Cryptic crosswords have always puzzled me, if you'll forgive the pathetic pun.Also being a fan of Morse helps. ( )

101 crosswords by Colin Dexter. Do not start with the first crossword, which is a special Morse puzzle; you need to get inside Dexter's head first because he is a quirky setter. It is not just his unusual enthusiasm for anagrams, which are too prevalent here for my taste; he has a clever but unique perspective on clue structure. The difficulty is probably comparable to the daily puzzles in the Guardian and the Times; a little above that of the Telegraph. A fascinating revelation of an ingenious author's mind. ( )