I liked this book, it was good. Destiny sets off to Scruffmore Manor on Eerie Island to interview as family historian. The Scruffmores turn out to be A LOT! This is a mystery where you can choose what happens at certain points of the story and there are puzzles to solve. The puzzles were easy for me, and the story was more fantastical than I expected, but I thought this book was a bunch of fun. I would recommend it to younger audiences probably, around teen to young adult.

This book is not for me. I was so excited to find a book that seemed like a choose-your-own-adventure with puzzles, but the story isn't holding my interest. I spend most of the time confused, and for me, that doesn't bode well, even if the premise is outstanding.

What do you get when you cross a logic puzzle and a soap opera? A Most Puzzling Murder. This is a fun fantasy murder mystery with a collection of puzzles to be solved and a few side chapters that offer a choose your own adventure style fun without either choice actually impacting the main story. It’s difficult to properly juggle puzzles and story within one book, and this one did an admirable job of trying to balance both. The characters were stand outs, the story twisty, the location suitably hostile, the murder plot insidious, and yet the story struggled to stand out from everything it was trying to do.

Destiny is a genius and a world renown enigmatologist. But her life has been shadowed by loss after both of her adoptive mothers and her best friend died at various points in her life, leaving her to cling to whatever’s left and to wonder who her birth parents are. When a mysterious interview letter to a job she never applied for arrives, with a sneaky message hidden within, she takes the leap to head for Eerie Island because someone might know the truth of her family. Eerie Island is more than just eerie. It’s forbidding with awful weather and a magical, ruthless ruling family. And it’s the family Destiny hopes to work for as their new historian, if she can beat out Tempest for the job. Unfortunately, things don’t go well as the Sorcerer King, who summoned Destiny and Tempest for the job, is preparing to name his heir, and some want the crown more than others. And they’re not above murder to get it.

I love books that invite me to play along, and that’s exactly what A Most Puzzling Murder does. It even invites readers to send emails for clues, and sometimes asks readers to email the answer to some puzzles to get some bonus scenes. I love how interactive this novel is, but I didn’t think it was strictly necessary to actually solve the puzzles in order to be able to continue. The answers are provided at the back, and the story continues whether or not readers get the puzzles right, so it all depends on how involved the reader wants to be. Personally, I’m not big on communicating with people I don’t know, so I didn’t email Destiny for clues or bonus scenes, and I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. It was, though, sometimes funny with how the characters were presented with the puzzles and their reactions to them. Otherwise I felt the puzzles were very much a take it or leave it kind of thing.

The puzzles were nicely woven into the story, and they take advantage of popping up whenever the story just might call for a puzzle of some kind. Some did feel more relevant than others, but they all had their role to play in the story. Some are easier than others, and I liked the variety. They did a very nice job of tying into the story and the Scruffmore family. What I most enjoyed, though, were the constantly revised family trees that were provided. Despite the number of them, I never tired of seeing them. Similarly, the choose your own adventure chapters were gently folded in, offering a peek into the lives of some of the more fringe characters. I was disappointed the choose your own adventure pieces weren’t exactly necessary to the story and had no real impact, but they were fun albeit brief diversions.

With so many puzzles and extraneous chapters, I really had to remind myself of the story playing out. It’s not that there were too many puzzles, but that the story moved really slowly for the first half of the novel. It took forever for all the characters to be established, though I did like that all the major players had means, motives, and opportunities. It just managed to not become overwhelming, and I liked how it dove into the family’s history, and the history of the island, but I often found myself impatiently waiting for the story to get moving. A lot of the early chapters have some comical moments that didn’t hit right for me, but I can see how another reader might find them entertaining. It just felt like it was taking away from the more serious story and topics being addressed.

When A Most Puzzling Murder wasn’t busy presenting me with puzzles, revised family trees, and choose your own adventure side chapters, it dove deep into being a soap opera. It was almost dizzying with the number of affairs and backstabbing and plotting. The Scruffmore family, despite their power and being magical royalty, is not a kind one to grow up in. There’s so much drama wrapped around all of them it was sometimes laughable and sometimes just overbearing. It somehow managed to overshadow the deeply mysterious locked room murder with just how overly complicated it let itself be. Of course, with just about everyone having the opportunity to murder this person, it didn’t really feel like a locked room murder mystery, which was disappointing.

What was fun, though, was the magic. I liked that the story really grabbed the magic and made it useful. There’s magic and there’s magical items and spells. I loved how well the fantasy elements played out, and the role it played in the murder and the solving of the murder. It was fun to see all the different kinds they had, and how powerful they were. There was nothing groundbreaking about any of it, but I thought it was a nice touch. It helped distract me from what felt like a logic puzzle stuck inside a soap opera.

