Murdle: The School of Mystery—50 Seriously Sinister Logic Puzzles

Murdle

by G.T. Karber

The runaway bestselling Murdle puzzle series is back to test your wits in 50 murder mystery logic puzzles set at the dark and mysterious Deduction College. Can you crack these cases before the final bell?

Earn your place as a master detective with this electrifying collection of 50 logic puzzles. Each mystery comes with a list of suspects, weapons, locations, and clues. By using deductive reasoning and a handy logic grid, reveal the devious killer and unfold an even greater enigma. Filled with illustrations, codes, and interactive exhibits, and brimming with wit and intrigue, this upmarket paperback edition is the Murdle casebook you've been waiting for.

Uncover a vast mystery that lies within the interactive illustrations, dark academia settings, and adventures through mysterious tunnels and secret societies, featuring:

• 50 murder-mystery logic puzzles from the first case files of Deductive Logico
• Deckled edges and cover flaps that include an optional cutaway bookmark
• Color interior front and back covers featuring a maze-like design

Genres: Mystery, Puzzles, Nonfiction, Mystery Thriller, Collections, Humor

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

About the author

G.T. Karber grew up in a small town in Arkansas, the son of a judge and a civil rights attorney. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas with a degree in mathematics and English literature. Then, he moved to Los Angeles, where he received a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.

As the General Secretary of the Hollywood Mystery Society, a theater ensemble and cinematic social club, he has overseen the staging of more than 30 immersive whodunits in the LA area. His first feature film, Killer Party, a horror-comedy-musical-whodunit he co-wrote and directed, is currently in post-production with plans to premiere in festivals in 2023.

Reviews

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addicting!

Picture a blank “Sudoku” grid married to the board game “CLUE” and you have a “”MURDLE”.

Your challenge is to figure out WHO committed the crime, WHERE it was committed, and WHAT weapon was used by reading the CLUES.

Mark an ❌ in a box when you eliminate an option, and a ☑️ in a box when you think you have the correct choice figured out, until the logic puzzle is solved.

This newly released copy of 50 “Murdles” is the PERFECT place to start, with Freshman Logico arriving at Deduction College where he will have to gather evidence in the halls and tunnels of Dark Academia and sort through the rumors spreading around campus if he hopes to graduate.

It even has a cut off bookmark on the flap that you can use to mark your place in the book.

Keep your pencils ✏️ sharp and your mind even sharper one puzzle at a time. It may even help you solve some of those “locked room” mysteries you love to read!

These are great for when you are traveling on planes, trains or buses, or when waiting to be called in at an appointment. It’s also a great Christmas gift for the puzzle lovers you know. There is also a Murdle Jr. puzzle book available for the “junior detectives” in your life.

Highly recommend these!

This was released October 15, 2025, so it’s AVAILABLE NOW!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the much appreciated gifted copy!

[Monika Armet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth puzzle book in the Murdle series, however, this one is a prequel.

In this book, we meet Logico when he joined Deduction College. His dream? To graduate top of the class.

However, not all is as it seems at the college. There are whispers of a secret society, and what is it with the ruby pins being potential murder weapons? Who is the mysterious student with great hair and emerald-green eyes?

All will be revealed in Murdle: The School of Mystery!

I’ve said it so many times before, but I will say it again: I am utterly obsessed with these puzzles.

It gives me utmost pleasure to discover ‘whodunnit’ correctly, although I do make occasional mistakes.

In the previous books, there were 100 puzzles to solve, and this one had only 50: why? I was finished in no time!

I urge you all to buy a copy of these tremendous puzzles. Your life will never be the same again.

[Brooke Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fear this has gone too far.

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't get over how much fun these are! I really enjoy the logic puzzles and the fun descriptions of the people, murder weapons, and other items for solving the puzzles.

The story itself is enjoyable too and reading it piece-meal while also trying to solve other mysteries within the story before Logico is fun too.

This is perfect for puzzle fans and lovers of mysteries. I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth release in the series, but happens before the start of the first book. It is half the size of the previous two, featuring only fifty puzzles, split into 5 sections instead of 4. The first two are the simple 3x3 option grids, which means overall, this felt a lot easier than previous books.

