stays very busy. Destiny’s life appears to improve when she receives a letter informing her she’s a finalist for the position of Scruffmore family historian and an invitation to travel to Scruffmore Castle on Eerie Island for an interview. However, Destiny never applied for the position and never heard of the Scruffmores or Eerie Island. Further, her internet research reveals no trace of those names. Still, Destiny is intrigued by the letter and travels by ferry to the isolated island for her interview.

The Scruffmores are no ordinary family, however. The patriarch, Mordecai Scruffmore, is descended from a long line of sorcerers and holds the title of Sorcerer King. It’s a position that sounds more powerful than it is, because his dominion is limited to the several dozen remaining families in the world with similar powers. (He’s somewhat like the ruler of a tiny European principality.) Destiny’s arrival on the island coincides with Mordecai’s summoning all his relatives together to hear his announcement regarding the successor to his throne. Anyone who’s ever read a mystery knows that summoning one’s relatives for such a meeting usually leads to a poor end. Sure enough, the get-together culminates in an occult ceremony that proves fatal for Mordecai. Destiny witnesses Mordecai’s death and then tries to figure out the who and the how behind his death. The latter task proves difficult since the various Scruffmores can cast dozens of spells that do almost everything besides flush the toilet in the royal bathroom. There are allegiance spells, explosive spells, paralyzing spells, disfigurement spells, memory-erasing spells, binding spells, and quite a few others I’ve forgotten.

The solution to the mystery in “A Most Puzzling Murder” is as convoluted as any I can recall reading. The author eventually explains all the details, but the story becomes so complex that it almost collapses under its own weight. Marais includes a recurring Scruffmore family tree in the book, which is edited and re-edited a half dozen times as readers learn about several illegitimate Scruffmore offspring and other children whose parents aren’t who they initially appeared to be. Destiny suspects she is Mordecai’s daughter, and her efforts to prove her lineage keep changing her opinion about the various family members. Although it would be easy for an author to turn this material into broad slapstick, Bianca Marais eschews some obvious humorous opportunities. The result is a serious book that becomes more confusing as it progresses.

The author intended “A Most Puzzling Murder” to be more than a straightforward mystery. As she said in the book’s introduction, “Murder” contains “myriad cryptic clues, puzzles, and riddles.” These puzzles and riddles usually take the form of hidden messages or secret codes that readers must decipher. If readers are stumped, they can email Destiny at the Gmail address provided in the novel for a clue. I was hesitant to send off for a clue because I didn’t want to give out my email address and get on a publisher’s spam list. However, I have received no follow-up marketing correspondence from the author or publisher. The clues take the form of notes from Destiny to the reader, essentially instructing the reader on how to solve each puzzle. Readers who don’t want to test their puzzle-solving skills can find all the answers at the back of the book.

"A Most Puzzling Murder" also contains several “choose your own adventure” chapters, in which readers assume the role of minor characters and make a choice between two possible actions. Neither choice makes much difference in the final storyline (and most readers will probably read the results from both options). For example, one “adventure” involves a peasant out for a nighttime walk who must choose which path to take at a fork in the road. Both choices end up at the same spot, albeit with different scenery along the way.

The various puzzles and adventures did not enhance the value of “A Most Puzzling Murder” for me, and instead were a distraction. The author inserts several puzzles Destiny must solve as she makes her way to eavesdrop on the big family meeting where Mordecai will eventually meet his demise. This sequence had the potential to be the most suspenseful part of the story, since it intercut between Destiny’s point of view and those at the meeting. Instead, the various delays and trips to the back of the book to verify answers dissipated much of the tension.

“A Most Puzzling Murder” is Bianca Marais’s first attempt at writing any sort of mystery. She tries to do too much here, and the result squanders a potentially interesting premise to the extent that the book becomes unintentionally comical in places. “Murder” has too much storyline (especially for a book with relatively few main characters), too many hidden relationships and unrevealed affairs, far too many unexplained spells, and too many needless and distracting puzzles and adventures. Destiny’s efforts to understand her past and put all her ghosts behind her make an interesting subplot, but one that is buried under the complex main storyline. The puzzles are moderately challenging, but those interested in such diversions will find more similar puzzles in most brain teaser books. “A Most Puzzling Murder” presents more of a challenge for readers to finish than to solve its puzzles and mysteries.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.