Cain’s Jawbone – Edward Powys Mathers (Ukrainian Hardcover, 2024)

Cain’s Jawbone is a literary puzzle like no other—a detective novel and the most fiendish crossword in one. Written by Edward Powys Mathers under the mysterious pseudonym Torquemada, this brain-bending masterpiece was first published in 1934. Uniquely, the 100 pages of the narrative are scrambled in a completely random order, and only three readers have ever managed to solve it over its 90-year history. Each rearrangement is a challenge: readers must logically sequence the pages, solve layered clues, and unlock six murders that lie hidden within the text.

This Ukrainian hardcover edition, translated by Yurii Vityak and published by Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля (KSD) in its clever КУЛЬТREAD series, tempts the sharp-minded—mixing detective fiction with puzzle-solving. The solid format (224 pages, A5-like 135 × 205 mm, approx. 260–295 g, black-and-white, no illustrations) invites several readings and delivers both narrative intrigue and mental gymnastics.