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2.For Crime’s SakeA burglar breaks into a stranger’s home lateat night. He doesn’t plan on stealing anythingor causing harm, and he isn’t seeking refuge.What is going on?14Return of the One-Minute Mysteries and Brain TeasersCopyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 141/16/09 1:40:06 PM

3.Crime SpreeTwo burglars enter a wealthyneighborhood late one nightand take everything they canget their hands on. A policeofficer is upset with what hesees but doesn’t do anythingabout it. Why not?Return of the One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers15Copyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 151/16/09 1:40:14 PM

CluesCopyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 1351/16/09 1:57:50 PM

CLUESONCE UPON A CRIME1.Robbed? Something was stolen.No evidence was left behind.Nothing was missing from house.Everything Ben owned was stolen.What kind of house did Ben live in?2. For Crime’s Sake The burglar wasn’t looking for anything.He has a good reason to be in the house.He is new to burglary, but he isn’t practicing.The burglar had been in the house before.He felt very guilty and wanted to make things right.3. Crime Spree The officer isn’t restrained and is present.There is nothing the officer can do.The burglars aren’t breaking the law.The officer is very jealous of the burglars.A scarecrow, a pirate, and a princess are also envious.Return of the One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers137Copyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 1371/16/09 1:57:50 PM

SolutionsCopyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 1591/16/09 1:57:59 PM

ONCE UPON A CRIME1.Robbed?Ben’s motor home was stolen along with everything in it.The burglar, after feeling guilty for robbing the house earlierthat night, was returning the items he stole.3. Crime SpreeIt is Halloween. The older kids, dressed as burglars, weregetting more candy than the younger boy, who was dressed asa police officer.Return of the One-Minute Mysteries and Brain TeasersSOLUTIONS2. For Crime’s Sake161Copyrighted materialReturn of One Minute Mysteries.indd 1611/16/09 1:57:59 PM

Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 15/5/10 2:51:10 PM

Cover by Left Coast Design, Portland, OregonCover illustration Sandy SilverthorneBack cover author photos Milo J. SkinnerMIND-BOGGLING ONE-MINUTE MYSTERIES AND BRAIN TEASERSCopyright 2010 by Sandy Silverthorne and John WarnerPublished by Harvest House PublishersEugene, Oregon 97402www.harvesthousepublishers.comISBN 978-0-7369-3008-6All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy,recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.Printed in the United States of America10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 / VP-NI / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 25/5/10 1:43:11 PM

stnetnCoIntroduction . 7A Crime in Mind .13123456789101112131415Take It or Leave ItSafe but Not SoundPoint the FingerIn Hot WaterEvident EvidenceRunning BlindHide-a-KeyHidden in Plain SightFalse Accusations?Telling TimeWrongly AccusedArt of IntrusionOff the Beaten TrackKnock on WoodThe Counterfeit CoinFind Your Way .3116171819202122232425At the Bus StopOut like a LightRunning Out of GasGoing Nowhere FastThat’s the TicketSpotlessDriving in the DarkDenied PassageBreaking the Speed LimitGoing GreenTime After Time .434326272829303132333435Question of TimeBuying TimeIt’s Only a Matter of TimeTime and AgainOne More TimeTiming Is EverythingNo Time to WaitTimes Are ChangingNo Time like the PresentTime Is UpMaking Sense .553637383940Bird’s-Eye ViewEye-OpenerSudden BlindnessTurn Up the MusicSensory DeprivationGetting the Jobdone .634142434445Change Your TuneBehind Closed DoorsCome In, We’re ClosedState of the ArtNot Maid for the JobTwo Sides to EveryQuestion .7146 When Right Is WrongCopyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 55/5/10 1:43:12 PM

47 Care for a Drink?48 Other Side of the Coin49 Where There’s a Will,There’s a Way50 UndisturbedWhen You Sleep .795152535455Ready for BedLetting Them SleepAsleep at the WheelWake Up and Go to BedSleepwalk It OffCommunicationBreakdown .8756575859606162636465Dropped CallUncalled ForReady or NotChanged Her Mind?Talk Is CheapReading You like a BookReturn MailPrivate MessagesAnswer Me ThisLong Time No HearMystifyingMysteries .9966676869707172737475Lost and Not FoundFace the MusicShow Me the MoneyUp a TreeNo Fighting ChanceAll Washed UpStraightening UpFor Richer or PoorerIn the HoleCold FeetAsk About theWeather .1117677787980Weather ForecastDry RunGetting Wind OfIn a FogRecord HighPicture Imperfect .11981828384858687888990Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5Photo 6Photo 7Photo 8Photo 9Photo 10What’s Wrong withThis Picture? .131919293949596979899100Gone FishingBig TimeRead to MeAll in a Day’s WorkHome, Sweet HomeA Day in the ParkLook for a BookAll NaturalAt the BeachGame PlanClues .143Solutions .171Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 65/5/10 1:43:12 PM

