We had hinted at it at the start of July: in bookstores (and on the beach, and beyond) it was the summer of Murdoku – 80 omicidi misteriosi da risolvere con la logica, a bestseller offered by Magazzini Salani, which binds together crime, logic and sudoku.
A true publishing phenomenon, that is putting to the test lovers of crime novels and thrillers (here, by the way, the best 2026 releases for those who enjoy these narrative genres) and puzzle enthusiasts around the world.
The 2026 Bestseller Book
To date, Murdoku has been the best-selling book in Italy for all of 2026, with 160,000 copies sold and 11 reprints. “This result confirms the scale of a phenomenon capable, in a few months, of breaking out from the traditional boundaries of puzzle books and winning over a cross-cutting audience. The success is also fueled by the strong participation on social media, where readers and creators share cases, challenges and attempts at solving, making reading a collective experience“, reads the publisher’s note of the GeMS group.
The series has reached the absolute top of the charts in several other countries as well, including Germany and Spain.
“New-generation books, that blend play, storytelling and logic”
“Murdoku has established worldwide a publishing genre that, like manga and the new romance, is carving out a stable space in bookstores. They are new-generation books that blend play, narration and logic, inviting readers to rediscover the pleasure of turning off their phones and putting themselves to the test,” emphasizes Marco Figini, Editorial Director of Magazzini Salani.
In uscita Murdoku 2 – Killer a spasso nel tempo
On October 13, by the way, it will be in bookstores Murdoku 2 – Killer a spasso nel tempo, the second volume in Manuel Garand’s series.
If Murdoku “has transformed Sudoku’s logic into an investigative game,” with Murdoku 2 “the challenge broadens: 80 new cases, five eras – Medieval Times, the Wild West, the Pirate Era, the Prehistoric Age and Ancient Egypt – guiding the reader through a series of investigations with progressively increasing difficulty, suitable even for beginners.”
Between puzzle books and escape-books
After all, even more than in previous years, this summer puzzle books and escape-books, which combine entertainment and challenge, arrived in mass at bookstores: it is a publishing strand that embraces readers of all ages, united by a love of reading and a wish to test themselves.
The author is a renowned puzzle-designer
Returning to Murdoku, the volume is signed by Manuel Garand, a native of Montréal, Canada. We’re talking about a well-known puzzle designer, whose works have appeared in the Financial Times. When he isn’t inventing new logic games, Garand enjoys spending time with his two preferred accomplices, his children, and his wife Cindy. “She was the first to take an interest in Manuel’s puzzles and even today remains the most enthusiastic (and competitive) puzzle-solver he knows,” reads the author’s biography.
As explained, Murdoku is composed of 80 cases to solve, following logic and wit: each page presents a case with the suspects and the victim, followed by a grid to complete, relying on all the elements presented: characters, rooms, furniture, animals, objects… Obviously, nothing is to be overlooked: every detail could prove vital to the investigations…
