Cain’s Jawbone: The World’s Most Difficult Puzzle Mystery

Cain’s Jawbone is not a novel you read. It is a puzzle you confront.

Originally published in 1934, this legendary literary challenge was devised by Edward Powys Mathers, writing as Torquemada. The book consists of one hundred pages printed entirely out of order. The reader’s task is to determine the correct sequence, identify six murders, and name their perpetrators.

The number of possible page arrangements exceeds 9.3 × 10 ⁵⁷. There is exactly one correct solution.

For decades, Cain’s Jawbone circulated quietly among puzzle enthusiasts, earning a reputation as one of the most difficult murder mysteries ever written. Fewer than a handful of people are known to have solved it during its original contest period.

This newly designed edition respects the integrity of the original text while addressing the practical realities of solving the puzzle. The complete text appears twice. One version offers a faithful reading experience. The second is a working edition, with increased spacing for annotation, structured reference tools, and a layout designed to support careful comparison and reordering.

No hints are provided. No answers are revealed. The puzzle has not been altered, simplified, or reinterpreted.

This edition exists for readers who want to engage seriously with the challenge and for those curious enough to try.

Solve it, and the victory is entirely your own.