| If you are invited to a murder mystery
| |
| | dirty deed was committed, you can
|
| party you have the chance to act out the
| |
| | eliminate from your questioning anyone
|
| role of your favourite detective -
| |
| | with a concrete alibi.Which brings us to
|
| whether it's Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes
| |
| | motive."Motive" answers the "why"
|
| or Inspector Morse.While many murder
| |
| | question. Why was the victim
|
| mystery parties have a role specifically
| |
| | killed?Motive can be both the easiest and
|
| for the detective, everyone can join in
| |
| | hardest of the Holy Trinity to solve.
|
| the hunt for the murderer. Sometimes the
| |
| | Sometimes there are lots of people with a
|
| games are written so that even the
| |
| | good motive to kill, and sometimes it can
|
| murderer doesn't know that they have
| |
| | be hard to find anyone with any kind of
|
| committed the crime - so they can join in
| |
| | motive at all.So, the first thing you
|
| the fun as well.So while these tips are
| |
| | should ask is "Who benefits?" Who has the
|
| particularly useful for anyone taking on
| |
| | most to gain from the victim's death? And
|
| the role of the detective, they will also
| |
| | if it's not immediately obvious, the you
|
| help anyone else trying to solve the
| |
| | are going to have to talk to
|
| murder. (They may also help the murderer
| |
| | everyone.(And even if it is immediately
|
| cover their trail...)The secret to
| |
| | obvious, you may still have to talk to
|
| solving murder mysteries is in
| |
| | everyone as the murderer isn't always the
|
| determining three things, the "Holy
| |
| | person with the most obvious motive.
|
| Trinity" of detection: Means, motive and
| |
| | Things are rarely as straight-forward as
|
| opportunity."Means" is probably the
| |
| | that!)If nothing else, whenever you talk
|
| easiest of the three to determine. By
| |
| | to one of the other guests at a murder
|
| "means", I mean how the murder was
| |
| | mystery party, you should ask them who
|
| carried out and usually an examination of
| |
| | they think killed the victim. Someone
|
| the body will tell you this. Typical
| |
| | will have a clue as to the identity of
|
| examples include stabbing, shooting,
| |
| | the murderer, but without asking
|
| poisoning, drowning and so on.In the case
| |
| | absolutely everyone, you might never find
|
| of something like poison, you might need
| |
| | them.You need to watch for the various
|
| to find out how it was administered. Was
| |
| | tricks and twists that can confuse things
|
| it something the victim ate or drank? Was
| |
| | further. These can include the
|
| the poison injected?Sometimes it's not
| |
| | misdirected murder (where the victim
|
| always easy to work out how the victim
| |
| | wasn't the intended victim at all but
|
| died - particularly if there are other
| |
| | just happened to be in the wrong place at
|
| wounds or marks. Also, the murder might
| |
| | the wrong time) and murder-by-proxy
|
| be disguised as an accident.Once you have
| |
| | (where the murderer isn't the one with
|
| determined the means, you should have
| |
| | most to gain, but is a misguided friend
|
| more avenues of investigation. For
| |
| | or servant).Here, then, are my tips on
|
| example, if the victim was shot, who has
| |
| | solving a murder mystery:Find a piece of
|
| access to a gun? This line of questioning
| |
| | paper and write down three headings:
|
| brings us to the next in the Holy
| |
| | Motive, Means and Opportunity. As the
|
| Trinity: opportunity."Opportunity" refers
| |
| | party progresses and you learn more about
|
| to the timing and planning of the murder,
| |
| | the murder, write down what you learn on
|
| rather than the actual method of killing.
| |
| | the paper under the appropriate
|
| In the case of a poisoning, for example,
| |
| | heading.Keep a checklist of everyone
|
| it means having the appropriate access to
| |
| | present and work through them, one by
|
| deliver the poison - such as in a bedtime
| |
| | one. Most murder mystery parties have a
|
| drink, a favourite chocolate or
| |
| | list of characters who are present, so
|
| whatever.Opportunity also means being in
| |
| | you can use that to make sure that you
|
| the right place and time to commit the
| |
| | don't miss anyone.
|
| murder. Once you know where and when the
| |
| |
|
