The Puzzle Maker is a fantastic and such an intelligent book that I highly recommend.
it’s a mix of thriller, mystery, suspense, sci-fi, drama and so interesting, that will keep you hooked the entire time.

Thank you Maddison Dettlinger from Random House Publishing Group, the author Danielle Trussoni, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Coming out June 13, 2023.

I can't quite put my finger on why this book didn't sit perfectly with me. I had a hard time getting into it...perhaps it needed a bit more backstory before dropping me in the middle of weirdness with Mike Brink showing up at the prison to meet Thessaly, the doctor who needs to unravel a puzzle presented by her patient, Jess. See? Even that was a lot.

Pros: lots of moving pieces to keep track of, puzzles, deep thinking, mystical problems/issues, many "experts".
Cons: deep thinking (at times it's a bit much), a terrifying doll, more dolls, one of the dolls MOVES, Cam Putney (does this guy EVER die?), and Jameson Sedge (no redeeming features on this one, at all).

It was still good, so 4 stars. Could maybe have pared down some of the convolutions and stepped up the pace a bit for me to give it 5.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Puzzle Master! I love puzzles so when I got this book, I was excited. I really enjoyed the puzzle aspect and trying to figure out what happened. The characters were well done, I’m glad that we got Cam’s background to make him more human rather than a robot that follows orders. Mike’s background in explaining his injury, the result, how he uses his abilities, and how it effected him was very nice and informative. Also thank you for not killing the dog! Connie was my favorite, who doesn’t love a dog that can do fun tricks? Jameson? Now that guy was something else. Although Anne-Marie’s ability to play whatever role she needed to in order to help herself could give Jameson’s crazy a small run for his money. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the religious aspect of this novel. It was well written, it just wasn’t quite my cup of tea. I almost wanted to not finish the book when we got to the heavy religious portions but I will say that I learned a lot. Learning about Lilith and the final revelation of the puzzle outside of the murders was very interesting. It was fun that the book talks about how puzzles have a succinct solution, yet the main puzzle’s solution is really multiple different solutions since it solved all the major problems of the book. I enjoyed the ending where it wrapped nearly everything up yet left readers believing this story could continue in a second book if the author so chooses. Although I don’t believe a second book is necessary and this ending lets readers imagine whatever future they desire. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC of The Puzzle Master!

I really enjoyed this! Short chapters that had me flipping the pages and staying up past my bedtime to see how it ended.

This book sounded right up my alley, as I loved The DaVinci Code. Sadly, I didn't find that to be the case. There was just too much going on, and the plot felt thrown together, making it chaotic and hard to follow. Instead of solving things, Brink just appears confused. The romance angle was forced and unnecessary. The beginning chapters showed promise, but it went downhill quickly. Overdetailing stalled the plot.

As a lover of puzzles and huge fan of The DaVinci Code, the premise of this book had me sold. The story started out strong and I flew through the first few chapters. Then, the intensity just fizzled out and I found myself nodding off while trying to trudge through to the end. I became bored with what I felt were unnecessary details and overly described scenarios. I couldn't connect to any of the characters. The puzzle aspect was intriguing and, like Mike Brink, I couldn't give up until I had the answer. Unfortunately, the explanation was very complicated and I have to admit to not understanding most of it due to my ignorance in advanced science, quantum physics, and the Hebrew religion. I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I did, but my brain just couldn't handle it.

Thank you to the author, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me digital access in exchange for my honest review.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni is a puzzle in and of itself. It does not fit into any one genre because it has inclinations toward many different niches. It is part mystery, adventure, and romance. It has elements of sci-fi, history, and the paranormal. It has a little bit of everything that people will love.
The story is exciting and original. The plot takes you from solving a puzzle to solving a murder to solving the creation of the universe. The characters are also unique and complex. The varied nature of the characters drives the plot in numerous directions but never loses sight of the storyline.
You can tell that Danielle Trussoni did a lot of research for this book. The vast descriptions of puzzles, the explanations of science, and the incredible mix of religion and mathematics show that she spent time learning her subject before writing about it. She weaves her knowledge into the story in a way that makes you learn as you are engrossed in the storyline and mystery of the plot.
If you like sci-fi or mystery mixed with puzzles to solve, you will enjoy this book. The only negative would be that it slows towards the middle of the book because you just want the solution to the riddle of the story and you don't want to wait any longer. However, it is worth the wait.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House publishers for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

I'm not sure what genre this book belongs in. It's complicated and has bits of several reading categories. Partway through I would have compared it to a Dan Brown book, but then it shifted. I enjoyed it. Even when I got a little lost occasionally. I would like to read more Danielle Trussoni books.

