How to Solve a Mystery

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Last Updated: October 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Have you ever wanted to solve a mystery? Do you dream of observing crimes and deducing the culprit like in the Sherlock Holmes novels? Serious sleuthing is hard work – not “elementary,” as Holmes would say. But if you develop an eye for detail, a sharp memory, and good logical skills, you’ll be able to make a good start as an amateur detective.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Developing an Eye for Detail

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1
Play games. Sherlock Holmes may not have played games, but you can. Certain games can help to boost your powers of observation as well as your memory, so find some that suit you, test yourself, and keep your brain well-trained.
- Try a “spot the difference game.” In these, you will be shown two or three pictures that appear identical, and asked to find small differences. You will have to look at the images very carefully.
- Memory cards are a good way to retain detail. You will have a set of cards face down in front of you and each turn will turn two over, trying to find matches. You must remember what is on each card and where it sits to do well.
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Concentrate. Does your mind wander much? Don’t worry, almost half of working adults are not always focused on the task at hand.^{[1]
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Go to source} But a good detective can focus all of her mental powers on the problem at hand. She is unblinking and able to stay on task. To have a good eye for detail, you’ll need to increase your concentration.
- Cut out distractions. One thing that might be hindering you is distraction. Cut out things that divert your attention. Power down your phone, shut off your computer.
- Practice self-discipline. When you find your mind wandering, consciously force yourself back to the problem. Tell it to “stop.”
- Avoid multitasking. Multitasking may seem like a smart way to work and to get more done. However, studies show that multi-taskers take longer to complete tasks and make more mistakes.^{[2]
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  Research source} You can’t afford small errors as a detective. Avoid!
- Practice meditation. According to one study, people who meditate appear to have lower activity in a part of the brain called the “posterior cingulate cortex (PCC),” which is controls the wandering mind. Better control over the PCC may mean that it will be easier for you to stay on task.^{[3]
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3
Take detailed field notes. Scientists in the field or lab have to train their attention, and one way they do this is by taking field notes. Writing down information in note form forces you to separate what is relevant and important from what is not; with practice, it should help you develop a quicker eye for detail.^{[4]
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Research source} You will often find that, on turning the notes over in your mind, unseen connections will emerge.
- Keep some notes in a journal or simple notebook. It probably helps to carry this with you at all times, in case you need to jot something down on the spot. These are sometimes called “jottings.”^{[5]
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- Later, when you have time, you can revisit your jottings and put them into a more coherent narrative. Reviewing, reworking, and rewriting your jottings into detailed notes will strengthen your grasp of the information.
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Improve your memory recall. When you first encounter information, your brain puts it in “temporary storage.” For maximum recall, however, you want to encourage the brain to transfer data into your long-term memory, minimizing the loss of any detail or information. That way, you will be able to remember it and apply it to your case quickly and efficiently.
- Try to create links between new information and what you already know. Use familiar examples or analogies; create acronyms, rhymes, wordplay, or jingles.
- Make mental associations to images. Some people find the so-called “memory palace” or method of loci technique useful. This is when you visualize a detailed mental “storage” facility, sometimes a house with different rooms, and walk yourself through the facility to retrieve information. Sherlock himself sometimes uses this method.
- Be as active as possible in learning. Ask yourself questions about information and try to answer them. Take time regularly to review information, including your field notes.

