Monday, May 30, 2005

First Mystery Party

Want to talk about your first-ever mystery party? Please, do it here.

99 comments:

Jack Pachuta said...

Christina, thanks for your comment. You may want to send a clue with your invitation next time. Prime the pump, so to speak, to get people involved in the plot BEFORE they get there. You used one of my "Classic" mysteries - I love them. In my newer ones, invitations are included which help do this. Call me at (262)377-7230 before your next one and we'll brainstorm more ideas.

Anonymous said...

Hi Chief Inspector,
My husband and I are planning his Sheriff Department's Christmas Party in Dec. We wanted to do something different this year and thought this looked like a fun thing to do. We have app. 30 employees that attend along w/their spouses. Any suggestions on which murder to do? Thanks for your help
Cherry

Jack Pachuta said...

Cherry,

What a great idea. "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus" would be perfect. You'll have a ball!

Jack Pachuta said...

Samantha,

Thanks for your question. Try my New Year's mystery "Murder Plays a Sour Note." I think she'll enjoy it.

Jack Pachuta said...

Velvet, thanks for your question. I would suggest "Death in them thar hills." It has 10 role players and you can include a marshal to facilitate the investigation. Check out the references on my website to see what others say about it. Happy Sleuthing!

Anonymous said...

I was considering hosting my firt murder mystery event for my birthday and am extremy excited. But, almost everyone attending is female. Since the mytery I am interested in contian both male an female parts I was wondering if it was possible to change the male names to female, or if it would "ruin" the mystery in any way. The mystery i am interested is "Twas a Night Before Murder." I am also curous as to when this will be ready for sale. thanks

Anonymous said...

I’d love to have a murder mystery client party. What would be the largest number of guests you would advise to have? Would 50-75 people be too many?

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. I've used my mysteries with groups of several hundred . . . so 50-75 would be no problem. The instructions will tell you how to do this.

Who Are We said...

Hi Everyone, I hosted "Death in Them Thar Hills"for my first mystery party. I was afraid when I first started planning it but it turned out great for adults and children. I think it is a great mystery to start with because it is so much fun, easy for any age, and costumes are simple. If you want you can go to the home page and see the photos and comments from my party. Beverly from San Antonio.

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I am dead keen to purchase some of your great looking murder scenarios but have a few questions first...I was hoping to host murder mystery dinner parties as fundraisers for my children's school and Kindergarten. What is the optimum number of guests to mke things run smoothly? (20-40-100?)I was thinking of utilising the local 'Paihia Players' drama club to perform the play, would this work with your scenarios, and should the (paying) guests be encouraged to dress up? We are a very small community and it is quite hard to get people to come out of the woodwork and even harder to get them to participate in such events, but I know if they give it a go it will be a hit! Please tell me how much it would cost me for a scenario in New Zealand Dollars, I look foward to reading your reply!! Have a grest day!

Jack Pachuta said...

Maree, thanks for your questions. As president of our local scholarship fund, I used "The Disappearance of Death" for a crowd of 160 people as a fundraiser. "Death in them thar hills" has been used by other groups with as many as 300 people. A group of 100 would be no problem. The local drama club would be great (check out some of the testimonials on my site). Many theatre groups have used my scenarios. Encourage your guests to dress up and you'll have an additional fun dynamic. One of my $37.77 mysteries would be 60.78 NZD. A $79.77 scenario would be 128.30 NZD. Hope that helped.

Anonymous said...

Hello! I am getting married in December in Mexico, and since not all of my family and friends will be able to attend the wedding i am going to come back to host a reception in January. I was thinking about what to do that could be fun for my guests when i came accross your page. Have you ever had anyone use your mysteries at a wedding reception before?

i want to do something fun that will get people to come to the party, even though there is no wedding to see beforehand.

what do you think? i could use the cabernet theme and cater food along that idea....

Jack Pachuta said...

Natasha, congratulations and thanks for your question. Quite a few of my customers have used mysteries as part of their wedding celebrations. "Death is a Cabernet" would be perfect - lots of opportunities to eat, drink and be merry (or celebratory). Call if you have any questions and let me know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

About how much time would DITTH take to complete?

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. Figure 2 to 2 1/2 hours for the home version and 2 1/2 to 3 hours for the large-group version. Happy Sleuthing!

Anonymous said...