Mike Brink suffers a traumatic brain injury and becomes a brilliant puzzle solver and maker. Jess Price is serving thirty years in prison for a murder she may not have committed. She has a puzzle of her own for Mike to solve
This was a great read that had me flipping through the pages. Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House for this ARC that will be released June 13, 2023!

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book!

I am not sure what I was expecting after reading the description of this book but I was thoroughly surprised. This book does a great job of crossing over genres - lots of suspense but here is a bit of supernatural, how about some religion and science, now lets sprinkle in some horror and creepy dolls!

Mike Brink is a master at solving puzzles but this was not always the case. After a football injury left him with a brain injury, he sees everything as puzzles or patterns that need to be solved. Having a solution is very important to him. He is contacted by a psychiatrist at a women's prison to see if he can help her solve a puzzle one of her patients, Jess Price, has drawn. Jess has not spoken a word in 5 years since she was convicted of murder. After Mike and Jess meet, the action skyrockets and we are thrown into a crazy journey. At the center of the journey is the God Puzzle, a very old Jewish prayer that just might be the key to immortality.

The author did a fantastic job of keeping the action high and taking turns I never saw coming. Highly recommend this book!

I feel kind of bad about giving this such a poor rating, but it took me a week to slog through it, and I'm typically a fast reader. I suspect I would have given up and tossed this to the side, if I hadn't received it as an ARC and felt obligated to complete it and write a review.

I won't summarize this one, because so many other reviews have already. But yeah, there's too much going on. It's messy, it's chaotic, I couldn't really tell what the author's overall intentions were with this book. The main character, Mike Brink is a puzzle master, apparently, but he barely solves any puzzles. The romance felt forced and honestly kind of weird.

I definitely do not foresee recommending this book to any of my friends, even if they like thrillers or mysteries. Don't get me wrong, it did start off fairly strong and initially I was very intrigued, but around the 30% mark it went off the rails.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

With so many ratings and reviews already out there I don't have anything new to add. But I'll recommend it to thriller fans.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

The Puzzle Master was off to a strong start. I immediately felt drawn to the main character, and the writing is very atmospheric and intriguing. It reminded me of Ratched. Unfortunately, things started to fill way too busy in the middle, and it was a cluster to wrap things up. Often, books drag in the middle, but The Puzzle Master tries to do too much. I was confused and bored, struggling to follow along. 3 stars because although I didn’t particularly enjoy it, this checks all the boxes for a psychological thriller I think many will enjoy.

Forget the puzzles you think you know – like the one in a box with a 1000 pieces. Or, the puzzle that you find in the newspaper. This book takes the reader into a complicated network that is futuristic and somewhat haunting for those willing to go there.

It started when Mike Brink was recovering from a high school football crash. He had a rare medical condition – sudden acquired savant syndrome -- when a person suddenly acquires an extraordinary cognitive ability after a traumatic brain injury.

Brink’s life instantly changed. Numbers, patterns and colors “flooded his mind.” He now had a photographic memory which allowed him to reproduce images and structures, remembering each perfectly. He decided with his gift to create challenging puzzles for The New York Times.

With his keen abilities, he was summoned by Dr. Thessaly Moses to assist with a problem a prisoner was having in Ray Brook, NY. The prisoner, Jess Price, felt severely threatened with scratch marks on her body and could only be helped by Brink to solve a spell-binding puzzle.

It’s a complicated story but at the same time, the author has a way of taking you into her world and into the possibility that there could be a connection between mankind and the Devine. The book has the spitting image of what it would be like to meet the Devil and if it’s possible to save someone who is going down the wrong path.

The scenes get planted in your mind like the creepy, scary eyes of a doll following you in a library. I’m reading this late at night and when there was a sudden loud noise from the refrigerator’s ice maker, I jumped.

The characters along with the images make this plot insanely good. Sure, there were a few questionable instances but this is one book that will stay with you -- one that I highly recommend.

My thanks to Danielle Trussoni, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book with an expected release date of June 13, 2023.

The premise of The Puzzle Master sounded incredible, plus two authors whose books I loved gave five stars to this one. I trusted their perspective and I’m not sure that I do now.

