Random Crime Generator: Crime, Scene, Motive, Clue and Red Herring

Draft the puzzle for a whodunit chapter or a murder mystery night: a closed circle of suspects, one fair clue, one false trail and the solution left to you.

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471,732,966 possible cases
Updated Sep 2026
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Random Crime Generator: Crime, Scene, Motive, Clue and Red Herring: 20 cases

Crime: an impostor claiming to be a long-lost heir. Scene: a paddle steamer hired for a private party. Motive: a prize won by the same person ten years running. Clue: a blotter that shows the last lines of a letter. Red herring: a suspect who faints when the news is announced.

Crimean impostor claiming to be a long-lost heir
Scenea paddle steamer hired for a private party
Motivea prize won by the same person ten years running
Cluea blotter that shows the last lines of a letter
Red herringa suspect who faints when the news is announced

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Case of the day

Crime: the murder of a gossip columnist. Scene: a night ferry held in harbor by fog. Motive: an insurance policy nobody else knows about. Clue: a routine broken for the first time in years. Red herring: an unsigned note arranging a meeting.
Crime: the murder of a celebrated novelist. Scene: a country house cut off by snow. Motive: a name changed after a trial long ago. Clue: a remark at dinner that stopped the conversation. Red herring: a former employee with a grievance, back again.
Crime: the disappearance of a professor and his life's work. Scene: a fishing village cut off by a landslide. Motive: a masterpiece that was copied from someone else. Clue: damp shoes on someone who never went outside. Red herring: an unpaid bill that led to angry letters.
Crime: an impostor claiming to be a long-lost heir. Scene: a small island with one ferry a day. Motive: a masterpiece that was copied from someone else. Clue: a photograph with one face scratched away. Red herring: a former partner who turned up without being asked.
Crime: the disappearance of the only witness to an old crime. Scene: a castle turned hotel, in its first week open. Motive: a promotion only one of them can have. Clue: a signature made with the wrong hand. Red herring: a person who does not seem to belong.
Crime: the murder of a philanthropist everyone claims to have liked. Scene: a newspaper office on election night. Motive: a promise broken at a deathbed. Clue: a blotter that shows the last lines of a letter. Red herring: an unpaid bill that led to angry letters.
Crime: the sabotage of a rival's life's work. Scene: a mountain railway stopped by a rockfall. Motive: a medal won for something another person did. Clue: a bunch of keys returned to the wrong hook. Red herring: a large withdrawal made the day before.
Crime: the theft of a rare stamp worth a fortune. Scene: a dog show on the day of the final judging. Motive: a family firm that can have only one successor. Clue: a nickname that only an old friend would use. Red herring: a person who does not seem to belong.
Crime: an apparent accident that nobody quite believes. Scene: a castle turned hotel, in its first week open. Motive: a business one bad month from bankruptcy. Clue: a candle burned lower than it should be. Red herring: a suspect who faints when the news is announced.
Crime: the murder of a private detective on a case. Scene: an auction house on the morning of a great sale. Motive: a broken engagement never forgiven. Clue: a suspect who knew a detail nobody had mentioned. Red herring: a suspect who is deep in debt.
Crime: a series of spiteful pranks that has turned dangerous. Scene: a family firm's offices during the annual audit. Motive: a false identity about to come apart. Clue: a gap of seven minutes nobody can fill. Red herring: a secret sale of family silver.
Crime: the murder of a celebrated novelist. Scene: a town house during a dinner for twelve. Motive: a marriage that someone is determined to prevent. Clue: a button that matches nobody's coat. Red herring: a pawn ticket in a coat pocket.
Crime: a fake medium taking money from the bereaved. Scene: a family home on the last weekend before it is sold. Motive: a prison sentence hidden for twenty years. Clue: a candle burned lower than it should be. Red herring: a suspect who stands to gain the most.
Crime: an impostor claiming to be a long-lost heir. Scene: a dog show on the day of the final judging. Motive: a discovery with two people claiming it. Clue: a dusty shelf with one clean rectangle. Red herring: a person who does not seem to belong.
Crime: a series of spiteful pranks that has turned dangerous. Scene: a family home on the last weekend before it is sold. Motive: an insurance policy nobody else knows about. Clue: a remark at dinner that stopped the conversation. Red herring: a pair of gloves thrown away almost new.
Crime: the disappearance of a twin, reported by the other twin. Scene: a mountain railway stopped by a rockfall. Motive: a masterpiece that was copied from someone else. Clue: a dusty shelf with one clean rectangle. Red herring: a book on famous trials, heavily underlined.
Crime: the theft of a rare stamp worth a fortune. Scene: a villa on a lake, reachable only by boat. Motive: fear of a blackmailer's next demand. Clue: a train ticket punched for the wrong day. Red herring: a photograph hidden behind another in a frame.
Crime: the murder of a family solicitor. Scene: a village fete, in and around the tea tent. Motive: an inheritance about to be rewritten. Clue: a half-burned letter. Red herring: a suspect who laughs at the wrong moment.
Crime: threatening notes made of cut-out newsprint. Scene: a lodge on a moor, a day's walk from the next house. Motive: fear of a blackmailer's next demand. Clue: a set of footprints that stops halfway. Red herring: a rival who cannot hide their satisfaction.
Crime: the blackmail of a respected doctor. Scene: a private yacht anchored off a quiet coast. Motive: protecting someone else's secret. Clue: a single glove, too small for anyone present. Red herring: a monogrammed cigarette case found nearby.

