Locked room mysteries that keep you guessing

If you’re a crime fiction fan, there are few things more satisfying than trying to figure out the solution to a locked room mystery. Whether it’s a murder that takes place behind a literal closed door or more of a metaphorical locked room (like an island cut off from the mainland), they all have the same thing in common: a seemingly impossible crime has been committed. As well as puzzling whodunit, the fun is also in working out howdunit.

The best locked room mysteries are based in reality. A supernatural solution or something outlandish like an orangutan climbing in through a fourth-floor window to commit the crime (this really is the plot of The Murders in the Rue Morgue!) isn’t satisfying; solving the case should rely on smart thinking from both the detective and the reader.

If you’re looking for a fiendish puzzle that will keep you (second-)guessing right until the very last page, we recommend the following seemingly impossible-to-solve locked room mysteries.