Murder Mystery Machine Blog

Camp of No Xcape Premiers 9/25/09-9/27/09 at Serenity Springs

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:22:14 -0500

Hello Campers!

We are once again visiting beautiful Serenity Springs Resort this weekend. The campers will be gathered for their 30 year reunion at Camp Yuckeemucksnpantz and I am sure nothing will go wrong...hehehe (insert evil laugh here). Even if there is a murder or two, I know we will have a great time!

If you haven't booked a cabin for this mystery, I believe Serenity Springs still has a few spots available. You can reach them at (219) 861-0000.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

For the campers who will be joining me and read my blog:

Price Cut for Serenity Springs Weekend Mystery

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 10:22:05 -0500

The price to attend the upcoming weekend mystery, "Camp Conundrums," being held at Serenity Springs Resort in LaPorte, IN the weekend of 6/26/09-6/28/09 has been drastically reduced today. At a savings of over 25%, couples will pay only $800 to attend this weekend of Romance, Intrigue and Mystery. $800/couple is an all inclusive price covering two nights in a beautiful water front cabin, five meals, carriage rides, all taxes and fees and a mystery that is sure to leave you thoroughly entertained.

To book your spot in the mystery, call Serenity Springs directly at (219) 861-0000. With this mystery just around the corner, book quickly to get your character profile and valuable clues sent to you in preparation for the mystery!

For guests that have already booked their spot in the mystery you will be included in this great cost savings. Your deposit will be applied to the new reduced mystery cost.

We look forward to seeing you all at this exciting mystery!

To read about the upcoming mystery "Camp Conundrums," see The Murder Mystery Machine website (http://www.murdermysterymachine.com/).

To read about the gorgeous Serenity Springs Resort, see their website at Serenity Springs.

And the murderer is . . . (The Reveal)

Tue, 5 May 2009 21:34:58 -0500

Many fools came to Al’s party and they were all hiding something. In the end however, love makes a fool of us all. Unfortunately for Roland Pins, he fell in love with a woman he couldn’t have, Nadia Large. When Roland and Nadia snuck away during the party, Al noticed their absence. Upon looking for them, Al found Roland in his office “entertaining” his wife. When confronted, an altercation erupted between Al and Roland. Roland, never without his non-serrated juggling knives finished the fight, resulting in a laceration to Al’s neck. In Roland and Nadia’s hasty retreat from the office, they left behind some important evidence:

Roland stepped in Al’s pool of blood leaving a bloody footprint in the office.
Not the murder weapon, but one of the matching non-serrated juggling knives was accidentally left behind.
A note setting up the rendezvous between Nadia and Roland in Al’s office had been carelessly thrown in the trash.
During his struggle with Al, Roland lost a button that ended up at the crime scene.

So how did you do? Hopefully you were able to put the clues together and solve this mystery. If you answered the questions correctly, your answer sheet should look similar to the one below:

1. Who is the killer?

Roland Pins

2. What was the murder weapon?

Non-serrated juggling knife

3. What was the killer’s motive?Lust. Roland was sleeping with Nadia Large. Al walked in on them. Roland killed him in a fit of passion.

4. List at least two pieces of physical evidence and how they tie to the murder.

a. P.E. #2, The non-serrated knife found at the crime scene matches the very clean cut to Al Mose Large's neck, shown in the coroner picture. These non-serrated knives are oddly shaped because they are juggling knives owned by Roland Pins.

b. P.E. #4, The trash contained pieces of a “meeting” note signed N. Nadia being the only N titled suspect is placed at the scene of the crime.

c. P.E. #6, The button found at the crime scene matches those on Roland’s shirt. He mentioned it being missing during his alibi speech.

d. P.E. #8, The size 11, men's, left, bloody footprint left at the crime scene matches the left shoe of Roland Pins. Additionally, his left shoe had dried blood still in the crevices.

e. P.E. #9, The juggling pin found at the crime scene was marked with Roland’s initials R.P. and indicated that Roland had been in the study.

