An Evening with Danielle Trussoni

Join La Crescent Public Library director, Jess Witkins, in conversation with Danielle Trussoni. Books will be available for purchase at the event and Danielle will be signing after the program.

New York Times bestselling author Danielle Trussoni brings together the best elements of literary and popular fiction in her thrillers—they’re smart and complex, with fascinating characters, intricately plotted storylines, and timely themes that resonate with a wide readership. Her latest book, THE PUZZLE BOX, which Random House will publish in hardcover on October 8, 2024, is no exception. The story centers on a neurodivergent protagonist in a high stakes international adventure, racing against the clock and hidden enemies to solve the world’s most complex puzzle. And at the same time, it’s a multi-layered novel with strong feminist overtones, as it shines a bright light on the true history of female rulers in Japan.

In the novel, puzzle genius Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo to open the legendary Dragon Box, a mysterious nineteenth century puzzle that has remained unsolved for over 150 years. Mike’s mission to solve the mystery takes him across Japan, from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to the pristine forests of Hakone to historic Kyoto to an ancient cave in Kyushu, and he becomes caught in the power struggle of two sisters descended from an ancient samurai clan. The secrets of their family are locked in a deadly puzzle box that, when opened, could change the future of the Japanese monarchy and women in Japan.

Danielle Trussoni taught English in a remote Japanese village for two years, during which she earned a brown belt in the martial art wa-do, wrote her first novel, and gave birth to a son. She fell in love with the country and its customs: “My time living in Japan was transformative. By the time I left, I was a writer and a mother. In THE PUZZLE BOX, I incorporated elements of Japanese culture and history that I’d learned about—Shinto religion, the Onna-Bugeisha female samurai, and the Imperial family’s drama of succession. This new book is very close to my heart, as it’s a love letter to the country that is so meaningful to me.”