Great cozy mystery installment in a series. Enjoyed the setting and cast of characters. Would recommend the series. Appreciated the OCD rep.

Becky Clark is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Fatal Solutions is the third book in Becky Clark’s Crossword Puzzle mystery series, and this book is as quirky and fun as its predecessors. In addition to an intriguing cold case mystery, this installment also incorporates a challenging bit of U.S. history.

Waitress Quinn Carr is balancing her work at the diner and her secret job making crossword puzzles for the local paper. On the home front, her grandfather has moved into an assisted living facility, and she is helping to organize his stuff. Clearing out his desk, she discovers a quitclaim deed from the current police chief, Myron Chestnut, granting specific property to her mom. Quinn asks her mom about it, but is shut down, so she decides to go look up the property itself. She gets more than she bargained for when she discovers bones on the property, which is adjacent to a former Japanese internment camp. Intrigued, Quinn goes on to discover that the surrounding property is owned by the Chestnut family, and that the patriarch disappeared mysteriously some years before. Before she knows it, Quinn is hot on the trail of a cold case killer.

Quinn’s OCD takes center stage in a charming and authentic manner. From her interactions with her therapist, Mary Louise Lovely, to her ever-present desire to organize her mom’s spice rack alphabetically, Quinn’s OCD is a natural part of her life. Her quirkiness is endearing, and she uses her OCD to great advantage when solving mysteries. Here, the mystery is fresh and appealing – who doesn’t love a good cold case mystery. And the inclusion of the Japanese internment camp and its related history is handled in a respectful and thought-provoking manner. The surrounding cast of regulars is also present, with Jake, Rico, Loma, the Retireds (a group of retired gentlemen who meet routinely at the diner), and even Jethro and Virginia Woof putting in an appearance.

The more of this series I read, the more I like it. With its captivating characters and its clever mystery, Fatal Solutions adds up to a very enjoyable read!

Note: I received an ARC of Fatal Solutions from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

Quinn stumbles over some old bones in a field by a Japanese internment camp. Turns out the bones are from someone who died in the 1970’s. Quinn’s battle with her OCD seems to be getting the better of her so the turns her focus on what appears to be a cold case. Can she solve to case without upsetting half the town?

Quinn is a unique protagonist. She is intelligent but struggles with her OCD. She is in a battle to stay in control and not let her OCD control her. She is an interesting character and I really enjoyed getting to know her better with each book. I really enjoyed the mystery being a cold case. There is just a short list of suspects but no shortage of plot twists. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Fatal Solutions Earns 5/5 Up and Down Words…Engaging & Compelling!

Becky Clark penned an engaging page-turner as third in her Crossword Puzzles Mystery series creatively incorporating a tragic episode in U.S. history, but it’s the distinctive characteristic of her heroine that, for me, was compelling, treated with sensitivity and insights, and adding a fascinating element. As well as secretly creating crossword puzzles for the local paper, something she’d done since high school, Quinn Carr is in therapy to help manage her obsessive compulsive disorder. She is frustrated by her “OCD monster,” but it does make her uniquely prepared for all sorts of puzzles from those she creates, uses, and shares to those who fall into her lap. When going through her grandfather’s old desk, Quinn comes across a land deed in her mother’s maiden name. Her mother’s out-of-character reaction and refusal to answer questions about the document sends Quinn on a difficult journey to research the deed that is connected to Camp Chestnut, a Japanese internment camp. There she finds a human skull, but local and state law enforcement agencies have little interest to investigate, so Quinn is “compelled” to put together the pieces thru the land’s history, inhabitants, and a Daruma doll. Marvelous reading experience following Quinn’s inner thoughts to control her “monster,” as well as her techniques of using color-coded charts, messages in her crosswords, and detailing organizational skills which in a small way I identified. The dynamic between Quinn and her family and friends was portrayed with healthy and endearing realism, yet struggles to completely understand Quinn’s difficulties. The relationship with the police chief was oddly good and bad. He, too, is an avid crossword puzzle fan and should have lots in common with Quinn but for some reason, yet to determine, he dislikes her, a conflict adding to the drama. Engaging use of crosswords. I am new to the series, highly recommending this third book “Fatal Solutions,” and for me, I’m off to read more. Wait! Recipes, too! Included are two of Quinn’s mother’s recipes: Weekend Funfetti Casserole and Pineapple Potpie.

