Riddles > Mystery Solving

The Ring of Fire

Are you an aspiring Sherlock? Team up with your Watson and solve these mysteries!

The Ring of Fire
Riddle:
A woman calls up the police to say that her grandmother’s ring had been stolen. When they visit her house, they see broken glass on the lawn and dirty footprints. They arrest the woman. Why?
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There's a Body
Riddle:
There's a body lying dead on a bed, and on the floor beside it is a pair of scissors. The scissors were instrumental in his death, yet there's no trace of blood. The body reveals no signs of any cuts or bruises. How could the person have been murdered with the pair of scissors?
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A Fireman is Running
Riddle:
A fireman is running to get a net under a lady who looks like she might jump off the balcony of her 20 story apartment building. There is nothing below her except a 20 story fall. The fireman is still 100 yards away when she falls and can't nearly get there in time. The woman is not hurt more than a bruise. How is that possible?
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A Man Goes Out
Riddle:
A man goes out drinking every night, returning to his home in the wee hours of every morning. No matter how much he drinks, he never gets a hangover. This drink is very well known, but is rarely consumed, served warm and taken straight from its source. The man is a sucker for a free drink, especially since he can't live without it. What is his favorite drink?
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Dead Man in the Field
Riddle:
There is a dead man in the middle of a field, nothing is around him and there are no footprints of any sort. There is an unopened package next to him. How did he die?
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Truthful Parrot
Riddle:
A pet shop owner had a parrot with a sign on its cage that said "Parrot repeats everything it hears". Davey bought the parrot and for two weeks he spoke to it and it didn't say a word. He returned the parrot but the shopkeeper said he never lied about the parrot. How can this be?
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Sands of Time
Riddle:
The prisoner was locked up in a room with a dirt floor. The room has one window, which is high up above the prisoner's height. The prisoner had a shovel, but he had only 2 days to get out, and digging would take him more than 5. How would he escape?
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Stormy Seas
Riddle:
A Japanese boat was stuck in water because of the storm, and after the storm, the captain was found dead. The engineer was busy fixing the signals, the cook was managing the wine barrels, the wife went to the room, and the maid was fixing the upside-down turned flag. Who killed the captain?
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Quizzical Calendar
Riddle:
A man was found dead while on his work trip abroad. The suspects were his colleagues Mason, Bob, Lisa, and Alex. On the calendar, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 were written in blood. How should the detectives decode the numbers to find the killer?
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The Pole of Death
Riddle:
Dr. Miller was staying with his cousin, Alfred, in Alfred’s lakeside cabin. They were setting up Alfred’s will. Since Dr. Miller was Alfred’s closest living relative, much of Alfred’s estate was being left to him. One day, Alfred went to Dr. Miller very upset. “Doctor,” he began, “I have just found out that an old enemy is out to get me. He is coming very soon. Where will I go? Where can I hide? If he finds me, he will surely kill me. I do not have time to leave this cabin and hide in the woods.” Dr. Miller thought for a moment, and then grabbed a 5′ long bamboo fishing pole, with a diameter the size of a quarter. “Alfred, follow me out to the lake. This lake is 4′ deep. If you lie on the bottom of the lake and breathe through this pole, your enemy will never find you. I will be in the bulrushes with a shotgun, and I will shoot him when he comes. I will swim down to find you when he is gone.” Alfred thought that was a great idea and went down to the lake with the bamboo pole in his mouth. A few hours later, a ranger passed by. He found Alfred’s body. Dr. Miller told the police of the circumstance, and that Alfred had probably panicked, and died. Police arrested Dr. Miller on the charge of murdering Alfred. Why?
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The Chemist's Demise
Riddle:
A renowned chemist is found dead in his lab. There is no clear evidence except a piece of paper lying by the body. The paper is blank other than the name of five elements scrawled across it hastily: Nickel Carbon Oxygen Lanthanum Sulfur The guard reported that three people visited the chemist that day – his sister, Laura; his colleague, Nicolas; and his wife, Tessa. The criminal was arrested immediately. Who was it?
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Seasonal Guard
Riddle:
One winter day, there was a man standing in the middle of someone’s front yard. The person stayed there for several weeks without moving and the owner of the yard didn’t mind. Eventually, the man left. Who was he?
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Coastguard Confusion
Riddle:
There were three men swimming in the sea. When the coastguard called them into the beach, only two of the men had wet hair. Why?
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Pun Intended
Riddle:
A crime was committed in the middle of a forest, which left the police stumped. Who did it?
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Some Fine Detective Work
Riddle:
Two chickens were found dead on the farm. What does the detective suspect?
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My Very Own Room
Riddle:
Why did a woman call the police over a man who knocked on her door and claimed that he thought the room was his?
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Watch Carefully!
Riddle:
Why was the detective’s wife furious when he arrived home at 9:30 when he said he’d arrive home at 9:30?
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Eiffel Tower
Riddle:
A killer told a detective that he would commit his next crime in the only place in Paris where you couldn’t see the Eiffel Tower. How did the detective end up catching him?
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What Vehicle?
