This is an engaging book of puzzles based in some fashion or another on Edgar Allan Poe. There is one crossword based on assorted things about Poe, and there are MANY cryptograms and word searches.

The cryptograms are typically quotes by Poe regarding his writing process and other thoughts. A few are quotes by other authors about Poe. I dinged the book the half star because the first cryptogram is nearly impossible to crack as the encryption doesn't follow a set pattern. The rest are fairly easy to decode but take a while to do so, especially with longer passages as opposed to a one- or two-sentence quote. If you looking to keep yourself occupied for a long time, this is definitely a good thing.

The word searches present one of Poe's poems or short stories on one side of the page spread with certain words or phrases in all caps. Those words are then what you need to look for in the word search on the other side. Some works are longer than others so they take up several to many pages.

All in all, this is an entertaining book to keep your mind busy for a while -- whether that's a puzzle a day as you unwind each night or the whole book for a long, relaxing vacation or sick days stuck at home. ( )