Customer Reviews

Henry Hook's Cryptic Crosswords, Volume 2 (Other)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Henry's puzzles operate at a level of sophistication comparable to that of the finest British cryptics, but the references are refreshingly familiar to North American solvers. No more agonizing over clues only to find the answer to be the name of a village in Northamptonshire. Instead, references to baseball, rock & roll, movies. Great fun, every bit the equal of his previous book, and that was one of my great finds.

Hook's cryptics are simply the best on earth. Often fiendishly hard but almost always clean, fair, and delightful. The puzzle schemes are unique and dazzling. The volumes get harder--Vol. 1 has a sense that Hook hadn't really grasped how nasty he could get and still be forgiven.

If you need a lot of sleep, don't work on these puzzles at bedtime. They are maddeningly intricate--one took me two and a half hours to solve! But the sense of accomplishment made the loss of sleep worth it. I'm hooked on Hook.