2.5 stars rounded up - This was an interesting book which suffered from jumping genres and trying to do all of the things.

The book starts with our main character Mike Brink being summoned to a prison. Mike suffered a brain injury in high school and now is an expert puzzle solver - it felt very believable and I enjoyed the parts where Mike was describing how he sees the world.

Back to the prison summons - 5 years ago, Jess Price murdered her boyfriend and hasn't spoken a word - however, she's drawn a puzzle and put Mike's name on it, despite never having met. However, once he joins, it becomes clear that someone is trying to keep Jess from talking to Mike. So far, pretty standard thriller type plot.

Mike finds Jess' journal from 5 years ago and the story jumps to a creepy mansion with a haunted doll. This was my favorite part and I hope the author writes some horror novels in the future since I would buy that. Jess is housesitting at an empty mansion in the middle of nowhere. One room is full of porcelain dolls. She hears strange noises in the attic and finds a very rare porcelain doll locked in the attic. She removes the doll and suddenly she's hearing strange noises in the rest of the house and the doll isn't where she left it. I loved this section so much.

We jump back to the present and now we move into the religious portion of the book. Suddenly we have demons, golem, and the Kabbalah. It was a shift but overall, it mostly fit. I wasn't expecting the religious shift, but since the description said DaVinci Code, I went with it.

And then suddenly we're talking about quantum computers, computer code hidden in 12th century religious documentation, and immortality via living in a computer.

Throughout, I wasn't sure what I was reading. The first half was really interesting and very enjoyable. The second half lost me, especially once we got to the computer stuff. I was ready for it be over around the 75% mark.

The elements didn't come together to result in a satisfying story. First off, the doll was clearly doing things in the journal flashback, but then it was never mentioned again. What happened to my haunted/possessed doll?? The whole relationship with Mike and Jess was weird. They were meeting in dreams - okay - and having sex - sure - brought on by the demon Lilith who is a succubus .... so was Mike meeting Jess or Lilith? The answer was Jess but it didn't seem to fit with the explanation of what Lilith does. I also wish the author had left out the dog. For the first half, Mike's dog Connie is traveling with him - she's left in the car, left in the hotel room, and dognapped. She could have been left out of the story entirely and it wouldn't have mattered.

What also drove me nuts is the author does the thing where she keeps repeating everyone's last names. Everyone kept referring to "Jess Price" or he was running from "Jameson Sedge" and Jameson Sedge's bodyguard "Cam Putney". Conversations would have characters who had previously talked about a 3rd character many times constantly saying the person's last name.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

THE PUZZLE MASTER is one of the most unique, genre-bending books I’ve ever read . Described as a blend of The Silent Patient, The DaVinci Code, and Stephen King, the story is sure to stimulate your mind in ways other books fall short.

Mike Brink became a puzzle extraordinaire after a Highschool football injury left him with Acquired Savant Syndrome. Because of his gift to see patterns and puzzles in ways few others can, Mike is summoned to a prison at the request of a woman convicted of murdering her boyfriend. She hasn’t spoken in ages but she presents Mike with a puzzle to solve that takes us to 19th century Prague, J.P Morgan’s exclusive library, and a house in upstate New York with some truly creepy dolls.

The story starts firmly grounded in reality and slowly delves into the realm of religious mysticism and the supernatural making it a uniquely haunting reading experience. Puzzles of various kinds are included throughout the book and I had fun attempting (and failing) to solve each one.

With a propulsive plot and high stakes mystery, this compelling story will stick with you long after that summer sun has faded.

READ THIS IF:
You love Wordle or The New York Times crossword puzzle
An entirely unique reading experience is calling your name
You want to buddy read with the man in your life

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: June 13, 2023

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni incorporates elements from a number of different genres. It starts off like a thriller with some psychological aspects, but then gets into the supernatural then the spiritual which a bit of science fiction thrown is as well. Sound complicated? Well it is sort of. But if you like books that cross genres then you may well enjoy this one.

The premise is that the main character, Mike Brink has suffered a brain injury that as a result, enables him to see patterns easily and solve puzzles. He is called upon to solve a puzzle written by someone who is in jail for murder and will not speak about it.

I see a lot of comparisons in other reviews to Dan Brown’s books, but I didn’t find it to be that similar. What was missing for me was the main character putting the pieces of the various puzzles together. I would have enjoyed more of that to be honest.

Overall, it’s a decent story, with a lot going on. It was enjoyable, but I think I enjoyed the buildup more than the finish.

