Can you solve The Researcher’s First Murder?

In 1934, the Observer’s crossword compiler, Edward Powys Mathers, wrote a unique novel: Cain’s Jawbone. The title, referring to the first recorded murder weapon, was written under the pen name of Torquemada. The story was not only a murder mystery but one of the hardest and most beguiling word puzzles ever published. 

In 2019, Unbound re-published Cain’s Jawbone. Aided by word of mouth and TikTok, Cain’s Jawbone: A Novel Problem has sold almost half a million copies and been translated into fourteen languages. Only two people solved the puzzle back in the 1930s and the first person to solve it since then was the British writer and puzzler, John Finnemore.

Now John has returned with his own challenge: the first murder mystery to be presented in the form of a box of picture postcards...

The Competition

In 1934 a prize of £15 was offered to the first reader who could reorder the pages and provide an account of the six persons murdered in Cain’s Jawbone and all the names of their murderers. 

In the spirit of Torquemada we are going to host a competition for The Researcher’s First Murder which will close at midnight GMT on Friday 28th February 2025.

Unbound will be offering a £1,000 cash prize to the first person who successfully solves John Finnemore’s murder mystery within this time frame. We will also be offering £250 to one successful runner-up, who will be selected at random from any other correct entries submitted after the winning entry and before the closing date.

Necessary elements for a complete solution:

• A list of the first and last names of both the murderer and victim in each of the ten murders.
• The location where each murder took place (village, town or city).
• The full address of where the final victim was found (including: Flat, House name, Number, Street, Village, Post town, County, Postcode).

We will accept photographs or scans of a completed answer sheet from the booklet provided in The Researcher’s First Murder box. You can submit an entry by sending a completed answer sheet via email to researchersfirstmurder@unbound.co.uk

Terms and Conditions

Entries received after the closing date (midnight GMT on Friday 28 February 2025) will not be accepted. The competition is open to all and free to enter, and no purchase is necessary. Only one entry per person is permitted. Unbound reserves all rights to disqualify you if your conduct is contrary to the spirit or intention of the competition.

By submitting to this competition, you are agreeing to not enter a different publisher's competition relating to this work or any adaptations of this work (including editions published by other territory rights holders and foreign language editions).

Unbound will not accept responsibility for entries that are lost or delayed in transit, regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of any equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.

The first successful solver and runner-up will be notified by email (using details provided at entry) within 30 days of being named and asked to agree to non-disclosure to protect John Finnemore’s secret so that others can enjoy the challenge of trying to solve The Researcher’s First Murder. Your personal details will not be shared or be used for any purpose other than this competition.

We will accept group entries under the condition that only one submission is made per group. A group entry must designate a lead entrant who will serve as the primary contact for all communications related to that entry. The lead entrant will be responsible for receiving and distributing any prizes awarded to the group. Unbound holds no responsibility for disputes regarding the distribution of the prize among group members.

By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. Unbound reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone in breach of these Terms and Conditions.

If you have any questions, please contact researchersfirstmurder@unbound.co.uk