Kayote B. (kayote) reviewed on 1/8/2009 + 254 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I do enjoy solve-it-yourself mysteries.

However, I'm slowly learning Stanwick is not a solve-it-yourself mystery lead, at least not mostly. These are logic puzzles. I like both, but it annoys me when I settle down for one and mostly get the other. Solve-it-yourself I sit down in a chair with my feet up and expect to pretend to be realistic. Logic puzzles I sit at a table with paper and pencil and expect some randomness.

However, this time, I grumbled a bit as I hit the first "half these statements are true half are false" full of randomness and facts easily checked, then got out my paper & pencil. (There are too many of those type and the 'lies always, lies never'--got very repetitive).

For logic puzzles, they were fun (if as mentioned, heavy on one type that isn't my favorite type to start with). I enjoyed the ID the robbers & reindeer. I just wish it was clearer what type of book it was.

The few actual solve it yourself mysteries were well done. I especially liked the chessboard puzzle--that was new and different (though perhaps defining the type of chess was a bit much--but that was the only way I solved it-I knew the rest of the info). So I guess calling it a logic puzzle book would be incomplete--but there were more logic puzzles than solve-its.

Enjoyable book, but trying to cram logic puzzles into the format of solve it yourself is a bit straining to read--the puzzle is fine (when in the mood for that type of puzzle) the text around is a bit much.

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