Fatal Solutions by Becky Clark is the third book in the cozy Crossword Puzzle Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of the series will contain it’s own mystery that is solved within so it can be enjoyed as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. The character development that happens in each book however will carry over for those that continue to read the series.

The Crossword Puzzle Mystery series introduces readers to Quinn Carr who suffers from a mild case of OCD. Quinn’s original plans for her life didn’t quite work out so now she’s trying to get her life on the right track. Quinn has a day job working at the local diner for an eccentric boss and a side job of creating crosswords for the local paper.

Quinn has kept her job at the diner despite her having to search for two murderers so far since settling into the waitressing job. Now though Quinn has a new mystery she’d like to solve, one that she uncovered in her grandfather’s old desk. Quinn found a deed for a property that looks like it belongs to her mother but when she visited the grounds she ends up finding a old skull that ties back to the town’s police chief Myron Chestnut.

As someone who seeks out the overly humorous cozy mysteries with quirky characters the Crossword Puzzle Mystery series fit that bill perfectly for me. Quinn definitely fits the mold of a quirky character with a naive charm about her that I’ve grown fond of over the course of this series. I like that Quinn once wanted to become a police officer and is good friends with one to help her along the way. Each book has held plenty of laughs and a nice mystery so far so I’ll definitely come back for more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Absolutely intriguing story that had me binge reading. The characters were well suited for the plot, well written. Twists and turns on every page to make you wonder what happens next.

Quinn Carr is waitress by day crossword creator by night. She and a friend discover some old bones while exploring. The police are able to identify the bones and Quinn wants to identify the killer.

This book contains a solid little story... and a lot of Quinn's thoughts. She thinks things to death, and it's all in the this book.

There are a few crossword puzzles in the book, as well as a couple of recipes.

Fatal Solutions: A Crossword Puzzle Mystery
By Becky Clark
Lyrical
November 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

Even though she has only recently sought treatment for her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, part-time waitress and crossword puzzle maker Quinn Carr is frustrated at not being immediately cured. Her organizational skills do come handy when going through her grandfather Bernard Dudley’s antique rolltop desk though, a task delegated to her while Quinn’s mother adjusts to his move into the Bonneville Assisted Living Facility. Along with many papers stuffed inside the drawers is a Quit Claim Deed for nearby property, but when Quinn brings it up to her mother Georgeanne is infuriated. Her anger and refusal to talk about the matter is distinctly out of character for Quinn’s normally affable mother, which is why Quinn has her father retrieve the deed so that she can do further research and discover why it triggered her mother’s emotional reaction.

Taking along her irrepressibly high-volume friend Loma, the two women track down the Colorado property and discover it to be the site of World War II’s Camp Chesnut. Rather than being a fun summer camp, Camp Chesnut was a Japanese Internment camp where Japanese-Americans were unjustly imprisoned while their homes and businesses sold off at pennies-on-the-dollar prices. As horrified as Quinn is at this shameful moment in America’s history, she’s just as alarmed to find a human skull among the remaining artifacts. Continuing his inexplicable hatred for Quinn, Police Chief Myron Chesnut refuses to investigate and even the Colorado Bureau of Investigations expresses no interest in pursuing the matter. Unable to resist the impulse to complete the puzzle of the Deed and her mother’s connection to it, Quinn takes it upon herself to look into the land’s history, the owners, and the fascinating Daruma doll she finds on it.

This third in the series takes a closer examination of Quinn’s struggles with OCD and the manner in which is both hinders and helps her life. A coping mechanism during stressful times, it also allows her to make CSI-level evidence grids as she organizes clues at a crime scene. For her everyday life though, Quinn is learning through therapy how to manage her stress and recognize when her OCD begins to take over her life. This unique perspective continues to make this a fascinating series, one that incorporates the mystery into Quinn’s challenge to overcome her lifelong habits. Equally fun is how Quinn attempts to incept the police chief’s brain and lead him down a trail by placing clues in the crossword puzzles he loves and she creates for the Chesnut Station Chronicle. These puzzles will be fun for crossword aficionados, but even more importantly they sprinkle in the history of Japanese Internment camps that were in truth prisons for the innocent and who never even went on trials. Camp Chesnut may be fictional, but the 10 internment camps that imprisoned over 120,000 Japanese Americans for years were very real. There is a lot of sugar to go down with this educational medicine though, as Quinn works through her relationships with the ever-impulsive Loma, the Retired seniors who regularly visit the Chesnut Diner, and even the abrasive Police Chief. Even her bestie Officer Rico Lopez has never fully known nor understood the extent of Quinn’s disorder, and as Quinn lowers her guard their friendship only grows stronger. While Quinn may unrealistically wish to quickly conquer her OCD, learning how to manage her symptoms in a way that also further her investigation is a laudable achievement. This is an extraordinarily original, sympathetic, and still very entertaining examination of a young woman dealing with mental illness and anxiety.

