Our second National Puzzle month showcase is on Murdle in the Hedge Maze from Chronicle Books. We are reviewing jigsaw puzzles all month long, so stay tuned. Murdle in the Hedge Maze is one of the best types of puzzles: two in one. First you solve the jigsaw puzzle, and then you solve the murder. That’s right. Murder!
Murdle in the Hedge Maze is based on the popular Murdle puzzle books series, published by St. Martin’s Press. Murdle puzzles are mini logic puzzles and each of the books is full of 2-page puzzles, each with its own solving grid. They are great puzzles to work on without needing a screen – great for bedtime solving!
Murdle in the Hedge Maze takes that puzzle style and adds it to a jigsaw puzzle. But this is no ordinary jigsaw puzzle. There is no image to build from. You have to figure out the image on your own. And It’s a hedge maze! This is a great puzzle for advanced jigsaw puzzlers and a real challenge for the rest of us.
TOP TIP: A puzzle sorter really helps with an imageless puzzle. I was able to sort by color and by different types of images within the pieces, which helped me build the puzzle without the image.
Once you’ve completed the puzzle (as always, we are spoiler-free, so we can’t show a picture of the completed puzzle), you can start solving the murder. The text of the logic puzzle is printed on the inside of the box. Make note of all of the details, because they will help you solve the murder. Every detail matters, even if it’s a negative fact (i.e., rather than being a positive fact – the suspect is a Capricorn – the fact exposes who does not match the solution – the murderer is known to be male, but the suspect is female). The Detective Notebook includes 24 deduction grids, so, even if you’re puzzling with a lot of people, you’ll each be able to come to your own solution, if you want.
TOP TIP: Okay – Here’s a hack if you’re struggling with the jigsaw puzzle. There is an envelope in the box that can be opened three times. If you just open the flap, a clue is revealed. If you open the next fold, you’ll see the puzzle image. If you open the third and final flap, it will reveal the solution (murderer, weapon, location). If you use the envelope to see the puzzle image, be careful not to open the envelope completely or you’ll spoil the logic puzzle.
Chronicle Books is well-known for its gorgeous books and that attention to detail is very evident in Murdle in the Hedge Maze. The box is shaped like a book with a magnetic closure, and the puzzle pieces come in an interior paper envelope, so it can be stored on a bookshelf, even vertically. The completed puzzle is 500 1” pieces and is 24” x 15.5” and the suggested age range is 9+. The puzzle pieces themselves are made from 90% recycled paper and the box from 70% recycled paper.
٭٭٭٭٭Highly Recommended
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