Unfortunately, I didn't connect with this book. The only character that I had any feelings about was the dog Conundrum and I just simply couldn't develop any bonds with the other characters in the book. It felt like the plot went so many different directions and was a little too out there for me. I'm sure there are others that will enjoy this book, but it just didn't hit right for me.

The Puzzle Master is a mystery about the mysteries of creation, of life, death, and immortality. It features Mike Brink whose traumatic brain injury resulted in acquired savant syndrome. His new gift of seeing patterns everywhere made him a master at making puzzles for newspapers like the New York Times. In other things, he is incredibly naive. For example, he was hired to solve puzzles that he would download and then upload the solution to a secret site and didn’t realize he was working for some national security agency.

A prison psychologist sends him a puzzle that is irresistible. It was sent on behalf of infamous murderer Jess Price, the prisoner she is attempting to treat. When he meets Jess, he feels a compulsion to help her. It seems like a case of love at first site. Her erotic visits with him in the night make him uncomfortable but increase his connection to her. And thus begins a ridiculous plot dependent on multiple occasions of awkward soliloquies as though a dozen Bond villains were there to declaim their plan for ruling the world.

There is a muddle of computer code, theology, kabbalism, supernatural possession, and code-breaking. But for such a smart guy, Mike is incredibly dumb. He leaves his cell phone on even though he fears he is being followed. He leaves his dog in the car outside the villain’s house. But then the villains are no better, letting him go home to change his clothes and take care of his dog, for example. And of course, is anyone really a villain if they’re trying to change the world? Even the hired muscle gets a redeeming characteristic, he does it all to provide for his daughter’s future, even though that means he is barely there in her present.

It feels like the remit was to find one decent quality in each character to make them “more three-dimensional.” It didn’t work. They are flat as the plot is muddled. They have no natural connection. The spider at the center of this web of intrigue makes no sense. His muscle makes less sense. His girlfriend even less sense. Meanwhile, why does Brink whose syndrome left him uncertain in personal interactions falls in love at first site, the object of his affection is alternately terrified and uncommunicative or wildly bold and demanding. That a psychologist would break as many rules as she did is doubtful. Even more doubtful, a museum expert sneaking a priceless document out of a museum with a man she just met and driving like she was trained by the CIA in avoiding surveillance.

The dialogue is mostly declamations of what is some theological effort to connect the Kabbala to computer coding and suggest a theology that welcomes science. Sometimes I just skipped a page or two to get past it. It was laughable.

This book sounded so good. Mike Brink struck me, at first, as a great potential series detective, before he made so many dumb moves. I would say the first quarter of the book was promising. The rest…I wish I had just quit while I was ahead.

I received an e-galley of The Puzzle Master from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Puzzle Master at Penguin Random House
Danielle Trussoni

One puzzle after another. A beautifully written mystery along the lines of The DaVinci Code. Mike Brink, the main character has developed an uncanny ability to solve puzzles after suffering a brain injury from a football accident. He's called into a prison to see if he can assist a prisoner who will not talk about her crime but shows an interest in his puzzles.. This initial meeting with prisoner Jesse not only leads Mike down a dark path, but shows him more about himself and connections with others that he once thought were lost.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni blends multiple genres in a quest that explores many topics including history and religion. Overall, the plot was good although I did feel the pace was a bit slow. The character development was very good. Sometimes there was just too much going on at once.

Definitely recommend for those that like to dive into a deep mystery.

This book did not disappoint. It was full of history, lore and puzzles. Gave me da vinci code vibes but in a good way. recommended for anyone who loves mysteries, history and puzzles!

I *really* thought I was going to enjoy reading this, but it was very much not for me. The mental sueprpower of solving puzzles really didn't do it for me.

Dan Brown Lite was the description used to get my attention about the book by my wife. And the book did check off many of those boxes: Questionable choices made by mysterious characters; a spooky multi-generation religious order; revelations that can’t possibly be true; unreliable narrators; settings from across the world; tortured souls; many boxes checked off! But the book went down some rabbit trails that weren’t followed to the end. I really enjoyed the book, taking several chapters in clips when I had time to read, and was dying to wrap it up at the end. The end was a little too convenient for me, but at least wrapped up this plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book.

