Patrick Wildgust News Today

The official follow-up to the 1934 puzzle book, which saw a resurgence thanks to TikTok, is being written by the comedy writer who was one of the few people to solve the original

Only four people have solved the puzzle since "Cains Jawbone" publication nearly eight decades ago.

Cain’s Jawbone is a literary puzzle book that was released in 1934. It has only been solved by four people to date. Now, almost 90 years later, the book has been given new life to the book with a little help from TikTok. 

British comedy writer John Finnemore has solved Cain’s Jawbone, a murder mystery that has 32m possible combinations

Cain’s Jawbone murder mystery first appeared in 1934 and lay forgotten until 2019

In 87 years, only four readers have solved the fiendish murder mystery devised by former Observer crossword setter Edward Powys Mathers

Edward Powys Mathers, or Bill to his friends, was a balding, bearded chap who, in the 1930s, set fiendishly difficult clues as he sat in bed in his pyjamas with a cigarette and a contented smile.

Cains Jawbone: A Novel Problem, written by British author Edward Powys Mathers and first published in 1934, is a novel that tells the story of six murders.

Reissue of a 1934 murder mystery that has only been solved four times sells out online after social media boost