Next step Draw a scenario for chapter one Give a suspect a personality

Random Crime Generator: Crime, Scene, Motive, Clue and Red Herring: how it works

This random crime generator deals a fictional case in five rows: a crime, a scene that keeps the suspects together, a motive, a clue and a red herring. It is built for the classic whodunit, so a case says who and why and never how. Lock the rows you like, reroll the rest and write the solution yourself.

Keep the scene, swap the crime

Press New case, then lock Scene on the village flower show and only the crime changes. Copy a case into your notes, save the ones worth keeping, or print a sheet of 20. In the full lists under the tool every line has a note, and each red herring's note gives its innocent explanation.

How the five rows make a whodunit

Every scene is a closed circle: a fixed group of people cut off together, in a country house under snow or on a stopped train, so the culprit must be one of them. The motive never names the victim or the place, so it fits any crime. The clue is the one the reader must be shown. In the rules Ronald Knox wrote for detective stories in 1929, the detective is bound to declare any clue he finds.

Tips

Work backwards. Pick the culprit first, then decide why the clue points to that person and to nobody else.
Lock the other four rows and reroll Red herring until every innocent suspect has one.
Want a case with no death in it? Reroll the Crime row alone: 45 of its 58 lines are thefts, frauds, disappearances, blackmail or sabotage.

Questions and answers

How many cases before one repeats?

58 crimes times 51 scenes times 53 motives times 59 clues times 51 red herrings gives 471,732,966 combinations. A red herring you have seen stays out until the other 50 have been dealt. Every row works that way.

What is a red herring in a mystery?

Something that misleads or distracts from the solving of the mystery: the quarrel everyone overheard, the suspect caught in a lie. In the full list each of the 51 comes with its innocent explanation, such as the packed bag under a bed that turns out to be an elopement, so you know from page one why it leads nowhere.

Why does a case never say how the crime was done?

On purpose. The page is for fiction: mystery writers, tabletop game masters and murder mystery nights, where the personality generator can cast the suspects. A whodunit is a puzzle about who and why, so the rows leave out methods and anything gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case. Nothing here is legal or safety advice.

Crime: all 58 crimes

Murders and suspicious deaths 13

a death behind a door locked from the inside The classic puzzle. Work out how anyone left, and the who follows.
a death the doctor will not call natural No witness and no sign of a struggle: only a doctor who refuses to sign.
an apparent accident that nobody quite believes Everyone agrees it was a fall. Nobody can say why the victim was there at all.
the murder of a blackmailer nobody will miss Every suspect has a motive, which is exactly the difficulty.
the murder of a celebrated novelist The unfinished manuscript is said to be about people who are present.
the murder of a family solicitor He kept everyone's papers, and one set is now missing.
the murder of a famous conductor Admired in public and feared in rehearsal.
the murder of a gossip columnist Her notebook is full of initials, and half the people present have them.
the murder of a newcomer using a false name Before anyone can ask who did it, someone has to find out who the victim was.
the murder of a philanthropist everyone claims to have liked Nobody has a bad word to say, which a detective finds suspicious.
the murder of a private detective on a case Find out who hired her and you are halfway there.
the murder of a retired judge Thirty years of sentences means thirty years of people with a reason.
the murder of a wealthy widow Everyone present expected something from her will, and most of them had said so.

