With a mix of classic and new materials, this book is an enjoyable way to pass the time. Ideal for commuters, it has a full selection of puzzle types, from riddles and practical tricks to logic and lateral thinking problems.

The formatting is nicely done, important given the number of illustrations needed for the coin and match problems. The puzzles are set up in groups of ten, with the solutions to the puzzles are available at the end of each group. The answers to each question are hot-linked from the question’s number so you can jump to the answer directly, although one slight annoyance is that there is no reverse link to jump back to the question.

After the puzzles there is extensive backmatter including a “thank you for reading” notes, more books from the publisher and notes on the origin of some of the puzzles.

As a puzzle fiend myself I have already seen most of these, but for anyone fond of puzzles it is nice to have an ebook that gathers them in one place with neat formatting and a few of the newer ones are quite tricky. For people who aren’t already familiar, or just want something to pass the time, these are ideal. The book could keep an adult or bright child amused for hours, although you may find yourself digging in your pockets for coins or matches to lay out a few of the practical problems.

There is one mistake in a puzzle I spotted, which I am emailing them about, but it is unfortunately early on and might annoy pedants (I spent a while trying to work out if they were being clever, but the answer reveals there is a misprint).