A good theme can transform any dinner party into a night to remember, and a murder mystery party can take your event to the next level. Spice up your evening with a little whodunnit, complete with dinner, drinks, décor, and (of course) a gripping murder plot!
Whether you're looking for an alternative to a Halloween party, or want to host a birthday, engagement, or bridal party with a unique twist, we'll be sharing our tips for pulling the event off. We'll cover everything from theme ideas and table settings to menu suggestions and décor, to help you host your own murder mystery party at home and throw an unforgettable evening for your family and friends.
How does a murder mystery party work?
During a murder mystery evening, guests will be given a set of clues that will help them solve a murder. While most professional events involve paid actors, if you're hosting a murder mystery night at home, then you'll most likely buy a murder mystery party kit and you and your guests will play the roles. Your game kit will include a pre-written story, clues and case files, character cards, and a host guide. Some game kits even include invitations for you to send out to your guests.
Each guest will be given a character on their invitation. There will be a set number of characters for your pre-written story. So, for the game to work, you'll need to make sure each character is taken by a guest. The box should say how many players the game is suitable for. Of course, you can also write your own murder mystery story with bespoke characters based on each guest.
At the beginning of the evening, a 'murder' will take place and guests will need to work out who the murderer is over dinner or nibbles, where participants will also be given the opportunity to ask questions. They will be given additional clues as the evening goes on. Because the story is revealed in stages, the game can be played out between courses if you choose to serve dinner, which will lend an extra element of suspense. Alternatively placing bowls of nibbles around the table can bring a little bit of improv to your evening, as your friends will have the challenge of asking to be passed a plate or dish of something while remaining in character.
Once the murder has played out, and everyone is confident with their answer, they can fill out a whodunnit card before the culprit is finally revealed. In some cases, the host will know who the suspect is, while other party kits will keep it a secret until the very end.
Murder mystery invitations
The anticipation of your event begins when you invite your guests, so be sure to set the tone for your murder mystery evening through your invitations. You could match your invitations to your theme — in fact, many murder mystery game kits include themed invitations. However, if you enjoy a bit of arts and crafts, you can make your own, adding a thrilling touch with a fake blood stain. If you want to go one step further, create a code that your guests will need to decipher before reading your message. Remember to include the dress code of your event as well as the date, time, and location.
Murder mystery themes
While murder mystery is a theme in itself, you can make it even more immersive by weaving in a fun concept, such as a specific location or time period. This gives you something to focus on when it comes to your menu and décor, and you could even ask guests to dress up to match your theme. Most kits will have a clear theme and may even give costume suggestions. If you’re trying to keep your evening affordable for your guests, challenge them to channel their role through one key accessory, which can be something they already own. Whether you choose to go all out with your décor or keep it low-key, below are just some of our favourite murder mystery dinner party themes to give you some inspiration.
Country house
There's nothing wrong with sticking to the classics. A country or manor house theme is perhaps one of the most popular choices for a murder mystery party, and for good reason. With plenty of shadowy rooms, the manor house provides the perfect setting for a crime just waiting to be solved. The country house murder has become one of Britain's biggest literary tropes, so why not pay homage during your murder mystery dinner party?
Of course, you don't need to have a library, ballroom, or billiard room to create the country house setting. With a few clever décor tricks, you can design a grand atmosphere using very little. Set the scene with some country-inspired tableware. The soft botanical motifs in our Constance collection would be perfect, evoking a sense of wandering through the countryside on a bright spring morning.
Alternatively, opt for timeless pieces such as a set of crystal glassware or classic stoneware such as our Imperial Blue range. Established in 1989, Imperial Blue is one of our most iconic collections and features a deep blue glaze that will add an ageless touch to your table, whether you opt for a full set or combine it with shades of white or cream.
Table linen can make your setting even more grand, so consider adding a tablecloth (you can use an old bedsheet if you don't have a tablecloth to hand) and setting each place with a placemat. Finish off the look by dotting a few candles around your table and adding a vase of flowers or foliage. You can take a look at our guide to table centrepieces for more tips on creating the perfect floral arrangement for your murder mystery night at home.
1920s
A fan favourite, the Jazz Age is always a big hit for a murder mystery party. Transform your home into a speakeasy by asking guests to arrive at a secret "side entrance" (if you have one) or by giving your guests a password they can use to enter your party.
