THE 2026 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
Choose a puzzle book for the person who reads crime novels, finishes the crossword or always spots the clue everyone else missed. Start with their favorite kind of story and the way they like to solve.
A book lover who enjoys a story and a puzzle lover who enjoys deduction can meet in the same paperback. The useful question is whether they want a short case whenever they have time, a daily Christmas countdown, or one long investigation.
| Who you are buying for | Start here | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| The traditional mystery reader | Midnight at Merriweather’s | A festive department-store whodunit with 24 days of logic puzzles. |
| The horror movie friend | Last Night at Ravenhurst Studios | A darker film-studio mystery and 24-night Christmas countdown. |
| The cozy mystery fan | Murder in Puddlecombe | 85 seaside village cases with recurring sleuths and guided practice. |
| The crime and sudoku-style solver | Cement Shoes | 85 New York investigations built around suspect placement. |
| The patient armchair detective | The Full House Murder | One elimination puzzle involving 100,000 printed suspects. |
A CHRISTMAS WHODUNIT
For someone who likes a small December ritual: a chapter, a pencil and a new piece of evidence to think about. Choose this before December 1 if you want the gift to be their Advent countdown.
Make December a daily detective ritual. Investigate a Christmas murder at Merriweather’s through 24 days of logic puzzles, suspects and clues.
PUDDLECOMBE PARISH WATCH
For the reader drawn to village gossip and familiar sleuths. A guided practice introduces the floor-plan rules before the 85 numbered cases, so they can see how the puzzle works.
A seaside village, five recurring sleuths and a fresh floor plan for every case. Place the suspects using their statements, then find the person left in the victim’s room.
THE CHRISTMAS DOUBLE FEATURE
For the friend whose favorite movie night includes a sinister set and a cast of suspects. This is an adult murder mystery with a horror-movie atmosphere, rather than a children’s Christmas activity book.
A Christmas horror whodunit set at Ravenhurst Studios. Work through 24 nights of logic puzzles in a world of film sets, suspects and sinister atmosphere.
FIVE BOROUGHS HOMICIDE TASK FORCE
For someone who enjoys a case file more than a cozy tea room. Every suspect must fit the floor plan; careful placement reveals who was in the victim’s room.
Join a fictional homicide squad for 85 cases across New York. A floor plan, a body and a room full of suspects turn each investigation into a puzzle of precise placement.
ONE CROWD. ONE KILLER.
For someone who wants to settle into one investigation. This book asks them to cross off large sections of a stadium’s suspect register before narrowing to a single seat; it is not a collection of quick daily cases.
This is one large elimination puzzle. A stadium’s ticketing manifest becomes your suspect list. Retire whole sections, narrow by seat, then inspect the remaining names.
Pair the book with a pencil, an eraser and a short note about why its setting made you think of them. If you are buying for two friends, choose different worlds: Puddlecombe for the cozy reader and Cement Shoes for the city-crime fan, or Merriweather’s and Ravenhurst for two different Christmas countdowns.
The five published titles above are adult murder mystery puzzle books. Choose according to the recipient’s reading interests and comfort with fictional murder. Bellwick’s The Christmas Eve That Wouldn’t End is being prepared for families and friends aged 12+, with a time-loop mystery, 24 puzzles and an optional free online casebook. It is coming soon and is not currently available to buy.
Check the current delivery estimate on the Amazon listing for the recipient’s address. We do not promise a Christmas arrival date. For a gift given on December 25, a self-contained casebook such as Puddlecombe or Cement Shoes lets the reader begin whenever they like.
Murder in Puddlecombe combines a seaside village and recurring sleuths with 85 murder sudoku cases. Its interior previews show the briefing and floor plan, so you can judge whether this style suits your recipient.
If you want the reader to follow a December 1–24 countdown, give it before December 1. A Christmas Day gift can still be read at the recipient’s own pace.
This website helps you compare books and inspect their interiors. The book pages link to Amazon, where you can check price, availability, format and delivery before buying.
They are printed mystery puzzle books. The reader works through clues and deduction on the page; no jigsaw pieces are included.