Since this isn't "Colonel Mustard in the study with a wrench," only one solution is possible for each mystery. After all, if the clues can be interpreted in several ways, your guests will feel cheated. The challenge of any good mystery is to follow all of the the clues to arrive at the only possible solution.
Think of it as a game of dominoes.
Everything is set up in such a way that the dominoes must fall in
the correct direction achieve the desired result. If even one domino
is moved, all that follow must also be moved to ensure success. The
plots in my mysteries are the same way. If even one key fact is
changed, many other facts must fall in line to point to a different
killer.
Is an invitation included in the kits?
Invitations are included in all of my
mysteries except the three "Classic Mysteries."
Can I use an adult murder mystery for a group of teens or preteens?
The answer
is a little tricky. None of my murder mysteries have any content
that would be offensive to those groups. However, the complexity and
length of the mysteries become an issue. The roles in the murder
mysteries are longer, require greater comprehensive of what's going
on and are more difficult to stage.
In general,
older teens can enjoy the adult mysteries, but younger teens and
preteens should stick with the kids mysteries. However, you know
your group of kids better that I do. The call is really yours.
If I have any questions, can I contact you?
ABSOLUTELY! Since my Investigative Offices in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, are located in the bowels of the earth, (OK, so it's the basement of my home) I am readily available to respond to your needs. Crime never sleeps, so you might be surprised to find me awake and working at 2am when you call with an early-morning query. Some of my Australian clients have been pleasantly surprised to find me there when they called. My office phone number is (262)377-7230 - or simply email me. I'm always pleased to hear from you and will be overjoyed to help you ensure the success of your memorable murder mystery party.Questions about the Kids Mystery Party Kits
Does everyone have a role?
The plot include a set number of
suspects that the kids can play. They are the only ones with
assigned roles. Everyone else becomes an investigator who figures
out the details of the crime. Since the guilty party doesn't know
who did it, all of the kids can attempt to solve the case.
How long does a kids mystery take?
Give yourself 60 to 90 minutes
to solve the case. However, since the questioning of the suspects
can be "freeform" (all taking place at the same time), you can
shrink or expand the timeframe based on your group and your
situation.
How will the kids know what questions to ask?
The suspects in the mysteries all
have the answers to specific questions that are given to the
investigators. (Remember: the suspects can also try to figure out
what's happening.) Plus, the suspects have additional information
that the investigators need to ask about if they are to solve the
case.
Can I use these mysteries for classroom or youth groups?
Many of my customers are teachers who use the mysteries as rainy-day activities or to enhance a particular lesson. And, both youth and church groups have used the kits with great success. Kids love the challenge and the competitive environment of figuring out what happened and solving the cases. You'll find that the mysteries are flexible enough to adapt to a variety of uses.