STOP A MURDER - HOW (Mystery Puzzle Book 1) Read online

  STOP A MURDER

  HOW

  J.A. KONRATH

  CONTENTS

  Stop a Murder – How

  Important Message

  Preface by Joe Konrath

  Note from Joe

  How: Puzzle #1

  How: Puzzle #2

  How: Puzzle #3

  How: Puzzle #4

  How: Puzzle #5

  How: Puzzle #6

  How: Puzzle #7

  How: Puzzle #8

  How: Puzzle #9

  How: Puzzle #10

  How: Puzzle #11

  How: Puzzle #12

  Acknowledgments

  Joe Konrath’s Complete Bibliography

  Other recommended titles

  Sign up for the J.A. Konrath newsletter

  STOP A MURDER – HOW

  This is unlike any mystery or thriller book you’ve ever read before. You play the sleuth, and try to follow the clues and solve the puzzles to prevent a murder from happening.

  In this five-book series, you’ll be tasked with decoding the mind and motivations of a nefarious killer who is plotting to commit an unspeakable crime.

  Each book contains an epistolary collection of emails, texts, and letters, sent to bestselling author J.A. Konrath, by a serial killer. This psychopath is leaving detailed, cryptic hints about who will be murdered, why, when, where, and how.

  Some of the hints are easy to figure out. Others are much more devious.

  Do you like solving mysteries? Do you enjoy puzzles or escape-the-room games? Are you good at spotting clues?

  Only you can stop a murder.

  Are you smart enough?

  Are you brave enough?

  Let the games begin…

  #1 STOP A MURDER – HOW: Puzzles 1–12

  #2 STOP A MURDER – WHERE: Puzzles 13–24

  #3 STOP A MURDER – WHY: Puzzles 25–36

  #4 STOP A MURDER – WHO: Puzzles 37–48

  #5 STOP A MURDER – WHEN: Puzzles 49–60

  IMPORTANT MESSAGE

  The creators of this series strive to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, but they assure you that this is 100% fiction.

  Nothing in this narrative should be taken as fact.

  It’s fake, folks. Don’t call the cops.

  PREFACE BY JOE KONRATH

  I get a lot of emails, sometimes from fans of my thriller books, sometimes from other writers seeking advice.

  But this was easily the most intriguing, and disturbing, email I’ve ever received. Here’s how it began:

  From: Unknown Sender

  To: JA Konrath

  Subject: An Introduction

  Dear Mr. Konrath—

  This isn’t fiction.

  This is real.

  I’m going to kill someone. I’m going to let you know how, where, why, who, and when.

  But I’m not going to come right out and tell you.

  I’m going to make you figure it out.

  Are you smart enough?

  Are you brave enough?

  Do you think you can stop me?

  Let’s play.

  Sincerely,

  Unknown Sender

  I never responded to that first email. But Unknown Sender didn’t give up. More emails followed. Each had a puzzle. Each had clues and hints. And each linked to a website, taunting me to figure out HOW, WHERE, WHY, WHO, and WHEN.

  I’ve been able to figure out some of the puzzles, but I haven’t been able to get them all. I’ve also shared these emails with the authorities—the local police and FBI—and they’ve written this off as a prank or joke.

  The more I’ve delved into this, the more I’m convinced it isn’t a prank.

  As the Unknown Sender wrote, this is real.

  So, in order to prevent a murder, I’ve decided to publish these email puzzles, and my responses, as a series of five ebooks, in the hopes that a reader or readers will be able to figure out what I’ve been unable to.

  You’re going to need Internet access. A notepad is also helpful.

  I also encourage you to get together with friends to share questions, theories, and answers.

  Feel free to use the Facebook page I’ve set up, at:

  https://www.facebook.com/KonrathPuzzleSeries

  Help one another. But if you’re going to post puzzle answers, make sure you label them as SPOILER ALERT so you don’t ruin it for other readers.

  Don’t read this as fiction. Don’t read this as a collection of games. Don’t read this as a puzzle book.

  Read this as a crime in progress.

  Together, I hope we can stop it.

  Are you smart enough?

  Are you brave enough?

  Can you help me?

  —Joe Konrath

  NOTE FROM JOE

  This was the first puzzle email that Unknown Sender sent to me.

  I encourage you, the reader, to figure these puzzles out on your own. Unknown Sender sometimes puts hints, which are preceded by the words SPOILER ALERT, in our correspondence.

  There are also some hints on the website, www.StopAMurder.com. More on that later, but if you’re reading this on an e-ink ereader, you’re not going to be able to access Unknown Sender’s website within the ebook, or watch the videos that appear when each section is solved. You’re going to have to use a second device (cell phone, computer, tablet) to visit that site to continue the story and validate your guesses.

  The puzzles Unknown Sender has been sending me are a mix of brain teasers, pictures, general knowledge, logic, deduction, and some basic math. You’ll sometimes need to do Internet research to figure them out. Some rely on word tricks or deception, so read carefully, and use hints as needed.

