Case 0012 · October 25, 2026

The Bookbinder of Alfama

All week the papers were false. In Lisbon, the hand that made them has gone still.

Sunday Dossier — Casebook Pro Sunday Dossier

The briefing

All week, false papers have surfaced across the world: a song registration, carpet certificates, a signature, provenance for clocks. In Lisbon, the trail ends at a narrow building in Alfama, above the old tram line.

The rest of the briefing is waiting in the case file.

The victim

Aurélio Nogueira, age 71Bookbinder and document restorerAurélio could age a page by a century in an afternoon, and match any hand after an hour with a pen. Officially he rebound atlases and missals for collectors and libraries. Unofficially, the rumour in every auction room from Hamburg to New Orleans was that the best false papers of the last thirty years had passed across his bench. He kept the glue pot warm and the shutters closed, and he trusted no one.

The suspects

Inês NogueiraApprentice bookbinder and fado singer · Niece
Duarte ValenteAntiquarian map dealer · Business associate
Celeste BarrosOwner of a fado house · Neighbour across the lane
Joaquim SeabraRetired police document examiner · Old acquaintance
Annika BrandtInsurance investigator · Visitor from Hamburg
Tomás NogueiraTram driver · Son

How to play this case

DifficultySunday Dossier
The suspects6
TimeA long case — set aside half an hour

6 suspects and 16 pieces of evidence wait in the file. Sweep your flashlight across the scene, listen to every voiced statement and pin what doesn't add up. You have three accusations to name the killer, the method and the motive; after that, the morning paper tells the whole story.

About this case

Case 0012, “The Bookbinder of Alfama”, is the Sunday Dossier published on October 25, 2026: the longest file of the week, with 6 suspects and 16 pieces of evidence. It is still a fair puzzle — no trick ending, no outside knowledge needed — but it rewards patience and careful notes.

Questions about this case

Is “The Bookbinder of Alfama” free to play?

The Sunday Dossier is part of Casebook Pro, together with the full archive and all three hints. Tonight's daily case and the first three cases are always free.

How hard is this case?

It is the longest case of the week. Set aside about half an hour, and keep notes as you go.

What if I get stuck?

Hints open one at a time: the first points to evidence worth a closer look, the second to a contradiction, the third explains one part of the puzzle. Free players get one hint per case, plus an extra one on hard cases during their first seven solves; Casebook Pro unlocks all three. Each hint costs 10 points and each wrong accusation 20, but time never counts against you.

Do I need to download anything?

No. The case plays in any modern browser at midnightcasebook.com/play, and there are also iPhone and Android apps. Sign in with Apple or Google when you want to keep your streak, scores and badges on every device.

Does my score count on the leaderboard?

Leaderboards count only cases solved on their publish day, so tonight's case is the one to play for points. You can still solve this one for the story and the practice.

Can you name the killer, the method and the motive?

Play this case

No spoilers here: the statements, the evidence and the solution stay inside the case file.