Mary Daheim, Mystery Author

The only goodfella is a dead fella...

A Further Glimpse

• Legs Benedict First Chapter
• Buy Legs Benedict
• Detective Data
• Meet the Author
• About Mystery B&B's
• Recipe: Eggs Benedict
• Previous Books
• Discuss Mary Daheim

Murder Mystery Bed and Breakfasts
Bed & Breakfast-- and murder!
by Erik Arneson

Vacation isn't the time to take part in a murder -- or is it? At bed and breakfasts around the world, guests are spending their hard-earned leisure time involved in interactive crime dramas and loving every minute of it.
Some inns use mystery weekends to fill rooms on weekends during the off-season, while others schedule them year-round. In many cases, the guests themselves become part of the mystery, playing suspects, witnesses and investigators. Other inns offer mystery dinners, during which guests work to solve a mystery presented by professional actors.
The range of mysteries available is as diverse as the inns offering them. At the Back O' Beyond Bed and Breakfast in Pocatello, Idaho, for example, the innkeepers have nine mystery packages such as "Burritos and Banditos" or "Pasta, Passion and Pistols." Camden, Maine's Norumbega Inn uses three scripts, including "Campaign Promises" and "An Irish Wake."
The mechanics of getting involved are simple-- contact the inn and make reservations. Some inns require that murder mysteries be booked as a group of six to twelve people. Others allow couples to make reservations independently, creating the likelihood that you'll meet a complete stranger who may also be a "killer."
Christy Collins, innkeeper at The Village Inn Bed and Breakfast in Stone Mountain, Georgia, said she usually books mysteries with six couples, many of whom have never met each other. "It seems to work out well," she says. "The last group we had still trades emails with each other."
For a weekend-long mystery, the proceedings generally start with a reception Friday night. Rules and character descriptions are either distributed a few hours before the reception or mailed to participants ahead of time. Once the reception starts, everyone is in character and conversations proceed accordingly as the crime is revealed and you try to finger the culprit. This reception generally lasts for a couple of hours.
Saturday morning starts with breakfast and more conversation, again in character, after which participants commonly are given several hours of free time to visit local attractions. That night, sometimes at a local restaurant, the guests are brought together one final time to exchange theories and determine a winner. Sunday morning breakfast provides an opportunity to wind down and get to know each other's real personalities before returning to the real world.
Each inn does things a little differently, so be sure to get all the details when you make your reservations. Some inns, for example, encourage their guests to participate in costume. Others don't even distribute character identities until you check in, giving the proceedings a bit more of an impromptu feel.
Some innkeepers write their own mysteries or hire a friend to do it. This provides the ability to tailor a mystery to the quirks of a particular group. Others use commercially-available packages like the "Murder Mystery Party" series, which provides less opportunity for customization but guarantees a professional mystery.
The key to enjoying a bed and breakfast murder mystery is knowing what you're getting into. Don't be afraid to ask the innkeeper lots of questions when you sign up. Most are more than willing to provide you with all the information you need to feel comfortable about participating in a murder at their inn. After all, they want you to
return for more mayhem in the future!

MysteryNet.com: The Online Mystery Network.