Cain’s Jawbone is a murder mystery book published in 1934, written by puzzle writer Torquemada. Within the 100 pages, six different characters are killed and it is up to the reader to solve who killed each of them. The catch is that the 100 pages of the book are printed out of order and in order to solve the murders, you must first rearrange all of the pages and figure out their correct order. Only then can you identify the six victims and each of their murderers. Between its publication in 1934 and 2020, only four people had successfully solved it. Within the past six years, more people have solved the mystery and I aim to become a member of this unofficial club of people who have correctly solved the puzzle.

Using the skills of analysis, writing, and research I have learned as an English major, my project will document my steps and research in my attempt to figure out the puzzle and put together the correct solution. These skills will help me be able to connect writing styles between narrators and chapters, identify allusions and literary references throughout the text, and pick up on the hidden clues needed to solve the puzzle.