The case
On the afternoon of the charity auction, Martin Vale discovered that a greenhouse-repair charge had grown from £80 to £800. He intended to question the people who handled the accounts.
At 4:36 p.m., auction coordinator Nina Hart entered Martin’s private study and found him fatally injured. A heavy brass bookend lay nearby; a blue-and-gold ceramic vase had shattered on the floor. Staff arrived at 4:40.
Your task: Decide who most likely killed Martin, identify a convincing false lead, and connect evidence from more than one file. No single file settles the case.
Four accounts
Statements gathered on the evening of the charity auction. Reported times are approximate unless corroborated by a record.
“I took the donation summary to Martin at about 4:05. He was annoyed about a figure but perfectly well. I returned to reception. I stepped away once for supplies; I did not go back into the study.”
“I went into the study at 4:19 to repair a cupboard hinge. I photographed the finished job at 4:21. Martin was alive when I left, and he complained that someone had got the repairs account wrong. Then I went to meet a delivery at the greenhouse.”
“I was leading the raffle in the hall from about 4:24 until 4:34. I went to ask Martin to announce the last prize at 4:36. He was on the floor, and the blue vase was broken. I called for help immediately.”
“Clara left the desk around 4:22 and returned at 4:31. She emptied some scraps into my wastebasket. I noticed a blue pottery chip painted with a little gold leaf. It seemed too pretty to throw away, so I set it aside. I didn't see where she got it.”
Detective notes · A
Need a gentle investigative nudge?
Pay attention to objects people handled, not only to where they say they were.
A useful mistake
Martin had put a question mark beside the repair expense in the final auction accounts.
| Entry | Expense | Amount | Authorisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 041 | Tea-service hire | £120 | C. Finch |
| 042 | Poster printing | £75 | N. Hart |
| 043 | Emergency greenhouse repair · GR-184 | £800 | F. Reed |
Cabinet and greenhouse fittings, minor parts and labour: £80.
Signed as received and approved: F. Reed.
The supplier confirms this is the only invoice it issued under GR-184. No £800 invoice was issued.
Department leads initial paper invoices. The treasurer prepares and signs the final accounts from those invoices. Other volunteers may handle envelopes and cash, but the committee does not yet know where the additional £720 went.
Martin’s handwritten margin note: “Check original before approving total. Must ask about this difference.”
Detective notes · B
Need a gentle investigative nudge?
Ask which document someone signed, and who was responsible for making the final version.
The minutes that matter
These records use the same clock. They show access and activity, not necessarily who held a shared pass or what happened inside the study.
4:05Clara’s assigned card opens the study.
4:19Felix’s assigned card opens the study.
4:21Felix takes the repair photograph shown below; the blue-and-gold vase is intact.
4:22Martin leaves a recorded message for the auction secretary: “The repair figure doesn't match the invoice. I'll speak to the treasurer.” He is clearly alive.
4:26Shared reception pass R2 opens the study. The pass was left at reception for staff errands; there is no record of who held it.
4:28Felix signs for a greenhouse delivery; the delivery driver countersigns. The greenhouse is about six minutes’ walk from the study.
4:26–4:33Raffle recordings show Nina speaking in the main hall, including the 4:26 and 4:32 prize announcements.
4:36Nina’s assigned card opens the study. She alerts staff; the vase is shattered and a small gold-leaf-painted chip is missing.
4:40Staff arrive. Martin is dead. The shared pass R2 has been returned to its reception hook.
Detective notes · C
Need a gentle investigative nudge?
Lay the events in chronological order. Then revisit an object mentioned in a witness statement.
Make the accusation
The best detective doesn't merely choose a name. Your team should explain which independent records fit together and address an apparently damning fact that points somewhere else. Agree on one theory before sealing your report.
Case file submitted
Your team's theory is now on record. Here is what you agreed:
Suspect:
Evidence chain:
False lead:
Unanswered question:
You may revise your report before opening the solution. Once you reveal the case, your verdict is locked until you reset this device.
Ready to open the case?
No one will confirm your answer while you investigate. When every detective has had a chance to speak, open the resolution together. A correct guess is less important than which evidence persuaded you.
This is the point of no return for this attempt. The website will show the complete reasoning and does not offer repeated guesses.
The strongest case: Clara Finch
Clara is the best-supported suspect, not a legally proven killer. Three independent connections make her the most convincing explanation.
The £800 invoice wasn't Felix's authorisation
The authentic GR-184 invoice was for £80 and Felix approved that amount. Clara prepared the £800 final accounts. Martin discovered the £720 discrepancy and planned to confront the treasurer. This gives Clara a possible motive, but not proof she took the money.
The shared pass and the minutes
The study was opened with shared pass R2 at 4:26. Clara was away from reception from about 4:22 to 4:31. Felix was at a greenhouse delivery at 4:28—roughly six minutes' walk away—and a recording places Nina in the raffle hall. The log cannot name the pass-holder, but Clara had the clearest opportunity.
One small fragment connects the files
Felix's 4:21 photograph shows the blue-and-gold vase intact. June noticed a blue chip with gold leaf among scraps Clara discarded at 4:31. Nina found the vase shattered at 4:36, with a chip missing. That cross-file connection suggests Clara encountered the broken vase before its discovery—despite saying she never returned to the study.
Felix: His initials were beside £800, but he signed the original £80 invoice, and Martin was alive after Felix's visit. Nina: She discovered the body and feared disruption to the auction, but recorded announcements place her elsewhere at the critical time.
Compare your first instinct
Which detail made you change—or keep—your original suspicion? Did your team notice a small clue, challenge a misleading record, or learn something from a disagreement?
This fictional mystery is about weighing evidence rather than finding a legally certain verdict. You can now return to your book discussion.
Back to the book
In The Thursday Murder Club, the detectives challenge easy assumptions about people and their motives. What did your team initially overlook: a person, a piece of paper, or the order in which events happened?
All names, the crime, and the evidence in this activity are fictional. Paper-only teams may use the separate sealed resolution sheet after submitting their written accusation.