My first murder mystery party and it was a great success. This is a great team building tool for companies to use at meetings. Everyone had a great time. My only suggestion is if you are going to do this have someone video the party for all those treasured memories.

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks. I'm glad everything went so well. You're absolutely correct. The mysteries are great team building tools. I've been coordinating "Mystery seminars" for over 15 years for all types of organizations and everyone walks away with a unique, enjoyable experience. Video tape is a wonderful idea. A few photos for my website would also be nice.

Anonymous said...

I would like the game to be a surprise for my guests, between 20-30. Do you have any games that do not require a lot of prepration.

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. I've done exactly what you describe with "The Cat Screamed at Midnight." Give yourself an extra half-hour at the start of the evening to hand out the roles and brief the suspects. Actually, you can do this with any of the mysteries. Have a great time!

Anonymous said...

I just purchased "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus" for our middle school Christmas party - we are expecting 80 students. Our idea is to have the staff be the characters in various locations around the church and have the 80 students break up into groups and interrogate each suspect - one at a time. What would we have to change in order to do the mystery this way? Do the actors just recite their lines? Would we give out all 24 clues to each team? Our event is December 6th, so any help you can provide would be great!

Jack Pachuta said...

Andy, thanks for your questions. You have several options. 1.) You can get everyone together at the start of the event and - after the information is given - you can do what you described . . . have the suspects rotate to your investigative teams for questioning. Or 2.) You can supply each team with the "sworn testimonials" of the suspects by copying page 6 of the roles for each team. If you do that, you wouldn't have to get everyone together at the start of the event. The questioning would then be organized as was discussed before. Or 3.) You can have each suspect give the information to each team prior to being questioned. Option 1.) is the best choice. It gets all important information out up front to start the murder investigation. Don't give all 24 clues to each team. It's more fun to have them "negotiate" for additional clues. Have a ball.

Anonymous said...

I am interested in hosting my first mystery dinner as a team builder for a group of HR Executives. There will be 12 attendees. Do you have any recommendations?

Jack Pachuta said...

Anngrace, thanks for your question. I facilitate "Mystery Seminars" regularly as team building and communication training events. In fact, I'll be in Orlando in two days to solve a case and process it into essential corporate skills for a group of 14 people. Because we'll be at Disney World, I'm using "Lurking Down the Bunny Trail" which takes place in Hoplando and has a "Dizzy World" sub-plot. I've been doing this for many years, and have developed "casebooks" to help the group master the material. The entire event can last 4-6 hours. If you'd like to know more, call my office and I'd be happy to discuss this with you.

Anonymous said...

Hello there! I recently saw an article in a Home & Design magazine. The gal writing the article made it sound so fantastic and easy, I decided I had to try it for myself! I'm having a hard time deciding which story to begin with, though. Most of my friends who will be attending are in their early 20's, but sometimes, have quite short attention spans. :) Which story do you think will be exciting for a younger crowd?...or are they all equally as good?

Anonymous said...

Ah, it would be lovely if I proof read what I wrote before sending it, seeing as my post made little sense and lacked critical information!

I neglected to say, I will have approx. 10-15 people attending my party and we would all like to wear costmes!

Also, do you have any suggestions for catering/meals during the party?

Thank you!

Jack Pachuta said...

Dee, thanks for your questions. If your group is all-woman, consider "Death Bemoans Her." For a mixed group, "Death in them thar hills" would work very nicely. Any of my scenarios could accommodate that size of group, though.

Jack Pachuta said...

And as for catering ... food is a very personal thing, Dee. On my site, I have links to recommended food sites, but most people like to get creative with their own menu ideas. Needless to say, whatever you decide on should fit with the theme of the party.

Anonymous said...

Mary Lou said...

We are planning our first Mystery Dinner, "Murder on the Petulant Express", as a fund-raising dinner for our church youth group. We're expecting 30-50 people. I've read the comments people sent you, but I haven't seen anyone even mention "The Petulant Express" !!
Question #1: Is this script used very much? if not, why not? Is it harder for people to solve? We liked this train script especially because it has 8 suspects from lots of cultures, which our many actor-talents will enjoy doing.
Question #2: Since some investigators will be in their 80's, would you have any suggestions for them? (Not that they are "clueless"! But perhaps not as fast on their feet as the kids' parents.)
Thanks for your help, mary lou

Jack Pachuta said...

