Welcome to the second issue of The Reaper Reader!

In this Issue:
1. Note from the Mystery Maiden
2. Did You Know? Trivia Bite
3. Host Help Article - How To Play a Murder Mystery Game
4. Mini-Mystery of the Month
5. Sleuth Joke of the Month

Hello, Subscriber


Welcome to The Reaper Reader! A new ezine requires a new name, and after a lot of deliberation, The Reaper Reader won! As the holiday season approaches, Shot In The Dark Mystery Games has a present for our customers! Our website is getting a complete face-lift! When Shot In The Dark Mystery Games launched in September, we knew the current site design would only be temporary until we learned what worked and what didn't. We have since teamed up with Dagian Designs (http://www.dagiandesigns.com) to create the new look of murder mystery games! The new look of Shot In The Dark Mystery Games will launch mid-December, so make sure you pop by before and after to see the (*huge*) difference! The new site will include a community, message boards and more! For a sneak peak, visit www.dagiandesigns.com and click on the "Shot In The Dark Mystery Games" link.

Has everyone finished their Christmas shopping? For the first time in my life, I'm half way finished. Unsure how to make your Christmas party a success? We have launched 2 new Christmas mystery games, one for kids and one for adults. See below for more information or visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com.

Happy Christmas, everyone! And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, have a very happy holidays!

Sincerely,
Mystery Maiden

Did You Know? Trivia Bite


Agatha Christie said that Albert Finney's portrayal of Poirot was the closest to the way she created the legendary detective.

Host Help Article: How To Play a Murder Mystery Game


Many people hear about murder mystery games and think, “Surely that’s not for me. I don’t have a big house or any actor friends. Plus, I don’t have any time to do the preparation work for a murder mystery game party! I’m so busy!” Believe it or not, putting on a murder mystery game party actually easier than hosting a regular party for a few distinct reasons. First, your theme is already set. Second, the murder mystery game provides the entertainment, taking the pressure off you, the host, to encourage people to mingle or to set up the teams to play charades. Outlined below are the steps to putting on your murder mystery game. Read on and realize how easy it can be!

Step 1: Pick your game This is one of the most exciting parts of the murder mystery game process. You first decide what kind of game you want. Adult? Kids? Forensic? Themed? You can find all types of games at Shot In The Dark Mystery Games (http://www.shotinthedarkmysterygames.com).

Step 2: Download your game Shot In The Dark Mystery Games offers all games in a PDF format, also known as Adobe Acrobat. Most people already have Adobe Acrobat’s free Reader, but if you don’t, it’s easy to download. When the download is complete, your game will pop up on your screen and you can save it to your computer, or print it off straight from there.

Step 3: Print your game The amount of pages you will need will be noted in the first few pages of your murder mystery game package. That way, you won’t have to print off unnecessary pages and can save paper and ink. The average game uses between 30-50 pages.

Step 4: Cut the clues This is the hardest part of hosting a murder mystery game, my friends: cutting the clues. First, you must own a pair of scissors, or borrow a set from a friend. The text of each clue is in a box, and you simply cut between the borders. The danger (aside from using non-safety scissors, of course) is peeking at the clues. We suggest cutting the clues while watching television so you won’t be tempted to read ahead.

Step 5: Invite your guests How you invite your guests is up to you. There are many great invite websites that send your invitations electronically via email (such as evite.com). You can also phone them or send out your invitations via mail.

Step 6: When your guests arrive, follow the instructions in your murder mystery game package. Each section (called “Chapters”) begins with a section entitled “Instructions” or “Directions”, which instruct you what to do. There are two types of clues: Share and Hide. The “Share” clues must be shared with the group, and the “Hide” clues must be hidden from everyone. Some games also contain Super Secrets clues, which advises the recipient of one person with which they can share their clue. See how easy this is? When you have completed all of the chapters, each guest must accuse a character of the murder. Then, the murderer confesses or the detective solves the crime, and the game is over!

Step 7: Charge the battery on your cordless phone This step is essential, because your battery could go dead with all of the phone calls you’ll receive the next day from guests telling you how much fun they had. But you’re not off the hook yet, there’s one more step to hosting a murder mystery game.

Step 8: Send Shot In The Dark Mystery Games pictures from your party. Send us your shots for our photo gallery – not only can you be famous on a page on our website, your guests will love to check out the pictures you took on the Internet!

Easy? Indeed! Anyone can host a murder mystery game party, and you don’t have to be rich with a big house or a group of actors on your guest list. By following these easy steps, your next party could be one your guests will never forget!

Mystery Maiden writes and facilitates murder mystery, general mystery, forensics and custom mystery games for Shot In The Dark Mysteries. For more party host tips, quizzes and more, visit www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com. The Mystery Maiden can also be reached via email at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com.

Murder Mystery Game Alert!

THE SANTA STRANGLING - A Christmas Murder Mystery Game for Adults from Shot In The Dark Mystery Games With the January Mayoral election looming, long time mayor Ed Hanson is about to make his last public appearance - as Santa Claus at Eva Alpha's Christmas party. But when the mayor, dressed in full Saint Nick outfit, is found strangled with a length of Christmas lights, it's quickly realized that the guest list is packed with the mayor's enemies! Everyone is a suspect in this yule-tide murder mystery game! http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/santastrangling.html

Mini-Mystery of the Month

Murder Mystery Game Alert!

THE CHRISTMAS CRANKSTER - A Christmas Mystery Game for Kids from Shot In The Dark Mystery Games This Christmas mystery game was created for older kids and teens and includes a series of pranks put on by one of the guests. The Christmas Crankster mystery game includes an optional adult character, who can facilitate the game. Brittany Smythe's annual Christmas party is the talk of the school. But when a series of pranks begin, everyone is a suspect and no one is leaving until the identity of the Christmas Crankster becomes known! Someone is about to make Santa's "Naughty" list! http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/thechristmascrankstermysterygame.html

Sleuth Joke of the Month>

Information & Credits