A joyful book about puzzles and breaking out of your comfort zone.
Clayton grew up being looked after by a group of puzzlemakers after being left on their doorstep, he's happy living with the older folk and xould happily stay there, but upon the death of his adoptive mother, he decides to try to find out about his birth parents. She sets him one last puzzle to solve.
This was such a heartwarming read, told in dual timelines between Clayton in the present and Pippa in the lead up to Clayton being found.
The characters were wonderful and the puzzles were fun throughout, not that I could answer any, but I enjoyed the thread of it all.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

A sweet and comforting book about finding yourself, your place and learning who you are with a backdrop of puzzles and a healing scavenger hunt.

This book follows two timelines, one of Pippa as she sets up the fellowship of puzzle makers, her found family and the decades that follow as she establishes the fellowship and their home. The other, Pippa’s adopted son in the immediate days after her death and he seeks to find out who his birth mother was, a task he will undertake by following a series of clues Pippa has left to him.

Loved the puzzle themes to this and the different specialities of the characters such as crossword, jigsaws and mazes. This was fun to solve the clues Pippa had left. The found family was delightful and showed some quite lonely people overcoming their differences to form lifelong bonds rooted in their common love of puzzles.

This is a cosy, comforting book that also explores different manifestations of grief. It was engaging and one I didn’t want to put down.

I didn't love this as much as I thought I would, given the puzzle premise. It's very readable, and there's a positive and feel good uplifting vibe even when things look dark for the future (you sense the supportive cavalry from the start) but it was maybe a bit too black and white for me. It's a very clean plot, and there wasn't as much character ambivalence as I thought it needed - it's very enjoyable, though, and I got immersed in the world.

Published 9th May 2024. This was quirky and charming read told in a dual timeline. Pippa is unmarried and a crossword lover - in fact she submits crosswords to a newspaper under a pseudonym. Believing that there must be more people like her, she decides to start a society, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and is joined by a maze-maker, a code-breaker, a jigsaw maker to name just some. As the group age, they all move into a big country house with outbuildings for them all to set up workshops, and where they can live in a community. This journey, the start of the group is one of the timelines. The second timeline follows Clayton. Sometime after the group moved into the country house, Pippa opened the door one morning and found a baby in a hatbox - Clayton. The group brought him up and now at 25, Pippa, the person Clayton always thought of as his mother has died and he decides that it is time to solve his own puzzle - the truth about his birth parents. Pippa, however, has foreseen this and after her death he finds that she has left him a series of puzzles that he hopes will lead to the truth. The second timeline follows Clayton's journey. It is a nice gentle read and there are plenty of puzzles scattered throughout for you to stop at and try and solve if you want to. I did. An enjoyable read with some very likeable characters.

It's a quirky charming little read.
At the beginning I thought I'd really love it. But sadly it fell a little flat for me.

I had been so desperate to read this book that I was tempted to skip all of my earlier ARCs to get to it. But I held off. And now it's go-time!

This was instant joy from the first page. I might be a bit bias, seeing as I have Samuel on Twitter and have followed all the praise he's been getting, and so I expected to live it, but it's always gratifying when your initial opinions are proven. It was familiar, like a hot tea in your favourite mug, sat in your favourite armchair, in your favourite slippers, with your favourite radio station on, next to your favourite person. And it is this familiarity that made it so cosy and warm and gorgeous.

I like a puzzle as much as the next person - a good crossword or codebreaker - but who knew there was so much interesting about them to form the basis of a novel?!

There's many characters, and I don't have the time to go through them all and so I will pick Clayton, our protagonist, to talk about. He's an old soul in a young body, much like I have described myself over the years. He is such a perfect creation. There was something clearly going on with him; he was abandoned, and so, we assume, unwanted, and yet he is brought up and wanted so much by the residents of the fellowship. He is only in his 20s and yet appears the same as those in their 80s. He's shy and quiet and a bit awkward, and yet he shines off the page like a star. He is a very conflicting character in himself, and I think Samuel has written him brilliantly.

It flits between the present day, and the time where the fellowship was founded. This could have been complicated and jarring, but it flows so well. The present scenes are almost finished with a hint of the past scenes - although it's not as obvious as that. It's like...you read the past scene, and then you realise the goings on, the conversation, the emotions, the characters...they'd been mentioned in the previous present scene. I hope that makes sense. I know what I mean anyway. But I found both time periods fascinating to read.

