Both books begin with the pleasure of a word search and add something for your inner detective. Both contain 120 cases. But the way you work with the clues is different.
If you've been wondering where to start, here is a spoiler-free look at my two mystery word search books.
Kill Grid: follow the cases toward a final confession
In Kill Grid, Volume 1, the grid holds more than a list of words to find.
An unfound word points to the crime scene. Leftover letters reveal the killer and victim. As you progress through the cases, you collect letters that build toward a final confession.
That gives the book a continuing thread. You have the individual cases to work through, plus a larger reveal waiting at the end of the trail.
If you enjoy the thought of gradually assembling a secret across a whole book, Kill Grid is a good place to begin. Read the instructions before your first case and keep your collected letters organized as you go.
Killer Search: read the case brief and work through the clues
Killer Search puts the case brief at the heart of the experience.
You'll work toward identifying the weapon, location and killer. Searching the grid is part of the process, but so is using the information you uncover. Unused letters are rearranged to reveal the location, and the clues help you eliminate suspects.
The book includes a worked example to introduce the method. It is worth taking your time with that example before moving into the cases, especially if this is your first mystery word search.
If you like reading a short brief, keeping track of possibilities and working out how the clues fit together, explore Killer Search.
The differences at a glance
| What you're looking for | Where to start |
|---|---|
| A larger secret assembled across the book | Kill Grid |
| A case brief and a process of narrowing suspects | Killer Search |
| Crime-scene discovery and a killer-and-victim reveal | Kill Grid |
| Working toward weapon, location and killer | Killer Search |
| A word search with more to do after finding words | Explore either book's instructions and preview |
Is one simply the harder version of the other?
I wouldn't choose between them on that basis. The distinction is how the mysteries work, and different parts of a puzzle can feel easier or harder to different people.
Look at the mechanics that interest you. Would you rather keep collecting pieces of a final confession, or spend your time following a case brief and working through the evidence? That is a more useful starting question than choosing a difficulty label that doesn't tell you much about the experience.
A small suggestion before your first case
Read the instructions all the way through, even if you solve word searches often. These books use the grid as part of a larger puzzle, so finishing the word list isn't necessarily the end of the case.
Keep a pencil nearby, take the clues one step at a time and give yourself permission to pause. Coming back to a case with fresh eyes is part of the fun.
If the continuing secret appeals to you, begin with Kill Grid. If you'd like to study the brief and narrow the possibilities, begin with Killer Search. Either way, there's a mystery waiting on the page.
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