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There is a certain kind of ethical inquiry about healthcare which we may call ethical detective work—careful, curious and rigorous analysis which uncovers ethical issues that may not be apparent at first glance. Like regular detective work, ethical detective work involves noticing the un-noticed, cultivating deep attention and sensitivity to the context of a case and fitting its details into a broader, significant pattern—with the aim of protecting the vulnerable and listening to the ignored. The papers in this month’s issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics embody good ethical detective work: they illuminate important ethical issues in healthcare, subject them to systematic analysis, in the hopes of uncovering deep patterns and finding useful solutions.