The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers

Description

An extraordinary, gloriously uplifting novel about the power of friendship and the puzzling ties that bind us

Clayton Stumper might be in his twenties, but he dresses like your grandpa and fusses 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.

When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton’s life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. So begins Clay’s quest to uncover the secrets surrounding his birth, secrets that will change Clay—and the Fellowship—forever.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is pure joy, a story about love and family and what it means to find your people—no matter what age you are.“A lovely read–warm, amusing and engaging. There is abundant pleasure on offer here.”
—Alexander McCall Smith, bestselling author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series
 
“I LOVE THIS BOOK! I knew I loved it in the first few pages, and stayed head over heels until the very end. Romance, puzzles, and cats? Yes, please!”
—Helen Ellis, author of Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge

“The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a big-hearted story of family, community and the joy of human connection. Following Clayton as he solves the clues – sometimes reaching dead ends, sometimes making valuable discoveries – we experience the delights to be found in a cleverly-constructed puzzle. The lessons Clayton learns along the way are ones we all could do with being reminded of from time to time. A story that pulled me along with its gusto while touching my heart. Lovely!”
—Sarah Haywood, bestselling author of The Cactus

“An utterly charming and thoroughly captivating read, and a stunningly assured debut. Prepare to fall in love with the enigma that is Clayton Stumper.”
— S.J. Watson, bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep
 
“The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is such an intriguing story of love and family, told beautifully through the medium of play and puzzle-solving. Samuel Burr has done the seemingly impossible and found a whole new way to be funny, wise and revealing about relationships and what a mystery they are.”
—Keith Stuart, author of A Boy Made of Blocks

“The book’s sweet-tempered storytelling and game-playing element are appealing and its characters good company.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“This story is a puzzle-lover’s delight, from crossword clues and codes to the biggest puzzle of all: who we really are. It’s infused with warmth and a sense of community. A joy.”
—S.J. Bennett, author of the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series
 
“The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is such a warm hug! I loved the quirky characters, wit, and mystery all wrapped up in creative puzzles. Such a perfect blend of found family, messages of connection and how important it is not to overlook people. A gem of a book.”
——Kristen Perrin, author of How To Solve Your Own Murder
 
“A ripping yarn full of warmth and wonder, with a splendidly oddball cast, Samuel Burr has created a delightful conundrum that he unpicks with wit and empathy. A puzzle that’s a treat to complete!”
—Beth Morrey, author of Delphine Jones Takes a Chance
 
“Utterly beautiful, such a wonderful story told with kindness, elegance and understanding. I am genuinely devastated to leave Pip and the gang behind! An explorations of identity, belonging… and love. I absolutely adored it.”
—Joanna Cannon, author of Three Things about Elsie
 
“Warm and joyful, clever & layered, a secret that keeps you turning the pages, & most of all real, flawed characters.”
—Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls
 
“Fiendishly clever, intricately plotted and beautifully written, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a classic in the making. I fell in love with every member of The Fellowship. It’s also great fun. Samuel Burr is a genius!”
—Veronica Henry, author of How to Find Love in a Book Shop
 
“A dazzling and unique debut. This joyous, beautiful book about love and friendship contains a satisfying mystery and will lift your spirits.”
—Sarah J. Harris, author of The Color of Bee Larkham’s Murder
 
“Full of the most enchanting characters.”
—Anstey Harris, author of When I First Held You
 
“Bursting with love and hope. I laughed, cried, loved every single character and was just swept away into the most beautifully drawn world. This is the kind of book the world needs right now, it’s just gorgeous.”
—Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
 
“Beautiful, uplifting and inspiring, this is a book that deserves to be read and then reread. I simply could not put this down. With this book, Burr establishes himself as one of the most important writers of his generation.”
—Awais Khan, author of Someone Like Her
 
“Very special. It’s original, quirky and adorable – and it has added puzzles!”
—Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

“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. Hugely uplifting, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a wonderful story full of kindness, intelligence and warmth.”
—AJ Pearce, author of Mrs. Porter Calling

“Richly detailed and beautifully imaginative, this charming debut will have readers sharpening their puzzling pencils.”
—Abbie Greaves, author of The Silent Treatment

“Irresistibly charming, devilishly inventive . . . a total treat.”
—Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the EggSamuel 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.Teeming with heart, humor, and lovably eccentric characters, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a moving, wildly clever, and life-affirming triumph about finding one’s place in the world.
 
