Murder, Merlot, and Mayhem

There are very few dinner theater venues functioning anymore. It’s not like years gone by where people would dress up, hire a babysitter, and head out for a night of live entertainment and a meal. Now it’s dinner THEN the theater, or an orchestra concert, or a walk around IKEA. My husband and I went to a dinner party with some friends where we anticipated food and games as that was the MO for this group, however, one evening we found ourselves solving a murder mystery.

One of my favorite books for years during my college days was Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” also known as “Ten Little Indians.” I read it over and over, and these days, I can occasionally find a black-and-white movie version with the same title and formerly famous actors on different streaming services. Alfred Hitchcock movies and Jeffery Deaver novels also capture my attention for hours. I love the who-done-it. I love trying to figure out which character commits the crime, and how, before anyone else. Even though I read the books and see the movies multiple times, I still enjoy a good fake murder mystery.

When we arrived at our friend’s home this evening, we were surprised to find that we had been assigned a character, persona, and back story that all integrated into the theme for the evening. There were specific foods selected, particular music playing, and clues hidden for us to find. For certain, one of us was going to commit a murder in the next couple of hours. Not even the murderer knew this when they woke up this morning. Sadly, one or more of us were going to find ourselves victims of fanciful crimes.

There are boxed games, online websites with digital downloads, and organizations all devoted to helping a host create the ideal murder mystery experience to entertain their guests. There are even recommended costumes if you really want to go all-in. After reviewing several websites and relying on my event planning expertise, I came up with a few tips for planning a successful in-home murder.

Know your audience. This is key for any successful event. If you are hosting a group of introverts, this type of event will be the worst evening of their lives. Asking a group of people who generally like to be wallflowers to now be the center of attention, intentionally mingle with and speak to (potentially) strangers, and perhaps don a hat or feather boa, could scar them for the foreseeable future. And, it will guarantee they will never return for dinner again.

Keep the game moving. As the host, understand the game and be prepared to keep the action going. Games provide clues for guests to find throughout the evening. If you’ve made one too hard to find, perhaps you might accidentally “trip” over and expose it. If the play gets stagnant, people may start to drift from the game and talk about work, or their upcoming vacation, or how lame the game is, and you’ll quickly see the first couple say goodnight.

Serve portable foods. If the game requires your guests to get up from the table to mingle with each other or move about your home, be sure that the food can move with them. Heavy appetizers or meals cut into carrying portions will be appreciated by your guests more so than than a spaghetti dinner. I’ve even seen plates with a cut-out to hold a drink so someone can carry both their meal and their beverage in one hand while freeing up their other one to eat or talk with, or in this case, play the game.

Have fun. Don’t take the game so seriously that nobody is enjoying themselves. It is a game after all. Things may go awry, people may try to cheat, or someone may make the wrong accusation before the night is up. Laugh it off, call them out, and keep going. Be sure that the murder mystery fits the timeframe you told your guests they’d be at your house so they’re not wondering if they’re going to end up paying the babysitter time-and-a-half for staying over. Nothing ruins the fun like paying the sitter your salary for the week.

The next time it’s your turn to host the regular Friday night gathering of friends, consider a murder mystery event. My guess is nobody will see it coming, including the murderer themselves.

Have you hosted a murder mystery event? What is one thing you recommend? Share it here or send me an email!

Be sure to like this blog, leave a comment, and check out some of the other ones!

Need event ideas? Visit tracybaer.com to schedule a consultation.