If you're a fan of puzzles, this is the place for you. Cryptic crosswords, regular non-insane crosswords, word searches, cryptograms, heck, even jigsaws ... they're all here.
I've been a puzzle writer for several decades now, and have been more serious about it since 2002, when my first puzzle book was published.
On this blog I talk about puzzles in the news (it happens — occasionally), reveal tips on how to solve them, dissect cryptics, and talk about anything puzzle-related I can get my hands on. I sometimes run competitions, and post cryptic clues and other puzzles for you to solve.
Another hat I wear, of several, is that of book indexer. Yeah, someone has to write those indexes at the back of books, and the best ones (usually) aren't written by the author, but by a professional indexer. So sometimes I lift the lid on the mysterious work of book indexing, and reveal some of the
Popular posts
These posts are a good place to start, if you're new here:- The rude clues
- How to make a crossword cake
- Cryptic clue anatomy
- Abbreviations & the like
- American vs British crosswords
- How to judge the difficulty of a sudoku
- How to crack cryptograms
- The Quirkology index
25 things about me
- I had a pet rat called Sarah when I was a kid.
- Murder mysteries are the main fiction I read.
- I collect Simenon's Maigret novels.
- I love dogs, and have two chihuahuas.
- I hate the smell of lavender. Ugh. Stink weed.
- I spent a lot of my first three decades living at Mt Stromlo Observatory.
- I own quite a lot of nail polish.
- I'm mum to two young adults, and one husband.
- My husband is an astrophysicist.
- We got married when we were 20 (!!!)
- I used to play the violin and be in an orchestra.
- I love cooking, and try new recipes every week.
- I have hip dysplasia, and got an artificial hip when I was 46.
- I'm not allowed to run or jump (see above). Woo!
- I've lived in three places in the States: New Haven, Tucson, and Boulder.
- I'm not a big fan of movies.
- Pavlova is my favourite dessert.
- I once wrote a whole Dummies book in 14 days. Never again!
- My musical taste is very eclectic : from Vivaldi and Schubert to Glass and Zimmer to Nine Inch Nails, Muse and Parov Stelar.
- I always have a knitting project or three on the go, and design my own knitting patterns.
- My favourite drinks are tea, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
- I don't mind public speaking, or even radio.
- I am no good at word games with time limits, I can only think of 3 letter words like CAT and MAT. Seriously.
- I've moved 27 times in my whole life. The longest I've lived in one house is 6 years and 4 months.
- I have 4 mm ear piercings, I got them recently, so I can wear my son's glass jewellery.