Room for Murder Daily › All cases › Case #18
Death at the Grand Hotel
Nobody saw anything. Nobody heard anything. Rufus still ended up dead.
🔎 Solved by 8 detectives · median time 3:32 · 50% with no help at all
Can stand / sit on: chairarmchairstoolsofabenchbathtub
Solid — nobody there: tableplantpianosinkgrill
What the witnesses say
Percythe butler
“He was diagonally next to Olive. There was a plant in his column.”
“He was diagonally next to Olive. There was a plant in his column.”
Vincethe car dealer
“He was beside a chair.”
“He was beside a chair.”
Olivethe mayor
“She was exactly one row north of Theo.”
“She was exactly one row north of Theo.”
Felixthe magician
“He was beside a stool.”
“He was beside a stool.”
Theothe teacher
“He was beside an armchair.”
“He was beside an armchair.”
Yarathe doctor
“She was beside a bench. She was not beside the bathtub.”
“She was beside a bench. She was not beside the bathtub.”
Rufusthe victim
Found dead — alone in a room with the killer.
Found dead — alone in a room with the killer.
The rules
- Exactly one person in every row and every column.
- Nobody stands on solid furniture; chairs, sofas, benches, beds and rugs are fine.
- Every statement is true. “Beside” means the square directly next to it; north is up.
- The victim was alone in a room with exactly one other person: the killer.
Show the answer and the solution to case #18
The killer was Yara (the doctor) — the only other person in the Spa with Rufus. Percy: E5 · Vince: A1 · Olive: F4 · Felix: D2 · Theo: G3 · Yara: C6 · Rufus: B7.
How to solve it, step by step
- Every square left for Theo is in row G, so row G is Theo's — nobody else can be in row G.
- Read Percy's statement — “He was diagonally next to Olive.” — against where Olive can still be: Percy is down to 12 squares; Olive is down to 14 squares.
- Read Olive's statement — “She was exactly one row north of Theo.” — against where Theo can still be: Olive can only be on F4.
- Olive: “She was exactly one row north of Theo.” Of the squares that fit, only F4 is still open — the rest are ruled out above.
- Percy: “He was diagonally next to Olive. There was a plant in his column.” With Olive on F4, only E5 still fits — the rest are ruled out above.
- Yara: “She was beside a bench. She was not beside the bathtub.” Of the squares that fit, only C6 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Felix: “He was beside a stool.” Of the squares that fit, only D2 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Theo: “He was beside an armchair.” And Olive said: “She was exactly one row north of Theo.” With Olive on F4, only G3 still fits — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Vince: “He was beside a chair.” Of the squares that fit, only A1 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Rufus, the victim, has no statement — but only one square is left in a free row and column: B7, in the Spa.
- Everyone is placed. Rufus lies in the Spa, and the only other person in there is Yara. Yara is the killer.
The book
80 more cases in Room for Murder
Five chapters of floor-plan mysteries, from cosy cottages to a lying-killer chapter, with answers in the back.
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Room for Murder: Thanksgiving
90 floor-plan mysteries in Cranberry Hollow, every case a two-page spread — a puzzle book for the long weekend.
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Room for Murder: Winter
90 cosy Christmas floor-plan mysteries in snowed-in Juniper Falls — a stocking stuffer for puzzle lovers.