Thefts 13

a jewel theft in which only the fakes were taken The thief left the real stones. Decide whether that was a mistake.
the theft of a bundle of old love letters Decide who wrote them, who kept them and who could not bear them being read.
the theft of a cash box that was under guard Two people watched it all evening, and each says the other never left.
the theft of a diamond necklace It was seen on its owner in the evening and was gone by morning.
the theft of a map to something nobody believed in Until it was stolen, everyone said the treasure was a family joke.
the theft of a pearl that is said to be cursed Three owners have come to grief, and somebody wanted it anyway.
the theft of a rare stamp worth a fortune Small enough to hide inside any book, which is the problem.
the theft of a scientist's notebook Six years of work, in a shorthand only two people can read.
the theft of a signet ring with a family seal With the seal, a letter can be made to look as if it came from the family.
the theft of a small painting, replaced with a copy Nobody knows when the swap was made, so no alibi counts for much.
the theft of a three-hundred-year-old violin Its case was left behind, closed and latched.
the theft of a will, the night before it was to be read Without it an older will stands, and different people inherit.
the theft of an unpublished manuscript Worthless to a dealer and priceless to about three people.

Frauds and forgeries 11

a charity fund emptied by someone on its committee The books balance perfectly, which is what made the treasurer look twice.
a counterfeit antique passed off at a high price The expert who approved it is either a fool or a partner.
a fake expedition that raised real money The backers have gathered to hear when it sails. It was never going to.
a fake medium taking money from the bereaved One client has stopped believing and started taking notes.
a forged letter of recommendation that opened every door The person it praises is present, and is not who the letter says.
a forged painting sold as an old master The buyer is present, and so, it seems, is the painter.
a forged will that cuts out the whole family The signature is good. The date is a day when the old man could not hold a pen.
a set of accounts kept in two versions One set of books for the partners and one for the truth.
a swindle selling shares in a mine that does not exist Several of the people present have invested, and one of them has just found out.
an embezzlement uncovered the day before an audit Whoever did it has one night to put the blame on someone else.
an impostor claiming to be a long-lost heir The claimant knows things only the real heir could know. Decide how.

Disappearances 10

a missing person found with no memory of the past week Back safe and well, and carrying something that belongs to somebody else.
a vanishing from a place with every exit watched The closed circle turned inside out: nobody could have left, and someone did.
the abduction of a banker for an oddly small ransom The sum is one the family can pay at once. Decide who knew that.
the disappearance of a bank manager and a great deal of cash The obvious answer is that he took it. The obvious answer is wrong.
the disappearance of a famous soprano She was heard singing at six. Nobody saw her after that.
the disappearance of a professor and his life's work His room is tidy, which his colleagues say is the strangest part.
the disappearance of a recluse who never went anywhere Nobody saw him leave, because nobody ever saw him at all.
the disappearance of a twin, reported by the other twin Both are forty. Decide whether the one reporting it is the one they claim to be.
the disappearance of an heiress on the eve of her wedding Decide whether she ran, was taken, or was never who she said.
the disappearance of the only witness to an old crime Somebody present has waited years for that witness to stop talking.

Blackmail, threats and sabotage 11

a campaign of rumors meant to ruin a reputation Every rumor can be traced back two steps and no further.
a campaign to frighten an heir into giving up a claim The heir does not frighten easily, and whoever is behind it is losing patience.
a run of anonymous letters that know too much Each letter is true, and each is about a different person.
a series of spiteful pranks that has turned dangerous The first three were funny. Decide what the fourth was.
a small fire set to destroy one set of papers Only one box burned. Decide what was in it, and who has a copy.
a warning delivered every night at the same hour The same four words each time. Tonight there was a fifth.
the blackmail of a respected doctor He has paid for years. This month he decided to stop.
the blackmail of a rising politician The demand is not for money. Decide what it is for.
the blackmail of three people by the same hand None of the three knows about the other two, until now.
the sabotage of a rival's life's work Years of work ruined in one night. Choose the work to suit the scene.
threatening notes made of cut-out newsprint The newspaper they were cut from is one that very few people take.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page, for fiction only. The tool builds one case from five rows (crime, scene, motive, clue, red herring) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to sit beside every line in the other four. The lists keep to the manners of the classic whodunit: no line says how a crime is carried out, nothing is gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case or names a real person. No line needs a technology newer than the telephone, so a case can be set in any decade from the 1920s on. Rules for this row: a crime says what happened and to whom, never how, where or why, because the other rows supply the scene and the motive. Victims are adults described by their standing (a retired judge, a gossip columnist), never by a role that belongs to one scene, such as host or passenger. Stolen things are small enough to be carried anywhere. The word whodunit is used as in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whodunit (checked 2026-09-19): detective fiction in which the puzzle of who committed the crime is the main focus. Reviewed line by line for sense, safety, duplicates and agreement with the other four rows on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work

