Hailing from Los Angeles, Greg Karber, a dedicated writer and creator, chats amicably over a video call as the sun rises in his homeland and Irish people sit down for tea. He’s thrilled to discuss his new mystery puzzle book, the third in a successful series.
Karber’s journey in this genre started in the previous June, with a book evolved out of an online game he devised, named “Murdle.” The game, akin to the breakthrough online hit Wordle during the Covid lockdown, brings together a murder mystery and a strategic game.
The sales following the launch of Murdle were impressive, with the book taking the plaudit as the UK’s 2023 Christmas bestseller, even surpassing the persistent favourite, The Guinness World Records. Its sequel that dropped in the recent autumn also garnered significant popularity. The ongoing third book, “Murdle: Even More Killer Puzzles,” carries forward Karber’s smart mind-challenging riddles.
Karber’s creation of the first Murdle was not intentional, he confesses. He was actually structured to be penning a musical comedy but ended up crafting it due to his deep-seated writing procrastination issues. The first draft of Murdle, not named so then, was scribbled on a coffee shop napkin and forwarded to a mate who soon pointed out the issue with the puzzle.
Encouraged, Karber started working on a small algorithm for the puzzling game. Posting it online got him an offer to convert it into a book, within less than a month, from his present literary agent, who was spot-on.
Karber’s unique background of a dual major in mathematics and English from the University of Arkansas perhaps reveals the sort of mind that invents murder-solving logic puzzles for amusement. He insists that both disciplines are closer than perceived, centered around lucid communication and expressing oneself.
This puzzle aficionado, post-graduation, has devoted his time to crafting riddles and developing small online games. His greatest achievement yet, Murdle, deeply resonated with people, potentially owing to its Agatha Christie thematic undertone, or maybe it was simply the right creation at the right moment.
During the lockdown, he found solace in immersing himself into the world of Christie novels. He spent countless hours discussing them with his mother, reminiscing the times of a book club.
An avid fan of Golden Age mysteries, he found himself increasingly drawn towards Agatha Christie’s works, finding in them a comfort amidst the chaos of Covid.
Through these readings, he immersed himself in the Christie universe, which significantly assisted him in solving complex puzzles. Post his degree, Karber pursued a master’s in screenwriting from the University of Southern California. He even staged live murder mysteries in collaboration with the Hollywood Mystery Society, an experience that proved beneficial in developing Murdle. However, he attributes the success of his work, in part, to sheer good fortune.
Karber reflects on the unpredictability of creative work, highlighting how some pieces resonate profoundly with people, while hard work and effort sometimes fail to evoke the desired response. He believes this connection factor is predominantly a game of chance.
Another contributing factor to the book’s success was that it gained recognition on the social media platform, TikTok. However, it all still feels surreal to him.
Living in Los Angeles, a city obsessed with success, he felt the need to create a ‘brand’ for himself. He resisted this urge as he found it challenging and not spiritually fulfilling. He observed some of his friends quickly establishing a brand for themselves after moving to LA. But he believes it’s significantly easier to hit a target when you focus on creating something that would genuinely appeal to a friend, rather than attempting to please everyone.
The books offer more than just intriguing mysteries with a story; they’re also filled with a significant dose of subtle wit. Intriguing characters include General Coffee, a coffee aficionado who routinely consumes his daily caffeine fix before issuing orders that send his troops off to possible death. Another noteworthy character is the charming Philosopher Bone, who contrived the ethical concept stating he’s absolved from accountability for his deeds, but still deserves remuneration for them. Potential murder tools include a torch to put an end to undesirable reads, and an enormous volume described as ‘unedited, unabridged, and unpublished’.
The author’s circle extends to comedic artists based in Los Angeles and he’s well-versed in their craft. Creating a fresh compilation of content within a tight schedule felt exciting and addictive, he confesses. He states that the existence of a deadline fuels his creative instinct immensely.
The topic shifts to his personal history. Raised in Arkansas, both his parents were engaged in legal professions. His maternal grandfather, initially a San Francisco-based FBI agent, was a part of the manhunt operation following the infamous Alcatraz prison escape. He engaged in exploring the waters for the escapees. His grandfather’s death a decade ago left him with regret over not delving deeper into this narrative. He hasn’t watched the film, Escape from Alcatraz, since his childhood and has never been to the now tourism-boosting island prison.
His grandfather was subsequently posted to Arkansas’ FBI garrison and became a chief of police in his later years. The reason for this shift in position remains a mystery to Karber. He asserts he needs to enlighten himself on the surrounding circumstances.
One hope he has for his readers when they solve a Murdle, is that this boosts their self-confidence to tackle life’s perplexities.
Karber is also set to embark on a journey to the UK to promote his book. He will be in Dublin on May 17th to take part in the International Literary Festival. Within the program, he will conduct a live Murdle session. He anticipates this trip and fondly recalls his summer at the University of Galway.
“Throughout university, I held a substantial scholarship that funded my dietary pursuits in creative writing for one summer.” Expressing his amazement at the local authors’ presence and how the community supported them, the concept of people desiring stories about where they live surprised him. “It wasn’t evident to me that the residents of my birthplace, Fort Smith, Arkansas, yearned for art and literature that portrayed our town. We were perfectly happy enjoying cinema trips and tuning into the Top 40 on the radio.”
According to him, the time he spent in Galway helped mould his perspective on writing. He realized that not every writer needs to be globally acclaimed; it’s more than sufficient to write content that certain individuals want to read. Coast-along, he considered it his “first encounter into the world of adult literature.”
“It was an exceptionally significant experience for me. Frustratingly, I haven’t managed to return since then, making this moment incredibly thrilling for me.” He is eagerly looking forward to fitting in another trip at his UK book tour’s culmination. “Merely spending a single day in Dublin will not appease my longing to go back to Ireland. Conversely, I honestly don’t envisage anything placating this craving. I have a feeling that a seven-day stay in Ireland will only make me want a month-long one. And a month will make me yearn for a permanent move.”
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As for the Murdle books’ seemingly magnetic success, Karber believes it’s much easier to comprehend the allure post factum, in retrospect, than while in the creation process. However, in these unpredictable times, an escape from reality, even if transient, through a fun puzzle book is an appealing proposition. Karber anticipates that this sensation of fleeting detachment might instil some confidence in the readers, making them believe they can navigate and make sense of the complexities in their lives, just as they’d solve a Murdle puzzle.
GT Karber’s “A Dublin Murder Mystery” event at Merrion Square will be a part of the International Literature Festival, Dublin, on the 17th of May, commencing at 6pm. The tickets with a price tag of €12/€10 can be secured from ilfdublin.com. In addition, GT Karber’s latest publication, “Murdle: Even More Killer Puzzles”, published by Souvenir Press/Profile Books, is currently available.