Dear The Puzzle Master,
You felt a bit Dan Brown with some creepy doll vibes thrown in. I loved the breadcrumbs that you left all over your story to bring everything together. Your puzzles were also interesting and complex, but I wished that I could have looked at some of the puzzles, as opposed to listening to them being described, which can be a disadvantage of audiobooks. I enjoyed the alternating timelines and the way all of the exposition and back story were told. It felt very authentic as your story unraveled for me. The bits of ancient magic sprinkled throughout the story kept me interested as well.

I want to preface this review with the fact that I think I might be in a reading slump. After reading two back to back 5 star books, my reading has been falling flat lately so I think this book unfortunately fell victim to the reading slump.

This book is about Mike who, after a head injury playing football, developed a rare medical condition that basically left him with mental superpowers - he can solve puzzles and see solutions in a way that normal people cannot. A woman serving a prison sentence asks to see him and shows him a puzzle that needs to be solved to clear her name. I love this concept and did really appreciate the character of Mike and his incredibly interesting condition. I just wanted SO much more of this part of the story and the puzzle solving!

What worked:
Vibes - At the start of this novel, I got a lot of Dan Brown DaVinci Code vibes and was all in!

Puzzles & Murder Mystery - The puzzles and mystery of the murder and the woman in the prison really pulled me in right from the beginning and I couldn't wait to unravel the clues and watch Mike solve the puzzles.

The writing - I can tell this author is incredibly talented with her language and the research she must have put into this novel is off the charts!

What Didn't Work FOR ME - but might for you!:
Too Many Elements & Subplots - Even though the synopsis mentions supernatural elements, once it went that way in the story, it kind of lost me and I felt like there was a lot of subplots and twists that fell flat for me and took me out of the excitement of the story. It just felt like too much especially towards the last 25% of the book and I felt like "maybe I'm not smart enough for this book" - the mix of puzzles, murder, creepy dolls, mathematics, computer science, mysticism, demons, etc. just became a lot for me to digest.

The Dog - This is a me problem, but as a fur momma there was one element dealing with Mike's dog, Connie, that really bugged me. His love and loyalty to her was evident but then one comment he made about having sympathy towards someone who was semi-abusive to Connie made me go NO WAY - NO DOG PARENT would ever say that about someone who potentially could have hurt their dog! This is a me problem but it bothered me so much LOL!

I can tell the writer is talented and I think this just became a "not for me" book but I absolutely think that fans of Dan Brown + supernatural elements will enjoy this book. This started out so strong, and I was entertained for sure while reading, but once the supernatural elements kicked in, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & Random House for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
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I absolutely loved this book! It was so good!! I was hooked after the very first chapter. I was sad when the book ended but I was excited to also get a physical arc from the publisher. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. All I need now is to buy a finished copy to add to my home library

I read this during a plane ride recently and it pulled me in right away. The beginning set up a mysteriously creepy storyline; with an added puzzle aspect that was so unique and interesting. When the book started to dive deeper into the mystery, we follow a historical path full of religious details. The book dives deep into these details, making the story feel slow and a bit boring at times. Overall I did enjoy this book, however, if the story leaned more into the creepiness and puzzle mystery that it built in the beginning, with just a little of the history for context, it would have knocked it out of the park for me.

Thank you to @netgalley @PRHAudio and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this book.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship to this story while I was reading it.

I loved the way it was written but man, I did not realize how overwhelmingly dull really complex puzzles were. And this whole story was a puzzle.

One with no real ending.

So in this one we have a fella named Mike Brink, who had a head injury and when he woke up, had the ability to see exactly how a puzzle, any puzzle, was solved. I am going to admit something here. Brink was boring. I mean, he had this whole gift, was apparently so attractive that people didn't believe he did puzzles, but was as exciting as a dish rag.

Well one day he is called to come to a prison to see if he could figure out a puzzle that a convicted female murderer created. He of course, hopped into his truck and went over.