InTrOduCTIOnWhat Are One-Minute Mysteries?These short interactive mysteries are usually played in a groupas an interactive game. You might know them as lateral thinkingpuzzles, yes/no puzzles, or situation puzzles. Each puzzle describesan unusual scenario, and your job is to figure out what is going on.Although the puzzles may seem open-ended, the goal is to figure outthe most satisfying answer, the one that suddenly appears when thelightbulb goes off in your head and you say, “Aha!” (In other words,you’re looking for a solution that matches the one in the back ofthe book.) Each mystery takes less than a minute to read, and thenyou can take your time and enjoy the sleuthing process!How do I Solve Them?These puzzles don’t generally provide you with enough information to find the solution, but you can fill in the gaps by askingyes-or-no questions. The solving process is similar to the game of20 questions, but instead of finding the identity of a thing, yousolve a mystery. You’ll need one other person in order to enjoy thesepuzzles to the fullest, and the more people, the better! Choose oneperson to be the case master. This person reads a puzzle aloud andprivately consults the answer in the back of the book. All otherplayers are the detectives. They take turns posing questions to thecase master, who can respond by saying yes or no or somethingMind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers7Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 75/5/10 1:43:12 PM

like “That doesn’t matter” or “Rephrase your question.” The casemaster provides clues from the back of the book as needed. Thegame is won when someone figures out the key to the solution. Itisn’t necessary to recite the entire solution, but only to figure outthe part that explains what is puzzling.What Kind of Questions Should I Ask?Start by asking big-picture questions. You will be tempted tojump right in and guess the answer, but you will most likely bewrong. In the game of 20 questions, you wouldn’t start by guessingif the person is thinking of a tow truck. Instead, you’d get somegeneral information first. Use the same strategy here. Give yourselfsomething to build on by asking questions like these: Is the locationimportant? Is anyone else involved? Could this happen to me? Asyou figure out what is going on, you can ask more specific questions. Also, ask completely random and off-the-wall questions. Younever know what will spark some new insight!Here is a sample puzzle and some dialogue that shows how thequestioning process works:Case Master: Bob is a delivery man, and he’s in a hurry.He approaches a railroad crossing as the barriers startlowering. He won’t cross the intersection before they close,but he doesn’t have time to stop. What does he do?Detective: Does his speed matter?Case Master: No.Detective: Does he go a different way?Case Master: No.Detective: Does he drive over or under a bridge?Case Master: No and no.8Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain TeasersCopyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 85/5/10 1:43:12 PM

Detective: Does the kind of vehicle Bob is drivingmatter?Case Master: Yes!Detective: Is the vehicle Bob is driving really short?Case Master: It doesn’t matter.Detective: Okay, is Bob driving an ambulance and thetrain stops for Bob?Case Master: No.Detective: Um is Bob driving something that doesn’thave to stop for the railroad crossing?Case Master: Yes!Detective: Oh! Is Bob actually driving the train himself?Case Master: Yes! Bob is driving the train, so he continuesthrough the crossing.Detective: That was tricky.What Else do I need to Know?1. Always check your assumptions. If a puzzle doesn’t comeright out and say something, don’t assume it is true. Askyourself, What am I assuming? If the case master can’t answerone of your questions with a yes or no but instead tellsyou to rephrase your question, you are probably assumingsomething that isn’t true.2. The five senses are often important in these puzzles. Askquestions about sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Don’tforget to check the opposite of what you initially observe.Should the person see, hear, smell, taste, or feel somethingthat he or she can’t?Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers9Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 95/5/10 1:43:12 PM

3. Ask yourself who, what, when, why, how, and where. Whois involved? What is important in the puzzle? When didthis occur? Is the time of day or the year important? Whydid things happen this way? Does it matter where this happened? How did it happen?4. Eliminate red herrings. Look at each element of the puzzleand ask if it is important. This way you can focus yourquestioning on important details.5. Ask if you are being tricked. Many times these puzzles aren’tas straightforward as they seem and are actually leading youto believe something that isn’t true.6. Think laterally—that is, think creatively or outside the box.If you have exhausted all the obvious possibilities and don’tknow where else to go, use your imagination and view theproblem from a new perspective.Can I Solve Them by Myself?If you investigate these mysteries on your own, the clues sectionwill serve as your guide. Once you have read all the clues, your goalis to come up with a satisfying solution that fits all the constraints ofthe mystery and clues. This process is still fairly open-ended becauseyou might come up with solutions that are different from the one inthe back of the book. If you come up with a solution that is moresatisfying than the one in the back of the book, congratulations—you are clever indeed! If you have never solved lateral thinkingpuzzles before, try solving them with the help of someone else firstso you can learn how they work. The last 20 puzzles in the bookare more suited for doing alone.10Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain TeasersCopyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 105/5/10 1:43:12 PM

What About the Illustrations?This book contains two kinds of puzzles. The first 80 puzzlesinclude illustrations that show a humorous yet incorrect assumptionof what is happening. These are purely for your viewing enjoyment, so don’t let them mislead you! The last 20 mysteries in thisbook are picture puzzles. These mysteries require you to find clueswithin the image to figure out what is going on. These puzzles arecompletely self-contained and can be solved alone but are still funto do in a group.Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers11Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 115/5/10 1:43:13 PM

A Crimein MindCopyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 135/5/10 1:43:16 PM

1.Take It or Leave ItA burglar robs many homesthroughout the day. At the lasthouse, he breaks in throughthe back door. This house hasmore valuables than any of theother houses, and nothing isthere to stop him from takingthem, but he doesn’t take anything. How come?Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain Teasers15Copyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 155/5/10 1:43:17 PM

2.Safe but not SoundA bank robber worked throughthe night trying to crack a bankvault. As morning approached,he knew the bank employeeswould be arriving soon, but hedidn’t stop. How come?16Mind-Boggling One-Minute Mysteries and Brain TeasersCopyrighted materialMind-Boggling Mysteries and Brain Teasers.indd 165/5/10 1:43:19 PM

back of the book. The detectives can then pose questions to the case master that he or she can answer by saying “yes,” “no,” or “doesn’t matter.” If the detectives get stumped, the case mast