Scene: all 51 scenes

Country houses and family homes 10

a castle turned hotel, in its first week open A dozen invited guests, a nervous owner and staff who are all new.
a country house cut off by snow The classic closed circle: the roads are shut and the telephone line is down.
a family gathering for the reading of a will Everyone present is there because they expect something.
a family home on the last weekend before it is sold Brothers and sisters dividing the furniture, politely so far.
a house party for a seventieth birthday Three generations and two old friends, all staying until Monday.
a lodge on a moor, a day's walk from the next house Eight people, one cook and a fog that has not lifted in two days.
a manor house during a weekend of amateur theater Every suspect has a costume, a script and practice at pretending.
a seaside boarding house out of season Six long-term residents who know each other's habits to the minute.
a town house during a dinner for twelve Twelve at the table, four in the kitchen, and the front door was bolted.
a villa on a lake, reachable only by boat The boat was tied up all night, and the boatman swears to it.

Trains, ships and tours 9

a canal boat on a slow week's holiday Six people in a space the size of a corridor, moving at walking pace.
a coach tour with the same twenty passengers all week Strangers on Monday, and by Thursday everyone has an opinion about everyone.
a mountain railway stopped by a rockfall Two carriages, one guard and a long wait for the line to be cleared.
a night ferry held in harbor by fog The gangway is up, the fog is down, and the passenger list is short.
a paddle steamer hired for a private party The host chose every name on the guest list, and chose them for a reason.
a private yacht anchored off a quiet coast Eight guests, a crew of four and one dinghy, which has not moved.
a river steamer three days from the next port Thirty passengers, a small crew and nowhere to go but the rail.
a sleeper train stopped between stations Nobody has got on or off since the last station, and the conductor has the list.
an ocean liner in mid-crossing A floating town, but the first-class dining room narrows it to a dozen.

Islands and remote places 10

a fishing village cut off by a landslide Forty people who have known each other all their lives, and two who have not.
a lighthouse during a week of storms Three keepers, two visitors and a supply boat that cannot land.
a mountain inn with the pass closed behind it The innkeeper, her staff and nine travelers who meant to stay one night.
a railway hotel while the line is flooded Stranded passengers from two trains who would never otherwise have met.
a ski chalet with the road closed by an avalanche Ten guests, plenty of food and no way down until the road is dug out.
a small island with one ferry a day The ferry has come and gone, so whoever did it is still here.
a vineyard during the last week of harvest The family, the pickers and a buyer who arrived a day early.
a weather station on a northern island Five staff, one visiting inspector and a relief boat due in a month.
an archaeological dig a day's drive from a town A dozen specialists in tents, each certain the find is theirs.
an island hotel at the end of the season The last guests of the year, and staff already thinking about winter.

Events and gatherings 12

a chess tournament in a spa town Sixteen players who remember every slight as well as every game.
a dog show on the day of the final judging The owners are fiercer than the dogs, and the ring is closed to outsiders.
a masked ball, where nobody is sure who is who The invitations were numbered, and one number was used twice.
a regatta, among the crews and their backers Old money, new money and a boathouse that was locked at ten.
a school reunion, twenty years on Everyone has changed except in the ways that matter.
a three-day cricket match at a country ground Two teams, two umpires, a scorer and a pavilion with one staircase.
a village fete, in and around the tea tent Everyone saw everything, and no two accounts agree.
a village flower show Rivalries here go back decades, and the judging tent has one entrance.
a wedding weekend at a country hotel Two families who have only just met, and a seating plan full of old grudges.
a writers' conference in a seaside hotel Forty people who plot for a living, and a hotel closed to other guests.
an auction house on the morning of a great sale Dealers, collectors and heirs, all watching one another.
backstage at a theater on opening night The stage door keeper logs everyone in and out, and nobody left.

