I was so intrigued by the title of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers that, even though I wasn't familiar with debut novelist and British TV producer Samuel Burr, I took a leap of faith and am profoundly thankful that I did. I discovered an indelible story of found family, unforgettable characters, and the wondrous concept of puzzles as a way to bring people together. Pippa Allsbrook is a brilliant cruciverbalist, or crossword puzzle designer, who works under a male pseudonym since puzzlemaking has been a predominantly male-dominated occupation. She proposes to surround herself with the brightest minds in the puzzle business--cryptologists, logicians, trivialists, lexicographers, mazemakers, chess masters, mathematicians, even a jigsaw artist--who would join together to build a thriving commune . . . and she succeeds.

At the age of 67, Pippa's life changes forever when she finds a baby left in a hatbox on the commune's doorstep, fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a mother. Young Clayton is raised mainly by Pippa and one of the male Fellowship members until she passes away at 89. It is only then that Clayton feels he can search for his biological parents and find out why they had abandoned him, with the help of a series of puzzles from Pippa that he finds after her death. With assistance from some of his lifelong supporters and a brand new friend, this young "old soul" in his twenties sets out to discover where he fits into life in general and what he needs to move forward. The story shifts back and forth between Pippa's journey and Clayton's, in alternating chapters and timelines which are easy to follow.

There is so much to love about this quiet story that packs a depth of emotion that I wasn't expecting. All of the characters are distinctly portrayed and have their own interesting stories and resolutions. And the diverse puzzles and related "events" that are described are irresistible, although not necessarily solvable by the reader. I relished every minute of it, and it left me feeling warmly uplifted and thoroughly entertained. To quote one of the Fellowship's favorite sayings, "To Go Further, Go Together."

My sincere thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I didn't really like this book until I got farther into it.
All the puzzles and cyphers will be great for those who love that kind of thing.
It's not my bag, but I know that lots of people are going to eat this book right up!

Clayton Stumper has a puzzle to solve. Actually, he has to solve many different types of puzzles to find the answer which he wants most: Who are his parents? Left as an infant on the doorstep of a commune of puzzlemakers, Clayton has certainly had an unusual upbringing. Pippa Allsbrook and the Earl have treated him like their own son, but now that Pippa has passed and the Earl is getting quite forgetful and frail, it is time for Clayton to solve his own puzzle.

Solving clues leads to new experiences and adventures for homebody Clayton. Meeting each of the members of the puzzling society and some strangers as well helps Clayton develop his own sense of what makes a family. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the characters and the setting. Told in alternating chapters between Clayton's "now" and Pippa's "then", readers get a sense of the background of the formation of the society and how each of its members fit perfectly into place. Just like a completed puzzle, Clayton's life is now a thing of wonder which he shares with everyone he meets. All that is missing is a sequel as I'm not ready to give up reading about this odd bunch of geniuses and the boy/man they raised.

United States Publication: April 9, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Anchor for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Clayton Stumper is the youngest resident, by far, at Creighton Hall - home of The Fellowship of the Puzzle Makers. Clayton came to the Fellowship via a hatbox on the front doorstep 25 years ago. The fellowship's founder, Pippa, found Clayton at the front door and raised him as her own. Now, Pippa has passed on and left Clayton a final puzzle, from her, to solve. Who his birth parents are. Championed by the remaining residents of Creighton Hall, Clayton takes on Pippa's challenge and goes searching for the answers he's wanted for a very long time - who are his birth parents and why did they leave him at the Fellowship, of all places? Going back and forth between the start of The Fellowship of the Puzzle Makers and Clayton's present day, the reader is treated to the start of a wonderful community and how that community raised a boy who needed a family.

I feel like there is so much to say about this title, but I also feel like what I want to say lends itself to potentially spoiling the joy of this book. This title is charming and delicious and I loved it. I devoured it. I loved the way Burr used puzzles, of ALL kinds, to create this story and how he used the idea of solving not the solution to tell this story. I loved every character Burr created and developed. I just loved it. The only slight complaint I have is that the solution to Clayton's parentage was not as mysterious or surprising as I thought it could have been. But that's really a very minor complaint. Perhaps my other complaint is that this is a stand-alone book. I could easily read a lot more about The Fellowship of the Puzzle Makers. Fantastic read, you will not regret this one!

I was excited to read this one: I love a wholesome, found family story. I thought the first half of Pippa’s story was delightful: she’s putting herself out there and starting a puzzlers society. In parallel, we see Clayton who was raised by Pippa and the fellowship after he mysteriously appeared on their doorstep as a baby, unmoored by Pippa’s passing. We watch Clayton try to solve the mystery of his birth while we watch Pippa establish the fellowship.

