Murdle Jr.: Curious Crimes for Curious Minds: Solve Your Way Through 40 Puzzle Mysteries!: 1

I wrapped Murdle Junior: Curious Crimes for Curious Minds for my niece’s twelfth birthday, expecting a quick “thanks” and a place on the shelf. Instead, she vanished into detective mode for the entire afternoon—magnifying glass, notepad, the lot. By cake‑time she’d cracked the first three mysteries and was desperate to recruit us as suspects for number four. What makes this such a winner is the balance between brain‑teasing and kid‑friendly fun. Each case is self‑contained, so you can dip in for a ten‑minute puzzle burst or binge half the book on a rainy Sunday. The clues are clever enough to make a twelve‑year‑old feel truly smart when they connect the dots, yet the solutions never rely on obscure trivia—just observation, logic, and a dash of imagination. The art style is playful rather than spooky; plenty of quirky characters, zero nightmare fuel. As a grown‑up chaperone I appreciated the built‑in hint system at the back: gentle nudges that stop frustration without handing over the answer. It turns the book into a collaborative game you can solve side‑by‑side instead of a solitary read. The physical quality is solid too—thick pages, bold print, and a lay‑flat spine that survives enthusiastic page‑flipping. Bottom line: if you’re looking for a gift that pulls tweens away from screens, sparks critical thinking, and delivers genuine “Aha!” moments, Murdle Junior is a case well worth opening. I’m already on the hook for the second volume before her next birthday.

My 10 year old loves these, enjoyed the fact his dad had the adult one so they could share tips. Didn’t take long to complete, hope further editions are a bit harder for older children.

I am always on the look out for puzzle/activity books to entertain my 8 year old whilst out and about or on holiday. This one intrigued me as was different to the normal word games, find the differences etc. It is cleverly set as a series of stories with clues and evidence and then grids to complete with the details from the text to be able to decipher who, what and where each crime was committed. It is very repetitive but does get more tricky as you work through the book. I think there are 40 in total. It is a kind of mix of English comprehension made more fun along with problem solving skills. The negative is that you can’t just pick it up for 5 mins like you can a normal puzzle book.

kept my daughter's little grey cells ticking away for months

My 10 year old son received his copy a few days ago and is loving the book, it’s all he’s asking for! It’s lovely to do with a parent but equally as nice for him to start alone. It’s challenging enough without putting him off and keeps him off a screen - win, win!

I cam across these books on amazon, i hadn't seen them before. I bought several of them. Some of the puzzles are quite tricky, but this book has been enjoyed by everyone who has had ago. I purchased both the Junior and the adult versions for different family members. They were in one of the prime deals so worth the money paid.

This was a little hard for my 9 yr old to get her head around but once my husband helped her, she really enjoyed it

We love this book. Really gets you thinking We have read and done some puzzles as a family

My 10 year old loved this so much! He immersed himself into it as soon as it arrived. By the next day he had solved all of the puzzles. They are challenging enough to keep them intrigued. Would definitely recommend!

Llego a tiempo, era lo que se suponía y no puedo opinar más porque es un regalo para un niño.

great for kids

It's a good gift for young kids with a curious mind

Great! Fun for kids. Keeps them entertained and off screens.