The Puzzle Master


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The Puzzle Master is a tantalizing, addictive thriller in which humankind, technology, and the future of the universe itself are at stake.

Coming out June 13th, 2023


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All the world is a puzzle, and Mike Brink—a celebrated and ingenious puzzle constructor—understands its patterns like no one else. Once a promising Midwestern football star, Brink was transformed by a traumatic brain injury that caused a rare medical condition: acquired savant syndrome. The injury left him with a mental superpower—he can solve puzzles in ways ordinary people can’t. But it also left him deeply isolated, unable to fully connect with other people.

Everything changes after Brink meets Jess Price, a woman serving thirty years in prison for murder who hasn’t spoken a word since her arrest five years before. When Price draws a perplexing puzzle, her psychiatrist believes it will explain her crime and calls Brink to solve it. What begins as a desire to crack an alluring cipher quickly morphs into an obsession with Price herself. She soon reveals that there is something more urgent, and more dangerous, behind her silence, thrusting Brink into a hunt for the truth.

The quest takes Brink through a series of interlocking enigmas, but the heart of the mystery is the God Puzzle, a cryptic ancient prayer circle created by the thirteenth-century Jewish mystic Abraham Abulafia. As Brink navigates a maze of clues, and his emotional entanglement with Price becomes more intense, he realizes that there are powerful forces at work that he cannot escape.

Ranging from an upstate New York women’s prison to nineteenth-century Prague to the secret rooms of the Pierpont Morgan Library, The Puzzle Master is a tantalizing, addictive thriller in which humankind, technology, and the future of the universe itself are at stake.


Dan Brown and Danielle Trussoni discuss The Puzzle Master



Podcasts that feature The Puzzle Master


05/05/2023 - The ARC Party!

Praise for the book:


“Utterly absorbing . . . The ‘master’ of the title isn’t the only master here. The word applies equally to the author of this fabulous novel.”
Justin Cronin, author of The Passage Trilogy
“My kind of thriller.”
Steve Berry, author of The Last Kingdom
“The Puzzle Master is a riveting, beautifully layered, fast-paced page-turner. You’ll want to clear your calendar for this one.”
Janelle Brown, author of Pretty Things

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From Danielle’s Notes


Danielle had to delve deep into the world of ancient puzzles and numerology in order to create the complex web of riddles that make up "The Puzzle Master".

From books on hebrew numerals and arithmosophy, Danielle gleaned insights into the hidden meanings behind numbers - a skill which would prove invaluable when designing her book's many enigmas. And let us not forget the Victorian era wooden artwork, with its ornate carvings and intricate patterns - surely an inspiration for some of the book's more elaborate brain teasers.

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But what really sets "The Puzzle Master" apart is not just its clever use of ancient knowledge but also how it incorporates these elements seamlessly into a gripping narrative. If you're curious about how all this research came together to form such an engaging story, here are some notes from Danielle herself during the writing of The Puzzle Master - detailing her thought process as she pieced together both puzzle and plot alike.

So if you're looking for a challenge that will test your wits while keeping you thoroughly entertained, look no further than The Puzzle Master. With its rich historical backdrop and expertly crafted puzzles, it is sure to delight even the most discerning puzzler or reader.


The hero of The Puzzle Master

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Mike Brink

Once a promising Midwestern football star, Brink was transformed by a traumatic brain injury that caused a rare medical condition: Acquired Savant Syndrome. The injury left him with a mental superpower—he can solve puzzles, calculate equations, and see patterns in ways ordinary people can’t. But his condition has also left him deeply isolated, unable to fully connect with other people.


Acquired Savant Syndrome

Some theories suggest that the brain injury or disease may damage certain areas of the brain while simultaneously activating or enhancing others, leading to the emergence of new abilities. Others suggest that the abilities may have been present all along, but were not previously noticeable or utilized due to their being suppressed by other brain functions.

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