I found myself totally absorbed in it. I wanted to slow down so I could savour it, as I'd waited so long to read it, but it was so good that I wanted to rush through it, to read more, and I ended up finishing it in less than 24 hours. It was torture having to put it down.

It is a beautiful book. Full of joy and hope, and it is very uplifting. I read it with a smile on my face. And yet it doesn't hide from the more difficult topics, such as old age, death, grief, loneliness, abandonment, relationship difficulties, the idea of family, the loss of dreams, financial problems, sexuality. All things that the average reader will experience at some point in their life, and it is this realism that backs up the magic in this story.

It is rare to get a book that is so warming and uplifting, that is such a happy book (not all the way through, but mostly), and yet still manage to be interesting, entertaining, and well-written, not too sugary sweet or sappy. It is, quite simply, a triumph, and I look forward to what Samuel writes next.

Pippa is a crossword creator, who decides to establish the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers alongside other puzzle creators. She buys her former family home, and the group set themselves up a business and lifestyle. When a baby boy is left on the doorstep of the mansion, Pippa raises him as her own son. The story is told with a dual timeline - Pippa's story, and that of Clayton, the baby who was abandoned. Clayton finds himself following a series of puzzles left to him by Pippa after her death, with the hope they'll lead him to his birth parents.

An enjoyable read, I loved the puzzles scattered throughout - some were easier to solve than others, but all were relevant to the story. I would have liked a longer ending, it felt quite abrupt and the characters seemed very accepting, but it was nonetheless a good fun read with a fabulous cast of eccentric characters.

This book chronicles the creation of a group for people who love puzzles of all types and the ultimate puzzle - the parentage of the baby left outside their Headquarters. It is a lovely gentle mystery populated with the most diverse cast of characters who become a family of their own making. It is the sort of a book that can be inhaled in one sitting I really enjoyed it. There are some references to how love can be many things and how in order to live life to its full you have to step out of your comfort zone. You could be side tracked by trying to solve the puzzles- some more difficult than others but whilst these add another dimension to the book their solution is evidenced within the narrative.

I would definitely read more by this authort

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers are a group of people who create puzzles for a living - from cryptic crosswords, to mazes and jigsaws. When a baby is left on their doorstep the group raises him as their own. Named Clayton Stumper, he's goes on to search for his birth mother and had to solve a number of puzzles set by his deceased adoptive mother.

This is a lovely cosy story, with a fun cast of characters and the added challenge of trying to solve the puzzles along the way. I read this in less than a day, it's a good one to read cosied up at home on a rainy day!

Charmed is how I would describe reading this novel, which I had access to in December, months before its publication date. For a puzzle fan, the title was enough to have me delving in… and it’s worth it. Clayton is 25 and feels like he’s on his own in the world, despite having had an unexpected upbringing in a community of like-minded individuals (puzzle lovers). But he wants to know where he really comes from – after being abandoned in a hat box as a baby – and his adoptive mother, Pippa, has left him one final puzzle to reveal all. The celebrated crossword compiler is no longer here, but her friends are, and they want to help Clayton find out about his parentage and his past. With plenty of puzzles and clues along the way, can he find what he so badly wants to learn? And what will be learn in the process? It’s just gorgeous: wholesome, heartwarming, funny, bittersweet and endearing.

Excellent intriguing well written book.

Clayton really began his own search for what was important when his surrogate mother passed away.

I could not help but try to solve the puzzles when they cropped up in the book.

A lovely warm read with nice characters, introduced.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

"Clayton Stumper might be twenty-six years old, but he dresses like your grandpa and drinks sherry like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution."

This is the story of how his guardians and the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers help him to find out where he came from and therefore find the love and support that the death of his beloved Pippa has taken away.
I loved the idea of different puzzlers and quizzers hiding themselves away in a ruined house to make puzzles, how they worked together veni vidi solvi, and how the challenge is in the solving and not the solution.

A really engaging and quirky read.

I didn't love this as much as I thought I would, given the puzzle premise. It's very readable, and there's a positive and feel good uplifting vibe even when things look dark for the future (you sense the supportive cavalry from the start) but it was maybe a bit too black and white for me. It's a very clean plot, and there wasn't as much character ambivalence as I thought it needed - it's very enjoyable, though, and I got immersed in the world.

