The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers

The extraordinary, gloriously uplifting and hotly-anticipated debut novel from Samuel Burr

'Utterly beautiful. I adored it' JOANNA CANNON

'Hugely uplifting and wonderful' AJ PEARCE

'A ripping yarn full of warmth and wonder' BETH MORREY

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...

Utterly beautiful, such a wonderful story told with kindness, elegance and understanding JOANNA CANNON Truly heartwarming [...] the idea of puzzling as a way to make sense of the world and forge connections with others is celebrated with tenderness THE TIMES A real breath of fresh air, one of those rare books that seems to arrive just when it's needed the most A J PEARCE A life-affirming gem HEAT Magazine Just gorgeous: wholesome, heartwarming, funny, bittersweet and endearing Belfast Telegraph Clever & layered, a secret that keeps you turning the pages, & most of all real, flawed characters GEORGINA MOORE Bursting with love and hope . . . the kind of book the world needs right now JENNIE GODFREY A gorgeously quirky read GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Infused with warmth and a sense of community. A joy S. J. BENNETT Fiendishly clever, intricately plotted and beautifully written. A classic in the making VERONICA HENRY A dazzling and unique debut SARAH J. HARRIS A delightful conundrum that he unpicks with wit and empathy. A puzzle that's a treat to complete BETH MORREY A gem of a book KRISTEN PERRIN Bursting with humour, humanity and wit. A delightful treat JANICE HALLETT Full of the most enchanting characters ANSTEY HARRIS 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 An intriguing story of love and family . . . Funny, wise and revealing KEITH STUART Brilliant, funny, clever, quirky ERICKA WALLER Rich with emotion and intrigue. If you enjoy mysteries and puzzles, this will keep you guessing and eagerly turning the pages until the very end YOURS Magazine 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 A warm, clever, hopeful novel. JENNIE GODFREY 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

Samuel Burr is a TV producer who has worked on popular factual shows including the BAFTA-nominated Secret Life of 4-Year-Olds. Samuel's writing was selected for Penguin's WriteNow scheme and in 2021 he graduated from the Faber Academy. He previously studied at Westminster Film School.

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