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Probably more of a Mardish puzzle than a straight up Hard one. Well, the puzzle's probably Easy/Medium and the Hard part comes later. You'll see what I mean. You'll enjoy it.
Couple links I'd like to share with you. First up, a bizarre puzzle book/gift box thing by one of England's premier puzzle masters Torquemada. Yeah, he's been dead forever, but some angel is looking to republish this puzzle book as it appears to have been lost to history. So what's the gimmick? It's some sort of murder mystery spread out over 100 pages, but the pages have been presented in random order. You put them back in order, read it, and then solve this murder mystery. And supposedly it's phenomenally difficult. This could go either one of two ways. It could be like an "MIT Hunt-level How'm I gonna solve this, wait, holy mackerel I did end up finishing it" experience for one sadistic solver or (more likely) a team of them. Or, it could be total bullshit. Anyway, it originally ran as a contest, and they're reviving said contest once the book gets published. £1000 (roughly $1342) goes to the winner, which would offset the rather hefty pledge price. Anyway, since it seems like something that should be in print for historical reasons, I backed it. And maybe you will too.
And for those who like to hear the dulcet tones of my voice alongside an Underwood 5, why don't you listen to me and my friend Derrik talk Boston Typewriter Orchestra on the BBC? It's funny.
CONTEST REMINDER: I am looking for inspiration for my 1000th puzzle. Send me an idea for my 1000th puzzle. But no, I don't really want the theme for that puzzle because, hey, it's my job, and the onus is on me to entertain you. No, for this contest, I want you to entertain me. Send me the most preposterous idea for a milestone puzzle, and the one that makes me laugh the most will get some sort of BEQ swag. Contest ends by the end of the day October 1. Good luck.
Share the puzzle. New on on Monday.
Brendan Emmett Quigley creates custom-made puzzles for all occasions: birthdays and bar mitzvahs, anniversaries and retirements. You name it. Need a puzzle for your website or your publication? He can do that, too.
Brendan's custom work clients have included The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, BeerAdvocate, Boston Magazine, De Beers, The Decemberists, ESPN, The Improper Bostonian, Lollapuzzoola, McSweeney's, Phish, Reflexive, The Smithsonian Magazine, St. Martin's Press, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, and Andrew Weil.
Call (617) 2-999-BEQ or click 