Becky Clark continues her Crossword Puzzle Mystery series with Fatal Solutions. I really enjoyed this 3rd instalment and I am interested enough to pick up book 4 when it becomes available.

After bombing out of the police academy in Denver Quinn Carr has arrived back home in Chestnut, Colorado and is currently living with her folks. As well as devising crossword puzzles for her local rag, she is employed as a waitress in a diner.

In this cold case, Quinn is sorting through her grandad's ancient oak rolltop desk when she comes across some papers relating to property owned by her mum, granted to her by police chief Myron Chestnut. Georgeanne won't discuss the matter with Quinn, so Quinn, along with her friend Loma visit the site the find a skeleton that has lain there for eons...

Quinn, although not faultless, keeps a sense of realism and humour as she is assisted by her police officer friend, Rico. Quinn is an OCD sufferer and I like the sensitive way the author portrays her. All in all, a great cozy mystery with some witty interludes and a fun bunch of characters. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

Quinn is still wrestling with her OCD and working with a therapist. One thing that helps her focus is creating crossword puzzles for the local newspaper, The Chestnut Station Chronicle. She hopes to one day earn a living with them but, until then, she lives at home and waits tables at the local diner. On the side she gets involved in the occasional homicide. She's good at that, too.
While cleaning out her grandfather's desk she comes across an old land deed but, to her surprise, the name on the deed is that of her mother. When questioned about it, her mother becomes upset and refuses to speak of it. Quinn decides to look into it herself and traces it to land near a former WWII Japanese internment camp and the nearby museum. What she didn't expect? To find a decades old doll and an equally old body. Who is the question to answer and that leads to uncomfortable interactions that involve her family and the town.
This is the third in the series and works fine as a stand alone. With a well crafted mystery and a writing style that flows smoothly added to a main character who is so very human and likable, this is a cozy series I have enjoyed from the first book. I hope there will many more.
My thanks to the publisher Lyrical Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in echange for my honest review.

Synopsis:

1 ACROSS: HUMAN REMAINS

Creating crossword puzzles for the Chestnut Station Chronicle won’t allow Quinn Carr to quit her diner waitress job any time soon. But it does provide an outlet for her organizational OCD, and also lets her leave subtle hints for police chief Myron Chestnut, an avid puzzler, when his investigations need some direction. Some mysteries, though, leave even Quinn stumped—like the property deed she finds in her grandfather’s old desk. The document lists Quinn’s mother as the owner of some land on the outskirts of Chestnut Station, but Georgeanne refuses to discuss it.

8 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “S”

Quinn visits the site, located near a World War II Japanese internment camp that’s since been turned into a museum. There she unearths a weathered Japanese doll…and a skeleton. Before she can uncover a killer, she has to identify the victim. Was it an inmate trying to escape? A guard? Or someone closer to home? As Quinn fills in the blanks, she finds an unexpected link between her family and Chief Chestnut’s—one that could spell more deadly trouble… (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Quinn is still getting treatment for her OCD. We got to know her therapist a little better and we found out more of Quinn’s treatment. She desperately wants to control her “monster” and lead a more normal life.

When Quinn starts to clean her grandfather’s desk, she finds a property deed that has her mother’s name on it. When she questions her mother about it, her mom refuses to talk about it and gets very upset. Quinn knows something is wrong and decides to figure it out. When she visits the land that she figures her mother’s deed is for, she finds a dead body that has been there a while. Now she really needs to find out what is going on with her mother and who the dead body is.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The mystery was well plotted and it answered some questions about Quinn’s mother’s earlier life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. It was good to be able to catch up on Quinn’s life.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Another enjoyable edition in this series featuring a diner waitress with OCD, who can't seem to catch a break, however, she does seem to catch mysteries and murder dilemmas. An old skull is discovered near a museum which was formerly a Japanese internment camp, however, the bigger questions are why is it here, how did it get here, and why is it on property she thinks is owned by her mother?