Workplaces and institutions 10

a circus in its winter quarters No audience and no strangers: only the company, who are closer than family.
a department store after the doors are locked The night staff, the window dressers and a manager working late.
a family firm's offices during the annual audit Three generations on the letterhead, and an auditor nobody invited.
a film set in the last week of shooting A closed set: the gate list has forty names, and the star has enemies on it.
a grand hotel during a week-long conference The delegates all know one another, and the top floor is theirs alone.
a newspaper office on election night Nobody left the building between the first edition and the last.
a private library while the collection is cataloged Two librarians, a bookbinder, the owner and the owner's watchful heirs.
a small museum after closing time Four staff, two guards and a visiting scholar with a late pass.
a university college over the holidays The students are gone. The handful of fellows who stayed all dine together.
an orchestra on tour, between two concerts Sixty players, one hotel floor and rivalries tuned over many years.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page, for fiction only. The tool builds one case from five rows (crime, scene, motive, clue, red herring) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to sit beside every line in the other four. The lists keep to the manners of the classic whodunit: no line says how a crime is carried out, nothing is gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case or names a real person. No line needs a technology newer than the telephone, so a case can be set in any decade from the 1920s on. Rules for this row: every scene is a closed circle, in the sense of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_circle_of_suspects (checked 2026-09-19): a limited group of characters, isolated in a confined setting such as a remote estate, an island or a train, so that the culprit must be one of them. Each line is a place or an occasion that can follow any crime, and each note says who is inside the circle or what closes it. No scene names a real place. Reviewed line by line for sense, safety, duplicates and agreement with the other four rows on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work

Motive: all 53 motives

Money 9

a business one bad month from bankruptcy From the outside it looks like a success, which is the expensive part.
a debt that comes due at the end of the week Decide who is owed, and what they said would happen.
a fortune promised for years and then withdrawn Plans were made and money was borrowed on the strength of that promise.
a loan refused once too often The first refusals were polite. The last one was not.
a partner about to find the missing money The partner had asked to see the books on Monday.
a secret buyer willing to pay double Decide what the buyer wants so badly, and why they cannot be seen to want it.
an allowance that was about to be stopped Someone who has never worked was about to have to.
an inheritance about to be rewritten The appointment with the lawyer was for next week. Decide who knew.
an insurance policy nobody else knows about Decide who took it out, and whose signature is really on it.

Love and jealousy 8

a broken engagement never forgiven It was ended by letter, years ago, and the letter has been kept.
a love affair about to be exposed Two people have everything to lose, and only one of them is present.
a love letter that reached the wrong person Decide who read it, and what they decided to do with it.
a marriage that someone is determined to prevent Decide whether the reason is love, money or knowledge of the groom.
a spouse who wants to be free without a divorce A divorce would cost money, position or both. Decide which.
an old flame who has come back married The old promise was never formally taken back.
devotion to someone who never noticed Years of quiet loyalty, and then one overheard remark.
jealousy of a rival in love Decide whether the rival ever knew there was a contest.

Secrets and reputation 9

a degree that was never earned A whole career rests on a certificate nobody has ever asked to see.
a false identity about to come apart Somebody present knew them under the other name.
a masterpiece that was copied from someone else The real author is obscure, or dead, or present.
a medal won for something another person did The one other person who was there has just come back into their life.
a name changed after a trial long ago Acquitted, but the newspapers never printed that part as large.
a prison sentence hidden for twenty years Served in full and buried under a respectable life.
a relative kept secret for thirty years Decide who the relative is, and what they are entitled to.
a secret first marriage It was never ended, which makes the second one a problem.
an old scandal about to be printed Decide who is writing it, and who gave them the story.

Revenge 9

a business partner cheated years ago The cheated partner started again under another name and did well.
a courtroom verdict never accepted Decide who was on which side, and who sat on the jury.
a grudge that goes back to school days One of them has forgotten it entirely, which makes it worse.
a promise broken at a deathbed Decide what was promised, and who was listening at the door.
a public humiliation that was never forgotten Everyone who was there laughed. Several of them are present.
a stolen idea that made someone else rich There is no proof it was stolen, except in one person's memory.
an injustice the law could not reach Somebody has decided to be judge and jury. Decide whether they are right.
revenge for a ruined career One bad review, one withheld reference or one word in the right ear.
revenge for a sibling's disgrace The sibling never recovered, and somebody kept count of the years.

