Testing Whether Mystery Novel Tricks Could Really Work.

Testing Checklist

---

0) Premises & Definitions

• All terms, names, and technologies in the story are clearly defined.

• The purpose of the trick (to conceal / mislead / misdirect) is explicit.

• The scope of validation (what is included / excluded) is clear.

1) Assumptions & Constraints

• All assumptions required for the trick (who knows what, environmental conditions) are listed.

• External dependencies (police procedure, facility rules, weather, business hours, etc.) are clear.

• Trick does not rely excessively on miraculous coincidences or highly improbable events.

2) Time Logic (Timeline)

• A minute-level sequence of events is written without contradictions.

• Each phase (preparation → execution → concealment) has assigned duration.

• No causal reversal (future facts used as prerequisites for past actions).

3) Spatial Logic (Access / Visibility / Barriers)

• Floor plan, movement lines, blind spots, and lines of sight are clear.

• Distances and routes are realistically possible (considering locks, barriers, surveillance).

• Invariants exist (relationships that remain true even if positions shift).

4) Causality & Necessary/Sufficient Conditions

• Trick’s necessary conditions and sufficient conditions are separated.

• Which missing conditions cause immediate failure is explicit.

• No circular dependencies (logic loops).

5) Information Logic (Who Knows What, When)

• Each character’s knowledge state is organized along the timeline.

• Information transmission methods (conversation, notes, digital traces) are consistent.

• Reader’s deduction does not depend on hidden rules only the culprit knows.

6) Psychology & Rational Choice

• Culprit has a reasonable motive to use this method (risk vs. reward).

• Simpler/safer alternatives are listed, with reasons they were not chosen.

• Victim/third-party actions are plausible human behavior, not artificial contrivances.

7) Fair-Play (Reader Accessibility)

• All essential clues are given before the solution.

• No reliance on vague wording or after-the-fact information.

• Story design leads to a single logical solution, not multiple equally valid ones.

8) Narrative & Language Tricks

• Rules about narrator reliability (lies, omissions, uncertainty) are explicit.

• Pronouns, tense, and POV shifts do not cause excess misdirection or contradictions.

• Trick is not propped up solely by linguistic sleight-of-hand.

9) Alternative Hypotheses & Falsification

• For each key scene, alternative culprit/method hypotheses have been considered and dismissed.

• For each critical premise, minimal counterexamples (smallest exceptions) are explored.

• Weak premises are flagged with rewrite suggestions.

10) Edge Cases & Probability

• Considered timing deviations (±30–60 seconds), poor visibility, witness interference.

• Single points of failure (SPOF) identified and addressed.

• Low-probability dependencies have backup justifications.

11) Resource & Trace Accounting

• Inventory (items, power, digital logs, movement records) reconciled.

• Consistency in traces (fingerprints, fibers, scent, digital logs) confirmed.

• Cleanup/disguise does not create new unexplained traces.

12) Formalization Options (Paper-Only)

• Dependencies mapped as a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) to detect loops.

• Key premises reduced to logic formulas/truth tables to check satisfiability.

• Constraints tabulated into “Required / Potential Failure / Mitigation.”

13) Red-Team Reverse Questions

• “Does the trick still hold if one assumption is removed?” (Minimality Test)

• “If another person performed this step, does it break?” (Alternate Agent Test)

• “What if the culprit was absent that day?” (Robustness Test)

• “What if one more surveillance camera was added?” (Observation Resilience Test)

14) Final Summary

• List of detected logic weaknesses (Severity A/B/C).

• Revision strategy (change setting / add clue / adjust dialogue).

• Items flagged for re-check after revision.

Completion Checklist

---

1) Define Scope (Assumptions & Success Criteria)

• Specify the work/chapter/target trick and state the verification objective.

• Define numeric success criteria (e.g., time ≤ __ min, distance ≤ __ m, required tools __ items).

• Document the story’s assumptions (era, tech level, weather, location layout, legal context) with citations.

  • Note the exact pages/quotes used as sources.

  • Resolve ambiguous wording to avoid unintended interpretations.

2) Assemble Facts & Figures (Diagrams & Timeline)

• Create a floor/placement/movement diagram with scale.

• Quantify required parameters: dimensions, mass, friction (μ), load capacity, sound level, illuminance (lux), visibility distance, etc.

• Build a minute/second timeline (alibi chart) and place all events on it.

3) Safety, Ethics, and Legal

• Identify hazards (fire/chemicals/heights/confined spaces, etc.) and mitigation measures.

• Check relevant laws, facility rules, and permit/clearance requirements.

• Review ethical aspects (human-subjects relevance, deception scope) and log any oversight/approvals as needed.

4) Experimental Design (Reproducible Method)

• Define the primary hypothesis, alternative hypotheses, and success/failure KPIs.

• Document the plan (location, tools, personnel, safety procedures, measurement methods).

• Prepare control conditions (e.g., “do nothing” or “ordinary method”).

• Reduce observer bias via blinding and/or third-party witnesses.

5) Resources & Calibration

• Procure/inspect all tools and note acceptable substitutes.

• Calibrate instruments (timer, camera, rangefinder, sound meter, lux meter, etc.).

• Set up recording/backup (continuous video, logs, timestamps, redundant storage).

6) Pilot Tests (Decompose the Trick)

• Decompose the trick into components and run unit tests on each.

• Determine boundary/critical conditions (minimum light, maximum load, shortest action time, etc.).

• List likely failure modes and mitigations.

7) Main Verification & Recording

• Execute per plan and capture continuous start-to-finish records (video/logs/photos).

• Measure key parameters (time, distance, angle, sound, light, visibility) and save raw data.

• Record any failures/deviations/retries with reasons.

8) Human Factors & Perception

• Confirm the performer’s actions (reaction time, field of view, strength, dexterity) are realistic.

• Evaluate observer-side conditions (lighting, distance, occlusion, attentional load) for detectability.

• Note and adjust for stress, fatigue, and practice effects.

9) Rule Out Alternatives (Falsifiability)

• Test whether a simpler explanation (Occam’s razor) fits the data.

• Verify the trick does not rely on hidden help, special-purpose gadgets, or lucky coincidences.

• If changes are needed, propose a minimal-revision version of the trick.

10) External Review & Replication

• Obtain expert comments from relevant fields (physics/engineering/medicine/psychology/architecture, etc.).

• Arrange independent replication under the same conditions.

• Incorporate feedback and update the record.

11) Conclusion & Conditions

• State the verdict: (1) Works, (2) Works with conditions (list conditions: __), or (3) Does not work (reasons: __).

• Specify threshold values (e.g., minimum illuminance, maximum allowed error) numerically.

• List improvements and follow-up test ideas.

12) Evidence & Reproducibility Package

• Archive diagrams, raw data, videos, logs, and measurement configs.

• Store a step-by-step SOP together with this checklist.

• Prepare public-facing summaries (≈100 chars / ≈300 chars / 1 slide).

Appendix: Mini Version (for Short Videos / On-Site, 5 Items)

• Define assumptions & success metrics numerically.

• Prepare diagram, timeline, and key parameters.

• Safety/legal check and recording setup ready.

• Pilot → main test (continuous recording + measurements).

• Verdict (works/conditional/not) and evidence archived.