I enjoyed this! It was a fun, immersive story that allowed the reader to join Destiny as she solves riddles and clues to find the murderer. The puzzles were adequately challenging, and the reveals were always within the reader’s grasp—just the right sort of mystery. The promptness of the email clues was also appreciated.

The book deals with mature themes such as grief and loss, the death of a parent and child, mental illness, depression, murder, and eating disorders. For these reasons, an adult audience is recommended. A Most Puzzling Murder was satisfying, oddly fun in its puzzle-solving, and deeply emotional as the reader joins its characters in their emotional responses to their various traumas. I appreciated that Destiny, though brilliant, was a physically average sort of person, representing the overweight population with sincerity. Themes of power and control, grief and loss, and death and immortality run through the story with grace and tact. Bianca Marais did well with this one. I would certainly recommend it to others.

A Most Puzzling Murder was a wonderfully weird ride—part mystery, part puzzle book, and part gothic adventure. Destiny Whip is one of the most unique protagonists I’ve read in a long time: brilliant, socially awkward, and layered with just enough emotional weight to make you root for her as she navigates the eerie world of the Scruffmores.

The premise hooked me right away. A murder that hasn't happened yet? A cryptic job invitation? An island shrouded in secrets and storms? It was like stepping into an Agatha Christie novel with a cryptographic twist. The puzzles sprinkled throughout were a fun bonus—clever enough to keep things interesting, but never so hard they pulled me out of the story.

The setting was deliciously atmospheric. The Scruffmore estate is practically a character in its own right—creaky, moody, and full of secret passageways. Each family member is suspicious in their own way, and it was fun trying to untangle their secrets alongside Destiny.

That said, the book does ask a bit of patience from the reader. The pacing lagged slightly in the middle, and at times the sheer number of riddles and visions threatened to overshadow the emotional stakes. But everything came together well in the end, with a satisfying and clever resolution that stayed true to the book’s offbeat charm.

If you love mysteries with a magical edge, cerebral puzzles, and a protagonist who feels like Sherlock Holmes crossed with a lonely crossword genius, A Most Puzzling Murder is absolutely worth your time. It’s strange, smart, and completely original.

I don’t like to give low ratings on books especially on a ARC. I tried to get into this story but in the end I had to DNF at 16%. I had high expectations as I am a fan of mystery novels but the part that I read seemed to drag on with no real suspense happening. The book follows multiple POVs which was a bit confusing to navigate the relationship with each individual. This was my first book where there was puzzles in between which was really intriguing and fun.

This story follows Destiny who is a lover of all things puzzles as she does this for a living. She receives an invitation to go to Eerie Island in hopes for some answers about her birth family. What Destiny finds out is that one of the family members will have their life ended and she needs to figure out how to stop it when time is running out.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the chance to let me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love puzzles and murder mysteries, but this book was too intense with the puzzles for me. It was challenging to engage in the story with all the puzzles to solve, and I think I prefer my fiction and puzzles to be more separate. It’s a fun concept for a book, though, and I’m sure many will enjoy its creativity.

I was really looking forward to A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais—especially for the promise of solving puzzles alongside the main character while uncovering her family’s story. The concept is such a fun and clever one, and I was excited to feel like a true armchair detective.

Unfortunately, that element fell a bit flat for me, especially reading on an e-reader. It made interacting with the puzzles and clues more difficult, and I felt a bit disconnected from what should have been an immersive experience. This is no fault of the writer! I also struggled a bit with the writing and pacing—both felt a little clunky. In several spots, we’d be introduced to a new mystery or character and then receive the solution on the very next page. I kept hoping for more searching, more suspense, and time to piece things together.

The story took a sharp left turn toward the end with some wild topics that felt a bit out of place. It threw me off and didn’t quite match the tone I expected from the beginning.

That said, the idea behind the book is great, and there’s a lot of charm in the small-town setting and quirky characters. I just wish it had been fleshed out a bit more and given the mystery more room to breathe. If you’re looking for something light and different—and don’t mind a bit of chaos—it could still be a fun read

This is such an interesting concept for a book. I love the fact that it's a choose Your own adventure puzzles that you have to solve and an actual email address that you can email and get hints for these clothes. As well as the fact that there's also a mystery In there as well.

It was so fun to read through this and take notes to figure out what each clue meant and where it was going to take you. And I love the fact that I honestly didn't figure out the ending. I had no idea so that was fabulous!

This is unlike anything I've ever read, and if you like mysteries or choose your own adventure books, then I would highly recommend checking this book out, especially getting a physical copy because there are several times that I wanted to flip back To read through things again to get information and I feel like that would be easier if you had a physical copy.

