Official 5 Minute Mystery author

Tom Fowler

@tfowler
Writing for us since 2008

I am a novelist and freelance writer. Please visit www.tomfowlerwritings.com for a full biography and complete review of my novels, articles and short stories.

tomfowlerwritings.com

Read the latest All authors

42mysteries published

131,903readers have tried them

50%of readers named the culprit

These numbers are about readers: other members solving Tom Fowler’s mysteries, counting each reader’s first try only.

Most popular

Department Store Murder

Leon Adams clocked in a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. on a very mild and sunny Tuesday in April, as he was supposed to. It took only a few minutes to open the cash registers in the men’s department. Leon was a suit sale…

Published March 20, 2009 · 24,444 readers have tried it

Latest

Death in the Office

It was 8:35 A.M. and Cynthia Peck was not only in a bad mood but late for work as well, which was most unusual for her. Not only was she late, but rain had been coming down in a torrential downpour since 7:13. She knew…

Published October 26, 2026 · 4,638 readers have tried it

The case files

Every mystery by Tom Fowler

Geography 1

Mr. Patrick and the Graveyard Mystery

Since relating Great-grandfather Tom Patrick’s civil war story to his history class last year, Gary Patrick had become intensely interested…

1,447 readers · 56% solved it

Missing persons 3

The Case of the Missing Friend

So, Steve would not learn of his missing friend until Tuesday the 26th. Normally, news of a missing person would be all over the news in Ok…

2,681 readers · 48% solved it

The Missing Son

Amanda put all of her thoughts and cares behind her as she kissed each son goodbye. She watched them walk briskly down the sidewalk until o…

3,511 readers · 38% solved it

Where is Matthew?

Five -year- old Andy, (5 1/2, as he would tell you), came to his father early one evening and said, “Matthew is hiding. Can you tell where…

3,359 readers · 59% solved it

Who Dun It? 38

Brass Keyboard Mystery

Steven pondered this at the kitchen table for several minutes. Intense concentration helped him fight the onset of dementia and now he had…

1,276 readers · 41% solved it

Death at Andersonville

Andersonville Military Prison, deep in the heart of Dixieland Georgia, was the most dreaded of Confederate prisoner-of-war camps. It was su…

2,075 readers · 42% solved it

Death in the Office

It was 8:35 A.M. and Cynthia Peck was not only in a bad mood but late for work as well, which was most unusual for her. Not only was she la…

4,638 readers · 33% solved it

Department Store Murder

Leon Adams clocked in a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. on a very mild and sunny Tuesday in April, as he was supposed to. It took only a few…

24,444 readers · 63% solved it

FInding the Flower Fund

“Nan, it’s security. Can you have your employee return our Windex, paper towels, broom … and whatever else he took? He was down here all da…

1,422 readers · 46% solved it

Ladies at Table

Four elderly ladies sat at the dining room table in Ruth Hoskins’s home. Ruth was ninety years old but still lived alone with the assistanc…

2,548 readers · 59% solved it

Lockbox 100

Robert Caldwell always looked forward to the fourth Monday of each month. This was when the Mystery Club of the Caldwell and Zielny law fir…

1,607 readers · 41% solved it

Mr. Patrick Back in Class

Autumn was in the air as Gary Patrick spoke to his advanced history students. It was week three of the fall term and it was time to share a…

1,960 readers · 58% solved it

Mr. Patrick’s History Class

Spring term in Gary Patrick’s ninth grade history class was one week away from finals and the beginning of summer vacation. All of his stud…

1,980 readers · 55% solved it

Mr. Poe's Birthday Party

The old graveyard out on the edge of town was a favorite meeting point for Tommy Allen and his friends. You may say that this was a strange…

2,879 readers · 60% solved it

Murder in the Early Morning

Melody Kairns was usually the first person out of bed in the mornings. However, on this cool, spring morning in Oklahoma, she was still in…

9,208 readers · 35% solved it

Murder in the Old House

Todd Jensen recently inherited the old Jensen family home. He and his wife, Anne, were busy with repairs and remodeling. It was a wonderful…

6,894 readers · 52% solved it

The Anonymous Bank Robber

Recently, Patrick learned something about a friend in the group -- one of the old men had been a bank robber in the 1930s. He had spent tim…

2,397 readers · 37% solved it

The Antique Clock Mystery

Ed Pederson owned and operated the Village Clock Shop for over 40 years. And when his wife passed away, Ed spent even more time in his shop…

1,826 readers · 43% solved it

The Backyard Slumber Party

Erik’s friends began showing up for the backyard sleepover late in the afternoon. It was spring break and unseasonably warm – perfect weath…

