Customer Reviews

Sudoku Sums

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this genre of puzzle, but this writer was too lazy to create good quality puzzles. Several puzzles had multiple correct answers. Another "cheat" is to include blank spaces in the grid which were not included in any of the sums.
What I loved about this book was the size and its stiff cardboard back.
"Jumbo Sudoku Fusion" and "Will Shortz's Favorite Sudoku Variations" include these types of puzzles and I recommend them.

This book is an embarrassment. This sudoku variant is most commonly known as "Killer Sudoku" (or in some magazines as "Sumdoku"). There is nothing "killer" about any of these poorly designed puzzles, however. (Perhaps that's why the author gave the book a different name?) Those reviewers who thought the puzzles in here are tough need to find another pursuit. They are all ridiculously easy.

Many of them, as another reviewer correctly pointed out, are extremely poorly designed, in that they have more than one solution. Examples are numbers 11, 25, 32, 35, 37, 40, 44, 47, 71, 76. Furthermore, the author does not follow the customary rule in this type of puzzle that all of the digits in each "cage" be unique -- in other words, no number should appear more than once in any given sum. The author flouts this rule from the start in puzzle no. 1. I realize he does not, in his introduction, give this as a rule. At least he had the good grace to recognize that he would not (or perhaps was not an adept enough puzzle designer to) adhere to it. In short, more than 15% of the puzzles in this book are seriously flawed, and none is remotely challenging.

Finally, the book, while cheap, is poor value, as it contains a niggardly 76 puzzles. Those who want a challenge should purchase any of the Killer Sudoku volumes published by The Times of London. E.g., The " Times " Killer Su Doku; The "Times" Killer Su Doku: Bk. 3. Amazon currently lists five such volumes. Each contains, as I recall, 125 - 150 well-designed puzzles, which are divided into different difficulty levels, all of which (other than those labeled "easy") are challenging, and those categorized as "Deadly" really ARE difficult; even the "easy" ones are more challenging than anything in this pathetic waste of time and money.

The author advertises himself as a high school math teacher. Hopefully he lavishes more care on the education of young minds than he did on these puzzles. Then again, as one in higher education who sees what's coming out of high schools these days, I doubt it.

I did a "search inside this book".

It looks to me like Dr. Riley's puzzles are Killer Sudokus.

This is a great book and very challenging for the Suduko fan! Highly recommended.

Other books have called this type of puzzle Samurai Sudoku, which I generally like. This one is o.k. but mostly too easy. Was able to complete the whole book in no time.

If you enjoy doing a different kind of sudoku rather than just the normal kind this is a good book for you.

I bought the Sumdoku book for my Dad's birthday. He just turned eighty and loves Sudoku and Sumdoku. The Sumdoku has a little more challenge to it.