Ambition and rivalry 9

a discovery with two people claiming it Both kept notebooks. Only one set of dates can be right.
a family firm that can have only one successor The founder has not chosen, and enjoys not choosing.
a prize won by the same person ten years running Second place, ten years running, is a long time to smile politely.
a promotion only one of them can have The decision was due this week, and one candidate had a clear lead.
a record that was about to be broken It had stood for decades, and it was all its holder had left.
a rival's book about to be published first Same subject, same sources and a publication date three weeks earlier.
a seat on the board One vote decides it, and the vote belongs to someone who is wavering.
a starring role given to someone else The understudy knows every line.
a title that passes to the next in line Decide who is next, and who is next after that.

Protection and fear 9

a case of mistaken identity The motive was real, and it was aimed at someone else entirely.
a promise made to someone now dead Decide what was promised, and whether the dead would still want it kept.
a witness whose memory is coming back The doctors said it never would. Lately there have been flashes.
fear of a blackmailer's next demand The payments had doubled twice. There was nothing left to sell.
fear of losing the only home they have known A change of owner would have meant a change of locks.
keeping a friend out of prison The friend did something foolish, and this was meant to cover it.
loyalty to an employer who does not deserve it Thirty years of service, and a belief that the family name comes first.
protecting someone else's secret The person being protected has no idea, and would be horrified.
shielding a guilty relative Decide whether the relative is in fact guilty of anything.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page, for fiction only. The tool builds one case from five rows (crime, scene, motive, clue, red herring) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to sit beside every line in the other four. The lists keep to the manners of the classic whodunit: no line says how a crime is carried out, nothing is gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case or names a real person. No line needs a technology newer than the telephone, so a case can be set in any decade from the 1920s on. Rules for this row: a motive is something a person wants or fears. It never names the victim, the stolen thing or the place, so the same motive can sit behind a murder, a theft, a forgery or a run of anonymous letters, and the writer decides how. Motives that rest on hatred of a group of people are left out. Reviewed line by line for sense, safety, duplicates and agreement with the other four rows on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work

Clue: all 59 clues

Objects 13

a bottle of ink in the wrong shade of blue The letter was not written with the pen it was found beside.
a broken string of beads, three beads missing Find the three beads and you know where its owner really was.
a bunch of keys returned to the wrong hook Somebody borrowed them who did not know where they lived.
a button that matches nobody's coat Somebody has changed their coat, or got rid of one.
a candle burned lower than it should be Somebody sat up for hours in a place they say they left early.
a coat that is wet on a dry night Decide where its wearer went to get wet.
a key that fits no lock anyone can find Find the lock and you find what was worth hiding.
a pair of reading glasses nobody claims The lenses are strong. One suspect has been squinting all day.
a pocket watch stopped at ten past four Either it fixes the time, or somebody wants it to.
a single glove, too small for anyone present Decide whose hand it fits, and why that person says they were never there.
a suitcase packed before the news arrived Someone knew they would want to leave.
a teacup wiped clean of every fingerprint Innocent cups have prints on them. Only this one was wiped.
a walking stick its owner does not need The limp comes and goes, and it was gone when it mattered.

Papers 12

a blotter that shows the last lines of a letter Held up to a mirror, it gives an address and a sum of money.
a book with a stranger's name inside the cover The name is the one a suspect used to go by.
a calendar with the wrong date circled Wrong for the event everyone knew about. Right for another one.
a diary with one page cut out The pencil has left its marks on the page beneath.
a half-burned letter What survives is a date, half a signature and the words "as we agreed".
a list of names with one crossed off Everyone on the list is present, except the one crossed off.
a newspaper with one article cut out Another copy of the same paper shows what was worth removing.
a photograph with one face scratched away Everyone else in the picture can be named, which narrows it down.
a receipt for a purchase nobody admits to Dated last week, from a shop two towns away.
a signature made with the wrong hand The slant is backwards. Decide who is left-handed and hides it.
a telegram that was never delivered Decide who stopped it, and what would have changed if it had arrived.
a train ticket punched for the wrong day Somebody arrived a day earlier than they have told everyone.

