The Guardian Quick Crosswords 1: A collection of more than 200 entertaining puzzles (Guardian Puzzle Books)

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The same year, 1939, is pretty much officially the end of the Golden Age of mystery stories, and the year of publication of The Big Sleep, anyone’s go-to rowdier novel. Photograph: Farooq Khan/EPA-EFE View image in fullscreen Navigating the waters … a boatman on the Dal Lake in Srinagar. In this book, you’ll find my first 50 puzzles from the Guardian, with an additional bonus puzzle first published in the online Genius slot. Afrit’s puzzles for the Listener often received zero correct entries and a few years after Have His Carcase was published, he set Listener 397, which had a Playfair square in the middle of the grid and made reference to Lord Peter.

The ecclesiastical setting might make today’s reader expect tweeness – but Gilbert, in his first novel, promptly shares a wryness and droll cynicism.

Michael Gilbert himself, and Close Quarters in particular, belong to neither the “cosy crime” nor the “hard-boiled” camp. collaborated in murdering the poor old man, having first taken care to provide themselves with carefully interlocking alibis – like a silly novel I once read. As addictively enjoyable as they are compulsively difficult, get ready for hours of fun with these high-quality puzzles.

I have a lot of admiration for the more prolific setters like Paul and (in their day) Araucaria and Rufus. Grids 54A and 54B (the ones with the Ss) have a preponderance of shorter lights, which matches the type of words that I like to clue, as does Grid 58 (the one with the Ws). We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers.Fifty more puzzles from the Guardian and an additional five bonus puzzles previously only available online, including the notorious Referendum Day puzzle that was able to predict the result of the UK’s vote over its membership of the European Union with complete confidence. Now is your chance to entertain yourself with these quick crosswords from the Guardian's extensive archives, with the first book in the new Guardian puzzle book series.