At this week’s Books and Bakes session, the group explored The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr—a warm, imaginative novel that sparked both curiosity and heartfelt conversation.
The story follows Clayton Stumper, a young man raised within a quirky and close-knit community of puzzle makers. As he grows older, Clayton begins to question his origins and sets out on a journey to uncover the truth about his past. Along the way, the reader is drawn into a world of riddles, mystery, and gentle humour, woven together with themes of belonging, identity, and the importance of connection.
The book’s unique concept immediately caught the group’s attention. The idea of a “fellowship” built around shared interests and creativity led to discussions about the different types of communities people find themselves part of throughout life—whether through work, hobbies, or shared experiences.
As the conversation unfolded, many reflected on the importance of having something that brings people together. For some, that might be a love of reading, for others it might be music, craft, or simply a place to meet and talk. The story prompted thoughtful discussion about how these connections can shape our sense of identity and belonging over time.
The puzzle element of the book also added a playful dimension to the session. It sparked light-hearted conversation about favourite puzzles, pastimes, and the satisfaction of solving something challenging—whether that’s a crossword, a jigsaw, or even a real-life problem. There was a shared sense of enjoyment in exploring how curiosity continues to play a role at every stage of life.
At its heart, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is a story about finding your place in the world and understanding where you come from. This resonated strongly with the group, leading to gentle reflections on personal journeys, life changes, and the people who support us along the way.
As always, Books and Bakes provided a welcoming space for open conversation, shared perspectives, and meaningful connection. This session was a reminder that stories—whether complex mysteries or simple tales—can open the door to rich and varied discussions.
It was a thoughtful and uplifting session, filled with curiosity, conversation, and a shared appreciation for the power of storytelling.
3 Comments
Jen Hamilton · May 15, 2026 at 9:02 am
I found the book too disjointed I don’t do puzzles so I found this aspect perplexing I enjoyed the idea that blood doesn’t constitute family and the idea of communities looking out for each other I’ll be honest I didn’t finish it not my cup of tea
Joyce Bead · May 16, 2026 at 6:43 pm
I was looking forward to reading this book – the idea of puzzle solving was so unusual. At times I found the long list of characters and some occasion puzzle – specific vocabulary quite distracting when I paused to check the index or a dictionary. But I soon stopped needing to interrupt reading .
Having puzzles interspersed throughout the story worked well, I thought . It didn’t take long for me to identify with the main characters.
The story was well written, giving considerable insight into characters’ hopes, motives and personalities.
I was delighted to find that I’d been able to solve the mystery of Clayton’s parentage, a novel experience for me.
I found it an enjoyable read .
Kathryn Hoey · May 21, 2026 at 1:22 pm
The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers by Samuel Burr follows Clay ton Stumper, raised by a group of elderly eccentric puzzle experts, as he sets out to solve the mystery of his origin.
Even though this month’s book was an easy read, and on a subject that I really enjoy – puzzles, I didn’t enjoy it very much. In fact it was a huge disappointment.
For a start, the pace of the story was extremely slow. The fact the story constantly switches between past and present didn’t help. It made it really hard to connect to the main characters.
The way the book was set out also puzzled me – some of the chapters had headings eg Chapter 1 Chapter 6 but some didn’t have any headings. What was that all about?
However, I did enjoy the fact there were some puzzles within the novel for the reader to try and solve. That was a nice touch.
The fact Clayton Stumper’s parentage wasn’t revealed until the end of the story was quite frustrating – I thought that was the main aim of the story.
The mystery of his parentage was a disappointment to say the least – Clayton should have just taken a DNA test and be done with it !
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