1/5 stars: This is Marais's Paranormal Mystery Thriller stand-alone that follows a grieving, depressed reclusive former child prodigy and world-renowned enigmatologist (someone who studies puzzles and mysteries for a living) who accepts an invitation to a mysterious family's inhospitable island to uncover the truth about her birth family. She'll soon discover things about herself she never knew and will have to use all her skills to unravel cryptic ciphers, find hidden passages and will uncover the family’s magical heritage and line of succession. She'll become certain of two things: one of the family members is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it. Interspersed with interactive riddles and puzzles for the reader to solve that connect to the plot. Written in multiple POV, Marais's writing and character work are well done. Marais touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. This is very interesting, unfortunately, wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 15%.

I received this eARC thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 stars

When Destiny Whip, a child prodigy and renowned enigmatologist, gets a coded message saying that if she travels to Eerie Island she'll finally get the answer to who her biological parents are, she can't help but go. Besides, there's nothing going well in her life--her best friend has died and she's in such a deep depression, as she's all alone, that this message is a lifeline. When Destiny shows up to the island she's immediately pulled into the mystery of who summoned her there and why the entire Scruffmore family (the family who rules over the island) have returned just as she's getting there.

I can't say that I loved this book, in terms of the actual story (it was a little too campy for my reading taste), but I can say this was such a fun book to engage with. There are solvable puzzles in almost every chapter and several moments of "Choose your adventure," which kept me thoroughly in it for the entirety of the book.

A Most Puzzling Murder is out June 10, 2025.

"How do you solve a murder that hasn't happened yet?

Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she's content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it's a role she never applied to in the first place!

She decodes the invitation's hidden message with ease, and its promise to reveal her family secrets proves too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It's a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.

Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. 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.

Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!"

I'm all for working to solve the crime!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Had a great time with how immersed you get with the puzzles and clues. The narrative works well to create a cohesive story without being overwhelmed with the 'extras'.

I was not expecting the magic part of this book at all from the genre tags on Goodreads. So that was surprising, as I thought it was more a straight mystery, put the magical elements were an interesting addition to the story.

I liked the relationships that Destiny had with her family, her adoptive mother's, Nate and Bex as well. Their story was told only through flashbacks and Destiny's memories and recollections but I thought the author did a wonderful job in making them 'real' and I was sad to learn about all the loss and grief Destiny's had to deal with.

Some of the characters got off light in my opinion for the havoc and the evil they were planning - that was my only complaint.

I loved both Bex and Bramble the most.

Throughly enjoyable read that any puzzle lover will love.

A Most Puzzling Murder is an engaging and cleverly constructed mystery that invites the reader to play detective, piecing together clues and solving puzzles to figure out whodunit. The concept is unique and interactive—almost like an escape room in book form—and it definitely kept me hooked from start to finish.

The puzzles themselves were enjoyable and added a fun challenge, though I’ll admit some of them were more frustrating than fun, especially when reading in a digital format. Trying to flip between pages or zoom in on clues on a screen just didn’t work well and made the experience much harder than it needed to be. If you're considering reading this book, I highly recommend getting a physical copy. The interactive elements really seem designed with a printed layout in mind.

Overall, a creative and satisfying read for puzzle lovers and mystery fans alike—just make sure to go old-school with a physical book for the best experience.

A most puzzling murder is everything you love from Bianca! This was fast paced and full of characters you’ll love. Don’t sleep on this one!

4 stars. interesting ideas, at first it felt completely chaotic with way too many ideas, but it came together really well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is a cool concept, but at the end of the day I still personally prefer my books to follow a more traditional storytelling path. I admire what the author has done - the puzzles are clever and crafting clues that can be accessed both in and outside the book must have been no small feat on top of writing the actual story - but it was tough to read through (despite the disclaimer upfront saying that you could read it without doing the puzzling yourself) especially on kindle. This one was a great idea for the right reader - and possibly in physical format.

Honestly, I didn’t read the whole synopsis before reading. I read half of it before requesting it via Netgalley because it intrigued me. So colour me surprised when I learned that the Scruffmores are magical making A Most Puzzling Murder a beautiful blend of fantasy and mystery.

A Most Puzzling Murder follows Destiny as she receives a letter thanking her for applying for the Scruffmore historian position with an invitation for an interview. Destiny, being a former child prodigy, uncovers a hidden message within the invitation.

A Most Puzzling Murder is an interactive mystery full of puzzles and riddles that readers can solve in real time alongside the main character. The puzzles were all varying levels of difficulty with an opportunity to get a clue to help solve them. There were also a few choose your own adventure chapters where readers got to choose the path the character takes.

As the story unfolds, there are so many twists and turns with multiple red herrings. Honestly, the story becomes a twisted mess and just when you think you have a handle on the direction, Marais pulls the rug out from underneath you. Multiple times.

The only criticism I have is the format in which I read A Most Puzzling Murder. Since I was approved for an ARC via Netgalley, I read an ebook. I would highly recommend reading a physical copy. A physical copy will making solving the puzzles much easier and will help create a more engaging experience by writing and taking notes.

Overall, A Most Puzzling Murder is an excellent interactive mystery that will keep readers glued to the pages with puzzles to solve and endless twists and turns.

Book Review
A Most Puzzling Murder by @biancamarais

Do you remember the Encyclopedia Brown books from back when I was a kid? They were a choose your own adventure meets mystery type book with a Kid Detective who noticed things. This book reminded me of those childhood books I devoured.