But I think for a book to really pass the uplifting test—and this one is certainly advertising itself that way—the book needs to resolve in a really satisfying way. And this one…doesn’t. I was left pretty angry with some of the characters in the end, and while that’s totally fine with most books, that’s not what I’m looking for from a “gloriously uplifting novel”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday!

Cozy, character-driven novel set in the U.K. that oscillates between two timelines - Pippa's story of how the Fellowship came to be and progressed to the point of Clayton's arrival, and Clayton's quest in the present to find out where he came from. Fun, heartwarming, with flawed but loveable characters, a quick read recommended for those who like to end on a positive note.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think of "The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers" as a cozy puzzle mystery--though not a crime mystery, but a mystery focused on the central character's unknown parentage and the circumstances surrounding his arrival on the doorstep of the Fellowship decades prior. Overall, I found the book enjoyable, and it would be the perfect fit for anyone looking for lighter literary fare. The story is told via the alternating perspectives of Pippa (the past), the founder of the Fellowship, and Clayton (the present), Pippa's adopted son who was raised by the vast cast of the puzzlemaking commune. While enjoyable, my main gripe is that I wish we spent more time in the present storyline and only dipped into the past from time to time to learn relevant details. The contstant back and forth kept the narrative from moving along such that by halfway through the book Clayton has only solved the first clue left by Pippa. This is a fun read, but not necessarily a page-turner.

This book reminded me of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. It is one of those follow the clues quest books. Clayton Stumper was left on the doorstep of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers about 25 years ago. Their founder, Phipps Allsbrook took him in and the Fellowship raised him. He has been content with his unusual family and childhood until recently. When Pippa died she left clues in the form of a series of puzzles for Clayton to follow. This quest should lead him to both the story of his origins and the path for his future.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eGalley of this title.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemasters is a quiet story told in 2 timelines. The past timeline focuses on Pippa, a woman who is a genius at crossword puzzles, both solving and creating but something of a loner, and how she ended up establishing the fellowship, a group of expert puzzlemasters of all kinds, all fellow loners searching for connection as well. The current story line involves Clayton Stumper, a young man who was left on the doorstep of the fellowship as a baby and who, now that Pippa his adoptive mother has died, is sent on a quest to discover his past. The quest is full of puzzles that he needs to figure out with the help of others along the way.

I enjoyed this story although I did not find it a propulsive page turning mystery but more of a gentle story, with a focus on found family, finding your own identity, and love, both romantic and familial. I enjoyed the puzzle component as well as our main protagonists and quirky supportive cast.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an e galley in return for an honest review.

This is a quiet book about a group of puzzlemakers solving a mystery. It was well written and the characters were interesting, but there wasn't a lot there to get me interested and found myself pushing through to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for the digital ARC! The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is an emotionally moving story about a young man's search for his story and the interconnected stories of a fellowship of friends (a fun collection of different puzzlemakers). Clayton Stumper was left on the doorstep of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and raised by the group's founder, Pippa. At the start of the novel, Pippa has passed away, and Clay sets off on a journey to find his birth parents, but finds much more as he meets people from Pippa's past, and brand new friends along the way. Pippa also narrates half of the story, from the founding of the fellowship to the day she found Clayton. Readers will enjoy puzzling out Clay's past through the parallel narratives of Clayton and Pippa and the heart-moving relationships that develop throughout. This book is a delight!

A sweet and complicated little book about the many puzzling definitions of love and family. Fans of Richard Osman’s elderly Thursday Murder Club would like the Fellowship characters, while the plot itself was radiantly TJ Klune-esque to me. I genuinely loved this and how we travel back and forth in time to watch the changing face of this unique and wonderful little found family. Absolutely recommend.

This gentle, heartwarming story will leave you wanting more from this author. This is a story about family - the family we were born to and the family we grew up with - and the many forms that concept takes for different people. There are many forms here - the family Pip made with the Puzzlemakers, the family Clayton yearns to unpuzzle, and the family he finds. Clayton’s quest is fulfilled in a beautiful way that reveals the actions of parents who did what was best for their child despite being in unimaginable pain. Burr introduces us to Clayton at a critical and heartbreaking point in his life, setting the stage for a flowing narrative that helps us understand Pippa and leads us to a delightful resolution for Clayton.

