The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a quirky, uplifting debut mystery by Samuel Burr. Released 9th April 2024 by Knopf Doubleday, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a light character driven cozy with several entwined plot threads, cleverly wrought into an engaging whole. Main protagonist Clayton was a foundling, brought up by an eclectic collection of enigmatologists (puzzlemakers) in a nearly monastic setting. When he main benefactress passes away, he sets about following the clues left to him to unravel the ultimate puzzle of his life, how he came to be there and who he really is.

There's an actual crostic style crossword and relevant clues in each of the chapters, which are solved through the course of the narrative. It's less of a mystery and more a character driven slice of life family history with a collection of intelligent oddly charismatic oddballs and their interactions with one another. It's written very visually, each scene precisely blocked out and described. It would take almost no work to transfer to the screen. Fans of oddly appealing shows with dysfunctional family themes (Arrested Development & Schitt's Creek for example) will likely enjoy this one.

Four stars. Appealing and offbeat (in a good way).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

When an eccentric group of puzzle makers come together to form a "commune", they eventually move into a large home together in order to have space for their creative endeavors as well as the camaraderie that they crave. But Pippa, the founder of the group begins to want more. Though well into her senior years, Pippa begins to wish that she could experience love and motherhood. Just as the fellowship must get even more creative to keep their community from going under financially, Pippa discovers an abandoned baby on the doorstep. The story is told in two time frames, the first during the development of the fellowship and the second, twenty plus years later when baby Clayton is grown and must solve puzzles that Pippa left for him following her death in order to determine how he came to be left on the doorstep and raised by this unusual group of people.
I think that any puzzle lover will find this story to be creative, engaging and fun to read. While the characters weren't developed as well as I would have liked, they were still fun and interesting. I very much enjoyed Clayton's quest and the creative clues that Pippa developed for him. His parentage was really predictable early on but the way he finally figured it out was an interesting journey with a happy ending for everyone. Recommended for a light and enjoyable read.

This novel started out serious and with a little "well that can't happen' when a baby ends up in a place where children don't really fit. There comes the humor as Clayton lives life with the puzzle makers. Everything 'old' and eccentric is his style, which makes him stick out like a sore thumb in modern society.
The story unfolds in pieces that all magically come together in a way I didn't see coming. Very clever and cute. Readers of all walks of life will enjoy this one. Especially if you have ever felt a little odd or out of place.

This story made me smile so many times. The characters were wonderfully written and the family created by the fellowship of puzzle makers was amazing. Clayton’s quest for his parents and the story of the fellowship was heartwarming, interesting and fun to read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Ancor/Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Clayton Stumper was abandoned as a child and raised by Pippa Allsbrook and her friends at their puzzlemaker commune in England. After Pippa passes away, Clayton is given clue to find out about his family.

Sweet book.

*Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for a gifted ALC*

This book is sweet and cathartic in the best way. As someone who fell in love with crosswords, riddles, and other puzzles because of my dad, it made my heart glow to see a collective of fellow solvers (fictional as it may be). This is a book about grief, love, and finding your own solutions. The messages of asking for help and the best adventures being the ones we take with others really rang true for me.

I will say that I lost some of the impact on audio because I had to listen to the puzzles rather than get to see them. I would've rather got to sit with them and actually *solve* them, rather than hear the characters spit out the solution.

I would say this is a solid 4 star-read for me. Overall, I loved the way the book felt meta in the sense that the plot mirrored the structure in being a puzzle. There was a little bit of everything in this story: heartwarming friendships, endearing romances, whimsical brainteasers, compelling mysteries, contemplative reflections, etc. I especially enjoyed how real the characters felt on the page, as if I could feel the weight of their personal histories behind them without knowing what they were. And I LOVE anything to do with puzzles. With all of this being said, I will say that there were times the story felt a bit too constructed. Yes, everything fit together like a well-executed puzzle, but I felt like there could have been a bit more room for unpredictability or fluidity in structure, something more like the true complicated nature of love's many forms. I would recommend this book for anyone in need of a cozy, thoughtful, and uplifting read, a pick-me-up of sorts. I love forward to reading more of Burr's work.

This one was quite the cozy mystery! It was heartwarming and the found family theme was really strong in this one. It also had a couple actual puzzles you can solve as you read. I liked how it defined what made people like puzzles from the start and established a common drive for many characters. The story is told in alternating timelines between the past and the present and I think pace and the reveal was done well!