Whats Its Got
✅ forced proximity
✅ closed door murder mystery
✅ cats and trash pandas
✅ a peculiar island
✅ prophecy or a curse
✅ murder most foul
✅ a magical Mansion
✅ child prodigy
✅ one fucked up family

Characters
Bex- ghostly BFF
Destiny- child prodigy puzzle solver
Madigan- bartender/innkeeper
Mordecai- Sorcerer King
Lurk- King’s BFF and loyal servant
Hexabus- Mordecai’s ex wife
Newton- new wife
Tempest- applied for Historian position
Assorted children- Bramble, Darius, Dominus, Evangeline, Angel, Minx

Thoughts
Bianca you are a genius!!! An interactive book, with puzzles the reader can solve, choose your own extra scene type chapters , and murder in a paranormal mansion on a reclusive island all wrapped up in family drama. Whats not to love!!!

While I read this as an ebook- I need a paper copy to fully immerse myself in all the riddles- I want to rifle back and forth through the pages as I piece things together, I want to write in the margins and highlight like crazy

Overall
If you played CLUE as kid, if you love Agatha Christie type books, If you’ve seen Knives Out , if you enjoy solving anagrams, crosswords and any type of puzzle solving YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

Thank you to the author and publisher for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my
Own.

Destiny Whip, an enigmatologist who has not left her house in a year, receives a mysterious job offer to be the Scruffmore family historian, a job she did not apply for. Try as she might, she can find no information about the family, but the invitation is a hidden message that promises to reveal family secrets. The best part? You, as the reader, get to partake in solving the clues.

Destiny is enticed by the idea of learning more about herself and follows the clues to Eerie Island. When she arrives, she discovers why the Island has the name “Eerie” and finds hidden messages, a looming murder, and a magical royal family. As her visions reveal a death that hasn’t happened, she must race to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

Why Jackie loves it
I love a great puzzle, and this book not only has that, but it also allows you to interact with Destiny via email if you need help solving the clues. I did this for the fun of the interaction! There is also some choose-your-own-adventure in the story. This is the most fun I have had reading a book in ages. I added sticky notes in the pages because, even though Marais encourages you to mark within the pages, I could not bring myself to do it. If you are reading digitally, there is a printable to help you work out the puzzles!

I admit this book has incredibly intriguing and smart plot line! The puzzle mysteries, mind games, locked room mystery concept are coming with perfect package. But unfortunately too many things going on at the same time and let's be honest this book too long and even some subplot lines needed to be omit. Because of too much subplots the main plot line starts to drag that makes you brain foggy and makes you hard to concentrate and reach the finish line. That's why even though I had high expectations as a big lover of mysteries, I graded with solid three stars.

Destiny Whip had me hooked right away—former child prodigy, brilliant enigmatologist, all alone in the world, and suddenly swept into the strange, secretive world of the Scruffmore family on a stormy, eerie island? Yes, please! The story sets the stage for something really unique: a mix of puzzles, riddles, a looming murder that hasn’t happened yet, and a heroine you want to root for.

But as much as I loved the setup, the story started to get a little too tangled for its own good. There were so many moving parts—magical elements, cryptic visions, a ghost friend, a mysterious past, family drama, and interactive puzzles—that it started to feel like the book was trying to juggle too much at once. I found myself getting lost in all the subplots, and at times I just wanted the core mystery to shine through without all the extra noise. I genuinely think with a tighter focus and a bit of trimming, it could’ve been a knockout.

That said, I really admire how ambitious and creative the concept is. The puzzles were fun and clever, and I loved trying to solve them alongside Destiny. I just wish the narrative had been a little more streamlined so that all those great ideas didn’t end up competing with each other.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for sharing this mystery book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I love a good puzzle to solve, I love reading mysteries and trying to solve it before the reveal and growing up I devoured any and all Choose Your Adventure books. Well guess what? A Most Puzzling Murder is all that in 1 book. I loved the interactive bits where you got to decide what you would pick and then go to that part of the book so it's really many stories in 1 depending on your picks for each read. This would be a really fun book to give a mystery reader in your life! This and a new game of clue and you have the perfect gift!

I was initially captivated by The Most Puzzling Murder—the interactive concept was incredibly creative, and I appreciated the fresh take on a murder mystery. The early chapters had a fun, immersive energy that pulled me in.


However, the interactive features, while clever, disrupted the flow of the narrative for me. Switching between the story and optional activities made it harder to stay fully engaged. Around the halfway point, I found myself losing interest. The plot became overwhelming and at times confusing, and I struggled to stay connected to the characters and the stakes.


The ending, unfortunately, didn’t offer the closure I hoped for. A time jump swept past key developments, and while I liked the idea of choosing your own epilogue, it felt like a workaround rather than a true resolution.


Overall, it’s a unique and ambitious read, but one that may not satisfy readers looking for a tightly wrapped mystery.