This starts the whole present time story. There is also the story happening in 1909 that starts with a letter that begins the book. Yes, its confusing and it stays confusing throughout the whole story.

Of course Brink becomes obsessed with the female prisoner and at the end gets a HFN? I am not sure as its kind of creepy that he was all up in her business.

But that is not where the book ends, nope, one of the baddies has the honor of what the last chapter was about and we find out that something actually worked.

This book had no real genre. Was it a suspense? Horror? Was is supernatural?

Who knows.

A fascinating premise for a thriller: a traumatic injury bequeaths acquired savant syndrome to a man who becomes a master puzzle creator. He is invited to meet with an uncommunicative murderer in prison to unravel what really happened at Sedge House when Noah Cooke died.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, with the puzzle master, Mike Brink, as the central figure. It weaves puzzles, old and new, into the story, along with religion and myth, and wealth and power.

This was a fascinating follow-on to The Puzzler by A. J. Jacobs, which explores the human fascination with puzzles, puzzle history, and the sheer breadth of puzzles out there.

A worthy read! I couldn’t wait to continue reading with so much twists and suspense. Mike Brink suffered a traumatic head injury while playing football. He has reimagined himself with the new skills he has- which are puzzle skills to the highest level. He becomes involved in a intricate life consuming puzzle when he is asked to visit an inmate; Jess Price. Murder, control and power are the key. Well written story that I enjoyed reading.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback.

This was a conflicting read for me. While I was intriguing from the beginning, I began to lose interest mid way through this. There are a lot of interesting ideas, almost to many as times that I ended up losing interest with its changing.

This was a quick and fascinating read with a main character that I instantly loved reading from. But there was just so much going on that it felt disjointed at times with its ideas. With so much going on, it was hard to continue with my interested in this.

Overall, I think I liked this for the most part but I felt it got a bit convoluted by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I really enjoyed The Puzzle Master. It was a deep read that reminded me heavily of The da Vinci Code - and that’s a good thing. It’s been a while since I’ve read anything that engrossed me quite like The da Vinci Code. There were a lot of twists and turns, and plenty of spookiness throughout this book that kept it entertaining. It was a unique, genre-bending book with beautiful writing. I highly recommend this book.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 by Danielle Trussoni isn't my normal go-to genre, but I enjoyed this book nonetheless possibly because it tapped into so many genres (mystery thriller, suspense, horror, sci-fi, etc). I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, so maybe that's why I enjoyed it because I had no preconceived ideas. The main character was decently developed and rife with struggles. At times, there were elements of the story that reminded me the Autumn Trent and Winter Black series by author Mary Stone--which is a good thing because I genuinely like those books. I would definitely recommend this book to others and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni is a kindle gripping adventure from beginning to end. If you are a fan of Dan Brown, you will also enjoy Trussoni. Mike Brink suffers from Savant Syndrome after a brain injury. Brink has used this gift to reroute his life to become one of the most prolific puzzle creators in the world. A talent that caught the attention of Jesse Price, a convicted murderer. What ensues is a gripping tale that grabs you quickly and doesn’t let go until the very end. I enjoyed this novel so much. Such a great mixture of fiction and history.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐬: Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical/Audio

QUICK BITS
•Savant syndrome
•Synesthesia
•Genre bending
•Philosophical/religious
•Paranormal
•Multiple POV

REVIEW
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one.

I was really invested in the first 25% of this book...but it really took a hard turn that just did not work for me.

I think I am coming to find that dolls/puppets are an immediate no for me when it comes to characters/plotlines.

Whereas, savant syndrome and synesthesia are big yeses.

In the end, I really did see what the author was doing with this book, but the actual experience of reading it was not for me.

RATINGS
7 Characters
7 Atmosphere
6 Writing Style
5 Plot
4 Pace
5 Intrigue
4 Enjoyment
2 SOS Bonus
TOTAL= 38+2= 40/14=2.86

2.00/5.00 SOS Rating
--There is a good amount of surprise in here, but most of all would be the surprise of the book I thought I was reading verses what it ended up being

2.75/5.00 Rounded Rating

Mike Brink suffered a career ending football injury which left him with a unique side effect, the ability to solve puzzles and find patterns where others don't see them. As an adult he prefers to spend his time crafting puzzles for publications. When he is called upon to visit a prisoner who has drawn a strange puzzle he is pulled into a supernatural issue and the race against time to solve it.

