Spydle: The latest puzzling phenomenon which promises to perplex and delight

by The National Archives, Gareth Moore, Laura Jayne Ayres

PRE-ORDER THE LATEST PUZZLING PHENOMENON NOW

After Murdle comes Spydle… Following last year’s bestselling phenomenon, The National Archives and Britain’s leading puzzle writing duo, Dr Gareth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres, have teamed up to produce a brand new puzzle book that promises to perplex and excite with tales of espionage and intrigue.

Drawing on five centuries of British intelligence, spycraft and cryptography – from Sir Francis Walsingham’s Elizabethan school of espionage and the interception of the Gunpowder Plot through to MI5 operations, cryptographers at Bletchley Park and Cold War agents – each puzzle will be inspired by real-life events and original records held at The National Archives, some only recently discovered, taking the reader on a tour that will educate, intrigue and leave them scratching their heads.

Genres: Puzzles, Nonfiction

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2024

Reviews

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, fun, a variety of puzzles and lots of spy facts. I also appreciated that the puzzles didn't necessarily build on each other so you could skip one and come back. I think British people would have an advantage because I didn't know some of the hints.
Also the sudoku type puzzles with letters were the bane of my existence.

[Maria Merrill]

Very fun

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating spy history and fun puzzles

[Abeer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite Quote: The fictional British Secret service agent is aided in his daring exploits by gadgets supplied by Q branch, such as the infamous booby trapped attaché case. This incredible device was, in face, a real invention from the Second World War and was primed to explode when the lid was opened. Flemming himself worked in British Naval Intelligence and conceived Operation Goldeneye, a wartime plan to splay on General Franc’s Spain, so it is unsurprising that his wartime experience gave inspiration to his novels.

Favourite Quote: Kings were expected to hide their thinking from all but their closest advisers, partly because household spies were an accepted fact of elite life in the past. Even if it only resulted in gossip and did not cause a political crisis, monarchs required their officials to keep secret any knowledge that touched the wellbeing of the king or the health of the realm.

An engaging read packed with fascinating facts! It was a refreshing change from my usual choices, and I found the facts more enjoyable than solving the puzzles themselves. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at how skilled I was at certain ones. However, some of the puzzle text wasn’t very clear, so took me a while to figure out. A glossary would have been a fantastic addition!