An engrossing read from the mind and pen of Becky Clark. She writes with such empathy of the two major themes that confront Quinn in this story: that of her OCD which she is constantly battling but is learning of some techniques to assist her from her therapist and her discovery of the remains of an eight-letter word starting with S. If you guessed Skelton, that is correct. This discovery takes place next to the land of a former WWII Japanese internment camp. With this discovery and information found in her grandfather’s desk, Quinn is determined to find the murderer of the police chief’s father. Included are some recipes from Quinn’s mother and two crossword puzzles worthy of Will Shortz. Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

Fatal Solutions- Becky Clark
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Release Date: November 9, 2021
196 pp.
I adored reading Fatal Solutions by Becky Clark! I love when an author isn’t afraid to go somewhere new. Quinn, the protagonist suffers from OCD. Clark doesn’t just use OCD as a simple character trait, it does play a very important part in this mystery. Dealing with the possibility of the town’s police chief possibly murdering his father many years ago- Quinn is definitely on a mission and her ‘OCD Monster’ will not allow her to quit until she’s figured everything out.
I also learned I share a minute amount of Quinn’s OCD. I guess we all have our own “things.” It bettered the read because I was learning a little something while Clark had me laughing my rear end off, as she always does.
Without needing to think about it, Fatal Solutions is a 5-star book for me. I hope this series has a very long run! I can’t wait to see what Quinn gets herself into next. (And how she continues to battle her OCD Monster)
Coming up next for Clark is Police Navidad (Mystery Writer’s Mysteries book 4) releasing on December 31, 2021.
Tracy X. Hartman –
I was given an ARC from the publisher and author in exchange for my honest opinion through NetGalley. The comments are my own.

I am so hooked on this series. Becky Clark does it again! I love this cozy mystery series, and I have enjoyed reading about Quinn, her OCD issues, and the mysteries she always finds herself in the middle of. I love all the quirks about Quinn, but what I love most of all is her crossword puzzle ability and how she uses that to get to the Chief. Looking forward to what Quinn will get into next!

A terrific addition to the series. They have each gotten better. I am eager for the next one. This one has lots of OCD issues and Japanese internment camp problems. I recall telling a man that there had been a German internment camp in Iowa. He refused to believe me. Not a well-known fact in American history. Clever mystery. Thanks to the publisher and author for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Becky Clark takes you into Quinn’s world once again with a historical twist! Relatable characters throughout and fascinating historical facts that keep you from putting the book down!

The third installment of the Crossword Puzzle Mystery series follows Quinn Carr as she stumbles across another mystery, just begging for her to solve. After moving back in with her parents following completion of her degree, Quinn's life is not going in the direction she wants it to. Struggling to cope with her OCD while working at the local diner in small town Chesnut Station, Quinn jumps at the opportunity for a distraction. When she and her best friend Loma discover human bones in a field near a World War II Japanese internment camp-turned museum, Quinn has more questions than answers. Who did the bones belong to? Someone from the internment camp? Was it murder or an accident? Quinn follows the meager trail of clues as best as she can, only to find out that things might be more personal than she expected. Would solving the mystery bring more trouble than it's worth?

I really enjoyed this book! I have to admit, I didn't realize this was part of a series when I picked it up. However, this didn't detract from the story at all. I found it easy to follow along with the story and easily caught on to the character relationships.

I enjoyed the cozy setting in a small town with much of the story taking place in the local diner. Quinn was an easy character to follow with a very logical way of approaching the mystery. It was refreshing to see some good OCD representation in this book! I often read books that include some aspect of mental health, but rarely do I see anything related to OCD. I thought it was really well done, with the effects that OCD can have on a person's daily life clearly portrayed. Being someone who doesn't suffer from this condition, I can't say how accurate it is, but I really liked the perspective of attending therapy that was shown. There were some really good pieces of information shared in the conversations with the psychologist that are good to remember, even for people who don't have OCD.

The mystery in this book was interesting, although it definitely fits more into the 'cozy' category than the 'suspense' one. While I was intrigued about how things happened, I didn't feel like it was a big page turner. Regardless, the writing style is easy to read in large chunks and I finished this in only a few sittings. After reading the third book out of order, I think maybe I'll pick up the other two the next time I'm in the mood for a lazy afternoon with a simple mystery!

I think this was my favorite of the series so far. I really got into the mystery and enjoyed the cold case and historical aspects of it. I so enjoy the scenes with the Retireds- what characters! I know so many real life people like them. I'll be interested to see if Chief Chestnut's attitude toward Quinn changes in light of some of the revelations in this book. And one of these days I'll get up the nerve to test out a couple of Georgeanne's funky recipes!

Quinn can't figure out why her mother won't discuss the deed Quinn found in her grandfather's desk- a deed that indicates her mom owns land granted her by Police Chief Myron Chestnut. So, of course, she along with her friend Loma, heads off to see what's out there and they find..a skeleton. The land is close to a camp where Japanese Americans were interned and Quinn wants to know, needs to know, if there's. link. Her mom isn't talking. I like this series because of Quinn, who is coping with OCD and who makes crossword puzzles. The mystery here was a little more complicated than I expected and that's a good thing. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is a fun series but this latest will be fine as a standalone.

