The Puzzle Master

I freely admit I didn't understand most of the puzzles and math addressed in this book, but fortunately, I didn't need to take a test, and the information was really necessary in order to enjoy the story.
Mike Brink was injured in a high school football accident which caused a very rare condition called acquired savant syndrome. He can solve puzzles and, after a stint at MIT, now has a lucrative career as a puzzle designer. He's called in to speak to a woman convicted of a gruesome murder who has a mysterious puzzle to solve.
It's a fascinating story in the mode of Dan Brown that leads the reader on a journey through computers, the Kabbalah, porcelain collector dolls, and other esoteric paths that merge into a complex but intricate and show more satisfying story. I really liked the protagonist and I hope to read more books about him. show less

I was intrigued by the mystery and the puzzle element to this book, as well as the relationship between the two main characters, Michael Brink and Jess Price. However, the story got very strange as it dove into the mad dreams of a man who had odd ideas, and would condone violent acts as part of his obsession. That part was just too strange for me.

Forget the puzzles you think you know – like the one in a box with a 1000 pieces. Or, the puzzle that you find in the newspaper. This book takes the reader into a complicated network that is futuristic and somewhat haunting for those willing to go there.

It started when Mike Brink was recovering from a high school football crash. He had a rare medical condition – sudden acquired savant syndrome -- when a person suddenly acquires an extraordinary cognitive ability after a traumatic brain injury.

Brink’s life instantly changed. Numbers, patterns and colors “flooded his mind.” He now had a photographic memory which allowed him to reproduce images and structures, remembering each perfectly. He decided with his gift to create show more challenging puzzles for The New York Times.

With his keen abilities, he was summoned by Dr. Thessaly Moses to assist with a problem a prisoner was having in Ray Brook, NY. The prisoner, Jess Price, felt severely threatened with scratch marks on her body and could only be helped by Brink to solve a spell-binding puzzle.

It’s a complicated story but at the same time, the author has a way of taking you into her world and into the possibility that there could be a connection between mankind and the Devine. The book has the spitting image of what it would be like to meet the Devil and if it’s possible to save someone who is going down the wrong path.

The scenes get planted in your mind like the creepy, scary eyes of a doll following you in a library. I’m reading this late at night and when there was a sudden loud noise from the refrigerator’s ice maker, I jumped.

The characters along with the images make this plot insanely good. Sure, there were a few questionable instances but this is one book that will stay with you -- one that I highly recommend.

My thanks to Danielle Trussoni, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book with an expected release date of June 13, 2023. show less

Without a doubt, this is the best book I have read this year. The Puzzle Master is a mystery, a thriller, and a puzzle full of twists, turns, and an unpredictable plot.

The book has short chapters, usually five to six pages each, which I love. Almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, drawing the reader to the next chapter with irresistible force. The narrative and author’s voice flowed like water down a river, making the prose easy to read. The illustrations in the book of various puzzles are beautifully done and an asset to the reader to fully understand the puzzles the characters are attempting to solve. The book is extremely well researched by the author, who provides many details surrounding the puzzles, especially the God show more puzzle, of which is central to the novel.

The story follows Mike Brink, who after a football related brain injury, has a photographic memory, and an uncanny ability to solve even the most difficult puzzles with ease. In fact, he is a puzzle constructor. Mike is drawn into a mystery involving an ancient porcelain figurine, the puzzle it contains, and Jess Price, a woman serving time in prison, who has not spoken since her arrest. The figurine and its related powers is the source of many deaths and almost costs Mike and those around him their lives. At the heart of the novel is the ultimate puzzle, the God puzzle, and it involves powerful forces at work in their lives. Mike, Jess, and their accomplices are in a race against time to solve the mystery.

The ending is quite satisfying and is left open to a sequel, which the author stated in a recent interview she is writing and will be published in 2024. I cannot wait to read it. My only issue with the book is the character’s conclusion that God is multi-gendered, both male and female. But, this is a work of fiction, so some poetic license is granted for this conclusion.

I highly recommend this book, even if you are not into thrillers or puzzles. It is a great read you will not soon forget. show less

From high school football star to puzzle master. Mike Brink’s life has been quite the journey. One minute he was wondering how many football scholarships he’d have to choose from and the next - after a traumatic brain injury - seeing and feeling everything in a new, strange and often frightening way. He now has something called acquired savant syndrome, a rare medical condition in which a normal person acquires extraordinary cognitive abilities after a traumatic brain injury. At first he thought he was going crazy, but he’s adjusted to this new life. However, he now finds it difficult to connect with people, is somewhat a loner with his puzzles, avoiding stress.

Well, once he meets Jess Price stress becomes a constant. His quiet show more puzzle-creating life becomes full of non-stop action, danger, letters, journals, transcriptions, ancient writings, symbols, puzzles and priceless collectible dolls that may be key to solving the puzzle. He spends time inside the prison where Jess is an inmate, at the home of a (probably) mad scientist where the murder Jess was convicted of took place, with academics, religious scholars, doctors, the prison psychiatrist. And he doesn’t know who to trust, what the puzzles he encounters mean, if he’ll survive this race against time.

The Puzzle Master is complex, lightning-fast paced, jumping through different points in time, different places around the world, different pieces of religious history and incorporating multiple points of view. Don’t get bogged down in the details – this story is incredibly complicated – but just hop on and enjoy the ride. Mike Brink is likable, a guy who used to be average except for his football skills and who has now been dumped into a world he barely understands but something inside, something almost obsessive, is pushing him on. The story is riveting, the characters are fascinating, and the ending has a nice twist.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Group for providing an advanced copy of The Puzzle Master via NetGalley for my enjoyment and honest review. Danielle Trussoni is an author whose work I will read more of. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

It didn’t need to be this complicated. It didn’t require the intense detail or the logarithmic exploration. It was a interesting, solid, fast moving mystery-thriller without all the genius speak. “That is the nature of the puzzle: to offer pain and pleasure by turns.” I was in way over my head except for the human element which felt about right.

I like stories with damaged characters and this one has it. I enjoy a well done conspiracy with its myriad webs and tangles. Employing the past and present can be a successful writing tactic if the writer pays careful attention to detail. The Puzzle Master has all this and yet while is channels a little of Dan Brown and a smidgeon of Helene Wecker in her book “The Golem and the show more Jinni” it falls short of satisfying. There were too many moving parts, too much esoterica, mixed in with too many others things like religious mysticism and arcane references. It mostly kept my attention and much of the books was a serious page turner but the places where I got bogged down stole the momentum. I felt my time was well spent but wished that Trussoni hadn’t felt the need to throw in the kitchen sink.

I am rounding up for a very inventive plot although at times jumbled and abused. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a copy. show less

The Puzzle Master
By Danielle Trussoni
OMG, what a wild ride read this! I loved the way the author presented the storyline. It was presented by way of a diary, letters, dreams, and live action. All while going back and forth in timelines, yet it was not confusing! Brilliant!
There's the wonderfully crafted characters too. A girl that has seen too much that can't be real and in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Also, a puzzle master that sees things different than the average human. All of the other characters here are well developed too!
The main plot centers around a puzzle, A God Puzzle. Maybe some puzzles need to be left unsolved! Immortality?
The plot and world building is also terrific! The book reminds me of a supernatural, show more science fiction Dan Brown novel! It's fast paced when it needs to be and slow and terrifying when the need arises. Its a thriller, horror, science fiction, action adventure, with a touch of fantasy and romance. It's a complex story. The kind you can really sink your teeth and brain into! The ending has a special twist I didn't see coming!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this amazing novel! It's one of my favorite books I have read this year. show less