Ace Detective

 

You’re a diligent, intelligent, crime-solving maestro! You like to weigh up all the evidence carefully to ensure you get the right culprit the first time, earning you the well-deserved title of Ace Detective.

You know your limits and are a team player – you always play it safe and call for backup rather than rushing in alone. 

You’re wholly motivated by a sense of justice – you want to get the baddies behind bars and keep the goodies safe.   

Your ideal case

Test out your clue-cracking capabilities and apprehend those vile villains on a detective mystery Treasure Trail! 

To find your closest investigation, head to the Treasure Trails website and click on the ’Buy a Treasure Trail’ tab at the top. Choose your local area to see all the Trails nearby listed on the left-hand side.

Click on the ‘Advanced Filter’ drop-down option above this list, and pick the right theme to show all the active cases near you!

Once you’ve chosen your Treasure Trail, read on for top tips on how to plan your perfect investigation.

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Make a super-sleuthing day of it

Pre-case prep

Before you start combing around for evidence, it’s vital that you’re prepared for a day on the beat. 

Fuel up

You might be thinking doughnuts, but that’s not the right way to go. We suggest something hot to keep you going on a stakeout. Porridge or hot toast is in order to provide you with enough energy to make it to the end of your case.

Get kitted out

Proudly put on your uniform or something smart – you want to appear legit if you need to interview any witnesses! Plus, you need easy access to your pen and case notes at all times, so think pockets. Make sure you wear comfy but smart shoes in case you need to chase down the bad guys. 

Limber up

If you’ve not been out on patrol in a while, you might be a little rusty! Before you leave, have a good shake out, limb by limb, and practice looking up, down, left and right in search of the crafty criminals. Then, quickly crouch three times to examine sneaky evidence underfoot. Finally, a brisk 30 seconds of chasing after criminals on the spot will do the trick! 

Not quite ready to hit the beat? Follow our Detective Training Video for some last-minute warm-up ideas:

Pick your detective codename

You never know how many criminal masterminds and horrid henchmen could be on your tail trying to thwart your investigation.

To avoid giving away your identity and drawing attention to yourself, you’ll need to choose a codename. Make sure all inspectors in your team have their own codename and that you refer to them with that name at all times! 

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Out on your Trail

Top Trailing tips

You don’t miss a trick; the evidence seems to just jump out at you from all angles! So be careful of red herrings, and don’t assume everything must be a clue! You’re eager to get the bad guys behind bars, but make sure you take your time to carefully examine all of the evidence. 

Act like a real detective

Every time you spot a clue, call out, “Aha! The game is afoot!”.

If you fail to spot some evidence right away, re-read your notes and try again. Attention to detail is vital in solving any case.

Keep a lookout for…

Anyone showing suspicious behaviour – they could be linked to the crime! Don’t approach them, as you’ll need backup. Instead, make notes in your pad to maintain proper records of the case. 

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Back at the station

Submit your answer

To close the case, you need to find out whether you’ve got the baddie behind bars or whether they slipped through your fingers this time. So, don’t delay – submit your answer for truth and justice!

Grab some grub

After a hard day’s sleuthing, you’ll want something quick and easy to give you time to go over your notes and write up your case report. Order a pizza, rustle up a quick stir fry or check the fridge for leftovers, then get back to it!

Put your feet up at the station for some evening fun

After a hard day out on patrol, you deserve to unwind and have a laugh. 

How about a game of Cluedo to brush up on your deduction skills or a nice bumper book of word and number puzzles to keep your wits sharp – The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book is a must-have for all crime fighters. 

Gather your fellow inspectors in front of the telly for some top Detective films – try Scooby Doo (2002) or Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) for the young detectives or dip into The Pink Panther (1963) for some classic family guffaws. If you’ve got a little more time on your hands before your next assignment, hunker down and get inspiration from some of the greats in the Sherlock, Columbo or Miss Marple TV Series. 

If you’d rather curl up with a good book, The Case of the Missing Moonstone (Jordan Stratford, 2016) is a great read to get younger detectives ready for their next case. Adults can keep themselves entertained with a classic like The Big Sleep (Raymond Chalmer, 1939) or add a dash of fantasy to detecting skills with Rivers of London (Ben Aaronovitch, 2011).

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What’s next?

Now that you’ve had a taste of detection, you’ll be eager for some more! But did you learn anything while on your case? Put your new-found knowledge to the test and retake the quiz to see if there’s anything you’d do differently next time. You may discover that you’ve become a totally new type of adventurer! 

Get social

Don’t forget to share your ace detective escapades with us on social media. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – you never know, we might feature you as our detectives of the month!