Puzzle Notes

Dear friends: 

This our 43rd puzzle of the year, and it's by Erin Rhode, who was brought on to the AVCX crew earlier this year. It's called "Cold Serial," and is 3.5/5 difficulty. Welcome, Erin!

Thanks meanwhile to all who bought one-off puzzles or bundles this week, in pursuit of a copy of the Taylor Swift fan book. The winner will be notified privately by email. I figure we should probably offer a similar contest that's inclusive for those who aren't necessarily T Swift fans! So we'll do it again -- anyone who buys an archived annual bundle ($8-10) or any single puzzle this week will be automatically entered to win a three-month subscription extension. You can buy them as gifts, too.

Upcoming gems by Byron Walden and Francis Heaney, among others. Enjoy!

Best,

Ben and the AVCX crew [avxwords.com, @AVCXWord]