This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Nobody buys just one true crime puzzle book — it’s widely reported as one of the most repeatable, screen-free gift categories out there, and it turns passive podcast-listening into active detective work. Here are nine real, currently published titles, from cozy word searches to full forensic case files.
| Book | Best for | Puzzle style |
|---|---|---|
| The True Crime Puzzle Book | Puzzle purists who want variety in one book | Cryptograms, sudoku, logic puzzles |
| CRIMESEARCH | Word search lovers who want an extra code-cracking layer | Word search + decoder code |
| The Crime Scene Puzzle Book | Readers who want to feel like an actual investigator | Forensics-flavored logic puzzles |
| Brain Games – Criminal Mind Puzzles | Casual puzzlers, teens, or a lighter gift option | Mixed visual/verbal/memory puzzles |
| The Ultimate True Crime Puzzle Book | Hardcore true crime readers who want trivia and case references | Cryptograms, crosswords, trivia |
- 1. The True Crime Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore
- 2. The Perfect Crime Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore
- 3. The Crime Scene Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres
- 4. CRIMESEARCH by Kelly A. Mayer
- 5. Murdsearch Volume 1 by M. L. Daniels
- 6. Brain Games – True Crime Puzzles by Publications International
- 7. Brain Games – Murder Mystery Puzzles by Publications International
- 8. Brain Games – Criminal Mind Puzzles by Publications International
- 9. The Ultimate True Crime Puzzle Book by Jack Rosewood
1. The True Crime Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore
Dr. Gareth Moore — sometimes called "Britain's king of puzzles," with over 250 titles and 5+ million copies sold — packs this one with more than 90 puzzling cases. Expect cryptograms, ciphers, riddles, sudoku, hanjie, mazes, and logic puzzles, all wrapped in police-procedural framing rather than tied to specific real-world murders. It's built for fans of Murdle-style deduction who also want variety instead of just word searches. Good for: puzzle purists and crime-procedural fans who want brainy variety in one book.
2. The Perfect Crime Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore
The predecessor to the title above, also from Dr. Gareth Moore and Michael O'Mara Books, with over 90 puzzling cases built from cryptograms, riddles, ciphers, sudoku, and other brain teasers. If your reader already owns The True Crime Puzzle Book and wants more of the same format without repeats, this is the natural follow-on. Good for: repeat Gareth Moore readers and anyone building a puzzle-book collection.
3. The Crime Scene Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres
This one raises the stakes with 25 linked, unsolved investigations and 70+ puzzles built around fingerprints, toxicology reports, cryptic notes, and DNA analysis — essentially a forensics-flavored escape room on paper. Good for: readers who want to feel like an actual crime-scene investigator, not just a word-search solver.
4. CRIMESEARCH by Kelly A. Mayer
CRIMESEARCH reinvents the standard word search as a detective exercise: solve 120 cases across homicides, heists, and espionage by finding the listed words, spotting the one word that's missing from the grid, reading the leftover letters for a hidden message, and cracking a decoder code for the final piece of evidence. Good for: word search lovers who want an extra layer of code-cracking.
5. Murdsearch Volume 1 by M. L. Daniels
Murdsearch turns 120 cold cases into word search puzzles where you use the leftover, unused letters and words to deduce the killer, the method, and the location for each case. Good for: true crime binge-listeners who want a lower-commitment daily puzzle habit.
6. Brain Games – True Crime Puzzles by Publications International
From the long-running Brain Games line, this 192-page spiral-bound volume mixes word searches, logic puzzles, visual riddles, and memory games, all themed around real-life mysteries and infamous cases. Good for: casual puzzlers and gift buyers who want a big, varied volume.
7. Brain Games – Murder Mystery Puzzles by Publications International
A 2024 sibling title in the same Brain Games series, leaning specifically into murder and crime scenarios with 130+ puzzles: searching crime scenes for details, assembling crime timelines, decoding hidden messages, and unscrambling true-crime cryptograms. Good for: readers who specifically want murder-mystery framing.
8. Brain Games – Criminal Mind Puzzles by Publications International
Another entry in the Brain Games true crime lineup, built around visual, verbal, memory, and logic puzzles with a “collect the clues and crack the cases” framing. Good for: teens, casual true-crime dabblers, or a lighter gift option.
9. The Ultimate True Crime Puzzle Book by Jack Rosewood
Written by Jack Rosewood, a prolific true crime author known for his serial killer case-file books, this one packs in over 100 “killer activities,” including cryptograms, crosswords, brain games, word searches, trivia, and quizzes. Good for: hardcore true crime readers who want trivia and case references.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Are these puzzle books based on real murder cases, or fictional ones?
It varies by book. Gareth Moore's titles use invented, unnamed cases with true-crime framing rather than real victims or killers. CRIMESEARCH and Murdsearch are also built around fictional cold cases. Jack Rosewood's book leans more heavily on real, named cases and trivia.
Q2: What's the difference between a true crime word search and a “solve the case” puzzle book?
A standard word search just has you circling hidden words. “Solve the case” formats like CRIMESEARCH and Murdsearch add a second layer: after finding the words, you use the leftover letters, a missing word, or a decoder code to figure out who committed the crime.
Q3: What's a good true crime puzzle book for someone who isn't really a “puzzle person”?
Start with a word search–based title like CRIMESEARCH, Murdsearch, or Brain Games – Criminal Mind Puzzles rather than a logic-heavy option like The Crime Scene Puzzle Book.
As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Comments