Nero Blanc is pseudonym for Cordelia Frances Biddle and Steve Zettler, who are husband and wife and serious crossword buffs.

Other books in this series: The Crossword Murder (1999) -- Two Down (2000) -- The Crossword Connection (2001) -- A Crossworder's Holiday (2002) -- A Crossword to Die For (2002) -- Corpus De Crossword (2003) -- A Crossworder's Gift (2003) -- Anatomy of a Crossword (2004) -- Wrapped Up in Crossword (2004) -- Another Word for Murder (2005) -- A Crossworder's Delight (2005) -- Death on the Diagonal (2006).

A crossworder's holiday -- The proof of the pudding... -- A partridge in a pear tree -- Mum's the word -- A ghost of Christmas past.

A CROSSWORDER'S HOLIDAY.....An antique dealer finds a crossword hidden in a recent purchase and needs a solution quick--or his reputation and his life are at stake -- PROOF OF THE PUDDING....The puzzlers are enjoying some R&R at a Vermont B&B--until one of the guests turns up dead. The ingredients for this murder may be found in a recipe -- A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE....Rosco is in Amish Country helping a friend sift through his aunt's crossword collection. One puzzle remains--and solving it reveals the intent of her dubious will -- MUM'S THE WORD....In the City of Brotherly Love, Belle and Rosco solve a puzzle found in a mobster's home--and discover that trouble is brewing at the annual Mummers parade. But unmasking the culprit won't be easy -- GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST....On a winter visit to a friend's new home in Upper Slaughter, Belle and Rosco discover the truth behind the house's haunted history.