When Clayton Stumper’s guardian, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away he decides that it is the right time to try and find out about the parents who abandoned him as a baby on the steps of Creighton Hall, the home of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers.

The Fellowship Of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr is a wonderfully uplifting read, although there are times when it will tug at your heartstrings. The story is filled with engaging characters, a puzzle or two, and a mystery along the way.

The story opens with Pippa discovering a hatbox on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, the home she shares with other like-minded people. The box contains a baby boy, only a few days old. Pippa has no children of her own, has never married and at sixty-seven is a little old to be thinking about raising a child but, she knows she will have the help and support of the other residents of The Fellowship Of Puzzlemakers.

We then jump back to 1979 and learn about how Pippa founded The Fellowship. Pippa is a well-known compiler of cryptic crosswords, although she hides behind a masculine pseudonym. Knowing that there must be like-minded people out there she decides to form a club in the upstairs room of a pub. She is surprised by the variety of people that turn up, many of whom feature throughout the remainder of the story. The meeting becomes a regular event and after a few years Pippa comes up with the idea of buying her ancestral home, Creighton Hall, to form a type of commune for some of the members of The Fellowship.

It is not a surprise that Pippa decides to form a commune, she sees like-minded people who accept her for who she is and her accomplishments. Despite being presentable her intelligence has always frightened ordinary men and she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. As a result of this, she’s a little lonely. You get the impression that the men who make up the majority of The Fellowship are loners too. What Pippa offers them is a sense of community, a family.

As we learn about the establishment of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers the story we also follow Clayton on his quest for information. At twenty-five he’s had a fairly sheltered upbringing, surrounded by the elderly residents of The Fellowship. Clayton doesn’t resent them for this, he’s always been happy, it is only recently that he’s begun to wonder about his parentage. Pippa always knew this day would come so prepared a series of puzzles for Clayton to follow.

For Clayton, this is a voyage of self-discovery as he leaves the warmth and protection of The Fellowship. You can feel his trepidation, he has no idea of where the journey will lead him or who he will meet. As Clayton follows the clues laid out for him, he meets new people along the way, some of whom will have quite an impact on his life. He also learns a little bit more about Pippa.

There is heartbreak along the way, I became so invested in these characters that I felt the pain. You also feel immense sympathy towards Pippa when she feels as if she has let the rest of The Fellowship down because she struggles to relinquish control or ask for help.

As Clayton finally gets the answers he was looking for and Pippa learns that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness we realise that family isn’t necessarily the one you are born into. Family can take many guises, it’s the people who love and nurture you, accepting you no matter what.

When I picked this book I had no preconceptions. It's not a usual genre I go for but after reading the premise I was intrigued.

The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers is a triumph of a debut. The story flowed wonderfully and there were so many twists and turns (just like Earl's Maze) I honestly had no clue where the mystery was going. Just when I thought I'd worked something out I was thrown. It was one of those novels that I read until I drifted off because I was desperate to know what happened next. It's a gorgeous story of found family and some of the puzzles that were included in it I had never heard of in my life. I am ashamed to say I got lots of the answers wrong but I liked the way they were included so you could play along with the characters.

All and all I would highly recommend this book and Samuel Burr will now become a firm favourite author of mine.

A beautifully written quirky book about a group of 'puzzlemakers' who find a baby in a hatbox left on their doorstep. Written in two timelines we trace Pippa, the main puzzler and Clayton, the baby's histories. A thoroughly enjoyable feel good story. The book comes complete with some puzzles- and thankfully the answers too. Thank you to the author, netgalley and the publisher for an arc that I would be happy to recommend.

Oh my I so much enjoyed everything about this read it has everything I love in a book and makes me always grateful to an author for giving me the chance to get completely absorbed in a wonderful story.
Impossible to describe so I’m not going to try this is a story about so many things but at its heart it about love and love of so many things not just people, but caring for one another, life, companionship, and of course fellowship and puzzles !!
It’s a beautifully written book and has a whole bunch of fabulous characters each having a story to tell especially Clayton and his quest to find out who his mother and father are and why he was left on the doorstep of the Fellowship.
So a a book I cannot fault it was one that just kept giving and a massive thank you to Samuel Burr for a superb 5 star read and I hope for more in the future.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.