Our wine club usually assembles once a month in a member’s house and a four course dinner is served. Each course is prepared by different members, and consideration is given to pairing appropriate wines with each course. On this occasion we agreed to step out of our comfort zone and arrange a dinner with a theme provided by a game which my wife has owned for over twenty years but never played: How to Host a Murder.
It is June, 1940 aboard a train leaving Paris. The German troops are about to enter Paris. The roads south are a hopeless snarl; the trains are full and one cannot find space aboard them. Yet to remain in the city and see her brutalized by the Nazis will not be a pleasant experience.
An anonymous letter arrives, offering you passage aboard a government train heading for the relative safety of Southern France. During the trip, murder is discovered and the passengers must decide who amongst them has committed the crime. The following characters are brought together on the train and meet for dinner in the dining car:
- Khover T. Ageante: covert agent
- Princess Idelle Chattre: idle chatter
- Malcolm R. Conntint: malcontent
- Mary K. Trairie: quite contrary
- RAF Group Captain Weyland W. Awforce: way off course
- Barbra Z. Enhussie: she’s a hussy
- Duke Schwazhe B.U. Klare: because you care
- Belinda Screete: indiscreet
Aided and abetted by the Duchess of Embry.
A dining car has to have an appropriate menu and since we are departing Paris, the dinner unsurprisingly has a French theme:
- Appetizers: stuffed mushrooms and scallops wrapped in bacon
- Starter: French onion soup
- Entrée: coq au vin with potato boulangerie, French beans and Vichy carrots
- Dessert: chocolate mousse
There are 8 clue books for the assigned roles and the game is played in 4 rounds. The Clue Manual is required to be read in sections as one proceeds through the rounds. As the game progresses players ask questions and make statements – in character – to gather information.
Once everyone has arrived they read The Rules, and then everyone reads their own personal Dossier which will contain some new information about their role that they keep secret. Somebody is the murderer, but only they will know who they are. Then everyone introduces themselves IN CHARACTER and tells only what you want other people to know.
Before the start, everyone listens to the cassette tape (shows how old the game is) which came with the game which contains “The Report of the Investigation.” There is also a diagram of the train cars to refer to during the game.
Following consumption of the food courses and after every drop of wine is squeezed from the vine, the murderer is finally revealed in the final round. Unfortunately, the game cannot be played again with the same group as the murderer remains the same.
It turned out to be a very successful evening thanks to everyone embracing their roles and dressing in character. Apparently the local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores did a roaring trade with members searching for period costumes and accessories. The Duchess of Embry arrived in a splendid mink coat which hadn’t seen the light of day in over 10 years. Thank goodness nobody was a member of PETA!
One of the challenges of the evening was remaining in character while drinking copious amounts of wine over a five hour period. By the time the final round arrived the discovery of the murderer was secondary to an enjoyable evening where everyone grasped the opportunity to dress up for a change.
Good company, delicious food and exquisite wines were the order of the day and I would thoroughly recommend the occasion. However it only works if you have a group of eight prepared to play the characters. If anyone is interested in hosting a murder, forward me your address and I will try to send you the game if you are prepared to pay for postage and packing. Well there is a war on you know!
