A MALDON author has released a second volume in his puzzle book series.

Following the success of his first book, A Bit Tricky, Patrick Forsyth teamed up with friend and former teacher Trevor Peters to create another collection of brainteasers, riddles, and surprising facts.

The books are specifically designed to entertain “kids from 9 to 99.”

Forsyth, who has written over ten books translated into 24 languages, is known locally for his novels set in Maldon, which dive into themes of mystery and crime. 

Reflecting on his latest release, titled A Bit Tricky, Again, he said: "This was great fun to put together.

"I worked with my friend Trevor Peters, who long worked in teaching, and we had no difficulty finding a second set of puzzles to create this new book.

"Last year people reported liking the first book - not least because they said it made a good Christmas present.

"I had an email from one lady who had bought the book saying that she had gone through it at a family dinner in a restaurant and found other tables joining in around them.

"We hope this second volume will engender some fun too."

The new volume offers a fresh batch of puzzles and conundrums, including one intriguing challenge tasking readers to speak for a full minute without using any words containing the letter 'A'.

This playful puzzle is one Mr Forsyth hopes will bring people together and spark laughter.

"We heard about people using it around the dinner table and enjoying the shared fun. We’d love to see that happen again," he said.

Both A Bit Tricky books are available in print and e-book formats on Amazon, with print copies for sale locally at Maldon Books in the High Street for £6.99.

As a celebratory gesture, Maldon Books is running a special giveaway, with the first customer to solve the “speak without an A” puzzle winning a copy of their choice from the A Bit Tricky series.