5. Who was the killer’s accomplice?

Nadia Large, Al Mose Large’s wife

6. What was the accomplice’s motive?Protecting her lover (Roland Pins) and her inheritance.

See below for some of the trickier clues for Masquerade Madness:

The Break in the Case/Secret Website Page:

http://www.murdermysterymachine.com/secret.html

In the 4/29/09 Just the Facts …. blog the following url was posted: http://www.murdermysterymachine.com/ _ _ _ _ _ _.html

Without the missing letters this url doesn’t help much. But if you find the hidden letters in the images throughout the Masquerade Madness blog posts and the fill in the blanks, it leads to an additional set of clues.

Crossword/Word Find:

If you filled the crossword puzzle out correctly, it should like below:

If you then unscrambled the letters in the red squares, it spelled out CHEATING. In this case, it spells out the motive for the murder (Roland and Nadia’s affair).

THE WINNER IS.......

Thank you all for playing The Murder Mystery Machine’s sample mystery “Masquerade Madness.” We had some amazing answers and think that everyone that participated is a winner. Therefore, we will be sending all participants the most coveted item on earth, the Murder Mystery Machine prize shirt (See below).

One detective's answer stood out as particularly thorough and prosecutable. Congratulations Sheila O.! You were our super sleuth for "Masquerade Madness" and in additional to receiving the greatly coveted Murder Mystery Machine prize shirt you will receive the Super Sleuth Plaque. Great work!

We had a great time with this mystery and we hope you enjoyed it as well. If you liked the online version, we know you will love a live event. The puzzle boxes, live interrogations, and hands on sleuthing really bring the mystery to life and make it even more entertaining.

Our next public mystery is a weekend mystery entitled "Camp Conundrums." It will be held at Serenity Springs in LaPorte, IN during the weekend of June 26th - 28th.

You can book your spot in the mystery by calling Serenity Springs at (219) 861-0000. We look forward to seeing you there!

Just the Facts (Sleuthing)

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:46:29 -0500

NOTE: In a live version of a Murder Mystery Machine event, the clues provided below would be obtained by solving puzzle boxes, breaking codes, deciphering maps, reading papers, interrogating fellow guests or completing various other detective tasks.

Crossword Clues:

Word Find #1:

Arrange the letters from the red boxes of the crossword clue above to spell a word.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

You now have all the clues. The detectives, coroner and patrol men have completed their data gathering and told you everything they know. The murder scene has been properly documented. The physical evidence has been displayed. The suspects have provided their alibis. Now it is up to you to solve this mystery and bring the killer to justice. Remember though, that time is of the essence. For most murders, if you do not solve the case within 48 hours your odds of solving the case drop significantly. For our purposes you have until Tuesday, 5/5/09 at 5PM EST to submit your answer sheet (see below) via email to murdermysterymachine@yahoo.com. Please copy and paste the answer sheet below into an email, fill in your answers to the mystery and mark the subject line of your email: Masquerade Madness Answer Sheet.

http://www.murdermysterymachine.com/ _ _ _ _ _ _.html

Masquerade Madness Answer Sheet

Name:

Address:

Phone #:

T-shirt size:

1. Who is the killer?

2. What was the murder weapon?

3. What was the killer’s motive?

4. List at least two pieces of physical evidence and how they tie to the killer.

5. Who was the killer’s accomplice?

6. What was the accomplice’s motive?

Where were you at the time of the murder? (Alibis)

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:10:57 -0500

Upon extensive questioning Detective Shenanigans was able to obtain the following confessions from the suspects:

1. Nadia Large – Sniffles… I was on the patio at the time Al passed away. (Cries loudly) I was speaking with Desire about how she was invited to the party. Al’s silly games… I just can’t believe all of this is happening. I am still in shock.

