Rating: 2.3/5

Although capably written, this debut novel from Samuel Burr doesn't deliver on its potential. In the early stages of the book it reads almost as if it is being positioned as a cosy mystery to appeal to fans of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", but instead of a group of elderly people living in a retirement home, we have an eclectic group of puzzle makers brought together by Pippa Allsbrook, a renowned crossword compiler. However, "The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers" is no cosy mystery, but rather a journey of self-discovery ... although there is plenty of cosiness along the way, too!

The narrative alternates between two timeframes. The present day sections feature Clayton Stumper as he tries to follow clues left to him by Pippa and unravel the mysteries of his past. The historical flashbacks centre around Pippa, the setting up of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, and the enigmatic characters that make up its membership. There are puzzles incorporated into the storyline, designed to offer some interactive appeal to the reader, but this element is not as cleverly executed as it is by another author, Alexandra Benedict, in her books.

The story itself is pleasant enough and I found the early stages quite engaging. Sadly, thereafter, the plot spends a lot of time treading water without really going anywhere very quickly and the USP of the quirky group of puzzlemakers becomes tired. Given the history of the various key protagonists and their relationship with each other there was plenty of potential for the reader to feel invested and to develop a deep emotional attachment to them. However, the author doesn't manage to exploit this opportunity. Instead, it all feels too superficial and the plotline is too meandering to be described as anything other than blandly "nice".

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

An abandoned Child, a cast of puzzle geniuses, an old house, a death and finding your place in the world. What’s not to love??
It’s a lovely charming read about finding out about who you are and where you come from. We follow the story of Clayton Stumper from when he was found on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers as a baby to the present day when the death of the great Pippa Allsbrook gives him the chance to solve the greatest puzzle of all – who his parents were and how he came to be bought up by the Fellowship.
Clay is a delightful character who blossoms into his own man as the book goes on, he takes chances, falls in love and essentially finds out who he is and where his roots are.
The book is full of beautiful characters, each of them misfits socially but brilliant at puzzles in some way. Readers will no doubt love the puzzles included in the book.
I thought this was a great story told from an original angle with likeable characters.

I thought I'd love this one, I love puzzles and I love books. It just didn't grip me like I thought it would. I liked it but didn't love it.
Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was quite what I was expecting but that's ok because what it was was great! There are lots of little puzzles for you to solve throughout the book, I didn't manage to solve many of them but that didn't affect my enjoyment of it at all.
I love the range of people you meet along the way in the book, I love the way those characters intermingle and develop. I love the mystery element of it, I even managed to solve a little of that myself before the ending. I also love all the found family within the book.
It's a nice, easy read with a good dose of humour thrown in for good measure. It feels real and honest and lovely. I'd definitely recommend you pick this one up if anything I've said resonates with you.

This book is going to be absolute catnip to puzzlers! It's a gentle read with a lovely cast of characters and told over two timelines and PoVs; Pippa who started the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and Clayton who was found on their doorstep as a newborn. Clayton's investigations lead him on a voyage of discovery both of himself and his parentage and each chapter is prefaced with a puzzle for Clayton (and the readers) to solve. A very enjoyable albeit slow read (rendered even slower by my lack of ability in puzzle-solving).

I really enjoyed this story which is set in two timeliness with alternating chapters. It centres on Pippa who forms the society of puzzlemakers and eventually joins up with like minded people from all walks of life who share her passion for puzzles of all kinds. They become like family and eventually pool their resources to buy a property together. The one thing missing from Pippa's life has been a child and she bids to become a foster parent despite her advancing years. Fate intervenes when a baby is left abandoned on her doorstep who she calls Clayton Stumper. When Pippa passes away, she leaves a series of puzzles for Clayton to follow in order for him to uncover his past. It's a lovely book to escape into and I really liked the characters with their various quirks and life experiences.

I loved this book. The characters, the plot, the puzzles (glad they gave the answers!) everything. It was a quirky light-hearted read and just what I needed. I can see it being made into a film with Bill Nighy.

What a wonderful story and so different, I can't say how much I enjoyed reading this book. The story is about a very clever lady called Pippa who decides to form a Puzzle Makers fellowship. The story follows the eccentric gathering of puzzle makers as they develop their skills from 3D wooden puzzles to Guinness book record breaking 40,000 piece jigsaws and outdoor mazes. Pippa comes from a wealthy family and is left the country home in Bedford a place call Creighton Hall which she has sold to pay off death duties and other debts. The fellowship continues to grow in stature and so Pippa decides to buy back the hall and provide a residential home for the puzzle makers. However the biggest puzzle of all is a baby left on the step one day. Pippa is overjoyed and takes the baby in and brings him up as her own. The baby grows up and couldn't feel more loved, but is left a final puzzle by Pippa when she dies. Read this book, its a really lovely story that will make you feel good. Recommended.

Whilst I could plod my way through this, unfortunately I could not click with the characters. There was nothing in this story to make me excited, although I am a fan of the odd puzzle or two and thought this would be right up my street. It may well be that I need more drama and depth from a story like this, so I can root for the characters!

Fellowship of Puzzlemakers

A wonderful story about finding your tribe, finding yourself and answering questions along the way…

Clayton Stumper was left on the doorstep of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers as a baby. Now twenty five years old, he has to say a final farewell to Pippa, the woman who raised him. She has set him one final puzzle, to find out where he came from. He may just find more than he bargained for…

I adored this book!

The narrative is split between present day Clayton on his journey, and Pippa back when she first set up the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. Usually I find I prefer one perspective over another, but I loved both!

Pippa is an intelligent and fiesty woman in a man’s world- she uses a pen name when working as crossword setter for The Times, and boy does that disgruntle men who find out..