Mary Lou, thanks for your questions. "Petulant Express" is a consistent favorite with my customers. You'll find references from "Chis Rolfe, Cooma, NSW, Australia," "Marianne Kuhn, Lexington, KY," and "Linda Hebert, Belle Chasse, LA" with their comments about the mystery. People say it's "difficult, but challenging." Your senior citizens should enjoy the event. Make sure your investigative teams have a variety of age groups and personalities for the best results. Happy Sleuthing!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I previously hosted "Death in them thar hills" for our group and everyone had a great time. I want to host another mystery at our annual Christmas Party which should consist of about 30 to 40 persons.

Everyone enjoyed "Death in them thar hills" because of the colorful characters and the ability to dress in period costumes.

I've been looking at "I saw Mommy killing Santa Clause" and "Twas the Night before Murder". Could you reccommend one over the other, or an alternate mystery that could be tailored with a Christmas theme? I would like the difficulty in solving the mystery to be about the same as "Death in them thar hills".

Many thanks,
Claude

Jack Pachuta said...

Claude, thanks for your quedstion. You are asking me to choose between two of my children - an impossible task. Both mysteries have received positive feedback, so the final choice is really yours. Which one better suits your theme? As with all of my mysteries, you may request another one if you find it doesn't meet your needs. (A highly unlikely resolution)

Regards, Jack

-Jobes said...

Hello. I'm looking to host a murder mystery party on Halloween for a group of 13-16 teens. Do you have anything that's kind of creepy that I could use? That would be awesome.

Jack Pachuta said...

Jobes, thanks for your question. Take a look at "Evil Never Dies." It could work for you.

Anonymous said...

I'm planning on hosting my first murder mystery party. My best guess is that there will between 8 and 15 people. My friends will dress a part, but not too much so. I'll be serving wine and cocktails with cheese and other snacks. What would you suggest?

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. Consider "The Cat Screamed at Midnight." It's my all-time favorite Classic Mystery and you'll find some Agatha Christie-ish twists in the plot. Your costumes can be as minimal or as elaborate as you'd like. Let me know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

I hosted my first murder mystery party last year. "Evil Never Dies" was the social event of the year for our circle of friends. I am now looking for my second mystery, but I can't decide between "The Disappearance of Death" or "The Cat Screamed at Midnight". This party like the last will be an adult halloween costume party. I like the Halloween theme of "Disappearance of Death", but I want to challenge my guest and I think by reading about the mysteries that "The Cat Screamed at Midnight" might be more what I am looking for. What do you think?

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. Both will prove to be challenging. "The Cat" is a period piece that is one of my favorite plots. "Disappearance" has many twists that will challenge your guests. The choice is really yours - either way you'll receive kudos from your fellow sleuths.

Anonymous said...

why are the classic mysteries less money? Do they include all of the same elements found in the other mysteries? If not what is left out?

Jack Pachuta said...

They are some of my original mysteries - written for my close circle of friends. Because of that, I didn't design special invitations for them. The other kits all include invitations.

Anonymous said...

I am hosting a Christmas party with with 6 couples. We have already decided on a Sopranos theme and have assigned character roles to each person. However, since doing this, I have decided I would like to incorporate an murder mystery party using the Sopranos characters. Can I use one of your murder mystery stories and change the characters around a bit? I don't know if I have time to write my own mystery this time. Any ideas?

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, none of my plots will work for your Sopranos theme. Take a look at "Murder Plays a Sour Note." It has a gangster theme that might be of interest to you.

Anonymous said...

I took your advice and purchased "Murder Plays a Sour Note." I am having fun planning the event. If one person is assigned a role and another is going to be an investigator (and they are married), is it better to hand out the roles the night of the party instead of in advance so there isn't any sharing of information? I saw in one of your answers where you suggested handing the roles out at the party. This way I can tell them in advance the "theme" of the party, but not the actual role and have them come a little early to explain everything. Does that work with this mystery?
Thanks!

Judi

Jack Pachuta said...

Judi, thanks for your questions. In most cases, you'll want to assign the roles in advance. This will give your role players enough time to get into character. I have, on occasion, assigned roles on the night of the event - mostly when it's a surprise party and the guests didn't know what to expect. The mystery can work either way. Don't worry about spouses talking about the information in advance. Tell your role players to be secretive until the night of the party and you'll be fine. Have a great time.

Anonymous said...