Thanks, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy

#NetGalley #ThePuzzleMaster #DanielleTrussoni

I really liked the idea of this book--to have a lot of puzzles to get the reader in the frame of mind of solving the mystery. The trouble was that the puzzles started to slow me down in terms of reading the book, and I would lose the thread of the story. I think there could have been more plot and fewer puzzles to make a tighter book.

I was really excited to read this book. With the letter from 1909, I thought we would be looking back at a master puzzler who had left clues to a great crime or the elixir of life. Perhaps he opened a strange book and brought a plague to Earth.

Then I realized it was a murder mystery that involved ciphers and puzzles. The problem was I couldn’t get into the characters or plot. Mike Brink’s name is certainly engrained, but I wasn’t drawn in to help solve what happened. I just kept picturing scenes from the movie, “Halloween” as the dialogue dragged on with the doctor of a key patient.

I did like the inclusion of the ciphers, but I didn’t fee compelled to work them.

About three-quarters in, we are introduced to a doll-maker and talk of golems. I was looking forward to what the golem’s story was or what the doll-maker did with that power and talent. No dice.

Then there is Abrahamic lore and the inclusion of Lilith, but at this point none of that made sense. It just gave Exorcist or Dybbuk vibes and then disappeared.

A character at the end saying this was just the beginning kind of filled me with dread. The beginning of what? None of them had seemed to do much of anything other than read and talk.

I understood the stakes for the main character, but not everyone else or why they were even interested in getting involved.

This is a well-written book that never seemed to really say anything. All the editing in the world cannot save a lack of storytelling. The words are well composed but going in four or five different directions and this book left me not wanting to follow any of them because none would live up to the potential this concept had and lost.

The Puzzle Master was a fabulous book! It kept me guessing the whole way through. I was not sure where this book was going to next. The book is part mystery, supernatural, love story, psycho, genius, it is all over the place.

Mike Brink can see patterns after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. He can create and solve the most difficult puzzles. Jess Price is in jail for murder and has not spoken in five years. Jess draws a God Puzzle and Mike is called in to see if he can solve it. It could be the key to freeing Jess. The book does get a little bit into the supernatural and a Jewish mystic which I found fascinating.

The story is unique and woven together really well. The Puzzle Master holds your attention. I will definitely be recommending this book when it comes out in June 13, 2023

Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review. #NetGalley #ThePuzzleMaster #DanielleTrussoni

The Puzzle Master is a twisty slow burn thriller about a professional puzzle creator (think along the lines of high level New York Times brain teasers) who becomes involved with a falsely convicted murderer to prove her innocence. I really liked the character of Mike Brink (and his pup, Connie!), but the story lost its way about midpoint. Several of the side characters seemed silly and unnecessary. Fans of Dan Brown will probably really like this one and enjoy the back story. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to review and review this book.

While the premise of this book is really good, sadly it didn’t quite live up to its promise. I like the idea of a Dan brown type book that’s easy to read with interesting ideas and this could have gone in that direction, but this failed a bit because there was a lot here that wasn’t necessarily needed. It was a fast read though, I appreciated the short chapters and pacing, and that helps this book a lot.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Puzzles and thrillers? I’m in! The Puzzle Master is a modern day davinci code that kept me guessing and staying up late into the night to finish it. I loved the mysticism woven throughout that gave little hints of magical realism mixed with the best elements of psychological thrillers - highly recommend!

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author before and once I started reading, my expectations and hopes got high that we had another Dan Brown type author. Maybe it is just me, but the more I read, the more I found myself skimming, with overly long conversations that went nowhere, overly long descriptions, and basically good editing could have easily made the book shorter and more succinct. And the ending, lets just say full on "woke" cost points. If you like Da Vinci code type books, give this book a read.

3 Stars

Fascinating thriller filled with puzzles, Jewish mysticism, a villain promoting a transhumanist future, and even a demon. In the middle of it is Mike Brink, a puzzlemaster who became a savant due to a freak brain injury. As he connects with Jess, a prisoner convicted of a murder she didn't commit, he gets much more than he bargained for. Despite his extreme intellectual abilities, Mike comes off as a regular guy, with his pickup truck and beloved dog. Lot of twists and turns along the way in this entertaining book.

I immediately fell in love with the characters of this book! The premise of a full-time puzzle maker was unique and engaging. You immediately get sucked into this story, and I loved getting the back story as you went through the book. I did feel like the book could have ended 3 different times, but I appreciate the author wrapping up all the story lines. I was reading this book during a retreat with several other pastors and we had a really great discussion about Lilith and I have already looked at digging more into this topic. If you like a good mystery with a little horror, and with great characters and a nice ending that wraps everything up in bow, this book is for you!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to read and review Danielle Trussoni's 'The Puzzle Master.'

This novel sits squarely in The Da Vinci Code' Dan Brown universe.

