Sandy Balfour

I wish Balfour had concentrated more on his love of crosswords and less on the memoir. The crossword discussion and examples were fascinating and educational. I've learned a great deal on the art of solving the cryptic variety of crosswords. By the end of the book my chances of solving these clues had gone from none to slim. The deciding factor now is a matter of culture. So many of the clues in the British puzzles relate to British culture and/or slang as well they should. I'm fairing better with the clues in the Games Magazine cryptic crosswords which is a huge step forward for me.… (meer)

A man who did not know cryptic crosswords but started going out with a woman and both she and her father are cryptic fans. Sandy started to do them and became really addicted to them. His book tells the story of his growing love for cryptics at the same time as explaining some of the different types of clue and how to solve them. It is intertwined with his work as a journalist that takes him travelling always wtih a handy crossword, his love for his girlfriend and children and ultimately he meets all the setters. A lovely book but particularly for those who want to join the cryptic club.… (meer)