2. Joey Sadstone – My line of work is laughter, not murder! I hadn’t even had a chance to meet Mr. Large. I swear! I get no courtesy. I was busy trying to figure out who all these darn people were on the question game. When Al died, I was asking Slappy Smallfeet who his biggest enemy was.

3. Slappy Smallfeet – (Honks bicycle horn.) This is certainly not funny. Al was a very loyal patron of mine. He loved my water out of the camera bit and promised to take care of me in my forced retirement. He was an amazing man. I am going to miss him. Al was always so generous…especially with the ladies.

4. Julie “Nickeltown” Sullivan – Al and I weren’t really friends, more like bus’ness associates. But, Al was a decent kinda’ guy. Not very good at cards, but what do you expect from a man who has been handed everything in his life? I’d never kill Al… Something about killin’ a golden goose don’t sound right to me. Plus he owed me money. I wouldn’t kill him before I collected.

5. Kay Board – Mr. Large’s death is so sudden. If I had known he was going to pass like this, I would have made sure to interview him earlier. Well, it couldn’t have been me. I was busy…conferring with a colleague at the time of his death.

6. Lenny Lafinstok – Al was a good man and a great political contributor. He is largely responsible for my current office. Of course Al and I had our differences of opinion, but who didn’t with Al. Just because Al and I didn’t agree about taxes doesn’t mean he was a bad guy. I just think that to those that are given much, much is expected of them. I was talking to that young starlet at my table when Al was killed.

7. Roland Pins – This whole thing is so unexpected. At this point, the only thing I am sure of is that the killer isn’t me. I was in the bathroom sewing a button on my shirt when Al was murdered. When I heard the shrieks coming from down the hall, I came running. I didn’t even get to finish the work on my button. This party has turned out a lot worse than expected.

8. Joey Graco - I have seen a lot of things in my day, but never something like this. This whole episode is a travesty and me without a video camera and crew…what a shame. Anyway, it certainly wasn’t me because I was with that nice young reporter. We were drinking martinis and discussing the news biz. Has anyone seen my wedding ring? Well, I guess I don’t need that anymore.

9. Desire Fame - (Crying loudly) This whole night has been ruined…absolutely ruined. I can’t believe my first time to the Masquerade and this happens. (sobs) I hardly got to meet anyone. I was stuck at the stupid table all night answering silly questions. What is the price of fame??? Apparently it is dealing with idiots.

10. Mark Hall -

Al was a good man, so full of life.

He left not an heir, but his dear wife.

Attractive and sweet, she made a good mate.

Wealthy and tender, not too old to date.

Although I am clear, of this deed most foul.

Great things have been lost, and vengeance will howl.

Familiar with loss, proficient am I.

Life comes at you fast, wedding the wrong guy.

Plus I was drinkin’ at the bar and watching those crazy reporters go at it under the table when they whacked Al. So I couldna’ done it.

NOTE: In a live Murder Mystery Machine mystery, guests present their scripted character alibis to fellow mystery participants.

NOBODY MOVE A crime has been committed (The Crime Scene)

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:58:19 -0500

The host of the party, Al Mose Large has been found dead in his office. All of the guests at the party are suspects of this horrible crime. You can see the items collected by the police as physical evidence and the detective’s sketch of the crime scene below.

#1 - Serrated Knife

#2 - Non-serrated Knife

#3 - Ring

#4 - Trash (empty water bottle, poker chips, whoopee cushion, greeting card, red nose, playing card, condom wrapper, crumbled paper, beads, peanut butter crackers, pen and batteries)

#5 - Camera

#6 - Button

#7 - CD

#8 - Footprint

#9 - Juggling Pin

Masquerade Madness: PARTY! (Character Introduction)

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 07:18:38 -0500

Al Mose Large knows how to throw a good party and he loves to mingle. His favorite party game is the question game. Al provides a list describing the guests and a secret question for each of them. The winner of the game is the guest that meets all of the others on the list and determines the answer to their secret question.

