Library Mystery Night Programs

Each Mystery Night game kit contains everything needed to plan, rehearse, and present an after-hours murder mystery program at your library (or other venue – see FAQ). These programs allow staff members and volunteers to ham it up while treating the audience to a highly interactive and unique experience. It’s great fun for all!

The games are designed for adults (18 and up) since the stories feature sex, violence (although the murder always occurs “off stage”), tongue-in-cheek humor, and some wacky and convoluted plot twists. Each mystery is solvable if the audience members pay close attention, ask clever questions, and use process of elimination to figure out whodunit.

These programs can be presented successfully in buildings of all sizes, but they work best in a facility with a good-sized meeting room and a separate lobby space, as the suspects (and audience) split up into two groups during the game. Mystery Night programs usually last about three hours.

Each mystery kit costs $75 (sliding scale is available for smaller budgets) and includes the following:

· Director’s instructions.

· 10 suspect dossiers.

· 10 solution pages (one per suspect).

· Secret clues (for distribution by the detective during the game).

· “Detective’s Report” audience handout.

· Map of the crime scene (“Murder on the Strip” and “Murder in the Keys” only).

· “Mystery Night Procedures for Suspects and Helpers” (for use at rehearsal).

· “The Rules” audience handout.

· “The Setting” audience handout.

· 10 suspect name tags.

· 10 generic name tags for helpers.

· Page of brief suspect biographies (for use as a handout).

· 42 team ID cards.

For a picture of the game components for “Murder in Crooke’s Crossing,” click here.

Available titles include (click on title for more information, including a list of characters):

Murder in Crooke’s Crossing – the mayor of a rural Virginia town is murdered at the public library.

Mardi Gras Murder – a wealthy socialite is murdered in a New Orleans library of the arts.

Murder on the Strip – a flamboyant Las Vegas showman and librarian is murdered in his casino.

Murder in the Keys – a renowned writer is murdered in his historic Key West home.

Murder at Gooseneck Lake – a nosey reporter is murdered at a remote Maine lodge.

Mesa Verde Murder (coming summer ’08) – a prominent philanthropist is murdered at an ancient Indian site.

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© 2006 Theodore Kavich