Story wise, it's about Logico at university (well, college - it's an American-style 4 year course), following him as he learns the rules of deduction and gets ensnared in secret societies and college politics. There are lots of throwbacks (forwards?) to the main series, which does lead to some serious ret-conning, such as when Irratino meets Logico. The story was enjoyable enough, but the conciseness of it all leaves the book feeling pretty underwhelming overall.

[Thomas Langley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta give this one the least of the series so far. Not only is there only 50 puzzles but the main plot is a prequel that honestly feels like Logico is on drugs and this is some kind of interrogation tactic. In the end nothing happens and there's STILL NO GAY MARRIAGE. Bad prequel with no underlying mystery I was interested in. Be mad. Give me gay.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gets a little silly/cheesy at a few parts but overall this was a lot of fun. Big thanks to Barnes and Noble for having this displayed by the registers or else I would never have discovered it! I'm now going to go back and do the previous books in the series.

[AJ Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did the whole thing so I’m counting it okay? I have no complaints I had a lot of fun but i can’t put an activity book in my 5 stars that feels wrong

[Yara Heuvelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why was there lowkey a queer subplot??? In a puzzle book????

[Ella Campion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peak puzzles as always. Murdle has a special place in my heart.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Murdle thus far! Lots of extra puzzles that were very exciting! Graduated with a “Very Impressive Master’s Degree in Deductive Reasoning”

[Emma Whitney]

HUH??

A twist is something you don’t expect to happen in a puzzle book (probably).

[Chass Coon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Join Logico at Deduction College, where each chapter you solve a mystery (usually a murder) using deductive reasoning.

I absolutely love the concept of combining a story with logic puzzles, but the execution in The School of Mystery was a dud. In trying to do both, Murdle was lackluster on both accounts.

The story was basically this: "Oh no, there's a dead body. Let's see who did it. Oh, it was X." And then X confesses, and they get kicked out of the college. And this was repeated 50 times but with slightly different elements in play.

The puzzle part was fun for about the first few. After that, it got old. And then there were elements that you were supposed to figure out before Logico did, but unless you were really paying attention to each and every puzzle, I'm not sure how you could reasonably come to the right conclusions.

And then I'm not entirely sure who the demographic was meant to be for this book. Initially I thought middle grade, but some of the language and themes were a bit mature for this audience. I think the young adult group would not find this amusing or entertaining. As for the adult demographic, well, you read my review.

I have not looked into any of the other books in this series, but ultimately, I think the Jr. series may have the best prospect. The idea of this series would be great for the reluctant reader who may get hooked by the puzzle aspect. Or, for a kid who already loves to read, this could be a great way to work the brain in a different way.

[Stinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this 6 stars if I could. I couldn't see any of the plot twists, and all of the quick quips and jokes made me laugh. I may or may not have rage quit 4 times (including times I counted half-rage-quits rounded up). But there's no real learning if you didn't goof up something you should've gotten after reading it the first three times. I think I got the bachelor's, if not the masters based on how many stars I got? I didn't count, but I'm optimistic. I got volume 1 for my birthday, and I'm excited to dive in. after a while, though. I need a break. my brain hurts.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I won this book in a giveaway by Goodreads. And am I ever glad i did!
What a great new addition to the Murdle collection! Without spoiling, they've added some new clue types and other small changes that keep things interesting and fresh without changing the Murdle we're used to. This installment is my favourite now for sure.
Also, it's easy to pick up for those who are new if it's your first time.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love puzzles and a love a good mystery so it's no surprise I have quite enjoyed working my way through Murdle - The School of Mystery puzzles ! My husband and kiddos have even joined in on solving a few. It's perfect for those times I'm out waiting for school pick up or waiting for an appointment and don't have time to invest in my current read but don't want to be scrolling endlessly through my phone

[BerryPass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This.

Is the biggest emotional rollercoaster I've had in a book to date.
It has more plot twists than any other Murdle book.
I don't want to give a spoiler review, because then people who haven't read it won't see. And people definitely need to read this.
The puzzles take loads of new turns not seen before in the previous books.

Bonus points for having the most amazing author in the world. I don't have enough praise for this book. It's just beautiful from start to finish.

