Case 0019 · November 1, 2026

The Collector of the Josefstadt

All week, everything he had paid for came with a death attached. In Vienna, the list comes home.

Sunday Dossier — Casebook Pro Sunday Dossier

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No graphic violence, no jump scares: a fair whodunit puzzle, about ten minutes a night.

The briefing

All week, death followed one man's shopping list: a kimono in Kyoto, blue vases in Venice, a mask in Mexico City, a cask in Leith, an icon in Athens. In Vienna, the list ends in a top-floor study in an old palais in the Josefstadt.

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

The victim

Albrecht Weninger, age 77Retired private banker and collectorFor forty years Albrecht lent money to Vienna's old families, and when they could not pay, he bought what they owned. His top floor became a cabinet of wonders: clocks, glass, masks and porcelain, warmed by a tall green tiled stove he fed himself every evening before settling into his reading chair. Lately he collected only things with a story, the stranger the better, and he sent buyers across the world to fetch them.

The suspects

Klara WeningerViolinist in the opera orchestra · Daughter
Felix WeningerGallery owner · Son
Dr Ingrid HaasPrivate curator · Curator of his collection for twelve years
Matthias PichlerHall porter · Porter of the palais
Jonas LeitnerFine art shipper · Ran his shipping for fifteen years
Elisabeth MoserAuctioneer and director of an auction house · His auctioneer

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 0019, “The Collector of the Josefstadt”, is the Sunday Dossier published on November 1, 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.

Case notes

The Collector of the Josefstadt brings a long week of journeys home to Vienna, to the top-floor study of an old palais. There Albrecht Weninger, a retired private banker, kept what he had bought from the city's old families: clocks, glass, masks and porcelain beside a tall green tiled stove. Late on a Saturday night his daughter finds him in his reading chair, the room sealed around him. A shopping list that has trailed death from Kyoto to Athens has finally reached its last address.

Six people circle the collection: his children Klara and Felix, his curator Ingrid Haas, the hall porter Matthias Pichler, the shipper Jonas Leitner and the auctioneer Elisabeth Moser. The file asks you to weigh timings around a closed room, who stood to gain from a lifetime of acquisitions, and who knew what about the objects and their stories. One of the six is lying, and one paper in the study is not what it seems.

With sixteen pieces of evidence and a difficulty of six out of six, this case is for seasoned detectives. It suits players who like to be beaten a few times before everything finally falls into place.

Questions about this case

Is “The Collector of the Josefstadt” 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 “The Collector of the Josefstadt”?

“The Collector of the Josefstadt” is a Sunday Dossier, the longest Midnight Casebook case of its week. Set aside about half an hour, and keep notes as you go.

What if I get stuck on “The Collector of the Josefstadt”?

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 to play “The Collector of the Josefstadt”?

No. Like every Midnight Casebook case, it plays in any modern browser at midnightcasebook.com/play, and there is also an Android app. Sign in with Apple or Google when you want to keep your streak, scores and badges on every device.

Does my score on “The Collector of the Josefstadt” count on the leaderboard?

Midnight Casebook 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.