Host A Murder Mystery Party

"It's Professor Plum, in the study, with a candlestick." This line should bring back fond memories for fans of the beloved board game Clue. What if you could bring that board game experience to life with a murder mystery dinner party in your own home? Or perhaps your mantro is the famous Sherlock Holmes phrase "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!," and you live for CSI marathons and James Patterson novels. If this sounds like you, then a murder mystery dinner party could provide much-needed excitement for your next gathering, along with a guarantee that there are no awkward silences or weird conversations during dinner. 

Click here for the Host a Murder Mystery Party Slideshow.

The "who done it" murder mystery can be a wildly exciting and thrilling interactive theme for your next dinner or cocktail party. "It takes the boredom out of a routine get-together by adding intrigue and a chance to ham it up, or just acts as an ice-breaker," says Stephanie Chambers, director of Merri Mysteries Inc., a mystery dinner party game company that provides kits for such themed affairs.

Whether you are in charge of organizing a significant birthday party for a friend, or the company sales meeting activity, hosting your own murder mystery is easier than you think — with some careful planning. Begin by choosing the theme, keeping in mind the size and demographic of your guests. Then, carry the theme through in every stage of planning, from what guests will wear and how the space is set up to what food and drink will be served. Here's what you need to know before throwing your own murder mystery.

Click here for the Host a Murder Mystery Party Slideshow.