“The Puzzle Master” by Danielle Trussoni is a difficult book to describe, but I’ll try. Take a person who had an accident happen where they suddenly are now a math/number pattern savant. Add in an author, convicted of a crime. Toss in people who are trying to help the author and require the savant’s help. That’s the first overarching story. Then toss in an episode of “Supernatural” where, helpfully, the author (opposed to “the boys”) provides background material to explain the supernatural parts. Then toss in three people who both want to help and hinder the savant and the author. With that murky background, things were action packed and moving - along with some pretty interesting puzzle figuring out (thank you, Ms. Trussoni for explaining it for those of us who couldn’t see the patterns!) - I could see this as a TV movie! Then, sadly, the “big reveal” was revealed and the build-up fell amazingly flat for me. I read part of the explaining monologue aloud to my science fiction loving, computer programming, interested in life extension stories partner who dryly commented “well, there’s a lot of buzzwords there.” I’m usually able to put some science fiction stuff aside if it doesn’t quite work, but this one was difficult. I found the second reveal of Rachel’s to be not a huge thing, but then I’m old enough to remember sayings from the 1970s mentioning that same thing. Was this a good thriller? Yes. Did this book hold my attention? Yes. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes, until that last 10 percent. This book, without the ending, was a really solid 4 stars, but sadly that ending brought it down a star.

Note - if you’ve watched “Supernatural,” you’ll have a bit of background material that may help with the supernatural aspects of the story.

Mike Brink loves puzzles. After a football injury leaves him with outstanding gifts, he sees the world in a new light. When a convicted murderer requests his presence, he feels obligated to find out why. Jess Price knows she didn't commit murder, but can she prove it. Mike will go on a wild chase that leaves him questioning human consciousness and the mystery behind the beginning of time. Along the way, he will be pulled into alternate paths that have him unsure about his beliefs. The cast of characters he encounters adds to the deep mystery that goes back to the early 1900s.
Danielle Trussoni has a great piece of work on her hands. The layers of story truly add to the mystery. There's action, puzzles, and a great old age mystery. What's the connection of humans to God?
Thank you Netgalley. This book was a fantastic read.

This was a fun read and I need to find more books like this to add to my TBR list. I love a good puzzle mystery with a bit a mystical intrigue in there and if you throw a golem in – I’m a sucker for it.

If you enjoyed Dan Brown for the Christian mystery and symbolism, you should like this for the Jewish mystery and symbolism; and if this is all new to you – even better.

Mike, a man whose high school football accident has made him a puzzle savant, is sent to help Jess Price, a young author who is in prison who killing her boyfriend (aptly named Noah) and the only way to exonerate her is through solving codes and puzzles going back to ancient Jewish texts. There are characters looking for immortality, eccentric millionaires, psychiatrists, and scary body guards to round out the cast.

I really enjoyed the ride of this one.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review!

THE PUZZLE MASTER is so addictive 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. I felt a little "Davinci Code". A tantalizing and delightful read that engages both heart and mind.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni is one unique and very interesting book.

Full of puzzles, mystery, supernatural elements and action I was utterly impressed with this story.
Trussoni grabbed my attention from page one with this an intriguing page tuner.
I was completely hooked… utterly impossible to put down!!
I read it from cover to cover in one sitting.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

An action packed thriller, with a touch of science fiction, mystery and science. The main character is Mike Brink, a famous puzzle constructor. He is asked to go and meet an imprisoned murderer, Jess. From there the action ramps up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved a lot of the nuts and bolts of this book but they did not come together for me. I loved the story of a man with a traumatic brain injury who developed amazing puzzle-solving powers. But then it diverted to the story of an incarcerated woman whose housesitting gig went wrong. That was also very compelling, and as I became invested in that it diverted again to the story of a dollmaker and a golem. Very cool as well! But that thread was left behind as the story moved on. I see what the author was doing, weaving all these stories together, but for my own preferences I'd have preferred to read a rich narrative about one of these plot lines, not all of them sketched together into one puzzling novel. I know there's a readership for this book, it's just not me.

For fans of puzzles and ciphers, mysteries, and a Dan Brown crossed with Indiana Jones feel. The main character, Mike Brink is drawn to a puzzle written by a prisoner convicted of murder. The more Mike learns about this puzzle the more drawn he is to questions about the prisoners past and what happened the night she was found covered in blood.

The puzzle looks at Jewish theology in the way Da Vinci Code mined Christianity for its driving mystery. Throw in some creepy dolls for supernatural mischief and a bad guy wanting the answers to the mystery for his own purposes chasing the characters leads to a fast paced adventure thriller for your summer reads pile.

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!