The Crossword Murder — Nero Blanc

FOUR LETTERS. STARTS WITH A "D"...

Thompson C. Briephs is dead. D-E-A-D. The body of the flamboyant crossword puzzle editor was found under suspicious circumstances -- and his grief-stricken mother, a wealthy dowager, has hired P.I. Rosco Polycrates to come up with some answers.

To understand the victim's death, Rosco must understand his life. So he consults with the other crossword editor in Newcastle, Massachusetts beautiful, brainy Annabella Graham, who spends her time creating conundrums for the town's rival paper.

Now this mismatched pair has discovered that a series of puzzles -- written by Briephs before his death -- may help them fill in the blanks in this investigation. And they'll need to look everywhere -- including up, down, and across -- to stop the killer from striking again...