The second book in the Crossword Puzzle Mystery Series is a fantastic addition to the series. Punning with Scissors by Becky Clark was entertaining with parts of mystery, humor, and great storytelling.

All the characters are back as well as the addition of Hugh Pugh to the Retireds group. Hugh and his partner have a dog, Virginia Wolf, affectionally known as Gin. I realize that Gin is a fictional dog, but I fell in love with her from the moment Quinn looked at her and said “Your hind end looks like a spatchcocked turkey.” As with the first book, Quinn, the protagonist, is still dealing with her OCD issues. The author expanded on this issue more in this book than book 1, and I started to understand the illness much better. And just like in the first book, the author includes the crossword puzzles Quinn develops for her local paper. You could read this book without reading book one, but I recommend book one too. The series is quite good. If you love laugh out loud moments, engaging characters, and a good mystery then you need to read this book.

Thank you to Becky Clark and Lyrical Press for the opportunity to read this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. My review is voluntary and all opinions expressed are my own.

I really like this series. Quinn is quirky and loveable and the secondary characters are so much fun. The crossword puzzle angle adds to my enjoyment of the series and the mysteries are solid; there is the perfect ratio of community/world building and mystery. Looking forward to the next.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#PunningwithScissors #NetGalley

I found the characters and the story quite enjoyable. I didn’t read the previous stories in the series but I intend to now.

Quinn who suffers from OCD is a waitress. She secretly writes the crossword puzzle for the local newspaper. Everyday just like in communities around America the retired older men gather at the diner for breakfast. One morning Quinn meets Hugh Pugh. When Hugh's husband Creighton is found dead in the bathtub killed by Hugh's scissors the Sheriff is convinced Hugh is guilty. Quinn sets out to prove Hugh's innocence. Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quinn, a former police academy hopeful and closet cruciverbalist, makes a new friend, Hugh, at the diner where she waitresses. Hugh soon returns home to find his husband stabbed to death in their home. Of course Hugh is the primary suspect and it’s up to Quinn to decipher the truth.

Though I didn’t read the first book in the series I didn’t find it hard to follow this one. Quinn makes a great main character, she’s smart and doesn’t take stupid risks, yet puts herself out there to help the people she cares about. I also really liked the supporting characters, Loma, Jake, Rico. Each had their own interesting quirks, though none quite as severe as Quinn’s OCD. The setting is also fun, Quinn has a nice family and circle of friends and Chestnut Station is an idyllic little town in a beautiful area.

The mystery was compelling, I didn’t know who the killer was until the very end and even then I wasn’t quite sure until the big reveal.

I am a fan of Clark’s other work as well and look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I will be honest, I did not know this was a series until after I finished the book. However, I still really enjoyed it! Having a main character with OCD who is aware and doing her best to work on it is incredible! I really enjoyed how despite this being a mystery it still felt cozy. Quinn (the main character) having a great support from her family and friends only added to the cozy feeling. Still I saved the best for last! The lovely dog! I instantly enjoy any story that involves pets! In this story the pup really feels like a character with their own amazing personality!

Quinn's perfectly organized life at the diner is thrown off when a customer is arrested for his husband's death and Quinn is asked to take care of the couple's dog. She doesn't believe the man is guilty and sets out with her crossword skills to prove it.

There's some very unique characters here. Quinn is her usual quirky self, and it seems her OCD is getting the better of her in this book, though we do see a couple glimpses of progress. Jethro brings a fun element and Gin is a great addition to that. I'd also like to hear more from Eliza in a future book.

We get to the murder pretty quickly, so there's never really any motive mentioned for why Hugh might have killed Creighton. His guilt is based solely on the weapon and Hugh's discovery of the body. I love how Quinn plants hints for the police chief in her crosswords and I enjoyed the punny banana messages.

Although 'Punning with Scissors' had some merit (i.e.. the crossword puzzles), ultimately I couldn't find the main character likeable, or rather how she was dealt with likeable. There is a sensitivity necessary when dealing with mental health issues, and the depth of Quinn's illness in no way is lighthearted or funny. Serious mental health disorders, of which OCD is one, is not 'quirky', especially with the voices that Quinn hears in her head. This was just a miss for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. the opinions expressed i9n this review are entirely my own.

This is a fun, fast and adventurous mystery. Quinn car is a sharp MC with a heart of gold. I really enjoyed the cross word element. Quinn creates crosswords for her local paper and leaves hidden clues for the police in it.

#PunningwithScissors #NetGalley

Becky Clark does it again! A fun read, fast paced, funny, hard to put down! Such relatable characters, especially Quinn! The bonus of crosswords makes it that much more enjoyable!

A satisfying cozy mystery with an interesting premise and good characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of PUNNING WITH SCISSORS (Book 2 of the Crossword Puzzle Mysteries) by Becky Clark in exchange for an honest review. After an OCD breakdown, Quinn Carr is living with her parents, working in her brother’s diner, and attending regular therapy sessions. Quinn is also responsible for creating the weekly crossword puzzle in the local paper. When law enforcement arrests one of the diner’s patrons for murdering his husband, Quinn ends up with custody of the couple’s little dog-cue an OCD meltdown. Since the police chief is more interested in closing the case quickly than in finding the real killer and is excluding the competent officers from the investigation, Quinn turns her eye for detail toward exonerating her new friend.

I liked this book. I recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, retirees, pets, coping with OCD, crossword puzzles, as well as supportive family and friends.

#PunningwithScissors #NetGalley

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Becky Clark deftly writes mysteries about Quinn Carr, a woman who struggles with her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While it is always present, Quinn works to build coping mechanisms and follow her interests, including crafting the anonymous crossword puzzles in the local paper. When her OCD derailed her from the police academy, she took a job at the local diner. There she meets Hugh Pugh, a new member of The Retireds, a men’s group that meet at the diner daily to have breakfast and talk. When Hugh is arrested for the murder of his husband, Quinn steps in to take care of his dog and, by extension, solve the crime. The local police chief wants a speedy arrest and conviction, while Quinn and her best friend, local police officer, Rico Lopez, want justice. Using her OCD-honed skills, Quinn creates puzzle clues and lines of investigation to solve who actually killed Creighton with the tailor’s shears.
A well-written book that features a unique heroine. Quinn recognizes her mental challenges and struggles with both how to manage and when to allow her OCD tendencies to help drive her investigations. Rico is an able conduit to provide police information while balancing what Quinn should know or do. Quinn’s parents and her boss are solid supporting characters that want to help but not hinder Quinn as she navigates through life. I look forward to the next in this series.

I recently discovered the first book in this series and was intrigued as I love crosswords. Quinn Carr wanted to be a Denver cop until a panic attack and flare-up of her OCD caused her to breakdown at her interview. Now she's back at home, trying to regain control over her OCD and waitressing at the local diner. She also creates crosswords anonymously for the local paper. As her investigations of murders often focus on different suspects and reasons than the official police investigations, she plants clues in her puzzles to drop hints to the local chief of police (and crossword enthusiast). Great fun to read.

Thanks to Kensington Books for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

When Hugh is arrested for the murder of his husband, Quinn decides she needs to help so live the mystery and find the real killer.
With the use of crossword puzzles in the local paper she puts in clues for the police.
Cryptic messages, a dog that is so smart and witty characters will have you trying to solve the mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.