The characters, too, were fantastic at holding my attention. My heart twisted for Destiny. She’s lived through so much loss and is now so adrift. She clings and yearns with all her heart while her brain naturally works overtime to solve every puzzle with an astounding ease despite the grief she carries, including the emotional support urn that goes everywhere with her. Since she’s the one telling the bulk of the story, it was fun to pick up on all the little clues her storytelling dropped. It was also a lot of fun getting to know the Scruffmore family, both from within and without the family. There were some really fun personalities, though there were some I didn’t really care for. Some of them did feel more one note than others, with some of the fringe characters actually being more interesting with their choose your own adventure chapters, but the ones at the forefront were really very well done.

A Most Puzzling Murder proved to be a lot of fun, but I ultimately feel the story took too many twists and turns so it was sometimes a little chaotic and difficult to follow, especially with so many puzzles thrown in. The puzzles were actually a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the choose your own adventure chapters. The story just tended to take a winding approach, constantly shifting from one character to another. I found I was less interested and inclined to figure out which horrible Scruffmore family member did it than in getting to the next puzzle, probably partly because I was glad the deceased was killed and everyone was better off. This story really attempted to tackle complex grief, but it ended up being overwhelmed by all the drama of the family at the heart of it, which was disappointing, especially considering how lost the murder mystery became under the pile of everything the story was balancing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to like this book. I enjoy puzzles, and mysteries, and dark, creepy islands whose inhabitants harbor many secrets. The puzzles were fun but not integrated well into the story. The 'choose your own adventure' parts didn't mean much because your choice didn't actually affect the plot. Throw in family drama, magic, ghosts, visions, a MC with a very vague past, and it was just too much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

A Most Puzzling Murder’ is a brilliantly written murder mystery that delivers a truly unique and unforgettable reading experience. Bianca Marais blends an interactive puzzle format with a compelling narrative, offering clues throughout the story for readers who want to play detective, but it’s just as enjoyable and easy to follow even if you choose not to dive into solving the mystery yourself (Side note: it was super easy to follow the clues and flip back and forth on an e-reader!)

What makes this book stand out is its quirky, original tone and richly imaginative world. It’s full of magic, fantasy, and just the right amount of darkness, evoking strong Addams Family vibes for me! The characters are eccentric in the best way, and the setting is dark, mysterious, atmospheric, and totally captivating.

This book isn’t just a mystery; it’s truly an experience. With its clever structure, charmingly oddball characters, and immersive style, ‘A Most Puzzling Murder’ is an absolute joy to read. If you’re looking for something smart, magical, and just a little macabre, this is the perfect pick!

Are you someone who likes puzzles or escape rooms? Do find yourself solving the case when you read mysteries? Then A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais might just be what you are looking for. This book feels like an escape room/mystery/choose your own adventure all rolled into one. I won’t go into the story of the book, you can check out the book blurb for that, rather I want to talk about the style of the book. Marais has taken her story and added in gamification (not sure if that is a real word for not), but you are invited to do more than merely read…you are invited to participate in the story, to solve riddle and puzzles, make the occasional decision. While I read an eARC of this one, I think I’d advise a physical copy given it is likely easier to flip to the answer section in the physical format. This is also a book to read with a notebook close at hand to make notes…unless you are one of those crazy people who writes in their books. (jk, I just never could bring myself to write in books.) It’s an entertaining tale and I appreciate what Marais has done. It could have been a bit shorter, streamlined, but if it clicks for you, you’re in for a really fun experience and I’d definitely be read another book like this. I’d like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of A Most Puzzling Murder.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-most-puzzling-murder-bianca-marais/1146847363?ean=9780778368601&bvnotificationId=8c20363a-4a47-11f0-a2af-0affc95e7fb9&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/349720722

Thank you to NetGalley, Bianca Marias and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a refreshing take on a mystery! I loved the riddles, puzzles and trying to beat the main character in figuring out the whodunit. I really enjoyed the uniqueness and the addicting writing. It was so fast paced and twisty. Loved it!

It breaks my heart to gave a score this low because I was so excited. I love the concept of the puzzle don't get me wrong but I felt like it was too chaotic for me. There are so many characters and pov. I got lost with all the concept. I felt like the story was too long. Thank you for the arc.

Okay, this was one of the most captivating and FUN mysteries I’ve read in a long time! I have loved everything that Bianca Marais writes, but this is my new favorite! This is an atmospheric, layered mystery full of old magic and dark family secrets, as well as interactive puzzles and “choose your own conundrum options”. I became fully immersed in this story and I already miss it now that I’ve finished. Such a great read!

3.5 Stars
Two snaps for a book that took me back to my childhood obsession with puzzle books from Barnes & Noble!

A Most Puzzling Murder is an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure mystery packed with puzzles, magic, and family secrets. It’s perfect for my fellow puzzle lovers craving a dose of childhood nostalgia.