Quinn is still struggling with her OCD and living with her parents. While organizing her grandfather's desk she finds a deed to a property in her mom's name. Quinn and her best friend Loma go to check out the property. Quinn finds an old skull on the property. Not what she was expecting. As well as a doll called a Daruma.
The property is close to a WWII Japanese Internment Camp, that is now a museum.
Whose skull was found? Where they in the camp? Why is Quinn's mother being so secretive?
Can Quinn manage her OCD while looking for answers?
An interesting read as family secrets unravel.

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

Quinn Carr is a crossword puzzle genius, but with people, not so much. When she stumbles across a deed while cleaning an old desk, she goes into the Colorado desert to search for clues, despite her mother clearly telling her to 'let it go!' (or perhaps, because of it?!) Quinn, as usual, is dogged in her investigation, even though everyone around her is begging her to let it go. The scenes set at the Japanese internment camp are haunting and well explained. I love Quinn's character and Ms. Clark does such a great job of explaining how debilitating real OCD can be.

A huge thanks to Kensington Books for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book follows Quinn who is a waitress with OCD. She creates crosswords for the local newspaper and one could say she is a lover of mysteries. One day while doing her routine cleaning she discovered a mysterious deed that ignites her mystery fangs. I was thoroughly fascinated with this character and how the plot was expertly developed. I highly recommend this book for mystery and crossword lovers.

Quinn and her best friend Loma find an old skull on a piece of property that Quinn was checking out. The property is by a WWII Japanese Internment Camp in Colorado turned museum.

The author has created fully developed and very unique. Who did the skull belong to? And what of the Daruma doll found nearby?

I get a kick out of the imaginative, quirky characters Ms Clark has crafted—so real, including her mother with the outrageous food recipes and the old boys at the diner where Quinn waits tables.

Quinn struggles with several problems. First, she has OCD. Not just the kind where you straighten objects, or check something twice. I’m talking real, classic, debilitating OCD and she creates crossword puzzles for the local paper on the QT. Once she’s working a puzzle, such as the bones on the property her mother is denying as well as the Daruma doll, she is beyond compelled to answer the questions. The sessions with her therapist are always fun as well.

There is a strongly connected sense between she and the support characters. They know one another, like, appreciate, and enjoy each other. I enjoy the author’s wacky sense of humor and turn of phrase.

OCD, crosswords, law-enforcement, small-town, diner, family, friendship, cozy-mystery, cold-case, pet, secrets, details, due-diligence, situational-humor, verbal-humor, internment camp, Colorado*****

I think that Colorado made a big mistake by not letting Quinn enter the police Academy. She is perfectly suited to Crime Scene Investigation and follow-up! Instead we get to enjoy her activities in the small town while she works in the diner and does more than due diligence to solve a cold case she literally stumbles on while also delving into the injustices and more of an internment camp for Japanese-Americans just a few miles from her home town. I have not read the first books in series, but didn't feel left behind. But don't think that this is all serious, because the characters truly are and there are missteps all along the twisty way (red herrings and all). I was riveted!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Fatal Solutions has everything I want in a cozy mystery! Quirky, endearing characters, like Quinn Carr. She is coping with OCD and depression. She has supportive friends and family and an abundance of perseverance. She is very down to earth and easy to like. She’s the kind of friend we should all have. It all takes place in a charming little town where everyone seems to know everyone else. This is the third book in the Crossword Puzzle Mystery Series, and I can’t wait for the fourth!

Fun, fun fun!! I really enjoyed reading Fatal Solutions and can't wait to read other novels by this author.

The storyline was intriguing and the well-crafted characters hooked me from the beginning. Highly recommend Fatal Solutions for anyone that like to read a good mystery.

Part of a series, but also stands alone. Very cute and satisfying cozy read which readers who do crossword puzzles will have fun with. The main character has OCD that she is trying to manage and that adds a very human element. I also enjoyed the setting and the way the author easily included some important history about the Japanese internment camps. The book was good enough for me to want to read more in the series.

Quinn Carr returns in “Fatal Solutions”, the third in author Becky Clark’s “Puzzling Ink” mystery series. The series features Quinn, a young woman with OCD who lives with her parents, works at the local diner, and struggles to control her OCD while secretly creating crossword puzzles for the local newspaper. In this installment, Quinn discovers a quick claim deed to her mother while cleaning out her grandfather’s desk. Since the deed is from Police Chief Myron Chestnut and since her normally talkative mother refuses to discuss it when Quinn asks, Quinn goes out to the site of the land to find more - and finds a skeleton that turns out to be Chief Chestnut’s long lost father.

