'Murder at the Manor'  Synopsis


By: Elspeth Antonelli
8 - 14 Guests (including host)

Who killed the Earl of Hatzic? Here's your chance to enjoy a classic Agatha Christie-style whodunnit - set (of course) during an English country house party in the 1930s. Filled with colorful characters and a twisting plot, this game is perfect for those who want to solve a Poirot-worthy plot.

Attend the weekend house party hosted by the Earl and Countess of Hatzic set in the 1930s. Who would have guessed that the host would be murdered in the middle of the night?


>> Characters
>> Sample Game Materials
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Standard: $ 34.95 (USD)
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Commercial $ 104.95 (USD)
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Contents

  • Host Instructions
  • Guest Instructions
  • Character Descriptions
  • Character Motives
  • Game Clues
  • Print-able Invitations
  • Email-able Invitations
  • Invitation Tracking
  • Name Tags
  • Pre-Game Clues
  • Suggested Recipes
  • Tips from Other Hosts
  • Bulk Emailing Tools
  • Scripts (Large Group Games Only)
  • Cast Materials (Large Group Games Only)

Team-Building Features (Available only in Team Building version)

  • Facilitator's Instructions
  • Team Assignments Tools
  • Team Building Activities
  • Table Tents
  • Team Building Tips and Suggestions
  • Questionnaires and Team Review Tools
  • Awards

Reviews

We had a brilliant night with this, with friends unexpectedly getting more into character than suspected. It was our first murder mystery (as guest or host) but it went really well. Printing out the host instructions, pre-reading it and keeping it with me helped a lot, and helped keep track of who should be speaking when. We substituted in a teddy bear for a lost guest and that worked absolutely fine (and saved on wine, since teddy''s not a big drinker). Generally, this game is highly recommended, and had more than enough twists to keep everyone eyeing each other sideways through the evening, though I would suggest two things: 1) It wasn''t always clear who should be speaking when. Sometimes a guest will speak twice on the same subject in a matter of seconds on the same subject, and two people will have cards saying "speak after person x has spoken about y", at which point two people speak at once. Either the host needs to keep tight control on who''s speaking, or some marker needs to be placed on the cues before the evening itself, when it looks like there could be confusion ahead. 2) Even looking back at it, I''m not sure there was enough clues to the murderer. It was quite nice in some ways that there were 5 different guests being fingered as the culprit at the end, but when the murderer was revealed there was no sense that we''d missed clues that could have led to our solving the case so much as we''d guessed wrongly. Neither was there any indication why or how a guest''s husbands had recently died until a seemingly-random and unprovoked outburst at the end by another guest. Again, there was no way of working out what was about to be said and it gave the last section a bit of a disjointed feel. If you want the evening to be perfect, the host will need to go through the mystery and add extra hints to various cues so that there''s at least a full trail to follow to the killer. You get a motive, but no chink in the alibi or physical evidence to point to the guilty party - so spoil it for yourself by reading the end, and add bits in by working backwards to give your guests a chance. Were these point enough to spoil the game? Absolutely not. We really enjoyed it. The points above only outline why I rated it as 3-star, not 4 star. Intrigue, varied plot lines, multiple stories, several twists. Really good mystery, and I''ve absolutely no doubt we''ll come back for another one at some point very very soon.
Alastair R. - York, England
Sunday, April 18, 2010

Characters


 Raymond, 8th Earl of Hatzic
the victim

Our victim was Raymond, the 8th Earl of Hatzic. He spent his time taking part in traditional country life at his ancestral home, Whittington Hall and was an avid collector of historic jewelry.

Diana, Countess of Hatzic
the victim's wife

Diana is the hostess of the weekend house party and is now, of course, a widow. The marriage has brought her money, a title and prestige.

Sylvia, Duchess of Battleford
a guest of honour

A close friend of the Royal Family, Sylvia is a highly sought after house guest. She usually leaves her elderly husband at home.

Thelma Cooper
the actress

Thelma has a highly dramatic personality and is very fond of the newest cocktails. Although she is a highly successful actress, she is able to attend the party because she just left a show in the West End. She claims that she needs a rest as she is close to exhaustion.

Jacques Moreau
the detective

Monsieur Moreau is a Frenchman who has been living in England for many years. H Always observant, always writing notes in his notebook, M. Moreau has solved every mystery that has come his way. Although he is not Hercule Poirot, if the two ever met they would find that they have much in common.
Rev. Thomas Summerland
the local vicar

Quiet and unassuming, Thomas is out of his depth at the party. King Arthur has been a hero of his since he was a young boy.

Daphne Whittington
the victim's sister

Daphne is the younger sister of the Earl.

Robert Hughes
The tennis player

Robert can't decide where he has been luckier - on the tennis court or with the ladies! His rumored wealth insures he receives invitations to the best houses in England.

Virginia Dawson
the socialite

Virginia is always the first to know the current gossip. Her trouble with insomnia has led to her being awake at odd hours.

Colin Thompson
the author

Colin is a well-respected author of books about Elizabeth I. Colin has become a regular guest at Whittington Hall over the last year.

Charles, Viscount Whittington
the unexpected guest

Viscount Whittington showed up unexpectedly last night, claiming his car had broken down. As Raymond's younger brother, he is heir to the Earldom. It is well-known that he and his brother had a long-standing argument.

Larry Oliver
the actor

Larry was Thelma's co-star in a recent West End production.

Professor Owensbright
The Expert

Professor Owensbright is a world-renowned expert in Elizabethan jewelry. He was invited to inspect Arthur's Crown.

Stella Whittington
the niece

Just making her debut this year, Stella wants to make a big splash in society. She wants success on her own terms, not her uncle's.

Mrs. Miller
the writer

A mystery novelist, Mrs. Millar likes to think of herself as a sleuth in real life.


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