My husband and I are having our annual Halloween Party. We usually have around 35-40 people. This year we would like to have a mystery dinner party and a lot smaller group. How do you go about picking out a play and what do you suggest as which guest play the roles? Do I give the script to my guests before they come to the party or the night of the party? I'm glad I found your site it's been very helpful.

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your questions. You'll find out a lot by downloading the sample instructions at www.mysteries-on-the-net.com/hills_instructions.pdf. I have two Halloween mystery parties that have both been successful for many of my customers. Either will work, so it's really up to you as to which one your friends will most enjoy. Have a great time and send me some pictures.

Anonymous said...

Hi Chief Inspector

I'm thinking of hosting my first murder mystery for my 30th birthday. I've never been to one before and am expecting about 20-30 people. Do you have any suggestions? I wouldn't mind one that's not too labour-intensive as I do want to relax and have fun. I also would love something with a 1920s theme, I think, but am totally open to suggestions.
Monique

Jack Pachuta said...

Monique, what a great occasion to begin your crime-fighting career. The selection of a whodunit is a very personal thing. "Death in them thar hills" is very popular as is "Death is a Cabernet." A good '30s thriller (with historical references) is "Murder on the Petulant Express." They all take about the same amount of time to prepare, so that's not a problem. Have a ball and let me know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

I'm the Entertainment Chair of a Seminar in May with 100-150 attendees and am considering a Mystery Dinner using some of the attendees as role players. I read through the "Death in Them Thar Hills" information, and am thinking of purchasing the home version rather than the large group version. I don't think we'll want to break into groups, but rather use people grouped at tables and keep all interrogating/questioning "open". Will this work? We'll be coming from all over the state, so will need to coordinate ahead of time. Any suggestions? This is a first for me!

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Anonymous, the home version could work for you based upon how elaborate you want to get with the meeting. The large-group version makes it more of a theatrical production - sort of a "playlet." Either one has been used many times to do exactly what you have in mind. You'll have a great time.

Anonymous said...

I am hosting the "Cat Screamed at Midnight" this coming Saturday. I only invited enough for the 8 major role players and now it looks like one should have investigators. Without investigators, do we just sort of question each other over dinner? Also, any suggestions on how to hand out clues would be appreciated - Thanks, Cathy

greenbean said...

I'm getting ready to host my first party this Saturday. We are doing "Pasta, Passion, & Pistols". Invites have went out everyone has rsvped and secured costumes. My problem is, while setting up for the game today I realized I do not have all the script/booklets. Which I need to play the game. My game came without a Mama Rosa script/booklet. Does anyone have this game and mind scanning and emailing me her script. I don't know what to do now, Barnes and Noble no longer sells the game. Thanks for any help you can give.

Jack Pachuta said...

A perplexing problem indeed, anonymous. Needless to say, had you purchased one of my downloadable whodunits, you would not be in such a quandary as the investigative deadline approaches. As a public service (we Chief Inspectors are community-minded), I'd be happy to leave your comment on my blog so that my esteemed colleagues can potentially find a solution for you. After all, we fight crime wherever we find it. Next time, make Mysteries on the Net your first choice in murder mystery events.

Regards,
The (Obliging) Chief Inspector

Lance said...

Where can I find a litte bit more "adult themed" or risque murder mystery dinner themes?

Jack Pachuta said...

Sorry, lance, I can't help you there. My mysteries don't fit in with what you're looking for.

Unknown said...

Hi, I am from Spain, and looking to host as I think it is, the first mystery party in our town. The ocassion is my twin daughters' 10 y/o birthday, and we have plans to invite and host aproximately 12 girls and 4 boys from 9 y/o to 13 y/o. First, do you think it will work for us if i translate everything for the kids to understand?. And second, can you suggest any mystery for this age? Thank you!

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks for your question. It could work. Nothing in the mysteries have cultural components that should affect the plot. If you buy one and it's not what you're looking for, I'd be happy to either exchange it or substitute another one for free. Good luck.

~ dalyce said...

Hi,
I am looking into hosting a murder mystery for my husbands 30th. He loves "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Clue". He is also a big fan of the Rat Pack. If you have any suggestions for me that would be great. I am just starting to look into this and I am thinking it will include 10-20 guests.

Jack Pachuta said...

