First published 2005
Crossword constructor David Harper thought he understood puzzles until cryptic clues started appearing in his daily life. Someone leaves coded messages in his morning paper. His apartment building's bulletin board displays strange word games that seem to reference his past. The clues grow more personal and threatening each day. David realizes these aren't random pranks but carefully constructed puzzles that reveal someone knows his darkest secret. As he decodes each cryptic message, David uncovers a web of connections linking him to a decades-old crime. The anonymous puzzle maker forces him deeper into a game where solving the wrong clue could destroy his carefully rebuilt life. David must use his expertise in wordplay and lateral thinking to identify his tormentor before the final solution exposes everything he's worked to hide.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, unreliable-narrator
387 pages · Paperback · Arcturus