The Contest - by Jeff Macfee (Paperback)

About the Book

Once a child prodigy of puzzles and logic games, Gillian Charles now barely ekes out a living in Los Angeles. With her sick mother facing eviction from her care facility, Gillian can't say no when her childhood nemesis, Tommy, shows up at her apartment with a $50k offer. All she has to do is return to the place where it all started, where she swore she'd never set foot again: Miscellany. Miscellany is a place of wonder and enchantment--a Disney World for puzzle lovers, and one that quickly owns the lives of those who stay too long. Tommy is running the park's latest big game, and he's convinced someone is leaking the answers. With investment and expansion in the cards, Miscellany can't afford a scandal. As a former puzzler who kept her distance from Miscellany for twenty years, Gillian should find it easy to investigate while avoiding Miscellany's charms and entanglements.But when Gillian arrives, she discovers things aren't so straightforward. Her turncoat ex-friend Martin Ellsberg holds the security reins, Tommy's estranged wife Evelina spins PR webs around the park's machinations, and the manipulative park founder Sebastian offers her the financial security and intellectual future she always wanted. With her mother's circumstances growing more dire, and under pressure to sweep the accusations under the rug, Gillian finds childhood games all the more treacherous for adults. Miscellany is offering Gillian the life she always wanted. But at what price?"--

Book Synopsis

"Set in a world where Willy Wonka made escape rooms rather than chocolate bars, The Contest is my favorite thing I've read this year."
- PETER CLINES, NYT Bestselling author

Gillian Charles, a puzzle-solving prodigy, was just a child when she lost Miscellany's Contest. Now an adult, she is invited to compete again... but this time there is more than just her pride at stake.

Gillian has left puzzles entirely behind and barely ekes out a living while trying to support her sick mother. Until her childhood nemesis appears with an offer she can't refuse - fifty thousand dollars to return to Miscellany and investigate a cheating scandal in The Contest sequel, Season Two.

Gillian soon discovers things aren't so straightforward. Former Contestants run Season Two and with investment and expansion in the cards, they'll do anything to avoid a scandal. Meanwhile Sebastian Luna, head of Miscellany, still spins his webs of confusion, offering Gillian the future she always wanted - but only if she plays by his rules.

With her mother's circumstances growing more dire, and mounting pressure to sweep the accusations under the rug, Gillian finds childhood games can be all the more treacherous for adults.

A thoughtful light-noir mystery, perfect for fans of The Queen's Gambit.

Review Quotes

"The Contest is a thrilling suspenseful mind bending adventure."
- S.A. Cosby best selling author of All the Sinners and Razorblade Tears

"The Contest sports a fun story that does what my favorite crime novels do - transport me to an unfamiliar world and weave in a page-turning mystery. Jeff Macfee does not disappoint with this crackling debut."
- Alex Segura, bestselling and acclaimed author of Secret Identity and Alter Ego

"A mystery wrapped inside a riddle inside an enigma, The Contest is a clever puzzle box of a book. An intrigue-filled, cerebral theme park provides the setting for an affecting tale about finding one's worth after defeat, and Macfee's storytelling instantly drew me in from the first page."
- Victor Manibo, author of The Sleepless and Escape Velocity

"Jeff Macfee drops the reader into a hall of mirrors with no way out. A singular book."
- Adam Oyebanji, author of A Quiet Teacher

"A brilliant page-turner about obsession, compromise, child prodigies, and second chances, all set in a world where Willy Wonka made escape rooms rather than chocolate bars, The Contest is my favorite thing I've read this year."
- Peter Clines, NYT Bestselling author of The Broken Room and Paradox Bound

"Here's a riddle: what's the best mystery puzzler since Squid Game? The answer is Jeff Macfee's The Contest."
- Nick Kolakowski, author of Where the Bones Lie

"Like Willy Wonka if it was written by Hitchcock... LOVE THE BOOK. Seriously, it is SO GOOD. "
- Stephen Blackmoore, author of Dead Things

"An intriguing and addictive novel full of risk, riddles and conspiracies - The Contest will keep you on your toes until the puzzle is finally solved."
- S.B. Caves, author of Honeycomb

About the Author

Jeff Macfee is the author of the forthcoming crime novel The Contest (February, 2025). He writes about ordinary people who do their best but make things worse. When he's not writing he's doing IT things and asking you to turn it off and on again. He lives in North Texas with his wife and three kids.