10/5 stars

[Krysta Angotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books so much. There is so much more to these books than just puzzles. And they connect back to previous puzzles and you need to always keep your head about you. My favorite part is that as everything gets harder. You get more confident and question yourself less and just go with your gut. I need 10 more of these!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for prompt 48. 'related to the word "puzzle"'

Summary: A puzzle book based on the online game Murdle. It's a prequel about Logico's time at Deduction College. It shows how he met Irratino and also explores his relationship with logic as a concept.

Favorite Quote: Trailblazer Tangerine - When your goal is to be the first nonbinary student to graduate Deduction College, you have two primary obstacles: graduating Deduction College, and any other nonbinary student. (Case 23)

Review: I enjoyed this a lot. None of the puzzles were particularly complicated, but they were fun. I thought the humor was good too. I also liked the story and the characters that went throughout the book. The only thing I thought could have been better were some things about the format. I would have preferred if all the exhibits were together like the appendices so I didn't have to flip back and forth. I also thought the extra credit could have been integrated into the actual puzzles better.

[Chesli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do not forsake logic, and do not dismiss the esoteric. Both have something to teach." p.186

54 stars collected, so I got the "A Very Impressive Master's Degree in Deductive Reasoning" Ranking

A solid puzzle book that's easier compared to volumes 1, 2, and 3. It's not as long as the others, either; however, I did enjoy the college setting and learning about the pasts of characters we've seen in the other installments. The storyline started to get a little wonky at the end, BUT I stayed for the humor and the fun little logic puzzles - the overarching storyline is just a bonus.

(Life got a little crazy. This book should NOT have taken me almost a year to complete haha)

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the extra puzzles in this one - colouring a stained glass window, mapping stars, that sort of thing. Translating letters was fun too! Some of the puzzles were perhaps a bit easy if you "know" the characters, but perhaps that was the point. The stort in this was rather nice. I continue to be frustrated that you can accidentally see the answer to the next puzzle in the back, I try to cover it up when I'm following the story, but a couple of times I read ahead by mistake which spoilt it for me. I gave no idea how to solve that one though!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

More confusing, mind-boggling puzzles featuring Logico and Irratino, this time set at the Deduction College with our protagonist as students.
As usual, the puzzles get progressively more difficult, and I really struggled with the last few.
This is another great addition to the series, they're really good books for filling a few minutes here and there.

[Tess Blanch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the School of Mystery edition in Victoria as I can’t find Volume 2 and 3 in stores. It almost have the same cast of characters and Detective Logico is enrolled in Deduction College, from freshman to senior and until he does his doctorate.

I still had fun solving all the puzzles with clues and hints. This only has 50 puzzles and I got 40 puzzles, so improving.

[Carley Courts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I solve every puzzle correctly? No (I got 2 wrong). Did I solve every secret puzzle? Also no. (My attention was needed elsewhere). Do I reccomend this puzzle book? Wholeheartedly!

The mysteries were full of twists, the plot was quite thick, and Logico's character arc was bittersweet but grounding.

I'm definitely gonna play the others!

[Bob Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to pay attention to what clues are given, but also what is not given! Rule out what isn’t possible and you’ll have your solution. Each puzzle gets a little harder, but the clues are all there. Do you dare?

[sleepingcrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. By far, the easiest of the series but it's also shorter and a prequel so it kinda makes sense. It was fun that Karber is self aware that the fans want more Logico x Irratino - I'm sure the next we will finally get our gay marriage.

[Gabby C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely challenging to get through some of the puzzles near the end and could not for the life of me have guessed all the little details leading to the end of the mystery.

Super excited now to work on the other books in this series!

[Noah Hamner · Rating 5 out of 5]

If 50 people got murdered at my university I would simply transfer. Well maybe not if I could make the chessboxing team...

Fun logic puzzles, rather absurd characters and scenarios. I very much enjoyed it.

[Pierce Morton]

Loved it, read the so called Aus edition, good nightly puzzles with a fun storyline, though I wish there was some romantic payoff at the end, no one wonders if someone is looking at the same stars as them without love in their heart. No resolution seemed like baiting to me!

[Emily Mcleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilariously accurate stereotypes and murders abound. Found this book easier than my first murdle challenge. The storyline was a little squiggly but I giggled at a few quips and enjoyed this prequel immensely:)