Puzzle lovers are easy to shop for and hard to surprise. They already have a pencil behind one ear and a half-finished book on the nightstand. The trick is finding small things that fit in a stocking, feel a little special, and give them something new to solve on Christmas morning.
I'm Les Erschen Jr. I write puzzle books under the King Bear Squad name, so I spend most of the year thinking about what puzzle people enjoy. The books in this list are mine, and I'll tell you honestly what is inside and which ones actually fit in a stocking. Amazon prints, ships and sells the books.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Quick picks
- Fits a stocking: Stocking Stuffer Sudoku for Adults, 5 by 8 inches. Paperback on Amazon
- Fits most stockings: No Alibi, a 6 by 9 inch puzzle mystery. Paperback on Amazon
- Digital, for Kindle readers: The Case of the Crooked Crown. Kindle on Amazon
- Give it before December 1: The 24 Suspects of Christmas. Paperback on Amazon
First, a quick size check
Most puzzle books are printed on big 8.5 by 11 inch pages, which is great for solving but too wide for a standard stocking. For the stocking itself, look for a small trim size like 5 by 8 or 6 by 9 inches, a digital gift, or a printable. Save the bigger books for under the tree, or roll a ribbon around one and lean it against the stocking.
Stocking stuffers that actually fit
Stocking Stuffer Sudoku for Adults
We made this one to fit a stocking. It is a 5 by 8 inch paperback with 100 Christmas sudoku puzzles in five levels, from Very Easy to Expert, with 20 puzzles in each level. The digits are a clear 16 point. Ten holiday coloring pages sit between the sections for a change of pace, and the full solutions are in the back. Every puzzle has exactly one solution.
No Alibi: a mystery you solve with a pencil
No Alibi is a 6 by 9 inch book, the size of a regular novel, so it slips into most stockings. A landlord is found dead during a citywide blackout, and every one of his 5,000 tenants had a motive. Each of the 30 case files ends with a word search, and the leftover letters spell a clue that crosses suspects off the list until only one is left. It is standard print, made for adults.
A Kindle mystery: The Case of the Crooked Crown
If your puzzle lover reads on a Kindle, a short cozy dog mystery makes a nice digital stocking stuffer. Young Little Bear, a black Pomeranian based on our real dog, and the old pit bull who raised him have three days to find a pie thief before the town blames the local beagle. Every chapter opens with a secret message to crack. Look for the gift option on the Amazon page if you want to send it to someone else.
Turn the Page Trivia for Seniors on Kindle
For the trivia fan, the Kindle edition of this quiz book holds 300 multiple-choice questions about the 1950s, 60s and 70s, with the answers on the next page. The paperback and hardcover make a good under-the-tree gift if you want the full-size book.
The one personal gift in the stocking: a custom word search
Our custom word search hides up to 24 of your words in one puzzle: names, pets, places and inside jokes. The unused letters spell a secret message you choose. It is a bigger gift than the rest of this list, from $59.99, because a person builds and checks each one for you. It arrives by email within 2 business days as a printable PDF with an answer key, so you can print it, roll it up with a ribbon and tuck it in the stocking. It is made here on kingbearsquad.com, not on Amazon.
Little extras every puzzler uses
These are not our products, and we have not tested them. They are simple things puzzle people tend to reach for. Each link opens an Amazon search so you can compare brands, prices and reviews yourself.
- Erasable gel pens: circle a word, change your mind, rub it out.
- Pastel highlighters: mark each word in a soft color so the rest of the grid stays easy to read.
- A rechargeable book light: for solving in a dim room without waking anyone.
Bigger puzzle gifts for under the tree
The 24 Suspects of Christmas (give it early)
This is a murder mystery escape room in the shape of an advent calendar, made for adults and couples. Snowbound with 24 suspects, you solve one puzzle a day from December 1 and unmask the killer by Christmas Eve. Because it starts on December 1, it works best as an early gift: order by about November 20 so it arrives in time, and give it before December 1.
Murder Under the Mistletoe
A whole cozy mystery told in 50 short chapters, each with a large print word search whose leftover letters spell the next clue. This winter case opens with trouble at the Holiday Market, and everyone blames a scruffy stray terrier. It is Case 2 of the King Bear Squad Mysteries, and every case stands on its own.
How to build a puzzle lover's stocking
- Use the rule of three: one small puzzle book, one good pen, and one treat for solving time, like cocoa or a favorite tea.
- Label one gift "open first" so they have something to solve while everyone else unwraps.
- Start a Christmas morning race. Print two copies of the same custom word search and see who finds every name first.
- Think about the solver. A beginner will enjoy the Very Easy sudoku pages, while an expert will head straight for the last level.
- Order early. Amazon prints these books when you order, so check the delivery date before you buy in December.
You can see all of our Christmas books and stocking stuffers on our Our Books on Amazon page. Happy solving, and merry Christmas from Little Bear and the whole Squad.