Hemlock Parlor · Characters

Murder mystery character ideas, with costumes

The best murder mystery characters are easy to picture and easy to dress for: a job, a relationship to the victim and one costume piece. Here are thirty, from our three mysteries, each with a costume idea a guest can find at home.

A toy shop's anniversary party

From Murder at Winterbourne's Toys, free, 6 players.

• Holly WinterbourneRudy's niece, who keeps the shop's booksWear: a cozy cardigan, reading glasses on a chain and a charm bracelet
• Nick CarrollThe shop's toy demonstrator for twenty yearsWear: a bright vest or a bow tie, a yo-yo and a jolly laugh
• Noel AshbyThe baker who made the anniversary cakeWear: an apron with a dusting of flour, and a plate of cookies
• Ivy PembrookThe owner of the rival toy shop across the streetWear: a sharp coat, a scarf and a phone always in hand
• Robin CallowayRudy's oldest friend and the local paper's columnistWear: a tweed jacket, a notebook and a pencil behind one ear
• Jules MarloweThe shop's window dresser for twelve yearsWear: paint-flecked overalls or an artist's smock, and a lanyard

A Halloween costume party

From The Unmasking at Ravenscroft Hall, 8 to 12 players.

• Lenore RavenscroftSilas's only child, who runs the fan conventionWear: a banshee: gray rags, wild hair and a pale face
• Desmond RavenscroftSilas's nephew, an actor who wants to be a starWear: a vampire: a black velvet cape and fangs
• Ingrid ValeSilas's agent for thirty yearsWear: a witch: a green felt hat and a green wool cloak
• Corvin BlackwoodThe makeup artist on all of Silas's filmsWear: a plague doctor: a black velvet cloak and a beaked mask
• Mabel FinchThe housekeeper at Ravenscroft HallWear: an apron with a skeleton print
• Hugo StroudThe groundskeeper who builds the Halloween displaysWear: a scarecrow: a flannel shirt with straw at the cuffs
• Delphine MoreauThe actor cast in the remake of Silas's most famous filmWear: a zombie bride: a black velvet gown and stage blood
• Edgar PikeSilas's lawyerWear: a mummy, wrapped in bandages
• Tabitha GreyThe fortune teller hired for the nightWear: a fringed shawl, rings on every finger and a crystal ball
• Rex HollowayThe neighbor from across the woodsWear: a werewolf: fake fur and a torn shirt
• Nell ArcherThe host of a horror-film podcastWear: a ghost: a white sheet with headphones over it
• Quincy DaleThe DJ for the nightWear: a skeleton, with glow-in-the-dark bones

A snowed-in Christmas Eve

From Death at Evergreen Manor, 8 to 12 players.

• Rosalind EvergreenGus's only child, a novelistWear: a velvet jacket and an ink-stained finger
• Felix EvergreenGus's charming, broke nephewWear: a loud Christmas sweater and a deck of cards
• Marigold VanceGus's personal assistant for ten yearsWear: a neat blazer, a notebook and a pen clipped to it
• Dr. Theo HaleThe family doctor and Gus's chess partnerWear: a cardigan, spectacles and a fountain pen in the top pocket
• Agnes PryceThe Evergreens' cook for twenty yearsWear: an apron and a wooden spoon
• Jasper ThorneThe gardener who tends the conservatoryWear: work boots, a flannel shirt and pruning shears
• Celeste DuvalGus's much younger betrothedWear: something glittering and a large ring
• Barnaby CrispThe butler, who found the bodyWear: a bow tie and a serving tray
• Winifred EvergreenGus's sharp-tongued younger siblingWear: pearls and a lorgnette, or any reading glasses
• Pip LockwoodA reporter who talked their way inWear: a press badge and a notepad
• Sam BellThe leader of the village carolersWear: a scarf, earmuffs and a songbook
• Ophelia ThistlewoodThe neighbor from the next estateWear: a fur-trimmed coat (faux) and a cup of tea

Make your own characters

Give each one a job, a tie to the victim and a reason to hide something. Then pick a costume piece that says the job at a glance: an apron, a badge, a cape.

Questions

Keep reading

• The free 6-player mystery
• Murder mystery party ideas
• The Halloween edition, for 8 to 12
• The Christmas edition, for 8 to 12