You are a proud member of Hidden Creek’s most curious secret, the Lantern & Lens Society, a discreet group devoted to unraveling the town’s long-forgotten puzzles. With access to the Society’s private archive, the Lost & Kept, you can search through old keepsakes, family ledgers, and village memorabilia that rarely see the light of day.
Like everyone else in Hidden Creek, you’ve heard the stories about the Black Hart Inn. The abandoned building is said to be thick with ghosts. This month’s story begins with the Society’s own paranormal investigators presenting proof that the old place really is haunted.
To understand the restless spirits of the Black Hart, you must first piece together its century-long history, from a tavern at the crossroads to a bootlegging inn on the edge of the village, where some of its patrons never really left, including one gambler who still plays to win.
Inside this cozy mystery, you’ll solve a variety of puzzles to find out for yourself — where did all these ghosts come from? It includes a crossword, word search, word scramble, fill-in-the-blank, cryptogram, and more.
Ready to solve! Open Puzzle PDF Need a clue? View the Solutions
The Making of a Mystery
Thank you to everyone who voted in last month’s poll! “The History of a Haunted Inn” was the clear favorite, and I loved turning that idea into this cozy mystery for you to solve. I appreciated your input so much that I think we should do it again. Please tell me what you’d like next!
The Haunting of Black Hart Inn is the fifth installment of the Lantern & Lens Society Cozy Mysteries, and last month I welcomed my very first paid supporters! I take that as a sign that people are enjoying solving these mysteries and I’m so grateful.
As a thank-you, I’ve started creating extra puzzles just for paid supporters. This month’s bonus content includes newly unearthed Black Hart pages from a Ghost Hunter’s Journal (1893), straight from the Lost & Kept archive.