Every puzzle in this book is a haunting - and every haunting is a trick.
The Hollow Files collects 100 original gothic word search cases, each one built
around a single idea: the ghost story is always the work of a human hand. Solve
the grid, and three pieces of evidence surface on their own.
Here's how it works. Cross out every word from the case's list that you can find
in the grid. One word will be missing - that's your first clue. Then look at the
letters no word touched. Read them in order, and they spell out the rest: the
haunt, the trick, and the site. The letter boxes beneath each case tell you
exactly how long each answer runs, so there's only one way the evidence fits
together.
The book builds through five difficulty tiers. It opens with a gentle 8x8 grid
and climbs to a Master finale where the two hidden answers interleave letter by
letter and both can run backwards - so only the letter counts will lead you out.
Most puzzle books stop at "hard." This one keeps going. A fully worked example
opens the book, so nobody has to guess at the mechanic before the first case.
Includes:
- 100 original cases across 24 gothic settings, from a weeping portrait to a
waxwork that blinks at midnight
- Five difficulty tiers, Beginner through Master
- Complete solutions for every case
- A short scene from the investigator Frost's desk opening each case
Every case has been independently verified for a single, unambiguous solution
before publication.
Find the words. Follow the clues. Unmask the haunting.