When it comes to the term puzzle novel, I’m going to cast a wide net here. There are novels with puzzles incorporated into the plot and then there are novels with very puzzling plots (but in the good head-scratching way, not the what-the-hell-was-this-author-thinking way). The novels with puzzling plots category could even include most mysteries since a mystery is, at its heart, nothing but a puzzle. So, the following unordered list contains some of each, but I may not tell you which is which. Surprise is, after all, half the fun of reading. In my opinion, these are all books for the intelligent reader, if that isn’t redundant. Coincidentally, many of these books are also debut novels.
The Raw Shark Texts by Stephen Hall
Several years ago, I was taking a creative writing course and working on The Language of the Birds, when one of the instructors said that my work reminded them of The Raw Shark Texts. Clearly, I had to read it. And I loved it. Few books can tackle hefty topics such as memory, identity, and grief while doing so with such a unique storyline. A cat-and-mouse hunting expedition for a voracious memory-eating predator, this funny, emotional, page-turning thriller is equal parts Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Franz Kafka. Conceptually brilliant, The Raw Shark Texts was Steven Hall’s first novel and won the Borders Original Voices Award, the Somerset Maugham Award and was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
While the puzzles in The Wishing Game may play a relatively minor role, it would feel remiss to exclude it from my list. Featuring a puzzling competition created by a wealthy reclusive (something you will also find in the next book on this list), Meg Shaffer’s debut is a lovely story full of imagination and hope. It is also a paean to books, and especially to those books that touch us at a young age. Some puzzles in novels (including my own) are so complex as to be virtually impossible for the reader to solve, so the reader must merely follow the logic of the brilliant protagonist and be awed by their ingenuity. I think The Wishing Game is different in that many readers should be able to solve the puzzles themselves, providing a fun reward above and beyond that of the compelling and heartwarming story itself.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This bestseller, also made into a movie by Steven Spielberg, is a joyride of a treasure hunt through puzzles, pop culture, and gameplay. In all due deference to the author, whose pop culture knowledge vastly exceeds that of most of us mere mortals, I expect that most readers won’t be able to solve the pop-culture-packed puzzles found within, but that doesn’t take anything away from the enjoyment of this read. This story is a win-win, the opposite of the Kobayashi Maru, and if you know that reference this book is for you (rhyme neither intended nor regretted).
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
I must confess to being a little lost in the woods when this debut novel took the first of its turns. But boy was I lost in an atmospheric and utterly compelling place. And the feeling didn’t last, quickly replaced by intrigue and wonderment. This is another mind-bindingly original idea, a brilliant genre-blending twist on the classic whodunnit. I am loathe to say much more to avoid any spoilers but suffice it to say that I would be genuinely shocked if you can predict the ending of this one. Brilliantly conceived and flawlessly executed, this book earned its place on too many best-of lists to name here.
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
A brilliantly clever, mind-bending mystery, The Twyford Code is a page-turning scavenger hunt chock full of puzzles, red herrings, and an endearing protagonist you will not soon forget. I must confess to holding The Twyford Code in a special place as it was one of the three comps (comparable titles) that I used when querying agents for The Language of the Birds manuscript (you won’t find my other two comps on this list). While discussing The Twyford Code, I should also mention The Appeal, Hallett’s debut novel. The Twyford Code might be considered more puzzle-oriented, whereas The Appeal is more of a puzzling twist on a classic whodunnit. But both stories are presented to the reader in strikingly original ways.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Another book recommended to me by a creative writing instructor while I was working on The Language of the Birds, this book has so much going for it that it’s honestly hard to know where to begin. A 15-year-old boy with a very distinctive perspective investigates the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog. Filled with humor, heart, and told from an exceptionally unique perspective, this is a truly remarkable story. I think it’s fair to say that it has one of the most memorable and impressive narrative voices that I’ve ever read. A must-read and a modern classic.
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I hope you find as much delight in the pages of these books as I did. Enjoy!
