Solving The Murder at a Murder Mystery Party

If you are invited to a murder mystery party you have the chance to act out the role of your favourite detective - whether it's Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Morse.

Here, then, are my tips on solving a murder mystery:

• Find a piece of paper and write down three headings: Motive, Means and Opportunity. As the party progresses and you learn more about the murder, write down what you learn on the paper under the appropriate heading.
• Keep a checklist of everyone present and work through them, one by one. Most murder mystery parties have a list of characters who are present, so you can use that to make sure that you don't miss anyone.

(And even if it is immediately obvious, you may still have to talk to everyone as the murderer isn't always the person with the most obvious motive. Things are rarely as straight-forward as that!)Opportunity also means being in the right place and time to commit the murder. Once you know where and when the dirty deed was committed, you can eliminate from your questioning anyone with a concrete alibi.�Murder mystery party with a honeymooning script. Purchase murder mystery scripts or use a local murder mystery company to host the event.�Gambling on a winner? Choose a casino night for an easy to put together bachelorette party.�Board games or card game championshipsYou need to watch for the various tricks and twists that can confuse things further. These can include the misdirected murder (where the victim wasn't the intended victim at all but just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time) and murder-by-proxy (where the murderer isn't the one with most to gain, but is a misguided friend or servant).�Here are some activity ideas:Activity IdeasOnce you have determined the means, you should have more avenues of investigation. For example, if the victim was shot, who has access to a gun? This line of questioning brings us to the next in the Holy Trinity: opportunity.Which brings us to motive.�Hire a belly dancer or salsa dancer to give lessons and give the bachelorette a little spice for her honeymoon. Everyone will have a good laugh as they try out their new skills!�Bachelor and bachelorette parties are associated with strip clubs and limo rides. There are also many creative "PG-13" ideas to make it fun for all!�Create a time capsule to be opened in five years. Include some of her cherished pre-marriage items and a questionnaire about what she thinks marriage will be like. For example, "Who (bachelor or bachelorette) will there be "more of to love (weight gain)" in five years?" Make a video of the party to include in her time capsule.While many murder mystery parties have a role specifically for the detective, everyone can join in the hunt for the murderer. Sometimes the games are written so that even the murderer doesn't know that they have committed the crime - so they can join in the fun as well."Opportunity" refers to the timing and planning of the murder, rather than the actual method of killing. In the case of a poisoning, for example, it means having the appropriate access to deliver the poison - such as in a bedtime drink, a favourite chocolate or whatever.

Here, then, are my tips on solving a murder mystery:

• Find a piece of paper and write down three headings: Motive, Means and Opportunity. As the party progresses and you learn more about the murder, write down what you learn on the paper under the appropriate heading.
• Keep a checklist of everyone present and work through them, one by one. Most murder mystery parties have a list of characters who are present, so you can use that to make sure that you don't miss anyone.

Author: Steve Hatherley