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Detective riddle

In a cozy countryside mansion, the Lord was shot in his study. The butler said he was dusting the library. The cook said she was chopping vegetables. The maid said she was washing the windows. Detective Holmes arrested the maid immediately. Why?

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

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An old miser was found dead in his study with a single bullet wound. There were no firearms anywhere in the room, no footprints in the surrounding fresh snow outside, and the windows were frozen shut from the inside. How was he shot?

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Inspector Cruz arrived at a crime scene where a victim sat at a desk with a glowing computer monitor. The document on screen read: 'I cannot go on.' The digital timestamp showed the file was last modified at 3:14 AM. The coroner estimated death occurred at midnight. Cruz arrested the business partner. Why?

Detective Thorne found a suspect dead from a gunshot wound in a locked hotel room. The gun was in the victim's right hand, but the bullet entered from the left side of the room through an open window, and the victim was notoriously left-handed. Furthermore, the television was tuned to a morning cartoon, but the clock read 3:00 AM. What exposed the staged murder?