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C'est un mystère, mais le détective l'explique.

C'est un mystère, mais le détective l'explique.
It is a mystery, but the detective explains it.
From Lesson 102:Indefinite pronouns (quelqu'un, quelque chose)·French

Questions & Answers about C'est un mystère, mais le détective l'explique.

Why is there an l' in front of explique?
The l' is a direct object pronoun meaning "it". It replaces le mystère so we don't have to repeat the word. Because explique starts with a vowel, the pronoun le drops its vowel and shortens to l'. Remember that in French, these object pronouns go right before the verb, so "explains it" becomes l'explique.
Why do we use C'est here instead of Il est for "It is"?
When "it is" is followed by a noun with an article (like un mystère), you must use C'est. You would only use Il est if it were followed by an adjective on its own, like in Il est mystérieux (It is mysterious).
Since this lesson is about indefinite pronouns, could we say le détective explique quelque chose instead?
You could, but it changes the meaning! Il l'explique means he explains "it" (the specific mystery we just mentioned). If you say Il explique quelque chose, it means he is explaining "something" in general, which breaks the direct connection to the first half of the sentence.

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