This mystery is a bit different from the two previous ones in that Quinn is investigating a cold case rather than one that happened in front of her. She is still ably assisted by her best friend Loma and her detective friend Rico. Becky Clark has managed to very skillfully weave a couple of serious themes into the mystery, such as the subject of Japanese internment camps and dealing with elderly relatives when they are somewhat lucid and somewhat not. Despite continuing to struggle with her OCD and learning to control it and recognize its gifts at the same time, Quinn shows a tremendous amount of compassion and a wonderful ability to listen. I love that about the character and it’s one of the main reasons I enjoy spending time with Quinn. The solution to the mystery, while heartbreaking, also answers a couple of questions that Quinn (and readers) have had about Chief Chestnut.

I would be remiss if I did not mention a couple of other elements in the story. One is Quinn’s goldfish, Fang. I love the way Quinn talks to him and carries his bowl around and positions it so he can look out the window or see what Quinn is doing. It’s a charming and quirky feature of the character. Second, regular readers of this series will be delighted to learn that Quinn’s mom is still whipping up, er, unusual recipes. Two of the featured dishes here are Weeknight Funfetti Casserole and Pineapple potpie. For the more adventurous among you, the recipes are at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this installment and Quinn’s continued growth. I sincerely hope there are more to come as I want to find out what happens in Quinn’s life.

Quinn and her friend, Loma, come across an old skull at a piece of property that Quinn thinks is owned by her mother. The property is near a Japanese’s Internment Camp that is now a museum. Once she learns who the victim was, she starts investigating, as it’s possible her grandfather could be involved. This is Fatal Solutions (Crossword Puzzle Mystery #3) by Becky Clark.

Let me start by saying, this is the best book in the series thus far. All of the fantastic characters are back and the chemistry between them all gets better and better. The plot was partly based on a historical Japanese Internment Camp in Colorado, loaded with sarcastic pearls of Ms. Clark’s sense of humor, and quite clever. The story also covered more of Quinn’s OCD issues and her therapy. The author writes about the issue so well, you find yourself rooting for Quinn to conquer it. I totally loved that the author named drop the protagonist from her other mystery series, Mystery Writer’s Mysteries. As always, the crossword puzzles that Quinn does for the local paper are included in the book as are a couple of Quinn’s mother’s bizarre recipes.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.

This is the third book in the series but the first I’ve read. Quinn creates crossword puzzles for the local paper and also works as a waitress at the local diner. Quinn is a fascinating character! I learned quite a bit about OCD from her and her visits to her therapist, and it added to the story. Her grandfather has recently moved into an assisted living facility and Quinn’s family has inherited his old desk. Quinn, loving to organize things, starts to categorize the papers in the many drawers and discovers a deed for a piece of property made out to her mother. When she mentions it to her mother, she gets very upset, surprising both Quinn and her dad, as it’s so out of character for her! Quinn decides to take a look at the property and discovers two things: an old wooden doll-like thing and a skull. The CDI (Colorado Dept. of Investigation) is called in and discovers the body is that of the Chief’s father, long believed to have left for Alaska. The story follows Quinn as she feels compelled to find out what happened to him! It takes a lot of perseverance to finally figure it out, and makes for a great mystery story! I received a free copy of this book from the author and write this review voluntarily.

While she is trying hard to deal with her OCD, it is a struggle for diner waitress Quinn Carr. Creating crosswords for the local newspaper helps, as does solving the occasional mystery (she sometimes leaves clues for Police Chief Myron Chestnut in the puzzles). While cleaning out her grandfather’s desk, she stumbles across a mystery that she is not sure she will be able to solve – she finds a deed listing her mother as owner of land that Quinn knows nothing about and her mother refuses to discuss it. Quinn, being Quinn, can’t leave it alone so she does some investigating, including visiting the site listed on the deed which is near a World War II Japanese internment camp that’s since been turned into a museum. She gets much more than she bargained for however when she stumbles across a skeleton. Quinn is determined to find out what happened but the more she digs the more she uncovers startling information about not only her family but also Chief Chestnut. Will her digging end up revealing things that Quinn can’t handle?

“Fatal Solutions” is the extremely well done third book in Becky Clark’s Crossword Puzzle Mystery series. Quinn is one of the most complex characters I have come across in a cozy mystery and, while she can be a bit hard to take at times, she has grown as a character during the course of the series and I find myself sympathizing more and more with her as the series goes on. Her struggles with OCD and depression are very well and realistically done by Clark and are never done to poke fun at Quinn – her sessions with her counselor Mary-Louise Lovely are some of the best scenes in the book. Also well done is her relationship with her parents and her friends – Rico, Jake, and Loma and even her relationship with Police Chief Chestnut. Quinn struggles with some of those relationships in this book, which again helps, deepen her character. The information regarding the World War II Japanese internment camp was sad yet fascinating and left me wanting to do more research on this - a subject that I know woefully little about. The mystery itself was very interesting – this is not a current day murder but a murder in the past that Quinn investigates and the truth, when revealed, is heartbreaking. The ending of the book is not one that I will soon forget.

“Fatal Solutions” is a very well done mystery.