  Unfortunately, I can’t offer any help via my blog or email. If you’re stumped, I encourage you to join forces with other readers to share information, theories, and answers.

  https://www.facebook.com/KonrathPuzzleSeries

  Good luck to you. You’re going to need it.

  We’re both going to need it.

  From: Unknown Sender

  To: JA Konrath

  Subject: How I’ll Do It–1

  My Dear Mr. Konrath—

  Or may I call you Joe? I don’t want to presume familiarity, but I’ve been following your work for many years, and I feel as if I know you through your writing and characters.

  J.A. Konrath. Close to three million books sold, worldwide. The creator of the Lieutenant Jack Daniels series, featuring a female Chicago cop who chases killers.

  Did the Tennessee whiskey people ever give you any flack about choosing that name?

  Maybe, when we see each other again, you can tell me in person.

  Your Jack Daniels novels (named after drinks, and I must say that’s a clever way to brand) all involve your sleuth outwitting the most depraved and heinous of criminals. Which is such unrealistic make-believe nonsense.

  In real life, up to forty percent of murders in the US go unsolved.

  Lots of folks get away with murder.

  Folks like me.

  You obviously enjoy creating stories with twists and clues and red herrings, but how good are you at solving mysteries that aren’t your own? It’s one thing when the problems and the solutions are all made up by you, but quite another when someone else is at the wheel.

  For these first dozen emails, you’ll need to derive a dozen answers. Each email = one answer. When you’ve solved all twelve, I’ll give you some instructions on what you’re to do with your answers. If you’re correct, you’ll be rewarded with more information, a link to a video, and possibly some answers.

  If you’re incorrect—well, let’s just say that
time is running out for the person I plan to murder. I’m patient, but you know how excited one gets to unleash their creation upon the world when it is near completion.

  I’m ready to do this. And I can only wait so long.

  So… hurry, Joe! Use that creative mind of yours and try to follow this trail of breadcrumbs I’m so generously leaving for you.

  Save a life.

  If you can.

  I’m making the first puzzle easy. No tricks. No additional steps. No wordplay or misdirection or codes or cute puns.

  PUZZLE #1

  How many months in the year have twenty-eight days?

  Easy, right?

  So… what are you supposed to do with that answer?

  You need to go to my website.

  Yes, I’ve created a website, just for you. Don’t you feel honored?

  The answers to these puzzles should be typed into the appropriate box on the appropriate page. You’ll see what I mean when you visit.

  If you type in the right answer, you’ll be rewarded with another clue. In order to learn how I’m going to kill my victim, you will need to put all of these clues together.

  With these first twelve emails, each clue you uncover will give you a single character; a letter, or number, or symbol.

  It will eventually lead to the answer you seek. I promise.

  The website is www.StopAMurder.com.

  Oh, and it’s password protected. We don’t want random people stumbling over our little game, do we?

  I made the password something that should be easy for a writer like you to remember. The password is QWERTY.

  Go ahead and type it into the text box at www.StopAMurder.com.

  Once you enter the password you’ll notice there are five topics: How, Where, Why, Who, and When.

  I’ll be sending you emails for each of these topics, and if you’re able to figure out all of the puzzles, you’ll get the answers to those five questions. You might even learn my identity, if you pay attention. For this first batch of emails, your goal is to figure out HOW I’ll be committing this murder.

  There are hints on the website, if you’re truly stumped. I’ll also supply some hints in my emails.

  But a smart fellow like you shouldn’t need hints. You probably want to figure this all out without any clues whatsoever.

  I respect that. So, whenever I offer a hint, I’ll warn you in advance. I’ll use this classic, online phrase: SPOILER ALERT!

  When you see those words, stop reading if you don’t want any additional clues.

  Let’s try it for real. Don’t continue reading if you don’t want a hint.

  SPOILER ALERT!

  There are twelve months in the calendar year.

  I know… that isn’t much of a spoiler. You’d have to be really dense not to know that. But I’ve read your books, Joe. I know I’m not in any danger of overestimating you.

  Now figure out the answer, and type it into the box on my website.

  Good hunting. I’ll be in touch.

  And don’t bother trying to trace my email address. I’m invisible.

  From,

  Unknown Sinder

  From: Joe Konrath

  To: Unknown Sender

  Dear Unknown Sender—

  I get a fair amount of email from fans and peers, but this was certainly the most creative. No one has ever gone through this much trouble to get my attention.

  Your www.StopAMurder.com site is really well done. After putting in the password I went to the HOW section and typed in the number of months that have twenty-eight days. And I got it wrong.

  Then I thought about it a little more, tried again, and got it right.

  This is an interesting idea, and I wish you luck with it. Maybe it could become a phone app, or a video game.

  But a word of advice; if you pitch this to others, drop the whole “I’m going to murder somebody” shtick. It’s creepy, and could get you the wrong kind of attention.

