Club. Arthur invited Jane to come along after he received a "strange and cryptic new puzzle" from the professor a day before he died. They discover that Arthur’s puzzle is different from the ones sent to the other club members.
Much of the action of the book centers around the work being done to protect great works of art during World War II. Churchill himself wanted the masterpieces out of harm’s way and where the Nazis couldn’t lay their hands on them. We learn that all of the other members of the crossword club all work in an underground facility where they inventory (and restore or repair if necessary) the many paintings, sculptures, and more that are sent to them. They even have the Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk airplane. But items are showing up in the wrong place and they can't figure out why.
The team of Jane, Arthur, and Benson work so well together once again, each with their own unique expertise. The puzzle metaphor is incredibly apt since solving a murder is also a puzzle. I had no idea who the murderer was until right before the reveal. Just when I thought it was one person, that person ends up being the murderer's next victim.
The Crossword Murders ticks all of the boxes for me: a great mystery and lots of historical information about an intriguing part of the homefront effort in Great Britain. Now I'm off to count the days until the next book in the series!
5 lattes out of 5
Disclaimer: This eARC was provided by Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
