Clayton Stumper is twenty-five years old when the primary woman who raised him, Pippa, passes away. Clayton was left on the doorstep of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, a home where an eccentric, electric group of puzzlemakers have made a commune of sorts. Pippa promised to reveal the secret of his parentage after she was gone. Instead of just telling him, she leads him through a series of clues to solve, in part to get him to go out into the world.

The story alternates between how Pippa started the Fellowship and Clayton attempting to solve the riddles left for him after her death. Both narratives have an uplifting message of being OK with who you are and finding people who not just accept you but celebrate what makes us each unique.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 3, 2024.

This was a cozy, lovely read. I enjoyed the cast of characters, the focus on puzzles, and the main character Clayton's sweet (if belated) coming of age. It didn't rock my world, but it was a very pleasant companion while it lasted.

I have the feeling this will be popular with fans of TJ Klune and Richard Osmon's Thursday Murder Club series - which means it will reach many people indeed.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to a digital ARC in advance of publication.

If you’re looking for an up-lifting, feel good, little quirky story, then this book is for you! I absolutely loved this book from the very first page and could not put it down. The story flips back and forth between Pippa Allsbrook, the founder of the Fellowship, and Clayton Stumper, who was abandoned as a baby on the steps of the Fellowship building. Pippa ends up raising Clayton, and upon her death leaves him clues in the form of multiple puzzles as to who his birth parents are. As Clayton tries to solve, each clue, the author also tells the story of how Pippa formed the fellowship of puzzle makers, and introduces us to the members of the fellowship itself. While I actually enjoyed Pippa’s story more than Clayton’s, I did find myself racing to the end of the book to see if Clayton was able to solve the clues and discover who his birth parents were.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a quirky cozy read about a young man whose adoptive mother dies, leaving him a puzzle to decipher. Will it lead him to his biological parents? Clayton, brought up in a house full of eccentric, elderly puzzlemakers, sets out on a journey to find out more about his past and ultimately find himself.
For readers who enjoy TJ Klune and Richard Osman.

Clayton Stumper is in his mid-twenties and has been raised by a group of "puzzle makers" in a large estate in England. He was left on the doorstep and the proprietor of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, Pippa Allsbrook, takes him in. As the members of the society age around him, Clayton enjoys a childhood of warmth and love and puzzles. After Pippa passes away, she leaves on last trail of puzzles for Clayton to solve in order to find out where and who he came from.
The chapters are told from alternating viewpoints - Clayton's in the present and his quest and Pippa's in the past and the formation of the Fellowship. The other characters are quirky and fun and enjoyable to read about. The book itself feels very cozy and loving and was a very pleasant reading experience. I did read it on kindle and I think there are probably various puzzles littered throughout the book that didn't translate well and so I missed those, but I think they will probably only add to the joy that is this book!

Sweet, relaxing, and adorable. The book embodiment of petting a cute puppy or kitten or other adorable animal! So sweet and so coolZ thanks for the arc

This was a delightful quirky book that I enjoyed thoroughly. Clayton, an orphan who was "adopted" by a group of puzzle makers, is on a mission created by his recently passed adoptive mother (Pippa) to discover his parentage. He must, of course, solve puzzles along the way and meet people from all walks of life to solve this ultimate mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel.

This story was a great nod to getting old and finding your way in the world. We are split between two main characters Clay and Pippa. Pippa is clay's adoptive mother and we start the book with her passing. Upon her passing we see she has left Clay a scavenger hunt puzzle so he can learn more about where he came from. The story intertwines Clay's story of finding is past but also his future with the life of Pippa. How she created the Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers and find herself in the care of clay.

The novel was a cute and uplifting novel about finding ones self and understanding where we fit in the world. My favorite theme throughout the story was that however old you are, your age doesn't define you. Pippa and even Clay are faced with getting older and not knowing what role they play in the world. We get to see them find out their futures while also looking back at their past!

A delightful read from start to finish! Young adult Clayton Stumper has so much to learn about his unconventional life, and this book follows his journey through a series of discoveries about himself, his upbringing, his origins. Although I’ve read books somewhat similar in the journey/discovery kind of genre (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, for one) this story has the added pleasure and appeal of puzzles and their creators. Being a puzzle lover, the added attraction of clues and puzzles drew me in from the start. The story is clever, the writing is smooth, and I enjoyed every step that Clayton took on his path. And with the addition of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, the story is unique.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher; the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintange Anchor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy a cozy book. I love a good puzzle. I love a book that has a secret fellowship that you can discover along with our main character,

This book isn't perfect, but it clicked a lot of boxes for me I recommend!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. The description the book was very compelling to me. It was a wonderful adventure through all types of puzzles and finding out what is most important in life. The only thing that threw me off was the POV changing back and forth between characters and years, but it is quickly clear which POV is which chapter.

