A killer guide to hosting a murder mystery dinner party

Entertaining need not be all about the food, wine and great company - it can also become a suspenseful evening of whodunnit if you follow this Naked Wines guide to hosting your own murder mystery dinner party.

By Citro partner Naked Wines

Looking for a dinner party with more action than eating, drinking and conversation? Why not add a little drama with a murder mystery dinner party. 

This type of dinner party will have each of your guests playing a character, with all of you hunting to find out who committed the fictional crime.  

It takes some work to set up, but with this guide - and some willing guests - you’re in for an unforgettable night. In this article, we'll reveal the secrets to pulling off a great murder mystery dinner party

Who doesn’t love a whodunnit?

The antics of fictional detectives like Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes capture our imaginations as we strive to solve the puzzling mystery alongside the expert sleuth. 

It’s fun to replicate the mayhem with a murder mystery party of your own. 

If you want to do it from scratch, here are some key steps to kick off:

• Prepare a theme, decorations, food and drink - remember you’ll get $100 cashback if you order your first dozen from Naked Wines.
• Host the party.
• Download this resource kit on how to organise the mystery from Anne Cleeves.

You can buy murder mystery party kits with step-by-step guidance. The kits contain a list of characters, the overall plot – that only the party host can know – and a timeline for mailouts in advance of the evening. <https://mastersofmystery.com/collections/murder-mystery-games>There will be individual letters (which you can turn into emails or SMSes) for each character describing their particulars so that they can get a feel for the part they need to play on the night.

Themes and inspiration

The next choice is the theme of the mystery itself. Give thought to the numbers of guests, age ranges, and interests, and how that all gels with the cast of the mystery. 

A smaller mystery of 8 players with, for example, may be good for a French train (Pullman carriage) theme, where the bulk of the proceedings occurs over a meal may well suit pre-dinner drinks and nibbles, followed by a sit-down dinner in the dining car. 

A medieval theme with a few lively young urchins and much activity would probably be better situated to an afternoon party. 

Murder at the school reunion would suit an evening soiree with plenty of opportunity for mixing and mingling with drinks and finger food.  Or try these ideas:

1920s speakeasy 

Set the scene in the Roaring Twenties, complete with flapper dresses, jazz music, and a hidden speakeasy. When a notorious gangster is found dead, guests become entangled in a web of secrets, betrayals, and clandestine dealings. Uncover the truth behind the glittering facade of the prohibition era.

Victorian manor murder:

Transport your guests to a grand Victorian mansion for an evening of elegance and mystery. As attendees don period costumes and immerse themselves in the refined atmosphere, a murder shatters the tranquility of the manor. With hidden passages, suspicious characters, and Victorian intrigue, guests must unravel the enigma that threatens the household.

Classic film noir night:

Dive into the shadows of a gritty film noir setting, where detectives in trench coats and femmes fatales set the stage for an evening of mystery and suspense. When a private eye meets an untimely demise, guests step into the roles of hard-boiled investigators, navigating a world of deception, crime, and unexpected twists.

Haunted mansion whodunit:

Combine the allure of the supernatural with a classic murder mystery. Host the dinner in a "haunted" mansion, where ghostly apparitions and eerie occurrences set the stage. When a paranormal investigator is found dead, guests must unravel the earthly mysteries and supernatural forces at play, ensuring the spirits find peace.

Futuristic space station conspiracy:

Propel your murder mystery into the future by hosting it on a space station. As guests don futuristic attire and embrace the cosmic setting, a murder disrupts the harmony of the station. With advanced technology, extraterrestrial suspects, and interstellar politics, participants become spacefaring investigators solving a murder that transcends planetary boundaries.

Make your choice and seal your fate!

Encourage your guests to dress up. Costumes are readily available online at little cost or by scouring op-shops, but it’s also remarkable what can be done with a few scraps of material, a roll of kitchen foil, some colourful ribbon, a cardboard box and bright felt pens. 

Some of the wittiest and most creative costumes come from such basic resources. Imagination is key. Creativity is encouraged. Just hope they don’t get stopped for a random police check on the way to the party if they happen to be dripping with fake blood.

Likewise, encourage your guests to speak and behave in character from the time they arrive.

Some may be reticent to do this, but as with professional actors, once the cloak of costume is donned, it is far easier to shred the restriction of self-consciousness and give free rein to those pent-up desires for dress-ups and stage play.

Whichever choice is made for the mystery itself, it’s also wise to match your guests to the cast of characters as best you can, to facilitate transition into their roles. 

On this note, send out packages of information ahead of time. These will usually include an overview of the scene, a complete list of the cast, and a full description of a particular character, including nuances.

 ‘He has been quite the golfer in his day, renowned for his outlandish clothes and large moustache’; ‘She was once a star of stage, but times have changed, and she now prefers to spend her days pampering her many cats and fussing with her bright red hair’. Such descriptions spark character development and ultimately, fun for all.

Outsource the hard part

There are also businesses that will organise a mystery dinner party for you. They provide the whole caboodle, including a professional host who will be there on the day to run the entire thing.

The pro-host path can be especially useful if the number of characters is large, if there are children involved, or if the plot is at the more complex end of the spectrum. 

It also alleviates the workload of the house-host and ensures that the very person who should be enjoying the experience the most, doesn’t spend their special day attending to the detail of the plot, when they should simply be enjoying the fun.

Your guests will already have preconceived ideas of the setup. 

All the host needs to do is build on that with some colourful signs, appropriately placed clues, themed music, and well-chosen food from the era. 

With easy-to-find materials and a good dose of imagination, it’s quite easy to turn a dining room into Le Dining Car – with profuse apologies to our French readers for obliterating their beautiful language – or the front door into a castle’s drawbridge. 

Guests can be put at ease from the moment they arrive once they sense it is game on, and that play-acting is totally acceptable. You, as host, can lead by example. Greet them at the door in full flight and give them approval to let rip with their hidden talents.

No body should be bored 

If some characters are not engaged and revert to normal conversation, arrive in a flurry, stay in character, and whisk them away to show them some clue, or pass them to a fellow player who has vital information to pass on. 

Above all, take the lead by staying in character – make that the normal behaviour for the event. Have some simple fun prizes for most imaginative costume, best hilarious accent, and of course, for anyone who solves the mystery.

Murder mystery parties can be a hoot, but their success depends on all the characters hamming it up and following the script. 

While solving the mystery is the aim, and there will be clues and hidden goings-on revealed as the script develops, the greatest reward is in the journey, the destination is just an added bonus. 

As Poirot would say, ‘Use ze little grey cells, no?’ and ‘ave ze big fun’. It would be a crime not to.