The Puzzle Box

A Novel

By: Danielle Trussoni

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A fun, DaVinci Code–style blend of puzzles, mysticism and high-octane action” (People, Best Books of the Month), from the author of The Puzzle Master

“This rip-roaring adventure thriller is an escapist puzzle box of delights: a neurodivergent hero, an unsolvable mystery, and death hanging over every move.”—Catherine Steadman, author of Something in the Water

WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has twenty-four hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life . . . or die trying.

It is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and the ingenious Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo, Japan, to open the legendary Dragon Box.

The box was constructed during one of Japan’s most tumultuous periods, when the samurai class was disbanded and the shogun lost power. In this moment of crisis, Emperor Meiji locked a priceless Imperial secret in the Dragon Box. Only two people knew how to open the box—Meiji and the box’s sadistic constructor—and both died without telling a soul what was inside or how to open it.

Every twelve years since then, in the Year of the Dragon, the Imperial family holds a clandestine contest to open the box. It is devilishly difficult, filled with tricks, booby traps, poisons, and mind-bending twists. Every puzzle master who has attempted to open it has died in the process.

But Brink is not just any puzzle master. He may be the only person alive who can crack it. His determination is matched only by that of two sisters, descendants of an illustrious samurai clan, who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure.

Brink’s quest launches him on a breakneck adventure across Japan, from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to the pristine forests of Hakone to an ancient cave in Kyushu. In the process, he discovers the power of Meiji’s hidden treasure, and—more crucially—the true nature of his extraordinary talent.

©2024 Danielle Trussoni (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Technically, they’re novels. But what bestselling author Danielle Trussoni writes are riddles, wrapped in mysteries, hidden inside enigmas. . . . A puzzle-filled mystery that feels like an inheritor to The Da Vinci Code, where the arcane and the logical meet (and lead to twists).”—Today

“Trussoni has been a horror fiction star since 2010’s Angelology. This follow-up to 2023’s The Puzzle Master makes clear she’s bigger than any genre. Can’t wait for the movie.”—Bethanne Patrick, CultureWag

Never disappointed

As many twists and turns as the puzzle box itself, love! Hoping for another adventure soon!

intriguing story

this is an intriguing story with several twists - very enjoyable! shows appreciation for folks frequent overlooked.

a great new read

I love puzzle books. I'm very glad to have found this book. I hope the author continues this into a series.

Loved it.

Loved it and the characters. Interesting story and look forward to hearing more about Brink.

Boring

Great premise. Awful writing. One-dimensional characters, a cascade of dramatic superlatives substituting for a thin plot, insultingly trivial Orientalist tropes that reveal a pathetic understanding of Japanese culture or history.

I really wanted this to be good, but the relentless banality drove me screaming from the room after an hour or so. Now I can’t unhear it. I would return it in a heartbeat if Audible still let customers recover from expensive mistakes. I wish it was a physical book so that I could dump it on Audible’s doorstep.