Fans of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont will enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed this unique and original novel by debut author Samuel Burr. The various characters--members of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers--introduced early in the novel all emerge as distinctive individuals, readily recognizable as their personalities, traits, and behaviors become so well drawn and distinguished for the reader.

The transitions between two timelines and points of view, Pippa's and Clayton's, are also very well done. The novel opens with Pippa's and proceeds through the late 1900s as she established the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. As the points of view alternate, she ultimately found and created a permanent home for the group, growing the organization to include both resident and nonresident members. It's the resident members with whom we become familiar, each with his or her own puzzlemaking specialty.

The other point of view is that of Clayton Stumper, Pippa's adopted son, and his timeline is more contemporary. He is 26, but we learned in Pippa's story that he was left in a hatbox on the Puzzlemaker's doorstep as a newborn infant and has been raised as Pippa's son with the support of the other residents, especially Earl, one of the resident puzzlemakers especially close to Pippa, who calls him son and clearly loves him dearly along with Pippa.

The central mystery is that of Clayton's parentage and how he came to be left there. Many other puzzles of various types are woven into the story, which a reader is free to work or to skip--it won't affect the experience of the story. When Pippa dies, Clayton finds that she's left him a scavenger hunt puzzle that can lead him to understand who his biological parents are and how/why he was left for Pippa to raise. To do that, he will have to leave the home in which he's comfortable with the aged remaining Puzzlemakers and go well beyond his comfort zones, learn to meet people and experience the wider world, including experiencing himself as a sexual being.

The novel's themes have to do with friendship, making connections, the endurance of old ties and the necessity of risking new ones. The writing is smooth, clear, and straightforward, although I wouldn't classify it as extraordinary. The novel is absolutely ideal for any reader who loves puzzles of any sort--but I must add that I don't particularly, and my enjoyment of it was not lessened at all by my lack of interest in them. It's a really good read, both fun and uplifting.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for making an ARC available to review.

Quirky, uplifting, and fun. Two puzzlers puzzle out the mystery of one of their origins. A little difficult to do the included puzzles on a kindle but a fun idea!

I really loved how unique this book was and that it had actual puzzles immersed in the text to solve along the way. This book is told in two different povs and the story comes together in both viewpoints in the end to come full circle. Clayton is an old soul raised in a home of puzzlers and wants to know where he came from. His mother creates an adventure for him to go on after her death to discover this information. Along the way, he grows and meets new people. I really loved that this book was so positive and charming to read. There is eccentricism in this book that creates a world entirely of it's own. I am definitely going to recommend this book to others. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr. After the death of his adoptive mother, Clayton sets out on a quest to find his origins. Clayton grew up in a commune of expert puzzlemakers. In his journey he discovers more about himself and those closest around him. This was an entertaining scavenger hunt - a quiet study of feelings, motivations and friendship. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book in exchanged for an unbiased review.

This is such and unique and quirky novel about puzzle-making. Who knew it could be so much fun? Because i was reading on a Kindle, I really couldn't try to work the puzzles, but I was intrigued. And I had to know who the parents were out of this bunch of eccentric characters. What a great debut.

This is the perfect book for someone looking for quirky characters and a cosy mystery with a real sense of a community, and a lot of charming puzzles. The puzzles are well integrated into the story and nicely designed, and it's very much up to the reader how involved in trying to solve them they want to get - you can definitely read and enjoy the book without spending a bunch of puzzle-solving time, but you're also given all the information you need to really get into the puzzles if you want to.

I tried to post this review in the form of a puzzle, but I couldn’t make it format. Oh well. I had as much fun making up the puzzle (which was a cryptogram of “An absolutely charming book. I loved every minute” if you really want to know) as I did reading the book, which was indeed charming, heartwarming, engaging and full of puzzles and other intrigue.

The story surrounds Pippa, who founds a puzzle writer’s commune and one day finds a hat box with a baby in it on her doorstep. Of course this is a puzzle to be solved, and Pippa does, but not before leaving the boy a series of clues which will reveal the secret to his past…and may point the way to the future as well. The book is divided between Pippa’s voice starting in the 70s, and the boy Clayton’s story, as he goes on Pippa’s scavenger hunt after her death. Along the way we meet a number of wonderfully eccentric characters and solve the mystery along with Clay. The variety of fun people and locations, the quirky British perspective, and of course the puzzles (which frustrated me because I was reading on a Kindle and couldn’t stop and solve every one), kept me engaged throughout.

Congratulations to author Samuel Burr on a beautifully constructed debut novel, and many thanks to,Anchor and NetGalley for the opportunity to view this ARC.