Traces 12

a bed that was never slept in The covers were pulled about to look used, but the pillow gives it away.
a dusty shelf with one clean rectangle Something stood there for years and was moved this week.
a fresh scratch around a keyhole Made by someone in a hurry, or by someone who wanted it to look forced.
a hinge that was oiled very recently Somebody planned to open a door quietly, and planned it days ahead.
a mirror moved a few inches from its usual place From its new angle, someone could watch a door without being seen.
a set of footprints that stops halfway Nobody vanishes. Decide what the walker stepped onto.
a smell of pipe tobacco where nobody smokes An unusual blend, and one person present carries a pouch of it.
a thread of green wool caught on a nail Nobody admits to owning anything green.
a trace of face powder on a dark sleeve Its wearer says they spoke to nobody all evening.
ash from a cigar of an unusual brand Only one shop in the country sells that brand, and it keeps a list of customers.
candle wax on a floor lit by lamps Someone came through in the dark, carrying their own light.
damp shoes on someone who never went outside They say they stayed in all evening. The shoes say otherwise.

Things people said 11

a lie about something that did not matter People lie about small things to cover large ones. Decide the large one.
a nickname that only an old friend would use Two people who claim to have met this week have known each other for years.
a remark at dinner that stopped the conversation Nobody will repeat it, and everyone remembers who said it.
a suspect who asks the wrong question first Not "what happened" but "who found it".
a suspect who knew a detail nobody had mentioned The oldest slip there is, and it still works.
a witness who heard two voices, not one One voice she knew. The other she took for a stranger's, and it was not.
a witness who is sure about the wrong color The witness is not lying. Decide what kind of light they saw it in.
a witness who recognized a walk, not a face A face can be hidden by a hat and a scarf. A limp cannot.
a witness who saw a light where none should be For about a minute, a little after midnight.
someone who was not surprised by the news Everyone else gasped. One person only nodded.
two statements that agree word for word Honest witnesses differ. These two rehearsed.

Times and routines 11

a bell that rang when nobody had pulled it Somebody needed everyone to look the other way at exactly that moment.
a clock that was set ten minutes fast Everyone's alibi is measured against it.
a door heard closing twice Once for someone going out. Decide who came in.
a gap of seven minutes nobody can fill Every account matches except for the same seven minutes.
a lamp still burning at noon Whoever lit it did not come back to put it out.
a letter posted before the event it describes The postmark is a day too early for the writer to have known.
a meal that was served half an hour late The cook blames a message that nobody admits to sending.
a message passed on a day too late Decide whether the delay was forgetfulness or a decision.
a routine broken for the first time in years The same walk at the same hour every day, except that day.
a shadow in a photograph that gives the hour The picture was not taken when its owner says it was.
an alibi that depends on one person's watch Decide who had the chance to change it, and when.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page, for fiction only. The tool builds one case from five rows (crime, scene, motive, clue, red herring) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to sit beside every line in the other four. The lists keep to the manners of the classic whodunit: no line says how a crime is carried out, nothing is gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case or names a real person. No line needs a technology newer than the telephone, so a case can be set in any decade from the 1920s on. Rules for this row: a clue is a small object, a paper, a trace, something a witness said or something wrong with the timing. It can be found at any scene and can point toward any crime, and it never involves a body or a weapon. Each note says what the clue suggests without naming a culprit. The idea that the reader must be shown the clue comes from the rules Ronald Knox set down in 1929, quoted in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Detective_Fiction (checked 2026-09-19): "The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover." Reviewed line by line for sense, safety, duplicates and agreement with the other four rows on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work

Red herring: all 51 red herrings

Quarrels and odd behavior 10

a drink thrown in someone's face at dinner An old insult finally answered. It ended there.
a former partner who turned up without being asked They came to return something, and to ask for nothing.
a loud quarrel the night before It was about a hand of cards, and both had forgotten it by breakfast.
a nervous suspect who keeps changing their story A poor memory and a terror of the police, and nothing more.
a relative heard saying it would all end badly A pessimist by nature, who says the same about the weather.
a rival who cannot hide their satisfaction Pleased, certainly. People who planned a thing take more care to look sorry.
a suspect who faints when the news is announced No breakfast and a tight collar.
a suspect who laughs at the wrong moment Some people do, when they are frightened.
a suspect who refuses to answer any questions On a lawyer's advice, over a matter that has nothing to do with this one.
a threat shouted in front of witnesses Said in temper, and meant about as much as such things usually are.