3,361 readers · 57% solved it

The Candy Store Mystery

Katie Johnson and Alicia Cates were best friends. The women were genuinely fond of one another, and their friendship had an added benefit…

2,725 readers · 42% solved it

The Classic Automobile Mystery

The guilty person never felt lower. Softly, he said to Ben, “I know I should have told you. I started to a thousand times. I just never had…

1,413 readers · 37% solved it

The Cross Homestead Mystery

Lauren was aware that what everyone these days referred to simply as “The House” was huge and very impressive. Marge continued, “The House…

1,010 readers · 37% solved it

The Diamond Necklace

Eleanor Williams was as vain as she was rich, but also as kind-hearted as she was wealthy. She enjoyed giving frequent cocktail parties wit…

2,918 readers · 35% solved it

The Dirty Half Dozen

“We need your help to pull a prank on Gary.” “What do you have in mind?” Bethany asked. “I want to steal his car,” Joe said, a mischievous…

1,577 readers · 37% solved it

The Easter Egg Mystery

Karen Sheldon had loved Easter egg hunts ever since she was a little girl. That is why she eagerly volunteered to assist with this year’s H…

2,540 readers · 61% solved it

The Late Night Horror Show

Jack Snyder had two great loves in his life: 1) old fashioned horror films (which by today’s standards are not horror films at all) and 2)…

3,202 readers · 60% solved it

The Missing Briefcase

Ed Beatty arrived at the train station half an hour before boarding time. He had booked a New York to Los Angeles train ride weeks ago and…

2,219 readers · 41% solved it

The Missing Communion Set

Janice Cummings was excited. As the youth director for a new church in Overland Park, Kansas, she would host the church’s first youth sleep…

1,225 readers · 46% solved it

The Missing Dagger

Paul Benham, Mitchell (Mitch) Land, Matthew Light, Chris Palmer and Russell Smith had been friends since junior high school, almost 50 year…

2,228 readers · 54% solved it

The Missing Ornament Mystery

Christmas Eve in the home of Leonard and Marie Hadley was the highlight of the year for the Hadley grandchildren. Leonard and Marie hosted…

1,772 readers · 50% solved it

The Missing Popcorn

Specialist Fourth Class (SP/4) Tom White had been in country for 10 months in February, 1970 and looked forward to rotating back to CONUS (…

3,021 readers · 24% solved it

The New year's Eve Mystery

New Year’s Eve, 2009, was a night that Blake Sloan had looked forward to for a long time. Tonight, he and his wife Mary Beth would host a N…

1,508 readers · 46% solved it

The Restless Ghost

Ernestine “Mama” McCormick was one day shy of her 100th birthday. Tomorrow, Michael, Connie and her two grandchildren would celebrate. But…

1,677 readers · 48% solved it

The ROB Club Murder Mystery

They met every Monday morning for breakfast at Faye’s Café. The group, which now called themselves the ROB (Retired Old Boys) Club, dined i…

3,860 readers · 50% solved it

The Secret Friend

As if reading the mind of the “guilty” person, Fred continued, “As you know, our daughter Sarah died of leukemia in December of 1980, just…

2,405 readers · 51% solved it

The Secret in the Old Trunk

Less than an hour before Harold died, he said to his children, “They say a candle burns brightest before flickering out. That’s what I’m do…

1,827 readers · 40% solved it

The Secret Santa Mystery

Reverend Dan Parsons had to admit to some human pride whenever he thought of the church he had built. Now in its sixth year, what had start…

4,685 readers · 72% solved it

The Stolen Car Mystery

Walking outside, Tim soon realized why he felt as he did, and why his friends were acting so strange. His car was missing! A light bulb wen…

2,559 readers · 43% solved it

The Sunday School Tithe Mystery

Juliet, placing her dollar into the envelope first, did not pay strict attention to the others as the envelope made its way around the tabl…

1,394 readers · 50% solved it

The Thief in the Night Mystery

Eleanor Hall would soon be 97 years old. Her body was failing but with the assistance of her beloved grandson Nick and his wife Nance, she…

2,396 readers · 59% solved it

The Trick or Treat Mystery

Ed and Ellen McAnn lived in a semi-rural area. There were rows of houses on both sides of the street but, once you left the small neighborh…

2,271 readers · 32% solved it

Who is Telling the Truth?

Terry Brennan was enjoying a glass of wine before dinner with his wife of over 30 years, Rochelle. The early June evening was perfect and…

1,958 readers · 29% solved it

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