Never a spoiler in my reviews, here's what you need to know: As usual, the characters are loveable, spunky, and engaging. A small town and a diner are the main settings for this well-written, easy-to-read story. Although it is the third in the series, you totally don't have to read the books before this to easily fall into the storyline, but you will want to go back to read the others after you've read this.

This is a fun series that also at the same time addresses real and serious issues but in a tasteful and entertaining way. Pick this one up, you'll be glad you did.

The best books teach you something while entertaining you. I learned so much about internment camps and OCD that I didn't know and I am thankful for it. I knew about the larger, more infamous internment camps but am constantly learning about other, smaller ones that aren't really talked about. The mystery itself was a little different as it was a cold case (I'm still not sure how a body can be out in the elements for 30 years and no one found it) and had me guessing until the very end. Although this story started out slowly, the writing flowed well and kept my interest. I love the addition of the crossword puzzles within the book.

This was a little different from the other two books in the series since it dealt with finding bones from a death in the 70s. Poor Quinn seemed to be able to get herself into a mess even if she wasn't trying. I just love the banter she always enjoyed with the group of older men who hung out in the diner and call themselves the Retireds. They loved teasing her mercilessly but all in good fun.

Oh and that crazy Loma! Although at one point, she did something just typically a Loma thing that really upset Quinn and actually for a good reason, but good friends never stayed mad too long. Quinn always did the right thing when she felt like she'd wronged someone too. She did find out the answer to the long-ago death which was a little surprising but not under the circumstances.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This book is the 3rd in this series and it takes a different turn. A Japanese internment camp is close to the setting of an old skeleton. The background of the internment camp is addressed and is loosely involved in the murder search. I found this part very interesting but it didn’t weigh the story down.

Quinn is still fighting her OCD and working as a waitress in the restaurant. She is cleaning out her grandfather’s desk and discovers paperwork which sets off the story in this mystery. This series has wonderful characters, I like the crossword tie-in and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Fatal Solutions is the 3rd book in Becky Clark’s Crossword Puzzle Mystery series, but can be read as a standalone. Ms. Clark has crafted a cleverly craft mystery, in an idyllic setting, with plenty of humor. The characters are well developed and I found myself rooting for Quinn to get past her OCD issues. I’m fascinated by the fact that Quinn creates crossword puzzles. I love to work them, but I’d never be able to create one. Readers will find the information about Japanese internment camps interesting and very sad. I enjoyed this book so much that I’m going to go back and read the first two in the series. I highly recommend this book to any cozy reader.

I received an advance digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Quinn Carr is back in this third Crossword Puzzle Mystery outing!

This series is always a pleasure for me to read – I love the small town setting of the fictional Chestnut Station, Colorado. The usual characters are all back, with a fair amount of time spent at the diner with the Retireds – some of my favorite chapters! An important setting in this book is the Japanese interment camp. Ms. Clark creates a fictional camp, but based on real history that happened in Colorado. Quinn finds a Japanese Daruma doll, and as she researches the doll we get a glimpse into the camps and their sad history. (Sadly, this was not a topic ever taught in my Colorado history class growing up, and I only learned about it as an adult. Ms. Clark gives the reader a good introduction and starting point to want to explore more about this chapter in our history.)

Fatal Solutions finds Quinn growing in many ways – learning to accept and find ways to manage her OCD, finding her place working at the diner among the Retireds (love the fun banter with these old timers!), and digging into her family history. The cold case she stumbles upon is personal to Quinn – was the skeleton she found an unfortunate accident, or was it murder? And if it was murder could her grandfather have been involved? Without any spoilers, I really liked the way this mystery wrapped up in the end.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with quirky characters and humor throughout, give the Crossword Puzzle Mysteries a try. I’ve enjoyed this series, and Fatal Solutions is the best one yet! And don’t worry if you are new to the series, you can jump right in with this latest outing.

I was so excited to read and review this book. For me this is the best of the series so far. Quinn is a delightful protagonist. I particularly enjoy her because she's so imperfectly perfect. Her OCD and her therapy are seamlessly integrated in the story. The rest of the characters are developing nicely and really what can you say about the Retireds and her mother's bizarre recipes. I love that Quinn creates crossword puzzles and sprinkles them with clues for Police Chief Chestnut. If you enjoy smart cozies that are witty with a great storyline this book is for you.

This book was enjoyable to read. Again, Quinn Carr used her OCD to help solve a mystery. This time it was the body of a man found outside the grounds of a Japanese internment camp museum close to the town where Quinn lives with her parents. I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.