Such an utterly charming book. Truly a delight to spend time with each of these characters, and loved the warm heartedness with which it treated everyone's quirks and idiosyncrasies = and it was a particularly quicky and idiosyncratic group!

Enjoyed this heartwarming story. Quirky yet believable characters. Engaging plot. Interesting glimpse into the world of puzzles.

My first novel by Samuel Burr. I like puzzles and word games, so the title drew my attention. Labyrinths and a treasure hunt. Self discovery of each character through trials, tribulations, friendships, and the Fellowship of the puzzle makers. Interesting clues, which I tried to solve also. If you like words, puzzles, and a search to find your family, you will enjoy this.

I really like puzzles - jigsaw, crossword, searches, riddles. I wouldn't say that I am necessarily good at them but I do enjoy them. I almost always have a jigsaw puzzle on the table and I am a daily user of the New York Times mini games app. When I read about this book, it seemed like something that would be really interesting.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers alternates between the timeline of Pippa Allsbrook, creating her fellowship with likeminded- puzzlelovers and her adopted son, Clayton. Clayton was left on the stoop as a baby and after Pippa's death wants to learn more about who left him on the Fellowship's doorstep.

There were a number of puzzles through the read, however the formatting on the review copy ebook was horrible and so I was unable to participate in that part of the book, and I think I would have loved this book all the more had I been able to solve out the clues in turn with Clayton.

That said, I did enjoy this book. It was like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day -it just felt cozy. There was no big suspenseful bits, no shock and awe, but love and appreciation thoughout. I think that I enjoyed the Pippa story more than Clayton's more modern tale. I wanted more of the Fellowship group, the puzzles they worked on and the overall drama from their time together in the fellowship house. Clayton seemed too boring and blah for me. I read his sections to get to the Fellowship ones.

Overall, this book was really rooted in found family and finding yourself. I liked that about it. Both stories were important in this depth and I think that others will enjoy it. Especially if you like puzzles.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Two stories intertwine. In the 80s and 90s, British crossword puzzle creator Pippa assembles a Fellowship of people devoted to making all kinds of puzzles. In the present, Clayton, who was left at the Fellowship's doorstep as an infant, tries to find his parents after Pippa's death. It's a slow-moving story, but the endearing cast of characters and the mystery of Clayton's parents (which keeps you guessing until the end), make it a worthwhile read.

I did enjoy this book, especially with the puzzles as they added a different element to reading the story. The parts I liked most of the book was the development of the Fellowship and its characters. I was less interested in Clayton's story as the mystery wasn't really that difficult to figure out.

A sweet and cozy read that focuses more on characters than plot. This feels like quite a stereotypical British exploration of friendship and aging.

loved this romance and how the characters were able to figure things out and find their way to love. Loved the friends .

What a fun, sweet story! It kept my attention throughout -- I didn’t want to put it down!

The book tells the story of a group of “puzzlemakers” (most over 60 years old) who live together in an English residence that they own. When someone leaves a baby on their doorstep, 66-year-old Pippa raises the baby, Clayton. When Clayton is in his early 20’s, Pippa dies. He has never known where he came from but now he would like to know. And (surprise, surprise!) Pippa, the puzzler, has left clues that will lead Clayton to his mother -- if he can solve puzzles!

This journey also pushes Clayton to get out into the world -- instead of staying in the “puzzlers’ residence” with all the older folks who live there, though he loves them. They are his family.

It is fun to try to solve the puzzles and clues along with Clayton as he follows Pippa’s instructions. And little does he know that love will also be one of the puzzle pieces!

I really liked this one, and I highly recommend it!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Samuel Burr, and Doubleday for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Clayton was adopted as a baby by the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and raised by Pippa. Years later when Pippa dies, she leaves a final puzzle quest that will lead Clayton to solve the mystery of his birth parents. Clayton learns more about his origins but also about Pippa as he meets people from her past. Overall, a low stakes cozy read that is more about finding out about the past and Clayton branching out, than it is about solving puzzles. Told in dual POVs, one in the present with Clayton and one in the past with Pippa.

Clayton Stumper has always wondered where exactly he came from. Left on Pippa Allsbrook's doorstep as a baby, he was raised by the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, a commune of master puzzlers. After Pippa passes away, she leaves him a series of clues to follow, sharing the answers he has always searched for from beyond the grave.

Told in dual narratives of Pippa's youth and Clayton's present-day search, this charming novel will appeal to puzzle-solvers and casual readers alike. This book will pair perfectly with a hot cup of tea and a crossword puzzle.