The Times Quick Cryptic Crossword book 1: 80 challenging quick cryptic crosswords from The Times (The Times Crosswords)

These are a great starting place if you want to learn to solve cryptic crosswords. I bought book one at the start of first lockdown and, as a complete novice, found the puzzle with explanations a useful tool to get going. By the end of book one I was getting the idea and by book three was solving them fairly confidently (though still finding them maddening in parts) and looking for more of a challenge. One very small criticism is that the example with explanations in each book is identical- it would have been simple enough to have a new one in each book. Although I'm now attempting the Times main cryptic I still do one of these per day and I'm feeling a bit sad that I've nearly finished book 6 and have to wait for the new book! Highly recommended as a starting place.

If you're a 'beginner/improver' cryptic puzzle fan, this is the place to start. The answers are given clearly in the back, so if you're stuck on a clue you can look up the answer and can usually work out how the answer fits in with the clue given. This also gives you a chance to progress with the rest of the puzzle, as the letters you enter help to find the words which cross it. I'll be buying the next when I've finished this one!

Nice standard, quick but still requires a bit of thought

Decent level even for a newbie!

This has been a great purchase. We’ve been doing cryptic crosswords for a few years now and wanted to up our game to try the full blown Times ones. This is a great way to learn the Times’ setters cryptic styles and the increasingly harder crosswords are giving us post lunch brain activity during lockdown. They aren’t too taxing but we are learning some new techniques used in clues; so far we manage to complete one in under an hour with only one or two references to Mrs Bradford.

Love this book. I can do the T2 too quickly, and get rather frustrated with the Cryptic. This is like the baby bear's porridge: just right. Cryptic clues, but rather gentler on the beginner, the puzzles need thought, but remain accessible, and provide ample stimulation, for me, anyway. I am enjoying them immensely, and hope that at one a day, I can eke them out until the next book is available. I shall always aspire to the harder dailies, but in the meantime, I shall be cutting my teeth on these.

Still trying to master the cryptic crossword, but this book certainly helps.

Will update this later as I go through the book if my opinion changes but, as a younger person trying to get into cryptics, I find the use of old language and terms to be infuriating. Part of what I enjoyed about cryptics is that there was a formulaic element to the clues that combine thinking outside the box. Often they didn't require general knowledge like normal crosswords do. It's very difficult, however, when the setters use archaic words that I've never heard of before. It's really not necessary and is quite alienating and infuriating to know that you had correctly interpreted the wordplay but didn't have a chance in hell of getting the answer as you don't know the word.I will see how I get on but I wouldn't personally consider this a beginner or quick cryptic book when compared to the guardian quick cryptic or minute cryptic.Can't fault the delivery of the item itself though, book is decent quality and arrived with no damage.