This book is kind of hard to rate since there were several parts of the books I loved and then the rest fell flat for me.

The parts that I loved were learning various historical facts/information and the almost horror like aspects of the book that come to life. I really wish the author would have kept that plot going. I also loved all of the puzzles in the book. It reminded me of a Dan Brown book. I also loved the murder mystery part.

The problem I had with the book was everything in between the good bits. I struggled with the plot at times since it felt convoluted and didn’t jive together to form a solid story.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is an interesting one. There was a lot of set up and not much pay off. Really interesting characters, and the plot was intriguing, but the ending had a lot of weight to bear to make the adventure worth it, and sadly, I was a let down.

The plot was thrilling, with the puzzles, and the adventure, but then the puzzle was solved and the answer just seemed made up on the spot. I'm still confused how Jess was let out of prison, just because Sledge committed suicide. Really, the adventure starts there. That should have been the midpoint, Sledge living on in the machine directing Cam Putney after Brink and Jess. A golem in the machine.

"The Puzzle Master" is an imaginative thriller from beginning to end. Author Danielle Trussoni does a wonderful job of weaving several storylines together, giving the reader the info they need as they go. It reminded me of a more fun "DiVinci Code." Highly recommend giving it a read!

I was not prepared for the creepy factor of this book. When puzzle master Mike Brink is called in to visit with convicted murderer Jess Price, his world turns upside down. Jess is charged with a murder that has changed her mental status. It is up to Mike to solve the puzzle that Jess has laid out for him and in the process not get killed himself. This was a fast-paced brush with creepy dolls that I was not expecting, but it was very well done. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 4 stars.

This was a really strange story. I'm not sure I liked it. I knows I didn't dislike it.

Give it a chance. The strangeness alone is enough to read this book.

I walked into this book thinking it was going to be similar to Clue, The Westing Game, Inheritance Games, etc. It is not. I still enjoyed it, but it was not what I expected or what the the synopsis implies (I thought). While the main character, Mike Brink, is a puzzler due to a traumatic brain injury in high school, and there is talk and explanations of puzzles, there isn't as much puzzle solving as I thought. One puzzle causes problems for a lot of people and starts the book on it mysterious course, but from there the book is about defeating they bad guy who has some crazy ideas! I enjoyed this and I'm glad I read it.

This is an action packed story perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry.

This was one fun book! There’s murder, demons, religious prophecies, brilliant geniuses and evil masterminds. What more could you want? I haven’t read a book by Danielle in a while (I was obsessed with Angelology when it was published in 2011). When I read the synopsis for this book, I was hooked. This book is fast paced and takes the reader on an action-packed couple of days with Mike Brink – an ex-football player who, after an injury, wakes up as a puzzle genius. One of my favorite parts of the story was seeing how Mike’s brain, how he saw patterns, and how his day job of making puzzles for the New York Times worked. It was a cool little insight into a job I never really thought about. I also liked that he had a bit of an offbeat job instead of being a professor or something like that which you would expect from someone with his capability.

Of course, this story isn’t just about puzzles. Rather, Mike gets called into a prison to help solve a mystery about a prisoner. Without knowing, he sets off a series of events that almost leads to his death and uncovers some ancient religious mysteries that have been hidden for a long time. Along the way, he stumbles across some other people who also want to know the answers and have their own reasons why, and the money and weapons to get what they want. I felt like I was constantly guessing if the people who ran into him (some literally) were there to help or harm him. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved how fast paced this book was. A lot happens very quickly. Like any action movie, there’s a lot of convenient things that happen at times to help the plot along. Does some of it seem super surreal or very unlikely? (there’s a mix of quantum science, obscure mathematical puzzles and demons mixed with doll making). Yes. But I’m not reading this book as an historically accurate tome. I’m reading it to enjoy the story. I believe there could be a second book after this, and there’s definitely a cliffhanger at the ending, so I hope that’s correct. I’d love to read more about Mike and his adorable dog, Conundrum (spoiler alert: Conundrum does not get hurt in the story – this is no John Wick movie).

I absolutely enjoyed this book and now want to dive back into Danielle’s back list and revisit some favourites I haven’t read in a while. This is the perfect book to keep you entertained for a weekend – and you may never look at the puzzle section of a newspaper the same again.

