Murdle Junior by G.T. Karber

Mysteries have intrigued readers for decades and now readers can have a go at solving the crimes and mysteries themselves through books like Murdle Junior! We have a brilliant blog from author, G.T. Karber about creating this book for children.

 

For as long as I could remember, I’ve loved mysteries. 

As a child, my favorite cartoon was Scooby Doo. Every episode, I delighted in seeing these meddling kids and their dog stumble into a haunted house, knowing that — by the end of the episode — we would learn the logical explanation behind it all. That there are a lot less ghosts in the world than there are old men running real estate scams. That, if you put your mind to it (and were brave), you too could solve the mysteries in your life. 

As I got older, my love for Scooby Doo remained, but two others began to assume a similar level of importance. First was Agatha Christie. In each of her wonderful mysteries, she lays out what is effectively a beautiful puzzle for you to solve. 

The other detective I loved, perhaps in a very American way, was not a literary character but a television original – the great Columbo, played by Peter Falk, in a show created by Richard Levinson & William Link. In a Columbo episode, for those who do not know, the audience watches the murderer commit the crime at the beginning of the episode. The network thought this would take all the fun out of it, but the opposite is true: audiences (including myself) love to watch Columbo solve the mystery, because even when you know the answer to a puzzle or a riddle, it’s almost just as much fun to watch someone else try to solve it. 

So, having grown up loving mysteries and seeing mysteries in everything, I wanted to take all of my favorite parts of the genre and condense them down into a puzzle that anyone can solve in a few minutes. And that’s what Murdle is. 

You don’t need to be Poirot or Columbo to crack the case. And, unlike some puzzles, my goal is not to stun you into submission with a book you’ll never crack. It’s — in the finest tradition of Agatha Christie — to give you a delightful puzzle you’ll love to solve. 

It’s been amazing to hear how many people love solving a mystery with their friends and family, and am so proud to report that the fans have ranged from kids to adults.  

I hope, with Murdle, to be giving something back to a genre that has been so good to me. It’s my greatest dream that someone young now will eventually say, “I’ve always loved mysteries. As a child, my favorite book was Murdle.” 

 

Murdle Junior by G.T. Karber is out 24th October 2024 (Souvenir Press)