-dalyce, thanks for your question. Two mysteries immediately come to mind. Take a look at "Murder on the Petulant Express" and "Murder Plays a Sour Note." Either would work for you. REMEMBER: Anyone who doesn't have a formal role helps invesigate the case. Have a ball!

Anonymous said...

For a joint fund raising adventure for the Art Center which is attached to a turn of the century mansion, and our local theatre group we would like to consider a murder mystery. We would probably be able to do 50 max at a time. Any ideas that might be best to use in the above setting?

Myself and several others have done improv but a majority has not, so how much add lib is there to the scripts?

Thank you for your help.

Christina T said...

I'm about to host my first ever murder mystery party, "Twas the night before murder", for my husband's company Christmas party. We have the 8 suspects, myself as Police Chief/facilitator, and 9 inspectors. Should the suspects team up with the inspectors since there aren't that many of them? I'm also getting nervous about running the investigation. I was hoping for a "sample questions for investigators" page, but there isn't one. I can't even begin to think of what to ask the suspects to get the ball rolling. Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

Hello all...

We are trying to host an intimate birthday party with a small number of guests - maybe 6-8. Are there any of these mysteries that will work with this small number?

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Karen from Iowa,
Many of my mysteries have been used for fundraisers - I've done it personally. It's really a matter of figuring out which one you want to use, then giving me a call at (262)377-7230. I'll give you some sleuthing secrets on how to make the evening a success.

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Chistina T.:
Done worry - the vast majority of my customers are in the same sleuthing boat as you and I haven't lost one yet. If you'd like, you could team up your suspects with the investigators for such a small group. AND - don't worry about the questions. They will begin to flow freely once the opening remarks are made and the sleuthing mindset appears. To orchestrate the questioning would take away from - not add to - the event. Let me know how it goes and send photos of your SUCCESSFUL event.

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Anonymous,
Take a look at "The Cat Screamed at Midnight" or "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus." They will work nicely - as will any of my whodunits.

Anonymous said...

I am thinking of hosting our 1st mystery party on New Year's Eve. There are 3 couples who always celebrate New Year's Eve together. We do an overnight party. Everyone is creative and dramatic, so we think this would be a fun activity to move the night along. Any suggestions for a dinner themed mystery for 6 people. I was looking for something that focused on the Big Band era.
Thanks for any help you may give me.
Michelle

Jack Pachuta said...

"Murder Plays a Sour Note" would be perfect for you - with one modification. The scenario has 8 roles. However, after you purchase it, call me at (262)377-7230 and I'll tell you some sleuthing secrets that will enable it to work for you.

BBesigns said...

I am wanting to host a Murder mystery party for my husband

About 14 people On Feb 14th which is his birthday also.

Do your invites come with costume instructions for the guest?

Which murder do you suggest?

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear BBesigns,

On Valentines' Day you MUST do "Love Writes A Deadly Verse." It will work perfectly. Invitations are in the kit, but I've found that the suspects love to be creative and fabricate their own costumes once they understand who they are. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Anonymous said...

Hi, my 7 year old boy said he wanted to celebrate his birthday with some detective or mystery theme. Whilst searching for ideas I came across your web and would like to know which one you recommend for his age. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

We are planning to do a murder mystery for our annual sisters/mom weekend. What do you suggest for 7-9 women?

ResidentProgramsCoordinator said...

I work for a large retirement community and we are expecting approximately 100 guests to watch and participate in "I Loathe a Parade." Do you have suggestions on how to conduct the investigation. There are only 24 Clues with the mystery, so that's just enough for roughly 1/4 of the participants. Also- do you recommend only open investigation?

Anonymous said...

Hello, these sound like a lot of fun.

I will be organizing the party, but I'd like to be able to participate and enjoy it too...

So my question is this: Will I know the "answer" (the culprit) ahead of time, or will I (hopefully) be unawares?

Thanks!

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Anonymous,

No problem! The murderer doesn't know who did it until the end of the event. The solution is placed in a sealed envelope and read to all at the conclusion - surprising even the killer. You'll have a great time.

Unknown said...

Chief Inspector:

I am haveing out of town family members over for thanksgiving. I was looking for a colonial murder mystry on line and google linked me to your site. I think I am interested in your thanksgiving theme murder.

This is the first time I have participated or hosted an event so I have a few questions.

1-Did I pick the right murder mystry?

2-how much time should we allow for the event?

3-since I have a captive family audience should I just designatate roles and send out the script and hope people embrace it? Or send out a carrot first?