THE PUZZLES!!! This one was SO fun. I don't want to give too much away but the twists and turns on this one are INSANE. I loved it from cover to cover. I hope I get to read much more by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me this intriguing book by Danielle Trussing - 4.5 stars!

Mike Brink was a promising high school football star when an injury left him with acquired savant syndrome. It left him able to solve puzzles in ways that ordinary people can't. He is called to meet Jess Price, a woman serving 30 years in prison for a murder. She hasn't spoken a word since her arrest 5 years before. She reveals a dangerous truth behind her silence and sends Brink into a hunt for the truth as well as an obsession for Jess herself. At the heart of the mystery is the God Puzzle, an ancient prayer circle created by a 13th century Jewish mystic.

First, I love books that take place in familiar environments - this one had two; Cleveland and Upstate NY. Besides that, I love puzzles, although I certainly am no Mike Brink! But I have to start my day with Wordle and Quordle. This was a multi-layered book, mystical, mysterious, and takes you from ancient times to today's world. It also has great characters - I really liked both Mike and Jess. There's a lot in this book to unpack, but it's a great journey.

The Puzzle Master is centered around well - a puzzle master - that experiences a traumatic brain injury that induces a rare medical condition known as acquired savant syndrome. He abandons his promising football career to attend MIT and create crossword puzzles and other puzzles. I'm not a person that really enjoys crossword puzzles, but I do like how they were incorporated into this book. I would suggest this book to those who enjoyed National Treasure, Angels & Demons, or Clue.
The MC, Mike Brink, is contacted by a woman (Jess Price) serving thirty years in prison via his puzzles. The book takes off soon after this and I had a hard time putting it down. Great suspense, nicely developed characters, and a uniquely pleasureable read. I will be reading more by Danielle Trussoni.

Favorite quote:
I've never liked roses much. They've always struck me as beautiful but cold, like crystal or mathematics.

Mike Brink is a savant. Due to a high school football injury, he is a genius. A genius that graduated from MIT in 3 years. A genius that makes puzzles for a living. One day, he receives a strange request to talk to a prisoner in a maximum security mental institution. From this point forward, an adventure begins that will lead Brink down the path of murder, Jewish mysticism, and possessed porcelain dolls.

Upon reading the premise of the story, I thought that this would be similar to The DaVinci Code., full of intrigue and narrow escapes to save the world. And to some extent, The Puzzle Master is all of those. However, the pace of the story grinds to a halt when the author spends extensive amounts of time explaining the history of the family, dolls, Jewish mysticism, and quantum computers. There were times it felt like the actual action that moved the story was rushed, leading the reader to fast starts and stalls throughout the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I'm always willing to dive in blind when there is a blend of mystery and adventure with a splash of horror. I have no regrets about reading The Puzzle Master beyond the reinforcement of my fear of porcelain dolls.

🧩 I loved the concept and execution of this story. It is complex, intriguing, and exhilarating! Puzzles, murder, religion, history, horror, and even romance are included in this compelling, fast-faced, and multi-genre read!

🧩 The writing is very detailed, and the plot covers a lot of ground. There is a lot going on here and the book requires your full attention, but it isn’t a difficult read. I think the author did an exceptional job of keeping the complicated details understandable to the average reader. The craftmanship was outstanding.

🧩 The story includes a creepy doll! I hate creepy dolls, particularly ones with religious elements, so the inclusion of one in this story really created a deep horror aspect for me personally.

🧩 Mike Brink, the main character/puzzle master, is fantastic. He’s a normal guy who suffered a brain injury that made him a savant. He never asked to be a hero, but he becomes one in the story. I liked him a lot and I would love to read more books that feature him!

🧩 The ending was satisfying – which I was particularly happy about. I’ve found that books with intricate plots like this one can sometimes derail at the end, but this one didn’t. Yay!

🧩 Do not let this book intimidate you! While complex, it isn’t pretentious or difficult to understand. I think it is the perfect blend of multiple themes and genres and it would easily appeal to almost any reader. I couldn’t put it down!

🧩 Oh, and this book is going to be a movie someday… I am 100% sure of that! It’s quite a ride!

Thank you @NetGalley and @randomhouse for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Great thriller full of action, puzzles, and creepy dolls. Would definitely recommend to readers who love any of the above!