Guilty-looking secrets 11

a disguise found at the bottom of a trunk A costume for a party that has not happened yet.
a locked case its owner will not open Samples from an employer who insists on secrecy.
a packed bag hidden under a bed An elopement, planned for weeks.
a suspect caught lying about where they were They were meeting someone they should not, which is a secret and not a crime.
a suspect desperate to get away A sick relative, and a message to prove it.
a suspect seen where they swore they never go Taking lessons in something they are embarrassed to be bad at.
a suspect who gave a false name A well-known author avoiding admirers.
a suspect who once worked as a locksmith Twenty years ago, and they could not pick a lock now if they tried.
a suspect with a prison record Sentence served, living honestly and terrified of exactly this.
a whispered meeting after midnight Two people planning a surprise for a third.
someone seen burning papers at dawn Their own old love letters, before a wedding.

Strangers and outsiders 10

a familiar face that nobody can quite place An actor from a touring play, seen once from the cheap seats.
a figure in a long coat seen hurrying away Somebody shy, avoiding a person they owe an apology.
a former employee with a grievance, back again Came back to ask for a reference, and was given a good one.
a journalist who is present for no clear reason Chasing a different story altogether, about somebody else who is present.
a late arrival who gave no name A debt collector's agent, looking for somebody else entirely.
a newcomer nobody can vouch for Exactly who they say they are, which takes two days to confirm.
a person who does not seem to belong A last-minute replacement for someone who fell ill.
a stranger who watches everyone and says little A shy artist making sketches for a commission, with the sketchbook to show for it.
an amateur palm reader who predicted it all She says something similar to everyone. This time events obliged.
someone who had been asking questions for days A family historian tracing a great-grandmother.

Money that looks like a motive 9

a large withdrawal made the day before For a surprise present, now rather spoiled.
a life insurance policy taken out this year The bank required it before it would agree to a loan.
a pawn ticket in a coat pocket For the suspect's own watch, pawned to help a friend.
a secret sale of family silver To pay for a relative's operation, quietly.
a sudden show of new money A small legacy from an aunt, not yet mentioned to anyone.
a suspect who is deep in debt True, and they have been for years without harming anyone.
a suspect who stands to gain the most And who is already richer than anyone present knows.
a will changed only last month Changed to leave a small sum to a home for cats.
an unpaid bill that led to angry letters Paid in full last week. The receipt is in the post.

Misleading objects 11

a book on famous trials, heavily underlined Research for a novel that will never be finished.
a footprint from an unusually large boot A borrowed pair, worn by someone small to keep their own shoes dry.
a map with a route marked in red A walking holiday planned for next spring.
a monogrammed cigarette case found nearby Lost there a week earlier, and its owner had been asking after it.
a pair of gloves thrown away almost new A gift in the wrong size, from someone who must never find out.
a photograph hidden behind another in a frame A first love, kept out of sentiment.
a second key nobody knew about Cut years ago for a housekeeper who has since retired.
a stained handkerchief with initials Beetroot, and the initials belong to a grandfather.
a torn sleeve and a scratched hand A rose bush, and then an argument with a cat.
a window found broken the morning after A loose shutter in the wind, the night before.
an unsigned note arranging a meeting From a dressmaker, about a fitting.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page, for fiction only. The tool builds one case from five rows (crime, scene, motive, clue, red herring) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to sit beside every line in the other four. The lists keep to the manners of the classic whodunit: no line says how a crime is carried out, nothing is gory, nobody under 18 appears, and no line is taken from a real case or names a real person. No line needs a technology newer than the telephone, so a case can be set in any decade from the 1920s on. Rules for this row: a red herring is used as in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring (checked 2026-09-19): something that misleads or distracts from the solving of a mystery. Every line looks like guilt, and its note gives the innocent explanation, so the writer knows from the start why it leads nowhere. No line mentions the victim or the stolen thing, so it fits any crime. Reviewed line by line for sense, safety, duplicates and agreement with the other four rows on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work