Detective Vance arrives at a Halloween party where a stolen diamond is hidden inside one of three carved pumpkins. Pumpkin A has smoke rising from its mouth, but no candle inside. Pumpkin B has fresh, wet orange paint around its carved eyes, but no paint inside. Pumpkin C has a burning candle, and a dark shadow cast on the wall behind it shows a solid rectangular object sitting directly behind the flame inside the pumpkin. Which pumpkin holds the diamond?
Pumpkin C.
The solid rectangular object inside Pumpkin C casting a shadow on the wall reveals where the stolen diamond box is hidden.
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: Easy. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
More detective riddles
The night watchman reported a burglary in the west wing of the gallery. Detective Miller examined the dust-covered floor of the gallery. There were heavy boot prints walking toward the painting, but no boot prints walking away from it. Yet, the painting was gone. How did the thief escape without leaving footprints?
Inspector Drake inspected a stolen car recovered in a muddy ditch. The thief had driven through a freshly paved asphalt road, leaving distinct tire tracks. However, the front tires had a tread pattern completely different from the rear tires, and neither matched the car's original factory model. What does this tell the inspector about the vehicle's history?
A museum heist occurred during a snowstorm. The thief stole a diamond tiara and fled on foot across the fresh snow. Detective Frost followed the single set of deep footprints leading away from the museum entrance and ending abruptly in the middle of an open field. Frost smiled and deduced the thief didn't vanish into thin air—they used a simple seasonal tool to escape detection. What was it?
Detective Thorne examined a threatening letter cut from yesterday's newspaper. The ransom demand was spelled correctly, but every single letter 'e' was glued upside down, forming a small '3'. Thorne smiled and said, 'Our culprit is a foreigner who learned English in a British school.' How did he deduce this?
Detective Cruz entered a freezing cabin where a man sat frozen to death by the fireplace. The firewood was stacked high, matches were nearby, but the hearth was completely clean of ash. Cruz knew the victim didn't just forget to light the fire; someone else stopped him. What was the clue?
Lord Blackwood was found dead in his study during a fierce winter blizzard. The thermostat on the wall read 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The window was frozen shut from the inside with thick frost. His tea mug was stone cold. Yet, the coroner's report stated he died of severe heat exhaustion. How is this possible?