She sets up the fellowship as a way of bringing like-minded people together, and in doing so creates a haven for lonely puzzlemakers like herself.

Clayton doesn’t have much experience outside of the fellowship, and as we follow him on his journey to his birth parents we experience his wonder, his anxiety and his joy as though those emotions are our own; Clayton’s character jumps off the page and I wish he would as I just wanted to hug him!

“To go further, go together”

Clayton has to deal with the only family he has ever known, some of the smartest people in the country, aging and fading before his eyes. There is a moment near the beginning where Clayton is in a maze with a master maze creator who forgets the way out and my heart splinters..

This novel is a celebration of love in all forms. Pippa creates her own unconventional family in the fellowship, before becoming a mother to Clayton. Clayton adds to his family throughout the novel.

If you have ever felt alone, been an outsider or wanted to find your people, this is the novel for you. If you feel like part of you is missing, like you are an unsolved puzzle, this is for you. If you like solving puzzles, then read this with a pencil handy as you can attempt a puzzle at each new chapter!

A true joy.

Veni, Vidi, Solvi!

This was a lovely story. It’s written in alternating chapters and follows the lives of Pippa (past) and Clayton (present) and the families they create for themselves.
It is well written and the characters are warm and funny. The only criticism I can offer is that the stories are very slow to progress. The cast of supporting characters was rather large as well which made it easy to forget who was who!

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher***

This is a sweet story set in two timelines. The first is from the perspective of Clayton who was left on the doorstep of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers as a baby. He is now in his 20s and Pip who took him in has died, leaving clues should he want to find out more about his heritage.

The other timeline is set in the past and tells how the Fellowship was created.

An interesting book with puzzles within which caused me to take longer than usual to read the book as I was solving them too. I didn’t find them too easy as other reviewers have said but that's going to be due to different intellects and puzzle solving skills I suppose. I found them enjoyable but had to think about them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the DRC

Thanks to Net Galley and Orion for this advance copy. I really enjoyed reading this lovely story and sped through it as it was just so easy and joyous to read. The characters are all brilliant and I enjoyed learning about all their individual stories and how they came to be at the fellowship. It’s a story of friendship, love, loss and hope, with a real adventure at its heart. It has great teachings about what makes up a real family, what to value in life, and that puzzles no matter what they may be are always better solved with friends. In a way it shows our lives are indeed puzzles, with our own pieces that make us unique and who we are. That we should surround ourselves with those who can help work through them and enjoy the ride while we can.

Abandoned as a baby on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzle Makers, Clayton has been raised by Pippa and the greatest minds of puzzle, maze and mystery. Yet his beginnings have always remained a mystery to him...until Pippa's death which sets in motion a chain of puzzles that will ultimately lead to the truth about Clayton's past and the direction of his future.

This book has a whimsical quality and it cleverly flits between Clayton and the current day, and Pippa and the past. It takes a little way to find its way but once it does, this book is a lovely and entertaining read about friendship, family and finding your people.

Thank you to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author Samuel Burr for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

This was such a sweet read that is told over different timelines. It is a story of friendship and finding oneself. Very enjoyable

I would like to thank NetGalley for sending an advanced copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

After reading the synopsis, I expected to love this book but there was just something about it that didn't hit the mark for me. The story follows Clayton, who was brought up by a woman called Pippa when he was found outside by her. We start off the book with Pippa's funeral; Clayton, now lost without his parental figure, has a renewed interest in finding out where he came from. He finds himself following a trail of puzzles left by Pippa that could give him the answers he needs.

The book is told from alternating timelines, which was interesting as you find out more about Clayton in the present and Pippa in the past. I did find it difficult to get into this book because of the slow pacing. I usually enjoy a book with some mystery and intrigue, but this book just wasn't for me.

If you need a big cuddle, read this book. You don't even need to like puzzles to enjoy it. Bonus if you do!

Predominantly, we follow Clayton on his adventure to discover his true parentage after he was abandoned in a hat box. Fortunately for him, he was left on the doorstep of the fellowship of puzzlemakers and raised by none of them as the creator of this fellowship Pip.

The story is told in two time frames in which we also get to learn Pips story and how the fellowship came about.

Characterwise, how could I now find them loveable. I adored the fellowship and the community that had been created. Not to say some of the characters came with their flaws, but it made for such a great story.

This book is heartwarming, endearing, and fantastically written, and I know I'll have this one on my mind for a long time to come.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a really sweet and charming story of friendship, love, self discovery and plenty of puzzles!
It was written in both a dual perspective and dual timeline and the characters were well developed.
It was quirky and cosy and importantly shows that family doesn’t always have to mean blood relations.
Would recommend if you’re after an easy, light, cosy yet fun book!

Pippa is the founding member of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers but has always felt that her life was missing a vital piece, a child. When Pippa finds a newborn baby boy inside a hatbox on her doorstep she takes him in and raises him as her own son with no questions asked.

Sadly Pippa has just died and her son Clayton has the desire to find out who his biological parents are. Pippa being Pippa has left Clayton a series of puzzles and clues for him to follow which will lead him to the answers he desperately seeks…if he can solve them!

My thoughts: Found family, immersive, heartwarming mystery. The book has crosswords, puzzles and clues through which really immerse the reader in the story. I found the characters likeable and the story engaging, I loved trying to solve the puzzles along with Clayton.

This is such a gorgeous story encompassing family, friendship, belonging and grief.
Told in dual narrative through a time slip that spans several decades we learn about the life of Clayton, a little baby who was left in a hat box, and Pippa, the puzzlemaker who rescued him..

Throughout this book there are also puzzles for the reader to solve which adds an extra element of joy to the reading experience.

Samuel Burr has told this story with such beautiful narrative and an eclectic, vibrant cast of characters that it was a real joy to read.