CW: death, grief, sexism, cancer, suicidal thoughts (mentioned), car accident (recounted), homelessness

I would like to thank NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

After the death of the main parental figure in his life, Pippa, Clayton is at a loss of what to do next. When he discovers that Pippa left him with a set of puzzles that could lead him to find his biological parents, Clayton sets out on this journey where he learns what family ultimately means.

I had some high hopes for The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers when I first requested it back in September. The book’s concept seemed interesting and I thought I would be delighted with a nice cozy read set in England.

While this book didn’t live up to all of my expectations, it wasn’t a terrible read and there’s definitely readers out there who will fall in love with The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers when it comes out this spring.

One of Burr’s biggest strengths in this book is the unique character voices it provides to Clayton and Pippa. Told in alternating timelines (one featuring Clayton’s journey and the other on Pippa starting The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers), each voice gets their own distinct characteristics and personality traits to the point where you’re almost conversing with them as the story plays out. I also thought Burr had a nice writing style and did a really good job with alternating between timelines and how they ultimately sync up with each other.

My main critique with this book is the pacing. You will come to realize that the pacing for this book is very slow and it shows the more you read it, to the point where it feels like the book drags in certain places. I’m not the biggest fan of books with slow pacing, which is why I didn’t really like the book as much.

Nevertheless, while I wasn’t the right reader for this book, that doesn’t mean you won’t like it. Fans of Lessons in Chemistry of the Thursday Murder Club series, there’s a good chance you will like the quirky ensemble of Fellowship members featured throughout the book. If you love unique character voices and don’t mind the slow pacing, Burr’s writing style will be up your alley. That being said, this book wasn’t for me, but it can be a good pick for some readers.

I think this story will be a hit for those that love cozy mysteries, like Thursday Murder Club. I didn't enjoy the characters as much as I could of and felt the past chapters were a slower pace, but the mystery and puzzle pieces were all very interesting.

I was originally drawn to this book by the description, which reminding me a little of A Series of Unfortunate Events. A story about a young person trying to uncover the secrets kept by the people who raised them, with ties to a mysterious organization. I was not disappointed.

I liked the structure of the two different narratives, one past and one present, running parallel and alternating each chapter and eventually coming together in the end. I liked the puzzles included throughout the book for the reader to try to solve on their own before the story provided the answers, although occasionally the way the answers were worked in felt a bit heavy-handed. Also, I liked how the mystery of Clayton's parentage wasn't so obvious that one would guess it immediately, but also the answer didn't come out of nowhere either. Overall an enjoyable book and one that I will recommend to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor, Doubleday for the advance reader copy!

A quirky band of puzzlemakers join together to live in a commune situation. Lead by Phillipa Allbrook, they lead their lives creating all sorts of puzzles, mazes, a code breaker and anything related. One day Pippa finds a hat box at her door and it contains a baby. Of course being a lover of puzzles, Pippa takes the baby in. Twnety-six years later Clayton Stumper is determined to discover who his parents were. After Pippa dies, Clayton discovers a puzzle, of course, that will lead him to his parents, if he can solve it. A sweet, charming novel with some wonderful characters with a warmth to them that makes them seen like your friends.

This was such a lovely read. It alternates between two timelines and is so well done. I love puzzles so I was intrigued by the theme, and it delivers on the puzzle front and so much more. The store makes you feel warm and fuzzy and has you trying to solve the puzzle as well. You see many characters develop and take incredible journeys through life. There are great reminders of life lessons in the book, but not in a preachy way. The characters feel real and relatable. I absolutely loved this book and wanted there to be more because I loved the characters so much. This is an excellent read when you want to feel cozy and better about life.

Sweet story that had a lot of depth. I liked the way Samuel Burr wrote both timelines and I did fall in love with Pippa. This book took me a bit of time to work through because I did not feel an urgency to read ''just one more chapter'' but I enjoyed it and I am grateful to have read it.

I immediately fell in love with old-beyond-his-years Clayton and take-the-world-by-storm Pippa. The Puzzlemakers are all genuinely fascinating individuals who choose to live their lives together and contribute to each other's successes and the family of the Fellowship. The story follows Clayton as he embarks on a journey to discover who he is ... and also who he wants to become. There are, of course, puzzles, clues, and riddles to help him along the way along with Fellowship members playing important roles in his journey. This is a simply charming book filled with love and the message that family is oftentimes so much more than just blood relatives. I highly recommend this wonderful book. *I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This story was quite charming. I like how the author weaves both post and present to tell the story. I was drawn to this story for the love of crossword puzzles, as i love them too. I enjoyed following along to the characters story.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a fun, engaging read with a lot of heart! I like how Burr weaves the narratives of the past and present into a marvelous journey of discovery and community. A definite recommend for anyone who loves logic puzzles and just good story telling!