NOTE: In a live Murder Mystery Machine mystery, guests take on the roles of suspects and would present their characters to the group. These character introductions are similar to the one's in Al's Question Game above.

Masquerade Madness: You Are Invited! (Background)

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 08:54:49 -0500

Mr. Large epitomizes the Horatio Salger’s tale of a man that pulled himself up by his Prada loafers. Being born as the only heir to foreign born billionaire Iso Large, Al Mose Large scratched and scraped his inheritance all the way to millions. Even if Al’s business acumen isn’t that which people write books about, he certainly knows how to throw a party. Mr. Large’s Masquerade Ball is the event of the year!

For this mystery you will be playing Joey Sadstone, an up and coming comedian famous for his ventriloquism and his “I get no Courtesy” jokes.

Joey is looking forward to this party at Mr. Large’s estate as he understands the guest list will be filled with the movers and shakers of the industry. He had to push his agent hard and make some promises to get a ticket for this event, but Joey knows it will all be worth the effort to meet a very rich man that can make his career.

A Murder Mystery Machine Sampler

Tue, 5 May 2009 21:44:22 -0500

One of the most common questions that the Murder Mystery Machine field office faces is: “What is a murder mystery experience like?” Our regular answer is that a Murder Mystery Machine mystery is like being a real live detective on CSI. The mystery is very interactive and as one of the suspects, attendees must prove their innocence by solving the crime. Although, we still believe this accurately reflects our mystery experience, we wanted to give first time attendees a chance to sample a mystery.

In an effort to provide a sample Murder Mystery Machine experience, we will be revealing a sample mystery, “Masquerade Madness” through our blog over the next 7 weeks (3/25/09-5/6/09). New information about the mystery will be revealed every Wednesday, so mark your calendars and check back weekly.

Just like at a live mystery event, prizes will be awarded for the most accurate answers to the mystery. So keep sharp and look for clues everywhere.

Happy sleuthing!

Background Characters Crime Scene Alibis Sleuthing

The Reveal

Escape to Serenity Springs

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:40:01 -0500

The Murder Mystery Machine recently had the opportunity to relax at one of the best kept secrets of Northeast Indiana, Serenity Springs Resort (http://www.serenity-springs.com/). Nestled just outside of La Porte, Indiana, and 60 miles outside of Chicago, Serenity boasts 28 well-appointed couples cabins around a nature filled lake. From a horse drawn carriage ride to your cabin to surprises delivered in the "butler box" to in room catered candlelight dinners, Serenity Springs provides the pinnacle of service.

The resort is a world away from the hustle, bustle, and problems of every day life. When you hand over your keys and step into the carriage, you enter into another realm of solitude and pampering. From soaking in your in-cabin hot tub to fishing on Serenity's private, stocked lake to making s'mores over the gas fire pit on your deck, Serenity provides all of the extravagances needed for an exceptional get-a-way.

Adding yet another facet to Serenity Springs’ already copious offerings, they plan to partner with the Murder Mystery Machine to present a weekend of intrigue and deceit this coming spring or fall. For just $999 per couple, you can be part of Serenity Springs’ inaugural murder mystery. The all inclusive price covers two nights’ accommodations in a romantic cabin, carriage ride, in room snacks and drinks, cocktail and dinner party Friday night, continental breakfast basket, buffet lunch and catered dinner Saturday, buffet breakfast on Sunday and the action packed murder mystery event throughout the weekend.

With over 85 acres to explore, not only is Serenity Springs a wonderful romantic getaway, but promises to be an exceptional location for murder mysteries. Help us determine the optimal time to hold this mystery at Serenity Springs by emailing us at murdermysterymachine@yahoo.com. Please indicate "Serenity Springs Mystery" in the subject line and specify which weekend in June or September is optimal for your schedule.

We look forward to seeing you at another adventure!