Whodunit Puzzles: Brainteasers from Riddle Middle School

There are serious problems at the Riddle Middle School. The principal has suspended over 150 eighth graders and in retaliation, someone has stolen the mid-term exams. In an extortion note, they promise to give the exams back if the suspensions are lifted. Principal Graham Marshall is furious and will not under any circumstances rescind the suspensions. He calls together a staff meeting and browbeats the teachers into tracking down the guilty parties. He threatens retaliation against the teachers if they fail and he squeezes the chocolate frosting out of an éclair in order to emphasize his point. This begins a series of 19 puzzles that must be solved as you step towards the solution and the level of difficulty is within the reach of high school students. They will also find the story amusing, as the antics and stereotypes of the teachers and other staff are exaggerated for comic effect. However, experienced puzzlers will recognize some well-used staples of the puzzle genre. Number 1 is the apparent paradox about how it is possible that two brothers who look identical and were born on the same day cannot be twins. Number 5 is the problem of measuring out a particular amount of liquid using a small set of containers, where each holds an amount not equal to the desired one. Number 11 is the missing dollar problem and number 12 is the farmer, wolf, goat and cabbage problem. Number 14 is the problem where you need to make a statement referring to a situation where the statement cannot be either true or false. Number 15 is the three mislabeled boxes problem and number 17 is the prisoner's dilemma problem. Finally, number 19 is the Monty Hall problem. At the end, the problem is solved and the tests returned. In addition, the shy boy new to the school pockets $1000 for his assistance in solving the mystery. Although Principal Marshall remains a tyrannical demon, there is a happy ending of sorts. It is also a place where the journey is well worth taking as you are forced to think hard and occasionally outside the box in order to solve the puzzles.