I had a new book for Christmas...

We'll start with the easy ones - if you've come across the puzzle before and know the answer, please give other people 24 hours to try and work it out first.

Explain the following by means of questions that can be answered by a simple "yes" or "no":

There is a large wooden barn on the outskirts of the city. it contains the body of a man hanging from the central rafter with his feet well clear of the ground. The barn is completely empty - how had the man managed to hang himself?

Were there horses in the barn when he first went in?

I know this one Rog. It's a good one.

Were there horses in the barn when he first went in? No
Agreed, Remi - I came across something similar in one of these "Urban Legend" site...

Was he parachuting?

Was he parachuting? No

..but it's a lovely thought, Zook!

Was the rope long enough for him to haul himself up to the rafter first, after throwing the rope over?

Were there horses in the barn when he first went in? No
Was he parachuting? No

Was the rope long enough for him to haul himself up to the rafter first, after throwing the rope over? No

Nice try Flo, but the rope was just long enough to do the job

Was he on the rafter before he hung himself?

Were there horses in the barn when he first went in? No
Was he parachuting? No
Was the rope long enough for him to haul himself up to the rafter first, after throwing the rope over? No

Was he on the rafter before he hung himself? No

Sorry, Flo - his only interaction with the rafter was to tie the rope around it...

Had the temperature been below freezing recently and has since risen?

I think he liked his scotch, on the rocks

Did he stand on a block of ice which then melted?

Terrific joint solve, folks!