GT Karber: “It would be horrible to discover that there is a murderer in my family”

‘Murdle: solve the crime’ (Today’s Topics) has become the most addictive book of the moment, a true international phenomenon with more than a million readers that has been published in more than thirty countries. The American’s ‘bestseller’ Greg T. Karberthe son of a judge and a lawyer who grew up in a small town in Arkansas, tests the reader’s power of deduction with 100 devilish riddles which make the book a perfect experience for lovers of crime novels and detective stories.

Awarded as Book of the Year at the ‘British Book Awards 2024’ and undisputed leader on the best-seller lists in the United States and the United Kingdom, for the third time in history, a non-British author has been the best-seller in the United Kingdom during the last Christmas campaign, something they had only achieved And brown y Michelle Obama. Due to its success, the series ‘Murdle’ will be expanded to six titles for adults y five for childrenwhich will become one of the most globally successful editorial series in recent years.

‘Murdle: solve the crime’ arrived in Spain on June 5. Graduated ‘summa cum laude’ in Mathematics and English Literature and with a master’s degree in Fine Arts that he completed in California, Greg T. Karber He is secretary general of the ‘Hollywood Mystery Society’ and has overseen the staging of dozens of immersive crime novels in the Los Angeles area. What started as an online daily game turned into a successful book and the culprit chats with Tiramillas from United States.

What is ‘Murdle: Solve Crime’ about? Is ‘Murdle: Solve Crime’ a book or a hobby notebook?

‘Murdle’ is a collection of riddles and puzzles about murder and mysteries that anyone can learn to solve using logic. You can acquire the skills to solve the first case in a few minutes, but solving the book’s 100 mysteries could take hours, days, or even weeks. And as you progress through the book, you will discover that there is a secret hidden beneath them all.

The goal is for the reader to discover who the murderer is, what weapon he used and where he committed the murder. This reminds me of ‘Cluedo’, the detective mystery board game developed by Anthony Pratt 75 years ago. What differences and similarities are there between said board game and ‘Murdle: Solve Crime’?

Cluedo is a fun game, although if you’ve played it recently you’ll remember that most of the game involves rolling dice to navigate a mansion. ‘Murdle’ really exercises your mind: you’ll feel like you’re making deductions to solve a mystery. And while Cluedo takes place in an old mansion, in ‘Murdle’ you will also travel around the world, visiting enchanted forests, international spy networks, Hollywood movie sets and much more.

Graduated in Mathematics and English Literature from the University of Arkansas, he has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the School of Cinematographic Arts at the University of Southern California, a computer programmer by profession… Where does your love for puzzles and puzzles come from? At what point in your life and why did you decide to create puzzles?

I love solving a small, simple puzzle, something that entertains you for a few minutes and then allows you to get back to your life. But while I’ve always loved puzzles, I’ve always loved mysteries. For me, they are the most exciting puzzles of all. If you solve a crossword puzzle or a sudoku, all you’ve done is write some letters in some boxes, but if you solve a mystery, well, you’ve saved the day. You are a hero.

You are also the general secretary of the ‘Hollywood Mystery Society’, a nearly century-old society. What purposes or objectives does said society have and what requirements must be met to be part of it?

The origins of the Hollywood Mystery Society are shrouded in secrecy, and even I, as acting Secretary General, am not at liberty to reveal them. The Hollywood Mystery Society requires its members to be part of the Hollywood film industry, although we are not allowed to disclose our membership lists. Still, we count among our group several television show creators, Oscar nominees, and film and television actors. Our goal is to work underground to make Hollywood a more open and welcoming workplace. We do this through a rather unique way: the live performance of mysteries.

Let’s go back to ‘Murdle: solves the crime’: best-selling book in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2024, more than a million readers, rights sold in more than thirty countries. .. How does one keep this data? Did you expect to achieve this success?

