A red herring is a deliberate false clue meant to mislead or distract readers (or listeners) from the truth. The phrase itself has a storied history, famously coined in 1807 by journalist William Cobb...

There is a moment in almost every mystery novel where someone leans across a table, fixes the detective with a look of wounded dignity, and says: "I was nowhere near the library that evening. I was at...

 Here is a question I have been asking myself for quite some time now, usually while staring at a post that received three likes (one of which was my own, which I'm told doesn't count):