Helpful Score: 2
Several of these are more along the lines of logic puzzles. This book also had something I hadn't seen before - drawings of "paintings" where the reader had to determine which was a forgery and why (based on errors in the contents).
Kayote B. (kayote) reviewed Great Book Of Whodunit Puzzles: Mini-Mysteries For You To Solve on + 254 more book reviews
Hrm.
I like logic puzzles (what order are these folks in from these clues?). And I like solve-it-yourself mysteries.
But when I expect the latter, I'm a bit grumpy to find a book that's mostly the former. And since it's mini-mysteries, they aren't very hard logic puzzles either.
Most of the actual mysteries were pretty good, but I didn't agree with them at times. (An attache case with a key-lock? I have never seen one of those. All of them I've seen are combination. The rest of the solution made sense). It was also a bit annoying that they were written such that there was an obvious alternative--such as in the above mentioned case--go ask the checking room! I know, I know, it's a setup and the point is the puzzle. But I have a preference to ones that are written without an obvious simple way for the detective to solve it. :P Minor point compared to the fact it's mostly a book of little logic puzzles.
And no, it isn't sour grapes. :) I figured out most of the actual mysteries (missed half the solution on one--dang it), and all the logic puzzles I actually worked--I wasn't well stocked with paper, and they were somewhat repetitive. (And the door one had an alternative solution--because the door also stops the cracks, and there are 2 doors, there are multiple orders the door could have been shot in. :P))
It's cute, but it's more for the fan of logic puzzles looking for short ones to test their speed on than for the fan of mini-mysteries looking for mysteries to solve.
I like logic puzzles (what order are these folks in from these clues?). And I like solve-it-yourself mysteries.
But when I expect the latter, I'm a bit grumpy to find a book that's mostly the former. And since it's mini-mysteries, they aren't very hard logic puzzles either.
Most of the actual mysteries were pretty good, but I didn't agree with them at times. (An attache case with a key-lock? I have never seen one of those. All of them I've seen are combination. The rest of the solution made sense). It was also a bit annoying that they were written such that there was an obvious alternative--such as in the above mentioned case--go ask the checking room! I know, I know, it's a setup and the point is the puzzle. But I have a preference to ones that are written without an obvious simple way for the detective to solve it. :P Minor point compared to the fact it's mostly a book of little logic puzzles.
And no, it isn't sour grapes. :) I figured out most of the actual mysteries (missed half the solution on one--dang it), and all the logic puzzles I actually worked--I wasn't well stocked with paper, and they were somewhat repetitive. (And the door one had an alternative solution--because the door also stops the cracks, and there are 2 doors, there are multiple orders the door could have been shot in. :P))
It's cute, but it's more for the fan of logic puzzles looking for short ones to test their speed on than for the fan of mini-mysteries looking for mysteries to solve.
Karen W. (Ilvbooks) reviewed Great Book Of Whodunit Puzzles: Mini-Mysteries For You To Solve on + 275 more book reviews
New book, not read.