It’s really amazing, and I can’t say I predicted it at all. He hoped to write a book that people would enjoy, that would be a treasured item on his bookshelf. So I tried to put everything I liked about mysteries and puzzles into it. And I wanted people to like the book, and I hoped they would, but I never would have imagined it would be so successful.

Juan Gómez-Jurado, one of the most successful Spanish novelists today, has declared that ‘Murdle: solves the crime’ is a book that “engages and gives pleasure.” The British Richard Osman has also said that it is “an absolute phenomenon.” How do you feel when renowned authors like them praise you and your work?

It is the greatest honor of all. Having such famous and talented writers recommend ‘Murdle’ has truly been the most amazing thing about this entire journey. In my childhood, writers were the real celebrities. So hearing some of these incredible titans talk about ‘Murdle’ is a real honor.

And how does GT Karber manage all this success to keep its feet on the ground?

Honestly, working too hard! I figure if I stay this busy I’ll be able to give back more than I receive. I try to work as much as I can while people continue to answer my phone calls, creating more ‘Murdles’ and more mysteries for everyone to enjoy. The Detective Club holds me accountable!

The ‘Murdle’ series will be expanded to six titles for adults and five for children. Are you not considering or have you never considered writing a detective and mystery novel?

Yes, I hope to have time to write one day. I have an idea for a mystery, but I can’t reveal it here: it would break the surprise!

And study Criminology, become a detective and dedicate yourself professionally to it?

My parents were lawyers and I considered devoting myself to law. My grandfather was an FBI agent in San Francisco during the ’60s, and he once teamed up with baseball player Willie Mays to take down a gang of car thieves. But I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I don’t plan to investigate any murders anytime soon. Of course, if one fell on me, I’d have to investigate it, right?

Is there a murderer or criminal that has aroused special curiosity throughout your life?

My father was always obsessed with a crime that occurred when he was a child. A man who lived down the street from him committed a gruesome murder and fled. For a week, I think, the killer was on the loose, and all the kids were terrified of being next. I am never particularly interested in real murders: they are tragic, sad and regrettable. I’m much more interested in fictional murders, where the criminals can be scheming, charming and intelligent, and not the way they usually are in real life.

Why do you think serial killers or perpetrators of heinous crimes generate so much interest? What crime novel writer or writers has marked you or have marked you throughout your life?

I would say that Agatha Christie, Umberto Eco, John Dickson Carr and Levinson & Link (the screenwriters and creators of ‘Colombo’) are the ones that have impacted me the most. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is probably the best mystery book ever written, but it’s not for everyone!

Why do you think that detective and mystery novels never go out of style and always have a large and loyal audience?

I think solving a mystery is a real pleasure. It tests your mind and your wits, but it’s also a fun ride. You don’t feel frustrated or insulted.

So, can anyone, using logic and the power of deduction, solve the 100 riddles he poses in his book?

I truly believe that anyone can solve ‘Murdle’ puzzles and riddles! However, everyone is likely to get stuck on at least one of them. But when they get stuck, what they have to do is ask a friend for help. Two heads think ten times better than one, and together you can solve it. Once you’ve figured that out, you can do them yourself!

To solve the 100 riddles of ‘Murdle: Solve Crime’, he says you have to use logic and the power of deduction. Don’t you think that with new technologies these two ‘tools’ are used less and less? Would AI be able to solve them? And could AI create puzzles as complex as those the reader encounters in his book? Do you consider that AI is a threat to crime fiction and can it be on par with authors like Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley or John le Carré?

I’m currently collaborating with AI researchers to see to what extent an AI can solve a ‘Murdle’ – my prediction? Not very well. The computer programs we now call “artificial intelligence” are actually repeating machines, so I don’t consider it a threat.

The last one, grandson of an FBI agent and son of a judge and a lawyer specialized in Civil Law, his family would only be missing a murderer…

Obviously it would be horrible to find out, but it would help a lot to promote ‘Murdle’, right?