A story — a novel, a film, a TV drama, a stage play — built around the question of who committed a murder, where that answer is kept from you until near the end. The pleasure is the puzzle: clues are laid out, suspects are lined up, and you are invited to guess along with the detective. Agatha Christie is the classic example.

A story這是一種故事—— a novel, a film, a TV drama, a stage play小說、電影、電視劇、舞台劇—— built around the question of who committed a murder整個圍繞著「兇手是誰」這個問題打造， where that answer is kept from you until near the end而答案會一直瞞著你，直到接近結尾。 The pleasure is the puzzle樂趣就在於這個謎題： clues are laid out線索被一一鋪陳， suspects are lined up嫌疑犯一個個排開， and you are invited to guess along with the detective你被邀請跟著偵探一起猜。 Agatha ChristieAgatha Christie is the classic example是最經典的例子。

The word is friendly and slightly playful, never formal — you would see it in a book review or hear a friend say it, but not in a serious literary essay. It is spelled both 'whodunit' and 'whodunnit'; the double-n spelling is more common in Britain.

The word is friendly and slightly playful這個字親切又帶點俏皮， never formal從不正式—— you would see it in a book review你會在書評裡看到它， or hear a friend say it或聽朋友這樣說， but not in a serious literary essay但不會出現在嚴肅的文學評論裡。 It is spelled both它可以拼成 'whodunit'「whodunit」 and 'whodunnit'或「whodunnit」； the double-n spelling is more common in Britain雙n的拼法在英國比較常見。

People also stretch it beyond fiction: a news writer might call a real unsolved case a whodunit, or joke that finding out who ate the office cake became a whodunit. It can be used as a noun on its own or in front of another noun — 'a whodunit plot', 'whodunit fans'.

People also stretch it beyond fiction人們也把這個字延伸到小說之外： a news writer might call a real unsolved case a whodunit新聞寫手可能把一件真實的懸案叫做whodunit， or joke that finding out who ate the office cake became a whodunit或開玩笑說查出誰吃了辦公室蛋糕變成了一場whodunit。 It can be used as a noun on its own它可以單獨當名詞用， or in front of another noun也可以放在另一個名詞前面—— 'a whodunit plot'「推理情節」、 'whodunit fans'「推理迷」。