In this story, we follow Destiny, a brilliant child prodigy grappling with the grief of losing her best friend and brother. One day, she receives a mysterious letter inviting her to interview for the role of family historian for the enigmatic Scruffmore family. But there’s a twist—you, the reader, must first crack the coded message hidden in the letter so Destiny can make her way to the aptly named Eerie Island.

Upon arrival, Destiny discovers a shadowy island with limited technology, a dark past, and lingering ties to a long-gone serial killer. All paths lead back to the Scruffmore family’s tangled history. Along the way, you’ll help Destiny solve intricate puzzles and uncover how she might be connected to this family tree herself.

Overall, this was such a fun and unique mystery! I loved that the book included interactive elements—you could even email Destiny for extra clues or access bonus content. My only small gripe: reading on my Kindle made the constant flipping between puzzles and solutions a bit cumbersome (though I still loved the challenge). I imagine the physical copy would offer a much smoother experience.

I also had the opportunity to try the audiobook via an advanced eALC. While I appreciate the effort to provide multiple formats, the audiobook didn’t quite work. The puzzles are challenging to interact with in audio form, and the choose-your-own-adventure segments forced you to listen to all options instead of selecting. For this book, I’d recommend sticking with the physical edition.

Ultimately, despite it taking me a bit longer to finish, I had a blast solving this mystery alongside Destiny. If you’re looking for a creative and interactive reading experience and a chance to flex those puzzle-solving muscles, pick this one up (physical copy only!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the e-ARC and e-ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Former prodigy and orphan Destiny Whip is alone, but she was used to it. A letter invites her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian, but she never applied in the first place. Encoded in the letter is a promise to learn her own family secrets, so she goes to Eerie Island to meet the Scruffmores. They all mistrust one another and carry untold secrets themselves. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.

Mortimer Scruffmore is the magician king, expected to pass along his crown to his heir as his magic wanes. Instead, he plans to sacrifice others, including his children, to achieve immortality. He isn't a good person, regularly cheating on his wives and holding himself as superior to those without magic. His own family hates him, and the jockeying between the siblings for control shows that. Destiny is dealing with immense grief, and is so isolated that the thought of potentially being his daughter isn't a complete turnoff. From the start, getting to the island is tricky, and there are scores of feral cats, a raccoon that somehow can go anywhere in the castle, and secrets that others were keeping from Mortimer. Once he dies, Destiny has thirty hours to solve the murder before the island opens up.

The book includes puzzles and encrypted messages that the reader can decode, as well as the opportunity to send results to an email address for more clues or scenes. Some choose-your-own-options exist as well, a neat touch that's difficult to pull off. The graphics updating the Scruffmore family tree is amusing, and the shifting POVs gave us more insight into the characters and their motivation. I liked Destiny and cheered her on as she went through the novel. She was young and alone at the start, so unsure of herself despite her intellect due to loss. She has such optimism in some ways, despite that, which helps her fit in with a world of magic, ghosts, and tangled family ties. The ending was a fitting one, and no matter what you choose, Destiny is a stronger woman than she was at the start.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais

What a fun, fantastical, and brain-teasing ride! A Most Puzzling Murder is a genre-bending delight that feels like stepping into a gothic game of Clue—with riddles, magic, and murder all wrapped in one twisty package.

Destiny Whip, an orphaned former child prodigy and enigmatologist (yes, that’s a real thing and yes, she’s brilliant), lives a quiet, solitary life until a mysterious job offer pulls her to the stormy and secretive Eerie Island. There, she’s surrounded by the strange and secretive Scruffmore family, who are dripping with motives and mysterious pasts. Destiny didn’t ask for this puzzle—but let’s be honest, no one solves a murder before it happens by accident.

I loved the clever construction of this book—it’s part gothic mystery, part magical realism, part escape room riddle-fest, and it all works. The puzzles are genuinely satisfying, the setting is deliciously eerie, and the characters are quirky in that "wait, are you trying to kill me?" kind of way. It had major Knives Out meets The Westing Game vibes, with a sprinkle of choose-your-own-adventure flair.

My only reason for knocking off a star is that the pacing wobbled a bit in the middle, and with so many twisty elements layered on top of each other, it occasionally felt a bit tangled. But overall? This was such a unique and immersive read that kept me both guessing and grinning.

If you like your mysteries with a touch of magic, secret passageways, puzzles galore, and a heroine who’s a little awkward but entirely brilliant—you’ll want to add this one to your TBR immediately!

3.75 stars.

There are many things that I enjoyed about this book: the descriptive and engaging world building, the magical elements, the likable main character, dastardly villains, and a mystery element. The author is really creative and imaginative and that shines throughout the novel.

The novel is interactive incorporating puzzles for the reader to solve along with the MC. The answers are provided at the back of the book for those who want to skip the puzzles. Highly recommend reading the physical copy of this book so that you can flip easily to the answer section. There are also a few choose your option-type chapters. You can be as interactive with the book as you wish which is a great option for different types of readers.