This book was unique and kept me interested throughout the book. I enjoyed the plot but at times it was just a little too far out there for me.

Put on your best sleuthing hat and get ready for a wild ride. This book will keep you guessing! I loved the blend of genres...part thriller, horror, mystery, sci-fi. It's not a book you can skim through. You need to focus on the details as you try piecing all the parts together. The payoff is worth the work! What a fun read.

This book was brilliantly written and, obviously, well researched. It has been years since a book spooked me but Danielle Trussoni pulled it off.

While there were times that the story stretched beyond my imagination and felt like a reach, the conclusion tied up most of the loose ends and was very satisfying.

How this could be a debut novel by the author is beyond me. The complexity of the story, the well developed characters, and the hooks felt like the author had been honing their craft for decades. I can't wait for the next novel by Trussoni. Wow.

I love stories that maintain mystery and keep you thinking right through as the story unfolds and this one hit that mark. The Puzzle Master reads like a supernatural thriller/mystery with a really unique premise.
I would definitely recommend. 4.5/5

I have always meant to, but never actually have, read a Trussoni book. This was fast, brilliant, and i loved every minute! I want more.

Thank you Net Galley for providing me a copy of The Puzzle Master.
This story sure was a unique one. It was fun reading about all the puzzles, riddles,letters, the mystery behind the whole story. I was hooked from page one. I will admit some parts probably could of been left out and been a shorter story but it was still a fun and unique read.

I am always on the hunt for books that are similar to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, and I was really hoping that this would scratch that itch for me. And it sort of did, but not to the extent I was hoping it would.

We follow Mike Brink, the puzzle master, as he gets entangled in the mystery behind Jess Price, a woman who was sentenced to prison for murder and leaves a clue in the form of a puzzle only for him. The concept initially really intrigued me; a mysterious puzzle, a woman in prison who won't communicate with anyone but the main character, and the mystery behind the two and how they are connected. Interesting concepts, which to a degree held my attention, but it wasn't executed the best.

What ended up drawing me a bit away from the story is the fact that the story removed itself a bit from the puzzle aspect. I was really excited to read a mystery centred around puzzles as I thought it would have made for a really intriguing premise. However, the story was more or less just a normal mystery as the author didn't commit too much to integrating the puzzles into the story.

Not even the normal mystery stayed normal, however, as the story ended up moving way further from reality than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I love a good supernatural twist, but I don't think this story needed one. Again, I would have been entirely satisfied if the story just focused on the mystery and interweaved puzzles into it, but sadly it didn't which is why I ended up being disappointed. The book also didn't manage to achieve that delicate balance between the believable and the unbelievable.


CHARACTERS:

Another aspect of the story that disappointed me a bit was Mike's characterization. The idea of his character sounded good on paper; a man with acquired savant syndrome who sees in puzzles. This is as close to OP as you can get with a story rooted in reality, and I love a good OP character. Again, though, the author didn't fully commit to his characterization. For someone who is as smart as he is supposed to be, he had some horrible instincts and kept dismissing vital information as nothing which didn't line up with his character. In all honesty, I would rather read a story following Dr. Gupta, because I love eccentric characters and he was far more interesting to read about.

What I also struggled with was Mike and Jess's connection. This ended up being a pretty crucial element of the story, but their connection happened too abruptly and didn't have the time to be fleshed out, which resulted in a flat storyline.


CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

As someone who loves history, some of the subject matter did pique my interest, but it ended up getting bogged down by all the other elements. Still, though, I did moderately enjoy myself. Was this exactly what I wanted this to be, no, but it presented a decent mystery.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for giving me the opportunity to review this in advance (even though I was only able to write my review way after publishing...).