  Best,

  Joe Konrath

  From: Unknown Sender

  To: JA Konrath

  Subject: How I’ll Do It–2

  Dear Mr. Konrath—

  This isn’t a “shtick.”

  This is real.

  And you know it’s real. Don’t you, Joe? Deep down, you know I’m not some writer pitching you some sort of creative project.

  You know I’m telling the truth.

  I see you’ve visited my website.

  Yes, I’ve got trackers on it. I can see where you’ve been. And I can see all of your wrong answers.

  I was correct not to overestimate your intelligence. You made some pretty dumb errors.

  But life has a learning curve, right? It doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as you’re making some progress.

  We all have setbacks, Joe. Things that blindside us.

  The world doesn’t play fair. Neither do people.

  But, I assure you, I’m the exception to that last rule. I’m playing fair with you. More than fair, in fact.

  I’m on your side.

  Consider me a friend, trying to help you navigate these turbulent waters.

  Can we be BFFs, Joe?

  This next clue should be easy for you. After all, it comes from one of your books. I want you to find a number, using this excerpt from your first published novel, WHISKEY SOUR:

  Chapter 26

  In his lifetime, he’s killed twenty-three people. He did two stretches in prison, totaling eight years. Neither was for murder. If he hadn’t been behind bars, he believes his body count would be double.

  I must say, Joe, that segment really isn’t your best work. It sort of just sits there on the page, lackluster. I see what you’re trying to do; to get into the mind of a killer, and attempt to make him scary. But it’s highly unrealistic. I’ve never contemplated how many people I could have killed if I hadn’t gone to jail. That’s just ridiculous.

  Killers don’t stop killing just because they’re incarcerated.

  How do I know?

  Because I murdered three people in prison, Joe.

  They deserved it. Trust me. Believe it or not, our correctional institutions aren’t filled with particularly wholesome individuals.

  Sometimes, one must use self-defense.

  Sometimes, one must strike preemptively, before self-defense is required.

  And sometimes…

  Well, sometimes, some people just need to die.

  Don’t bother Googling murders in jail to try and find me—I was never linked to any of those deaths. And don’t mourn, either. The world is a better place because I did this bit of pruning.

  Anyone who gardens knows that pruning is essential. The dead must be trimmed. The weeds need to be plucked. The attackers need to be annihilated.

  But forgive that digression, and let us get back on point. To solve the puzzle in this email, focus only on the Whiskey Sour excerpt I’ve included above.

  Are you good at math? I suppose it doesn’t matter; calculators are ubiquitous.

  PUZZLE #2

  Read the above novel excerpt. Find all the numbers in the excerpt. Then find the product of those numbers.

  Go ahead. Take your time. Feel free to scribble down notes, and use the calculator on your e-reader or tablet or computer. Or if you’re old school, use an actual calculator.

  Or if you’re really old school, you can multiply by hand.

  Or use an abacus.

  An abacus is something you can really count on.

  Ha! I made a funny. Maybe I should be the bestselling author, right?

  So… did you solve my puzzle? Do you need help?

  I promised you hints. Here comes one…

  SPOILER ALERT!

  The answer is a five-digit number.

  Wait, the number you found isn’t five digits? Then you haven’t followed my directions properly. Or maybe I’m being a little bit sneaky.

  I’m allowed to be a little sneaky when leaving clues, right? That’s part of the fun.


  And shouldn’t murder be fun?

  So, take that five-digit number, and go to www.StopAMurder.com, and type it into the appropriate textbox.

  Hurry, Joe. Time is running out.

  Best,

  Unknown Sfender

  From: Joe Konrath

  To: Unknown Sender

  Dear Unknown Sender—

  You really need to stop it with the I’m a crazy killer bullshit. The only reason I’m replying, is because I found the puzzle intriguing.

  Well done. I don’t know how you’d make money off this concept. You know my area of expertise is ebooks, but I have no idea how this would work, because even though I have a tablet I still find myself switching between your correspondence and the Internet. It’s awkward. But I really don’t see a workaround, so I guess it is what it is.

  Anyway, I hope you find what you’re looking for, but I’m really busy with a deadline, so I’m not going to be able to reply anymore.

  Best,

  Joe Konrath

  From: Unknown Sender

  To: JA Konrath

  Subject: How I’ll Do It–3

  Joe—

  You want to threaten me with not replying?

  You know you’re hooked, Joe.

  You can’t stop me. You can’t stop this.

  You can’t stop us.

  Me and you are a team.

  I make the puzzles. You solve the puzzles.

  There can be no me without you.

  And vice versa.

  I’ve been watching my www.stopamurder.com website.

  Speaking of non-sequiturs, I have an existential question for you that will reach into the very depth of your soul…

  PUZZLE #3

  What same four letters can you add to the end of the letters B, C, D, and R, and have four words that do not rhyme at all?

  For example, if you take the letters L and M, and add the three letters OVE, you have LOVE and MOVE, which don’t rhyme.