It started with a treasure hunt for a three-year-old
Hi. I'm Matt (sometimes known as Basil Cluesworthy), the creator of Puzzle Detectives Treasure Hunts.
Nearly 20 years ago, I created my first treasure hunt for my three-year-old daughter. It was homemade, rather less polished than the books we produce today, and she loved it. The idea of turning an ordinary place into an adventure never entirely went away.
As our hunts became more complicated, and I well and truly picked up the puzzle bug.
15 years creating puzzle books
140,000 books sold
2,200+ Amazon 5★ ratings
From puzzle books to city mysteries
For the last 15 years, I've been writing and publishing highly rated puzzle, quiz and activity books, many under the pen name Harry Kaye. So far, I've sold around 140,000 books, and I've brought everything I've learnt to Puzzle Detectives.
I began planning the treasure hunts in late 2019. I set myself a new challenge: create mysteries built around real places, with clues I could find, photograph and test on the streets myself. Covid put the project on hold, but when I returned to it in 2025, I knew what I wanted to bring to the books: original visual puzzles, created for each city and woven into its story.
Researched on location
Original puzzles for every city
Tested by local detectives
The puzzles lead the way
Each book contains original visual puzzles I’ve created for its city and story. In Leeds, a mystery about stolen musical notes led to puzzles involving album covers, lyrics, graphic equalisers and volume controls. Greenwich brings semaphore and compasses into play; Birmingham has Baltis and heavy metal.
As you follow the route, you’ll spot real details around the city and use what you discover to solve the case. Our detectives, Basil Cluesworthy & Felicity Oldstuff, and a cast of thieves and spies keep the story moving, with a few laughs along the way.
Ready for a great day out?