LoveReading Says
‘Life is more complicated than any challenge I could set. Each of the solutions that make up this grid are the foundations of a fulfilling life, a happy life. So don’t just solve these clues, seek them out, experience them.’
If you like stories of communities of kindly eccentrics, you’ll enjoy meeting the uniquely clever and quirky fellowship – a cast who includes a labyrinth maker, jigsaw illustrator, wartime code-cracker, and, centrally, to Clay, a 25-year-old man who grew up with these fellows for adoptive family.
We open with the funeral of matriarch and founder of the Fellowship, Pippa, who was also an adoptive mother to old-before-his-time Clay. Her last gift to Clay is also her last puzzle – a crossword which has clues to help him find his biological parents and secret to his past, if he wants to solve them. I think fans of cosy crime who want some time away from murders will enjoy pursuing the story of how Clay came to be adopted by the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers.
Throughout there are real embedded puzzles – crosswords, anagrams, etc – which the reader can play along with. (I confess I am generally incompetent at puzzles, so can confirm you can also engage in the story without needing to pause to fiddle about with these clues if you don’t want to!)
Lily Lindon
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The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers Synopsis
Sometimes finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all...
Clayton Stumper is an enigma.
He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt.
Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by the sharpest minds in the British Isles and finds himself amongst the last survivors of a fading institution.
When the esteemed crossword compiler, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle to him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for his future.
Yet as Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve - and it's a secret that will change everything...
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781398712300 |
| Publication date: |
9th May 2024 |
| Author: |
Samuel Burr |
| Publisher: |
Orion an imprint of Orion Publishing Co |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
368 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Samuel Burr Press Reviews
Utterly beautiful, such a wonderful story told with kindness, elegance and understanding. - JOANNA CANNON
A real breath of fresh air, Samuel Burr's debut novel is one of those rare books that seems to arrive just when it's needed the most. - AJ PEARCE
Clever & layered, a secret that keeps you turning the pages, & most of all real, flawed characters. - GEORGINA MOORE
Bursting with love and hope . . . This is the kind of book the world needs right now. - JENNIE GODFREY
From crossword clues and codes to the biggest puzzle of all: who we really are. [This novel] is infused with warmth and a sense of community. A joy. - S.J BENNETT
Fiendishly clever, intricately plotted and beautifully written, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a classic in the making. - VERONICA HENRY
A dazzling and unique debut. - SARAH J. HARRIS
Samuel Burr has created a delightful conundrum that he unpicks with wit and empathy. A puzzle that's a treat to complete! - BETH MORREY
Such a perfect blend of found family . . . A gem of a book. - KRISTEN PERRIN
'Bursting with humour, humanity and wit. A delightful treat for puzzle fans and anyone who has a heart' - JANICE HALLETT
Full of the most enchanting characters - ANTSEY HARRIS
With this book, Burr establishes himself as one of the most important writers of his generation. - AWAIS KHAN
Very special. It's original, quirky and adorable. - MATT CAIN
A lovely read - warm, amusing and engaging. There is abundant pleasure on offer here - ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH, Author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
An intriguing story of love and family . . . Funny, wise and revealing - KEITH STUART
Brilliant, funny, clever, quirky - ERICKA WALLER