Part 2

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Honing your Logic Skills

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Read up on logic. Sleuthing depends on the ability of the detective to make inferences, or in other words, to look at a series of events and make a conclusion based on reason. Logic will help you to do this and to judge the validity of arguments and conclusions. Think of it as training yourself to think more rigorously.^{[6]
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- A basic argument in logic has premises and a conclusion. Premises are reasons or support for a conclusion.
- An argument must be both “valid” and “sound” to be true. “Valid” means that the argument has a good structure and “sound” means that it is both valid and based on true premises.
- Take this famous argument: “Socrates is a man. All men are mortal. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.” This is an example of a valid and sound argument. The first two statements are the premises and both are true. The third statement, the conclusion, is also true and follows fro the premises.
- Consider another: “Socrates is a man. Socrates is mortal. Therefore, all men eat cereal.” This is an example of an invalid argument. The premises are true, but the conclusion is not related to them.
- One more: “All cats can fly. Socrates is a cat. Therefore, Socrates can fly.” This is an example of a “valid” but unsound argument – it has a good logical structure but is based on false premises.
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Learn about fallacies. Problems arise in logic when you make mistakes – these are called fallacies. You’ll need to be at least somewhat aware of basic fallacies if you want to avoid making big mistakes in your cases. Don’t worry, often they’re quite obvious.^{[7]
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- Just for a few examples, the fallacy of “begging the question” makes an argument that just restates the point make: “Asbestos is carcinogenic because it causes cancer.”
- The above example is also a fallacy of “circular reasoning.” These rely on incomplete or self-referential definitions. Here’s another: “A good person is someone who does good things. I do good things, so I’m a good person.”
- One big fallacy for detectives is the fallacy of the “false cause.” Here, you mistake correlation for causation. “The murder happened after Halley’s Comet appeared. Therefore, the comet caused the murder.”
- You can learn more about fallacies in books on logic or in online resources.
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Do logic puzzles. If logic sounds like pretty dry stuff to you, try to make it more enjoyable by playing logic games. Some of these might involve scenarios, while others may be word games. Varying the kind of game will give your skills a good all-around workout.^{[8]
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- Verbal logic puzzles will sometimes ask you to match a conclusion with premises to form an argument that is both valid and sound.
- Once variety of logic puzzle is called “Knights and Knaves.” In it, characters are either knights (who always tell the truth) or knaves (who always lie). With these premises, you will have to solve questions.
- Number games like Sudoku are non-verbal logical puzzles.
- Chess is probably the most famous logic game of all time, forcing you to think along with your opponent, often visualizing how the game plays out several moves in advance.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Applying Holmesian Deductions

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1
Find an appropriate mystery. Now that you have a good eye for detail and have mastered the art of logic, you’re ready to begin your sleuthing career. Grab your hat and let’s go solve some mysteries.
- You don’t necessarily need to solve crimes to practice your detective work. Actually, frequenting crime scenes is a bad idea. It may not be safe and could anger local police.
- Smaller mysteries are a better place to start. Ask your friends and family if they have any mysteries. Has anything gone missing lately at home? Did a pan of cookies disappear off from the counter while they were cooling, but everyone at home denies taking them? Get on it.
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Make detailed observations. Gather information and make your observations, for starters. You can do this by physically examining the scene of the crime, by talking to witnesses, or both. Pay close attention and try to sort what is important from what is not.
- Ask questions. Interview people who may be able to shed light on the mystery. Was your aunt the one who baked the cookies? When did she bake them? What time did she take the pan out of the oven? When did she first notice that the cookies had gone missing? Who else was present? Did she notice anything else out of place?
- Write down your observations as field notes, both for interviews and for examinations, so that you can review, rehash, and work the pieces until they fit.
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Map out events. Take your information and begin to put together the puzzle. Different pieces will include people – who was around and a possible culprit – as well as the time, possible motives, and other considerations.
- It may help to write out the events on a piece of paper, draw a timeline, or create a flow chart. “Aunt baked cookies at 4:30 pm. Took them out of the oven at quarter to five and then went outside to the garden. When she came back inside at 5:30 the cookies were gone.
- Also present were Uncle, cousin Bob and cousin Gina, Gina’s friend Mosley, and their Shetland sheepdog. Interview them and note their schedules, as well!
- We know the following additional details: Uncle and cousin Gina both have weaknesses for cookies. Bob does not. Mosley is unknown. The dog was free to roam about the house. A long hair was found at the crime scene.
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Consider different scenarios. When you begin to piece together a mystery, you’ll often be faced with several different possible sequences of events. Using logic, your job is to figure out which scenario is the most likely one and to nab the culprit.
- Consider the scenarios: Uncle may have nicked the cookies, as he has a weakness for them. But Gina could have, too. Bob is less likely to have stolen them, as he prefers candy. Mosley and the dog are unknowns, but either of them may have eaten the cookies. Or, Aunt may be lying.
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Apply logic. Map the scenarios. Assess and reassess the evidence. Eventually, a picture of the crime should emerge as you eliminate possibilities through logic. You may not get the correct answer, but you should be able to discover the most likely scenario.
- A key piece of evidence, in this case, is the long hair found on top of the baking sheet. It is your only piece of physical evidence. The perpetrator must have had long hair.
- Uncle is bald, while Bob and Mosley have short hair. Aunt, Gina, and the dog all have long hair.
- With this in mind, your likely perpetrators are whittled down to three. You’ll need to look closer, and to focus your attention on the physical evidence, the hair, its color, texture, and length, to find the true culprit.