Thanks In advance

Trey

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Trey,

Asking a writer to evaluate which mystery is the right one for a particular group is like asking a parent to select from among his or her children. You know your family better than do I. Thus, any choice is the right choice.

My mysteries are designed to be an evening's entertainment - give yourself 2 1/2 to 3 hours, not counting the time to eat, drink and be merry.

Download the "Sample Instructions" on my home page and they'll give you great insights into how to orchestrate the event.

As for your vegetarian suggestion, I say go for it. Send out the roles and wait for the reaction. It will be positive - Guaranteed!

When the laughter and fun ceases, email me a few photos along with your comments and I'll add them to my website for the world to see.

Feel free to call my subterranean world headquarters if you have any questions. (Some people refer to it as my basement office.) I can be reached at 262-377-7230.

Happy Sleuthing,
The Chief Inspector

Irlynn said...

I am planning a mystery party for Thanksgiving: "Gobble, Gobble..." Some of my attendees are excited, and others are not so. I have never hosted a mystery party, or even attended one. Do you have any words of wisdom? I want to make sure everyone has a great time and that those who were doubtful leave happy.

Jack Pachuta said...

Irlynn,

My experience has been that people who think they won't enjoy the mystery are drawn into the "action" when they observe what's happening. Though they might feing indifference, they will inevitably offer their "wisdom" to the group. Fear not - all will have a great time!

One Odd Duck? said...

Friends invited us to a murder mystery party and we had a fantastic time!! This was the first we'd ever heard of these parties, but now will possibly have one at our church, too!! Thank you!! It was so much fun!!

Anonymous said...

I'd like to do a murder mystery for our ladies club (ages 50+) as an interactive program at our monthly luncheons. I only have 45-60 min. of program time to do this, can it be done? How do I go about shortening the process? Some months I have 80 members present-other months 150. Would one group size work better than the other given my time limitation? I'm looking for any advice/tips you can share!

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Anonymous,

Because my kits are designed to be an evening's entertainment (2 1/2 to 3 hours), trying to shorten them to 45-60 minutes wouldn't enable you to build the information and question the suspects effectively. Alas, you'll need to find a site that sells simpler mysteries. Please return here when you have more sleuthing time for your event.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I am hosting my first murder mystery (Death Bemoans Her) in 5 days. The 10 suspect roles are all taken and 5 "extras" as well. I have about 20 guests total and wonder how many teams I should have. The suspects will also be solving the mystery.
Thanks,

Krysta Browning said...

I am hosting a halloween costume party and husband's birthday party at the same time. I wanted to do a mystery party to make it more fun of course. I will have close to 20 guests and I asked couples to coordinate their costumes. What do you suggest for October the 30th hosted in our log cabin by the lake.

Jack Pachuta said...

Krysta,
Thanks for your inquiry. "The Disappearance of Death" has a costume party theme. It could work for you. Or, the locale for "Quicker Than The Eye" would be in line with your venue. Anyone who isn't a suspect helps solve the case and everyone has a great time. Let me know if you have any more quetions.

Mis Opportune Moments said...

Hello Chief Inspector,
I've been researching murder mystery parties all day and I think I understand what they entail better than I did when I started. It sounds so interesting; just the type of thing I'd love to do when hosting parties. My problem, unfortunately, is that the people who are privy to invites are all hard to motivate (I wasn't blessed with being born around people with similar interests, in fact, many opposite personalities are attracted to me for some reason). I think that they would have fun if I got them started though. So I suppose my question is: After my guests arrive, how do I give that extra "push" so that they can start having fun and not be, well, sticks in the mud? I know they're capable of it, they just need a little help.

Jack Pachuta said...

Dear Mis (who will soon be a Hit),

The clues in the kit are designed to do just what you are suggesting. Tell your guests that the more they know about the case, the better off they'll be. When they share their clues, they start a dialogue that gets them involved in the event. I've heard similar comments from other customers who later tell me that they were surprised at how everyone was pulled into the mystery. Let me know how it goes.

Alibaba said...

Death is a Cabernet Ol' Chum

I'm so sorry I forgot to write to you! This turned out so great! I did it for my band Lyme and we converted the panyard into a 'vineyard' type atmosphere complete with police tape and all the effects!

The members were so into it! Thank you for such a great evening.

emily said...