Riddle:
A truck driver is going down a one-way street in the wrong direction. A police car drives past him but doesn’t stop him. Why?
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Mystery Biker
Riddle:
Every day, a woman was seen crossing the border carrying bags of sand on a bicycle. After some time, the border police become suspicious and stop her, but found she only had sand on her, so they let her go. Years later, they get a mysterious invitation for a party at a large villa. The owner comes out to greet them, it is the woman that has been crossing for years! How did this happen?
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The Badge of Truth
Riddle:
A man entered his house and was about to hang up his coat when he heard his wife shout; "No John! Don’t do it!" There was a shot and he could hear his wife fall down. When he entered the kitchen he saw his wife and the gun lying on the floor. There was a police officer, a doctor, and a lawyer standing next to her. Peter immediately knew that the police officer had shot her. But how did he come to know?
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Think Before You Act
Riddle:
A couple went on for a climbing trip. But only the husband returned from the vacation and said that his wife slipped off while climbing and died. On investigating, the local sheriff arrested him saying, 'Your travel agent called. You murdered your wife.' The man did not inform anyone about the trip. Then how did the agent was so sure that it is a murder?
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In the Eyes of God
Riddle:
A young boy went to a Catholic school. During school, he started goofing around, so the teacher called him out and sent him to the Pastor. Since this was a traditional school the boy would be spanked, but the Pastor believed in giving people a chance. He said, "If you can ask me a question about something you learned and I don't know the answer on the spot you will go free." The boy may have been lazy, but he was very witty. He asked, "What is it that you can see and I can see, usually every day, but God cannot see." The Pastor stood there, stumped. He couldn't figure it out because he strongly believed that God sees and knows all, and that there is only one God. The boy smiled and told him. What was it?
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Evil Wizard
Riddle:
Once there was an evil wizard. He took 3 women from their homes and turned them into rose bushes that looked exactly alike. He then put them in his garden. One of the women had a husband and children and begged the wizard to let her see them. He agreed. At night he brought the woman to her house. In the morning he came and took her home. The next day the husband decided to go rescue her. So he snuck into the wizard's garden. He looked and looked at the 3 identical rose bushes trying to figure out which could be his wife. Suddenly he knew the answer and he took his wife home. How did he know which rose bush was his wife?
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A Suspicious Delivery
Riddle:
A wealthy man lives alone in a small cottage. Being partially handicapped, he had everything delivered to his cottage. The mailman was delivering a letter one Thursday when he noticed that the front door was ajar. Through the opening, he could see the man's body lying in a pool of dried blood. When a police officer arrived he surveyed the scene. On the porch were two bottles of warm milk, Monday's newspaper, a catalog, flyers, and unopened mail. The police officer suspects it was foul play. Who does he suspect and why?
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When a Window Closes...
Riddle:
A dead body is found at the bottom of a multistory building. Seeing the position of the body, it is evident that the person jumped from one of the floors, committing suicide. A homicide detective is called to look after the case. He goes to the first floor and walks into the room facing the direction in which the body was found. He opens the window in that direction and flips a coin towards the floor. Then he goes to the second floor and repeats the process. He keeps on doing this until he reaches the last floor. Then, when he climbs down he tells the team that it is a murder, not suicide. How did he come to know that it was a murder?
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The Politician's Happy Hour
Riddle:
Dave and Brad, two popular politicians, met at a club to discuss the overthrow of their party leader. They each ordered a vodka on the rocks. Brad downed his and ordered another. He then drank his second in a gulp and decided to wait before he ordered a third. Meanwhile, Dave, who was sipping his drink, suddenly fell forward dead. Both men were set up for assassination. Why did Dave die and Brad live?
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Bloody Sunday
Riddle:
A man is found murdered on a Sunday morning. His wife calls the police, who question the wife and the staff, and are given the following alibis: the wife says she was sleeping, the butler was cleaning the closet, the gardener was picking vegetables, the maid was getting the mail, and the cook was preparing breakfast. Immediately, the police arrest the murderer. Who did it and how did the police know?
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The Detective Rooster
Riddle:
A man owned a casino and invited some friends. It was a dark stormy night, and they all placed their money on the table right before the lights went out. When the lights came back on, the money was gone. The owner put a rooster in an old rusty tea kettle. He told everyone to get in line and touch the kettle after he turned the lights off, and the rooster will crow when the robber touched it. After everyone touched it, the rooster didn't crow, so the man told everyone to hold out their hands. After examining all the hands, he pointed out who the robber was. How did he know who stole the money?
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Mystery Recording
Riddle:
One day, the police found a man dead inside a hut. In his left hand, he's holding a gun. In his right hand, he has a recording. When the recording is played, the police hear the man talking about how horrible life is and how he wants it to end. The recording ends with a gunshot. The police are about to call it a suicide until you point out a very important clue. What is it?
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