To create a Roaring 20s atmosphere, look for art deco-style pieces with straight, clean lines, geometric prints, and plenty of gold embellishments. For instance, the warm blue and gold tones, sweeping curves, and crisp shapes in our Modern Deco range would be perfect for a 1920s murder mystery party. This collection is available as a 12-piece dinner set, ensuring you have enough for everyone at your table. However, a set of Modern Deco glasses or even a Modern Deco carafe is all you need to add a Jazz Age touch to your murder mystery dinner table. Finish the look off by adorning the walls with vintage-style posters and decorating your table setting with feathers and beads.
Serve up a 1920s-inspired menu complete with vintage snacks, such as devilled eggs and pineapple upside-down cake, and serve up trays of nibbles such as our beetroot cured salmon on oat biscuits — a festive recipe that is bound to impress at any time of year.
Of course, the Jazz Age wouldn't be complete without a few refreshments. Whip up a batch of prohibition-era cocktails such as an old fashioned or gin rickey, along with some mocktail versions. You can replace the bourbon in an old fashioned with black tea and omit the gin in a gin rickey to make them non-alcoholic. Finally, serve up a few glasses of champagne or sparkling wine in champagne flutes to kick off your murder mystery dinner party in style.
Circus
Full of secrets and intrigue, a circus theme makes a great option for a murder mystery dinner party and provides a fantastic opportunity to get creative with the décor. Serve up a touch of magic and include lots of colour, texture, and pizzazz. Our Impression range will add bright pops of colour to your dining table, and is available in blue, pink, mint, and mustard, among other more subtle hues. Fun and uplifting, Impression is a celebration of contemporary shapes and texture, and finishes like the diamond, spiral, hexagon, and harlequinesque hourglass glazes will add some circus whimsy to your murder mystery dinner table.
Finish the look off with paper streamers running the length of your table. Instead of a traditional dinner menu, consider turning your murder mystery party into a buffet, complete with classic circus foods. Popcorn, hotdogs, peanuts, candy floss, pretzels, and caramel apples are all great options, but you could also try something a little different by making our cookie sandwiches or our spiced roast cauliflower tacos. You could also incorporate dishes that are bound to bring some added theatre to the table, such as a baked Alaska, torching the meringue just before you serve.
Nautical
If you're looking for a unique murder mystery theme, why not turn to the seas? Just like a country manor house, the secluded nature of a ship is the perfect setting for a game of whodunnit. Decorate for the evening with plenty of ocean blues and nautical décor. Opt for an assortment of blue tableware or mix a few select pieces with neutral ceramics. Our Azure, Imperial Blue, and Blue Haze collections offer a variety of sea blue tones that would be perfect for a variety of seafood dishes such as prawn cocktail, fish pie, crab pasta, and seafood paella.
Set the dining table for your evening of thrills or lay out a sandy coloured blanket to create the illusion you’ve just stepped onshore for a picnic. Complete the look with coastal touches such as seashells, pieces of driftwood, nets, and rope. Your dress code could be summer linens or cruise ship finery. To push the boat out even more, play ocean sounds throughout the entirety of your party.
Masquerade ball
Add an extra layer of mystery to your dinner party with a masquerade ball theme. Black, gold, and red are classic colours for a masquerade party, and you can dress the table with deep toned tableware such as the pieces in our Elements Black collection or the dramatic Halo with its coupe shape and captivating glaze. However, feel free to stray away from the more traditional colour palette. For instance, our Porcelain Stars and Modern Deco ranges feature bold pops of blue, neutral white, and dazzling gold tones that will bring all the sparkle and sophistication of a masquerade ball to your murder mystery house party.
Add a floral centrepiece to match your colour scheme. Roses will echo the romance and grandeur of a masquerade ball. These flowers are also available in a wide choice of colours, so you're bound to find a variety that matches your party theme. A cheaper but no less eye-catching alternative are gladioli which are widely available when in season.
Remember to ask your guests to turn up in masks, or you could kick your party off by decorating your own masks together. You could also combine a masquerade theme with another concept, such as a circus or 1920s murder mystery party theme.
Since everyone will be wearing masks, nibbles and canapes might be the best menu choice, as these will be easier for everyone to eat. Our minted broad bean tartlets would be perfect for a masquerade evening. Alternatively, opt for a Venetian masquerade theme with an Italian-inspired menu.
