The Spy Test: Use your wits and tradecraft to solve the puzzles

by Joel Jessup

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I really liked digging into every page and trying to figure out what kind of soy I would be. It would be helpful to know for a party trick. I would love to have done this with a partner or a best friend. You could have your own game night. But I’m a sucker for wanting to do homework as an adult.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group and Joel Jessup for the chance to read the eARC for an honest review.

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Joel Jessup’s The Spy Test is a delightful foray into the world of espionage, cleverly disguised as a puzzle book. This engaging read is part of The Escapist’s Library Series and invites readers to test their mettle against a series of challenges that could determine if they have what it takes to be a spy.

The book is structured around a variety of puzzles and tests, each designed to mimic the real-life challenges faced by spies. From logic puzzles and code-breaking challenges to observation tests and creative problem-solving scenarios, Jessup has crafted a comprehensive and entertaining experience. The book’s format is interactive and immersive, making it a perfect gift for anyone fascinated by the mysterious world of espionage.

Jessup’s background in writing for television and film is evident in the book’s engaging and dynamic content. The puzzles are challenging and creatively presented, often framed within intriguing scenarios that add a layer of narrative to the experience.

The writing is clear and concise, with instructions that are easy to follow. Jessup’s tone is both authoritative and approachable, making the book accessible to a wide audience. His experience in creating bestselling puzzle and quiz books shines through, as each puzzle is meticulously crafted to be both challenging and enjoyable.

Jessup has successfully combined his expertise in puzzles with his flair for storytelling to create a unique and captivating experience. Whether you’re a puzzle enthusiast, a fan of spy fiction, or simply looking for a fun and engaging read, The Spy Test is sure to entertain and challenge you.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this eCopy to review

The Spy Test is a unique and engaging puzzle book that puts you in the shoes of a spy. It’s filled with a variety of puzzles and challenges designed to test your wits. From logic puzzles and visual spy challenges to code-breaking and observation tests, it’s like being recruited by MI5, MI6, or GCHQ!

What makes this book stand out is its interactive nature. Each puzzle feels like a mission, and successfully completing them gives a real sense of accomplishment. The variety of puzzles keeps things fresh and exciting, ensuring that you’re always on your toes.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the challenges are well-balanced in terms of difficulty. The book’s design is visually appealing, with a layout that enhances the overall experience.

The Spy Test is a fantastic read for anyone who loves puzzles, espionage, or just a good challenge. It’s perfect for solo play or as a fun activity to share with friends and family. If you’re looking for a book that’s both fun and intellectually stimulating, this is it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love puzzles and using logic to work out the answers. This book is themed on spies and is cleverly worked to let you work out a lot of puzzles that spies might use and have used themselves. The history and pictures used inside the book are fascinating as well.

The puzzles themselves range from 'I know immediately what this is' to 'I have no idea where to even start'. They are very enjoyable and mostly very easy to apply logic to and work out. Being a digital copy, it was a tad hard to check answers at the back of the book as I was constantly losing my place and flipping back and forth. Maybe there could be answers at the end of each section?

All in all, this was completely up my alley and I hope it is part of a series or there are more from this author. I have the makings of a tired spy at the moment but nothing to write home about so 'mum's the word!'

Thank you to Netgalley, Joel Jessup and Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Press for an ARC to puzzle through. I understand that this copy wasn't fully edited and had a few parts to fix before publication.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spy Test was a fun insight into puzzles and skills that might be tested for recruiting modern day spies. I loved coming across things I would not have even considered, and seeing how I measured up.

This book is structured chronologically, breaking down the puzzles into components of training. I think this is particularly interesting for people with no exposure to the spy world either just for interest, or for any research and educational purposes - for example writing a spy adventure book!

Perhaps one thing that I would have also loved to read was more real life context of how and why these puzzles might be applicable, but this was a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley, Joel Jessup and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting, fun looking puzzle book with a variety of lateral thinking challenges, code-breakers and brain teasers. It has a clear layout and is easy to read but goodness, it made my brain hurt! I guess they weren’t kidding when they equated it to GCHQ and MI 5/6. The book contains very little instruction and throws you into the deep end from the start. The sheer variety of different puzzles is impressive, but I imagine this could be overwhelming for some too, especially if they’re struggling from the beginning. Thank goodness the author’s included solutions at the end of the book because otherwise I’d have no hope! I trust they know the correct answer. Let’s just say I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon as I don’t think I’m cut out to be a spy.

[T Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The test here consists of a lot of quizzes, most are interesting and a few are lame (those I didn't solve). There's also a lesson in the history of spying, as it has very little value in our modern world. Hopefully, the youngsters will get their faces off their screens and see what spying was before hacking.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

My ARC had Latin placeholder text for many of the intro paragraphs, so I can't really comment on any of that, just on the puzzles themselves. While many of them were interesting, some were fairly obvious and others were difficult to understand the concept. Would've liked it better to have the answers closer to the corresponding puzzles to help with gaining an understanding without having to flip back and forth constantly.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely buy this book as a hard copy. Navigation, puzzle solving, and readability will all be better that way.
This is a collection of puzzles that are a nice range of types. There are cryptograms, pictures, and logic puzzles. Each is designed to tell you whether you could be a spy. Is that true? Eh. But they're fun even if a little frustrating to navigate as an ebook.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I think this should have had more editing before releasing the review copy. There were a lot of errors, which is annoying in a puzzle book. Also, the font spacing was terrible. A lot of words just didn't have spaces between them. And I guess the full book wasn't finished because there were long text sections with Latin gibberish placeholders. As for the puzzles, it was mixed. Some were too easy, some were more interesting, some I thought took a bit of a leap in the answer. I think the puzzles could be good for kids interested in spy stuff, especially with the sections talking about certain aspects of spycraft.

2.5 stars? I'd need to see fixed and completed version to rate it higher.