I know not every book will be for everyone. I enjoy thrillers, but I’m quite tired of the same old thing, so this seemed like it would be a breath of fresh air. From the moment Mike and Jess shared a first kiss, I felt concerned that I’d made a mistake.

Here’s the thing: The complicated nature of this book is certainly praiseworthy. I imagine a great deal of research and thought went into putting it all together. But I felt everything came across as corny and decidedly less exciting than it was intended to be. A person can have a great idea, but that doesn’t automatically make them a great storyteller.

I am immensely grateful to Random House and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel, with a breakneck pace and fun bits of added details. Just like the puzzles that Mike Brink creates, there are many pieces, all fitting together perfectly. Some chapters are a story within a story within a story, and everything is well constructed. I enjoyed the insights into Mike’s mind, how he explains the gift, or curse, he received as a result of a brain injury, and which is a rare and real medical condition. Some of the explanations went a little over my head, but since it’s fiction it was not important. The key part is that I understood what was going on. At first, I was pleasantly surprised as to the direction the story took. My problem, as with the author’s previous novel, The Ancestor, I didn’t like the conclusion at all. One of the characters in particular has a radical personality change that didn’t make sense. The plot went to places that asked more of my suspension of disbelief that I was able to give, and sometimes the characters put a lot of effort into something that didn’t pan out and had no consequences for the rest of the novel, which made me wonder why it was there at all. To summarize, the first ¾ of the novel gets 5 stars but the ending only 3. Rounding up to 4.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House!

Mike has a unique talent for seeing the patterns in puzzles. He is so good at it that he makes a living building puzzles and helping to solve puzzles as well.
He is summoned to a prison by a psychiatrist who represents a prisoner with a request to see him. This prisoner has not spoken to anyone about her circumstances during the years she has been in prison.
Mike reluctantly goes to meet with her. Ultimately he is intrigued by the puzzle she shows him.
After that his whole world changes and he finds himself at the center of a quest searching for the secret that the puzzle holds.
This well written plot keeps one turning the pages and the surprise ending leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC.

“the puzzle master” is so many genres at once that it is difficult to place it. mike brink has been a savant capable of solving incredibly difficult puzzles in his mind ever since he was in an accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. when a psychiatrist at a prison reaches out to him with a puzzle one of her patients has presented, he decides to travel there merely to help someone in need. mike cannot leave any puzzle unfinished, and he is quickly dragged into a complex game of puzzles that may just threaten his life.

the problem for me is that this novel is not in the least cohesive. it was a fun story to read, and held my attention throughout (if only to hate it more and more with every chapter and feel incredibly annoyed). however, it’s trying to do too much. puzzles, a murder, creepy porcelain dolls, haunted houses, complex mathematics, computer science, jewish mysticism (kabbalah), demons, succubi, etc. are all in this novel. it’s everywhere. it’s all over the place.

brink doesn’t solve anything, actually, it feels as if the entire novel is him being confused and asking a question and then someone else randomly thrown in explaining some very detailed concept.
if his stupid little dog doesn’t like you, then you’re a bad person. the little dog is always right.

there is a romance that is so extremely forced and uncomfortable from the very start of the novel. it’s insta-love, it makes no sense, and it’s pretty gross. it is quite literally disturbing.

i feel that trussoni has a very, very loose grasp on jewish mysticism and kabbalist study. there were parts of this novel that felt incredibly antisemitic to me. look, i have no clue if she is jewish or not, but you don’t start studying the kabbalah until you are at least forty years old. it takes decades to study.

just… god this had so much shit thrown into it for no reason. the real puzzle is wondering how this unedited nightmare got published in the first place.

Fascinating. From the beginning, I was drawn into the story as if I were a character. The descriptions are atmospheric. By the end, there was much food for thought about quantum physics and the nature of God. Some of it resonated with me and some did not. There's no denying it was beautifully done; it prompted me to read Trussoni's Angelology. I think Douglas Preston said it best: "Insanely compelling."

I would describe this as diet "The DaVinci Code". There is a blend of spirituality and religion, mystery, thriller, action, and romance. I actually wanted far more of the "puzzle" element than there was since most of the book focused around one single "puzzle" and was not a series of puzzles leading to one ultimate, final puzzle. Overall, I enjoyed myself, but would not drop all of my reading plans to move this one up the TBR list.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.