Right up until her death at age ninety-two, life was a fabulous puzzle for crossword doyenne Pippa Allsbrook. The missing piece was Clayton. He’s the infant she found tucked in a hatbox twenty-five years earlier and raised among the brainiest, quirkiest extended family a boy could imagine: the riddlers, jigsaw artists, maze designers, and codebreakers in Pippa’s collective, the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers.
 
It’s so like Pippa to leave Clayton with one last puzzle: that of his own personal history and the fates that led him to the Fellowship. For Clayton, this is his chance to figure out where in the world he belongs. Clue by clue, he’s also discovering more about Pippa’s past and where his future lies. Like all great puzzles, it won’t be simple. But nothing worth solving ever is. The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a poignant and exuberant debut novel about finding human connections at the crosswords of life.
 
The following questions are designed to enrich your book club’s discussion of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and illuminate its themes of family, secrets, and coming of age—no matter how late that might be.

1. In Pippa’s Fellowship, she found her people. In what ways does the Fellowship mirror the communal experience and commonalities of your own reading group?
 
2. One of the first challenges for the Fellowship (and for readers) is the cryptogram on page 40. How many of you tried to solve it before reading on? And in what ways does the solution—In the end we only regret the chances we didn’t take—reflect the journeys of the characters?
 
3. On page 5, Pippa describes finding the infant Clayton as “miraculous” and a “solution she’d spent a lifetime searching for.” To what problem in Pippa’s life is his appearance a solution?
 
4. At first, Clayton bristles at the idea of Pippa’s game “from the beyond the grave” (on page 9) Why does Pippa think Clayton still needs to be challenged?
 
5. The motto of Pippa, the cryptic queen, is Veni, Vidi, Solvi—I Came, I Saw, I Solved (on page 23). That certainly sums up the Fellowship, but how does it also apply to life?
 
6. Though brilliantly skilled, Pippa says that in her younger years she always felt invisible. In what ways does establishing the Fellowship finally make her feel seen?
 
7. The puzzles, mazes, and brain games of the Fellowship aren’t just for enjoyment’s sake; they help, as Pippa says on page 31, to make “sense of the world around us.” How is that true of the word games you yourself indulge in for fun?  

8. On the one hand, Clayton is intrigued about following his mother’s clues toward the discovery of his past. That’s understandable. But do you also understand his apprehension?
 
9. Clayton, having been raised among people considerably older than him, dresses, feels, and acts older than he is. In what ways does he still have growing up to do? Other than his biological parenthood, what aspects of life has he yet to learn and discover?
 
10. Operating in a man’s world, Pippa took joy in confounding people’s expectations of her. When was the last time you confounded someone else’s expectations? How did it play out for you?
 
11. One of the reasons for the Fellowship partaking in puzzles is the pleasure of routine. What routines do you have in your life? What are the ones you’re unconscious of? Aware of? And those you can’t imagine living without?
 
12. Why do you think Clayton has difficulty in making human connections? In your own life, even in this reading group, are you eager to make new connections? Or do you tend to wait for someone else to do the connecting?

13. Clue words during Clayton’s quest include adventures, appearance, dared, anger, remorse, and anew. How did they apply to Clayton in his quest?

14. Ultimately, Pippa just wanted Clayton to find a zest for life. Why did she think he’d lost it? How did she help? In what ways did Clayton help himself on his journey of self-discovery?

15. In the end, Pippa wonders if there is one clear path to happiness or, as Earl the mazemaker puts it on page 321, it’s a matter of “moving forwards or backwards, sideways even.” How true is that of Pippa’s and Clayton’s journeys?

16. Before reading the novel, were you already a “gamer”? Or were the cryptograms, word games, crosswords, mazes, and brain teasers something new for you?

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