It's an entertaining read that, I think, could've been judiciously edited to reduce the length by easily a quarter and have lost nothing. I think inevitably with this genre, the longer it goes on, the more strands and characters are added and the potential for confusion and dropped threads increases. That happened for me with 'The Puzzle Master' - I found myself beginning to skim and mentally discard bits and pieces just to get to the dénouement.

It's a pity because there were enough intriguing elements that could've been focused on - Kabballah, mathematics - and kept the story going and the reader engaged.

I suspect that this will see a sequel or the main character will get a series in which case I hope the stories are kept a little more focused.

The premise of The Puzzle Master drew me in, and I enjoyed Mike Brink as a character. But there just wasn't enough substance to the book, and when the author threw in the Jewish mysticism aspect, the golem, etc. I felt she was just trying too hard to hold the audience. The last quarter of the book (and especially the ending) left me cold. I really wanted to love this, but in the end, it was only a middle-of-the-road read for me.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. Mike Brink suffered a traumatic brain injury during high school football, and after this he develops a rare medical condition, a superpower, where he can solve puzzles and see patterns in a way most people cannot. Now a respected puzzle creator for the New York Times, Mike meets Jess, in prison for murder, who has drawn a puzzle that baffles her psychiatrist. Thus begins a thrill ride into an ancient mystery and the future of technology. I loved the puzzle aspect of this story and the propulsive writing - this was my favorite part by far. I thought the writing could have been tightened up a bit - the book had a saggy middle - and while I understand the ending fit with the story, I didn't like it at all. The comps to The DaVinci Code make sense, but the conclusion was a bit too heavy handed for my taste. Still, I want to pick up some of this authors other work, and I am glad to have read this one.

The Puzzle Master has a great hook. A murder has been committed, but the apparent culprit refuses to say a word: not to the police, not to her attorney at trial, not to the prison psychologist. Then she says to call a famous guy who makes his living creating and solving puzzles. At this point, however, things start to go downhill. There seems to be a supernatural component to the crime and to the woman. How could a puzzle guy deal with that? Then there are some BDSM sex dreams that appear out of nowhere. Also, the pacing suffers, like when the antagonist gives a lengthy lecture on the history of porcelain in the middle of a tense scene. I didn’t care for the main characters enough by that point. Even a historical plot involving a doll and the golem of Prague couldn’t save the book for me.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing this free copy on NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I’m not quite sure how to describe this novel. It was certainly attention grabbing from the very start and took many turns to the weird, eerie, and strange. Although there was A LOT going on and I sometimes had to reread or refocus to make sure I was getting every thing, I definitely needed to finish it to see how it would end.

3.5

The Puzzle Master is many things. Its a puzzle. Its a cat and mouse game. Its an adventure. Its a discussion on religion/politics/ethics/mathematics. At times it is very good at all things, and at times it leans far too heavily on the religion/mathematics/history of things. For me, The Puzzle Master is at its best when it leans into the puzzle. When the story focuses on getting from point A to point B, Trussoni's work moves along at a perfect clip. But when the characters are forced to sit down and explain very technical ideas about puzzles and mathematics and religion, if feels like it all grinds to a halt.

Trussoni's work is thorough and its definitely well researched, but at times it does feel a little like the reader is supposed to be impressed by the research and what she is able to put together. Again, for me, the story is at its best when its not so focused on those elements. My favorite part of the book was learning about the mysterious Sedge House and the hauntings that were happening there. I wanted to spend more time with that aspect of the mystery and less with the religious implications.

For all that the math and religion were leading up to one conclusion, there was very little time spent explaining it. And in the end, the characters seemed to forget that there was another ending that they were speeding toward and its all seemingly forgotten. I find it hard to believe that none of those involved would have done their due diligence to make sure that the ultimate conclusion that Jameson Sedge was headed toward did not come to fruition.

This is the first book I have read by Danielle. THE PUZZLE MASTER is so addictive and effervescent that you won't be able to put it down. Trussoni displays tremendous range, moving effortlessly from intricate puzzles to a traumatic murder to ancient secrets. A tantalizing and delightful read that engages both heart and mind. I also loved the cover of this book. I will be recommending this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

This book has A LOT happening. It moves fast and has multiple plots happening within the story. I enjoyed it and would recommend it although I found the latter half of the book full of a lot of science, religion, and mythology which made it hard to follow and comprehend. I had to read some passages a few times to make sure I understood. It's an extremely interesting and unique plot I just wish it was dumbed down a bit for my average brain. It's been coined as a mix of The Silent Patient and The Da Vinci Code and I have to agree completely, so if you enjoyed either of those books you'll like this one.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC