Hemlock Parlor

Hemlock Parlor · Dinner parties

How to host a murder mystery dinner party

Match the mystery's rounds to the courses: guests mingle in character over drinks, the body is found before the first course, clues come out between courses, and the accusations and the solution arrive with dessert. A 90-minute mystery fits a three-course dinner.

Free to print

Murder at Winterbourne's Toys: a mystery for 6 players, about 90 minutes. Invitations, character sheets, three clues and the solution in one PDF.

Download the free mystery Make the invitations

The dinner, course by course

  1. Drinks: Round 1As guests arrive, hand out character sheets and name tags. Read the opening scene, then let everyone mingle in character for about 20 minutes.
  2. Before the first course: the bodyRead the discovery aloud and put the first clue card on the table. Seat everyone.
  3. First course: Round 2Secrets start to come out. Halfway through the course, put out the second clue.
  4. Main course: the last cluePut out the final clue and let the table argue it out while they eat.
  5. Dessert: accuse and revealEveryone writes an accusation on a slip. Ask whether the murderer wishes to confess, then read the solution.

Seating and serving

  • Seat suspects with something to hide next to each other. A secret is more fun to protect at close range.
  • Choose dishes you can make ahead: a stew, a roast or a pasta bake. The host has scenes to read and can't be stuck at the stove.
  • Leave a clear space on the table for the clue cards, so everyone can read them between courses.
  • Name a drink after the story. For a toy-shop mystery, a red "stockroom punch"; for Halloween, something dark in a cauldron.

How many guests fit a dinner

Six is the easiest number for one table, and our free mystery is written for exactly six. For 8 to 12 guests, use a longer edition with optional roles, or seat couples together as one character.

Questions

How long does a murder mystery dinner party take?

Plan on about two and a half hours with dinner: the mystery itself runs about 90 minutes, and courses add time between rounds.

Can the host cook and play at the same time?

Yes, if most of the food is made ahead. The host's part is a few short scenes and putting out the clues, so take a role with fewer lines.

What if a guest cancels?

In the free mystery, every role matters, so ask another guest to read the missing sheet as a second character. The holiday editions have four optional roles you can simply leave out.

Keep reading

Ready to host?

Our free mystery has invitations, six character sheets, three clues and the solution in one PDF.

Download the free mystery