THE CAIN’S JAWBONE BOOK OF CROSSWORDS TORQUEMADA

112 vintage crosswords from the ‘Father of the Crossword’ and mastermind behind the viral sensation Cain’s Jawbone

Before Edward Powys Mathers wrote Cain’s Jawbone, the world’s most fiendishly difficult literary puzzle, he was a cryptic crossword creator. Published under his pseudonym ‘Torquemada’, his puzzles would taunt readers for days, and he went on to set cryptic crosswords for the Saturday Westminster and the Observer for 15 years.

As well as earning the reputation for setting the world’s toughest crosswords, Torquemada was also delightfully creative: with many puzzles written in perfectly constructed verse or delivered as mini-narratives. This book contains a selection of Torquemada’s best crosswords and their solutions, as well as two tributes to his life and achievements, including one by his widow, R.C. Mathers.

NON-FICTION

Title: The Cain’s Jawbone Book of Crosswords

Pub date: 21/09/2023

Format: Paperback

Price: £12.99

ISBN: 978-1-78965-166-9

Rights: World/Audio/TV & Film

Edward Powys Mathers, also known as Torquemada, introduced the cryptic crossword to the UK in 1924 through the pages of the Observer. His true identity was only revealed when he died in 1939, and this selection of Torquemada’s best crosswords was originally published in 1942.