Wild West
The Wild West is always a popular party theme, so why not invite your friends into your saloon and find out who shot the sheriff in an evening of mystery and murder? Ask your guests to dress up in their best cowboy and cowgirl getup and put up wanted posters to set the scene. To save buying something they won’t wear again, denim and checks are always a good rodeo look.
Less is more for this theme so keep your table setting raw and rustic with earthy tones such as cream, rust, ochre, slate, and oatmeal. The organic shapes and natural hues of our Kiln and Kiln Accents ranges would make the perfect addition to your Wild West dinner table. Again, as simple is often better with this theme, you don't need much to create the illusion of a saloon. If you don't want to buy a whole new dinnerware set for your murder mystery dinner party, you can invest in a few statement pieces, such as our Kiln bottle vase or our bottle vase from Kiln Accents, which can be mixed and matched with other neutral tableware.
Serve up Wild West-inspired dishes such as bean stew and chilli. These can be cooked in one large oven dish and with our oven to tableware and cast iron cookware, you can serve your meals in the centre of the table ready for guests to help themselves — just like sitting around a campfire!
Murder Mystery food
All that sleuthing will work up an appetite so, once you've settled on a theme, the next step is to decide what to serve at your murder mystery party. If you've opted for an immersive theme, then you'll no doubt want to create a menu around that. But if you've opted for a more general theme, or simply want to switch things up a bit, you can still get creative with your menu. For example, you could host a murder mystery afternoon tea, or lay out a continental charcuterie board for everyone to share as they compare clues.
Alternatively, lean into the crime thriller theme with a host of murder mystery-inspired dishes, featuring blood red foods such as beetroot and berries. Or, if you and your guests have a sweet tooth, why not offer up some just desserts with a dessert only menu? If you're looking for some thrilling murder mystery food ideas, take a look at our recipe inspiration below.
Starter
-
Bruschetta. You may want to try our rye toast bruschetta
-
Blood orange salad
Main
-
Beetroot and goats cheese tart
-
Meatballs and pasta such as our pork and taleggio meatballs
Dessert
- Berry pie such as our blackberry crisp
- Angel food cake with raspberry sauce
- Blood orange upside-down cake
Murder mystery drinks
Pair your murder mystery themed menu with plenty of refreshing drinks to help everyone loosen up and get into character. Red wine is a mainstay of a murder mystery party, perfect for cosy evenings indoors. If your party is taking place closer to the festive season, why not make yours a mulled wine?
We have a non-alcoholic mulled wine recipe you might like to try as well. While designed for Christmas, our Bring Joy drinks recipes feature a variety of red and pink cocktails and mocktails that would make perfect murder mystery drinks. Whip up a batch of our sloe gin and pink peppercorn fizz or impress with our cranberry and pomegranate punch and, of course, a Bloody Mary wouldn't go amiss.
If you're a regular host, you may be interested in our home bar ideas so you can add extra flourish and theatre to your refreshments.
Murder mystery decorations
Just like your menu, your murder mystery party theme will likely guide your décor, but there are a few other touches you can add to really get in the sleuthing spirit. For example, you could set up a crime scene complete with a chalk outline and caution tape (use yellow paper streamers and a black marker to reduce single use plastic). You might also want to lay out popular murder mystery party decorations and props — you could go old-school with a magnifying glass, a pipe, and a deerstalker hat fit for Sherlock Holmes himself; or opt for a CSI look with a torch, some talc and a foundation brush, and a lab kit – the ideal opportunity to use up any expired Covid tests. Don't forget to dim the lights and light plenty of candles to create a sense of thrill and mystique. If your room has windows, consider covering them with posters to give the illusion of another view and make your theme more immersive.
When the party is over and the crime is solved, gather everyone by a DIY photobooth and create your own police lineup. Doing this means you can also provide your guests with a little memento to remember your event by.
Hosting a murder mystery party at home is the perfect way to transform any night in into an experience to remember. With these tips, you can host an unforgettable evening for your friends and family.
You don't have to invest in a full set of brand-new ceramics to be able to pull your dinner party off. By selecting a few key pieces, such as a statement vase, a new serving bowl, or a few glasses, you can set the scene with minimal effort. Plus, if you choose well-made, high-quality pieces, you can continue to use your tableware long after your murder mystery dinner party. Just browse our selection of dinnerware here at Denby for handcrafted pieces that would make the perfect finishing touch to your dinner party table.