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...).

This book was a 3.5 for me. I wanted to love it. The premise was great and I am a lover of puzzles. The discussion of some of the initial puzzles was fun, but then to me it turned into a convoluted mess of historical religions, gods, and religious practices. My expectation was it was going to be a more puzzle driven mystery not one involving the mystery of religions and gods and darkness. The main character, Mike, was likeable and the story of how he became a puzzle collector was interesting. The quick tie-ins to the prison and the subsequent early adventures were fun until it headed into the mess of the remaining chapters.

This is my first book I've read by Trussoni. I took a chance because I love puzzles and the concept seemed really interesting.

Mike Brink is a former promising football star. After a head injury, he can no longer pursue his dream. As a result, he develops several abilities, including being able to see patterns and solve puzzles in unusual ways. His reputation leads to a request from Jess Price, a prisoner with a 30 year sentence for murder. She presents him with a puzzle that may lead to information about her crime. Soon, Brink's involvement with Jess becomes an obsession. He spirals into a quest to solve something called the God puzzle and discovers there are other forces at hand.

The Puzzle Master engaged me from the beginning. I loved the concept, the intrigue and the puzzle element. I even liked the mystery of the story. That being said, I struggled a little bit with the book overall. At times the story became repetitive and Trussoni threw a lot into the plot. And I mean, a lot. There are cryptic puzzles, prayer circles, creepy dolls, a god, murder, Jewish mysticism. The list goes on. For my reading experience, this created a feeling of a disjointed plot. I questioned the authors direction and focus. The romantic element threw me off as well. It felt forced. Overall, I wish the story was just a bit more focused and tighter, the elements still there, but more cohesive. Regardless, I really did like the book's vision and concept. I even enjoyed Trussoni's writing. At times I was all in. The book had me locked in and lookin forward to the ride.

Suspense in The Puzzle Master was decent and overall gave me Alex Michaelides "The Silent Patient" vibes.

I was excited for the adventure / puzzliness of this, and I struggled to get into it. The main character wasn't really resonating with me, and it all felt sort of mundane and boring. I DNF'd at approx 20%. It's definitely a slow burn puzzling book with a lot of psychological depth (more like you'd find in a psychological thriller perhaps). It'll be a great book for many but just was too slow for me to get into.

I read the first three chapters of this title and I had to DNF it for my own sanity. I received a request to review this title and I clicked on it, and it has been on my shelf ever since, even though I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to review it, I finally sat down to start it today, and I was immediately disappointed with the language style of the first few chapters and I can't say I really felt all that engaged in the plot. The first few sentences about our main character seemed forced and repetitive, and the whole premise for why he is forced to go to this prison is constrictive. The Warden outright states she shouldn't share any of this information, but is reaching out anyway, and it might be ok to share some private records if he makes a special trip. This just is not my cup of tea and I will not be finishing the title.

This was a fun adventure story involving puzzles, ancient religious beliefs, and dolls. There's a lot happening in this book-sometimes too much, I think, but I could not turn the pages fast enough. Mike Brink is a great character, and you root for him (and his dog, Connie) throughout the book. After a traumatic brain injury, he activated a part of his brain that can instantly solve puzzles, read 100 pages in 90 seconds and more. He's the world puzzle master, so he's roped into solving an ancient puzzle that promises to change the world, but people in the way are being killed. Is Mike helping or is he in the way? Does he want to help? Will appeal to puzzle lovers and people who love adventure stories.

Compared to Da Vinci code, the Puzzle Master did have some similarities. Both grabbed me right away. PM was a little more confusing than DC at times with side plots (kind of sci fi-ish at times). Overall, great characters, cool facts and interesting ideas. Definitely, a unique and fun story.

An original spin on a saturated genre. Reminded me a bit of The Da Vinci Code. Enjoyed the puzzle aspect, but the real head scratcher was with the doll. I was lost for that part of the story, but overall, a unique plot.

I love books that combine adventure and puzzles, so the premise of this book sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, the reality didn't live up to the dream in this case. Too much of the time was focused on the pontifications of rich old men and a weird fixation on porcelain. Unfortunately, the puzzle got lost in all that unnecessary content and it took away from the story. The main character was dull and too focused on his abilities, he lacked complexity and made a lot of stupid decisions. The big reveal lacked impact as a result and I felt it didn't make a ton of sense. Ultimately, this book just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I enjoyed this book, anything with puzzles will always get my attention and draw me in. This got too complicated at times and was a little hard for me to follow, but I got the gist overall and it was a satisfying read. I really enjoyed the audio but do want to note that this could have been part of the issue with following along, sometimes the physical version is better with these types of books imo.

Thank you to Random House, NetGalley and PRH Audio for the digital copy to review.