Three Guesses
Recipient of the 2023 Fugere Book Prize Recognizing Finely Crafted Novellas
Buy Now at Regal House Publishing, Burke’s Book Store-Memphis and anywhere books are sold!
Please support your local book stores and community libraries.
“Three otherwise unconnected people form a deep and unlikely bond across the miles via the nostalgic medium of the handwritten letter in the quietly spellbinding novella Three Guesses (Regal House 2025) by Chris McClain Johnson…Lyrical passages, sprinkles of poetry, and illustrative stories add to the experience, but those who share the voyeurist urge to devour those dusty boxes of letters and postcards in the local antique store will find themselves captivated by the deliciously generous slices of life these characters share via personal letters.” See the full review at https://southernlitreview.com/reviews/three-guesses-by-chris-mcclain-johnson.htm.
“Three Guesses by Chris McClain Johnson is a unique and charming novella, a contemporary take on the time-honored epistolary format...The author makes her characters come alive through these letters. They feel vivid and real. She examines the frustrations of the artist, Pete, in his creative work. She articulates the hesitation that Richard feels in revealing to strangers that he is gay, fearing their judgment or rejection. She allows Sam to bare all when she explains how she became a single mother…All in all, this is a highly imaginative and appealing work, cleverly written. I will be looking forward to seeing what the author does next.” See the full review at https://readerviews.com/reviews/three-guesses-johnson.
About Three Guesses
Three strangers from Memphis, Phoenix, and New York City, connected only by a mesmerizing painting named Three Guesses, embark on an extraordinary journey of friendship in this charming epistolary novella. Over the years, their letters reveal intimate details about their lives and loves, dreams, trials and triumphs, and a shared desire to find their places in the world—deepening their bond without ever having met in person. Then, as each contends with critical turning points, the unlikely trio considers breaking their mail-only pact to meet at the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Humorous and heartbreaking, soulful and breathtaking, Three Guesses celebrates love, friendship, hope, and the life-changing power of human connection.
Sharp, eccentric, engaging and refreshing, every letter in Three Guesses is a story all its own.
“Original, eloquent, engaging, and an entertainingly memorable read from cover to cover.”
—Midwest Book Review
“An absolutely heartfelt, brilliant, witty, wry, and unique take on modern friendship. I was captivated from start to finish. I don't think I've read another novel like it. Highly recommended!”
—Katherine Scott Crawford, author of The Miniaturist’s Assistant
“An epistolary celebration of creativity, art, and the written word, Three Guesses is an enchanting treat of a novella. I absolutely adored it.”
—Jennifer Oko, author of Just Emilia
About the Author
Award-winning Southern writer Chris McClain Johnson grew up in Mayfield, Kentucky, graduated from Murray State University in Kentucky, and has lived in Memphis, Tennessee, for almost 40 years.
At age 60, Chris fulfills the lifelong dream of having her first book published. Three Guesses, recipient of Regal House Publishing’s 2023 Fugere Book Prize Recognizing Finely Crafted Novellas, released June 17, 2025. Her debut epistolary novella has received wide praise for being “intensely clever” and “wildly entertaining and smart” with “intimate, riveting prose” and “a fascinating look at modern friendship.”
See A Self Interview to learn more about Chris and the quirky characters in Three Guesses.