The La Ciénega Job: a free Western logic-grid puzzle

The report from La Ciénega came in thin, and what follows is everything the deputy would stand behind under oath. The ledger will hold up if you will.

This free Rookie logic-grid puzzle has 4 suspects, 4 locations, and 4 pieces of evidence. New to logic grids? Start with the pencil-solving guide.

How to mark the grid

●: These two belong together.
✕: These two are ruled out.
blank: Still undecided.

How to play

Click, tap or press Enter on a cell to cycle it: blank, then ● for a confirmed pairing, then ✕ for one you have ruled out. Nothing fills itself in — the deductions are yours to make. Use the arrow keys to move around the grid.

Fill obvious Xs does the bookkeeping only: for each ● you have marked, it crosses off the rest of that pairing's own row and column. It never adds a ●, never reads a clue, and never changes a mark you made.

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Every case has exactly one solution, and it is always reachable by deduction alone. Nothing here guesses for you, and Check will not tell you which mark is wrong.

Clues and evidence

Windmill Sam Ordway's presence at Roundup Flats was no secret.
The deputy struck the cold pipe ash off Ewell Crane's account.
Windmill Sam Ordway never laid hands on the cold pipe ash.
Nobody could connect Wagon Boss Cass Deverell to the scorched bill of sale.
No one puts Ewell Crane at La Ciénega.
Wagon Boss Cass Deverell was never linked to the cold pipe ash.
The scorched bill of sale wasn't Windmill Sam Ordway's.
Wire Pete Nash was never once placed at La Ciénega.
Whatever else is true, Ewell Crane wasn't at Alder Sink.
Wagon Boss Cass Deverell swore off any connection to the stiff rawhide reata, and the ledger agrees.

The grid

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Your marks, completions and streak are saved in this browser only. There is no account, and clearing your browser data clears that local progress. If you accept analytics, the site sends anonymous puzzle-usage events; it never sends your grid marks, clues or solution.

If you want a hundred more

Five volumes, printed and portable

Each Frontier Logic volume collects 100 western mystery logic-grid puzzles, every one with exactly one solution and a complete answer key. Every volume stands alone, in standard and large print.