Every year we do dinner murder mysteries and have a blast doing them..we have not done one of yours before..the complaint we have had with the board games we have used is that the murder and the clues that follow never make sense. We are looking for a murder mystery that has actual clues and the murder can be solved. We have eight people..which mystery of your do you suggest...ages range from 15-75. thanks for your help..Emily

Jack Pachuta said...

Emily,

Thanks for your posting. My mysteries are for sleuths who really want to follow the clues to solve the case - perfect for your group. "Death Is a Cabernet," is a very popular mystery, but any of them can work for you. Call me at (262)377-7230 and I'd be happy to share ideas with you.

Anonymous said...

Hello Inspector- I was thinking of doing "happy death day" for my girlfriend 27th birthday. How hard would it be to change the billionaire to a women in her 20's (my girlfriend)? Also for my first mystery party do you think its a good idea to do "happy death day" or would you suggest something else? Thank you very much
Zach

Jack Pachuta said...

Zach, thanks for your query. Since my mysteries are crafted with intertwining storylines, it would require a major re-write to transform a 50-year-old man into a 27-year old woman . . . something even an apprentice of Ronald Stump would find difficult. Instead, consider using "Death Is a Cabernet, Ol' Chum" and casting your honored guest as Rene Melee. All will have a great time you'll be a hit for your miss.

Jessica Mullins said...

This will be my first murder mystery party. We are doing "Death in Them Thar Hills" because I expect to have about 50 people there. I'm the one organizing and facilitating everything...is it a good idea that I also be the US Marshal? If not, what should I be doing during the event? (Unfortunately, I accidently read the 'whodunit' and know the murderer.)

Jack Pachuta said...

Jessica,

Yes, you should be the marshal and make sure all goes well during the event. Keep things moving according to the instructions and you'll be fine. Remember that marshals also have deputies should you decide to share the duties.

Laura said...

I would like to host a murder mystery during our Thanksgiving dinner this year. We will have 8 to 10 guests ages 20 to 75 (probably 9 people). Everyone in our group is very outgoing except for one person. Which mystery would you recommend. I was looking at perhaps one of the Christmas ones?

Jack Pachuta said...

Either "Gobble, Gobble Death and Trouble" or "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus" would be perfect. You'll have a turkey day everyone will remember.

Jeri said...

As a middle school/high school band, choir and theatre director, (small rural school) I traditionally involve my students in a Christmas production which coincides with their holiday music concert. Oftentimes it is a short holiday play or a full blown madrigal production. This year I ventured into the murder mystery dinner theatre mode and used your "Twas the Night Before Murder" mystery for our guests. My eight drama students assumed the suspect roles (none of them knew who was the murderer). Over 200 family and community members came for the dinner (buffet style lasagna meal) and sat around tables of eight. Modifying your format a bit, our suspects circulated throughout the room during the dinner to be interviewed by each table. There was much investigative chatter and speculation as the evening wore on. After our dessert, the music students then performed their 30 minute concert. At the conclusion of the evening, each table then had one minute to announce its findings and tag a suspect. No one guessed the killer! But we all had a terrific time and guests raved about the evening's interaction with students and each other. We will give a murder mystery another go in the future! Thanks for a well thought out party.

Anonymous said...

If the mystery has 10 characters but one gets murdered what does that person do the rest of the time? I have never done one of these before but am looking to come up with something for a girls weekend. We will have 8-9 ladies and I am looking at the Death Bemoans Her or the Hula contest. Would either of those be better? I like the idea of all women characters but don't want it to be too difficult to solve. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for sharing this. I have attended several murder mystery events before, but my first one was really memorable. It was one of the most engaging and fun experiences that I ever had.

Jack Pachuta said...

Thanks, Mike. I hope you have many more successful sleuthing adventures.

Nate Shaw said...

We're going to do Death Bemoans Her for our daughter's 13th birthday party tomorrow night. We will have 10 girls and I will be playing the chief inspector. Any suggestions on how to organize the questioning and keep things moving along so that they stay engaged and in character?

I was planning on diving them into 5 teams of 2 and having each team question another team for 5 minutes and then switch teams until all teams have interviewed each other (I would make the 6th team, so each team has another for each turn). Then, handing out the police report and doing questioning again. Finally, announcing the discovery of the poison vial and doing one last round of questioning. I am a bit worried that it will be too much questioning though.

Thoughts? Advice?