I did think that the story was a bit too long and could have been condensed. There were a lot of secondary characters to keep track of but there is a family tree included in the book.

Overall, this is a likeable, creative novel with great world-building.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is a true genius of a novel! Remember those choose your own adventure books? I loved them as a kid! This book has choose your own adventure, riddles and puzzles that you actually get to email the main character to get clues on how to solve (I mean, how fun is that?!), magic, a ghost, family secrets, and even an emotional support urn.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a choose your own adventure style book, but it was a lot of fun! The interactiveness of the story was interesting and I liked that the author included puzzles throughout to solve. Did I always figure out the puzzles? No. I did enjoy myself though!

I will admit, that the magical aspect of the book was not what I expected. It did take me a moment to really delve into the book. I had a good time reading it and I really did enjoy the characters, but I did struggle with all of the multiple POVs. It was a fun time, but maybe it just isn’t for me right now.

This ARC was provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The latest from Canadian author, Bianca Marais, is an intriguing novel which provides puzzles not only for its protagonist, but also for the readers to solve, which can reward them with a bonus scene (hints and even solutions are provided for those that need them).

Destiny Whip, a reclusive former child prodigy, is intrigued when she gets a letter to interview for a position of the Scruffmore's family historian which she never applied for. Set in a castle there are elements of the gothic as Destiny tries to stop the murder of one of the family and determine who the perpetrator might be.

For those reading the audiobook, ebook or library version Marais provides printable versions of the puzzles for readers on her website. I had fun trying to solve the puzzles as well as reading this supernatural mystery novel that has plenty of juicy family drama. I liked how the chose your own aspect plays with the idea of some events being fated while others can take dramatically different turns depending on a small change. If like me, you enjoyed the "choose your own adventure books" as a tween, than you'll find a lot of fun nostalgia in the participatory elements of reading this story.

A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais has it all. It's part mystery, part fantasy with additional puzzles and choose your own adventure options thrown in.
Destiny has been struggling since the death of her best friend. Her best friend who despite that is still lingering around talking her to. When Destiny gets a curious letter about a job that she never applied for, she finds the secret message hidden within and heads the island to investigate. There she meets a strange family with so many secrets and a murder that she is determined to solve.
The puzzle elements were so much fun. They were such an interesting way to make the book stand out and add another layer to the story by bringing the reader straight into the mystery.

This was a fun, mysterious, and interactive read with fantasy elements mixed in. There are puzzles to solve alongside the main character, Destiny, which I found really entertaining. There are also parts where you get to choose your own adventure, and yes I did pick my own way to go but went back and read the other way and you do still end up at the same place, so no matter which way you go, you get to the same part. I liked the mystery surrounding the Scruffmore's and figuring out their secrets. There are a lot of POVs and it was hard to follow at times and flipping back and forth between the clues was sort of difficult with an e-book compared to a physical book. But I still really enjoyed this read!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 479 / Genre: Fantasy/Murder Mystery/Puzzle Book
Audiobook Narrator: Dylan Moore
Duration: 15 hours 19 minutes
Release Date: June 10, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Destiny Whip is a world-renowned enigmatologist. She’s also a very lonely orphan who lost her adopted mother, brother, and best friend (who she still regularly talks to in her ghostly form). So when she receives a letter that comes with a puzzle that hints at information about her biological family, she can’t help but follow this lead. What she finds is a family gifted with magical powers, a confusing web of siblings with ever-changing parentage, and a father who’s obsessed with power.

This story in itself was very interesting and chilling. But the author also added in alternate endings to chapters, where you get decide which way the story should go. Plus puzzles are interspersed in the story as well. This was such a fun and challenging book!

Luckily I received advanced copies of both the audiobook and the ebook. I think because of the alternate endings and the puzzles, it would be best read as an ebook. But Dylan Moore did a really excellent job narrating, so having both versions was really the best.

Thank you, @BiancaMarais_Author, @htp_hive, @htpbooks, and @htpbooks_audio for my gifted copies. #HiveInfluencer

This was the most fun, interactive mystery combined with fantasy. Our heroine Destiny who is a genius and an orpan, is invited to a peculiar Island to apply for the position of family historian to the Scruffmore family. She is hoping that there are some family members on this island. When she arrives on the Island she begins having visions that show one of the Scruffmores will die, and Destiny is determined to stop it.

This book contains clues in the form of puzzles that Destiny has to solve, and the reader gets to solve alongside her. There is also portions of the book that are choose your own adventure. The mystery itself keeps you on your toes, each of the Scruffmore family has their own secrets.

Thank you to Netgalley and MIRA publishing. I loved this story, it was so immersive. The puzzles were fun to solve and it felt like playing a game of Clue. I highly recommend this book.