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Detective riddle

A dead man is found in the middle of a desert, completely naked, holding a short piece of broken straw in his hand. There are no footprints around him for miles. How did he die?

About this riddle

Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.

Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.

More detective riddles

A museum curator was found bound to a chair with his own security rope. A priceless jade artifact was missing from its pedestal. Three staff members were questioned. The historian said, 'I was cataloging ancient scrolls in the basement archives.' The accountant said, 'I was balancing the quarterly ledger in my locked office.' The electrician said, 'I was replacing burnt-out ceiling bulbs in the main gallery.' Detective Thorne arrested the electrician immediately. Why?

Detective Vance examined a threatening letter cut out from various magazines. The letter read: 'YOUR TIME IS UP.' Vance noticed that the letter 'O' appeared three times, and each one used a different font, size, and paper color. Yet, the single letter 'Y' was cut from the exact same magazine page as the letter 'T'. Vance concluded the blackmailer made a critical mistake in their haste. What was it?

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Detective Ross found a coded note left by a kidnapped diplomat. It read: 'Look at the fourth window of the east wall, where the shadows whisper the hour.' The room had no windows on the east wall. Ross smiled and rescued the victim from the basement. What did the note actually mean?

A night watchman claimed he fell asleep at his desk and woke up to find the museum safe blown open. Detective Dale examined the heavy steel safe door, which was blasted outward into the hallway. Dale immediately charged the watchman with an inside job. Why?

Detective Quinn questions five witnesses about the order they reached the museum door. Pavel reached the door before Jonas. Jonas reached the door before Nico. Aria reached the door before Pavel. Nico reached the door before Felix. Who reached the door third?