A Vintage Murder

Mystery is on the menu when your host is found floating face down in a vat of his finest wine.

The Game

Tired of the same old dinner chat? Then try solving a murder between courses. This box contains everything you need to turn your next party into a thrilling murder mystery. There are step-by-step party planning instructions for an evening that will be as enjoyable for the host as it is for the guests. Included are menus, recipes, shopping lists and even party invitations. Just invite the "suspects", and encourage them to come dressed as their characters. Then set the stage with a murderously good meal, or perhaps just simple munchies, and let the game begin!

The Mystery

The year is 1937. You have been invited to dine in the sumptuous halls of Château de Reims in the lush wine country of France. But the promise of a sparkling evening is shattered when you discover that your host, St. John Sedgwick-Smythe, has been murdered. All of the guests, including you, were capable of masterminding his death. You all wished for his untimely demise. Which one of you fermented the plot for his murder? It's up to you to solve this crime before its time.

The Suspects

Désirée De Bouze

Her marriage to St. John Sedgwick-Smythe was strictly business. Did an affair of the heart lure her into a sinister scheme?

Yves Le Concoction

Désirée's younger brother was handsome yet awkward. He kept his true feelings bottled up. Did his personal torment lead him to murder?

Henri L'Able

After years of loyal service he had become estate manager. Had the secrets of his past spoiled a bright future or was this a simple case of sour grapes?

Rose Chintsey-Curten

The toast of Paris, and of certain others at the Chateau. What events were swirling around her real connection with the dead man?

Seymour Hunter-Cover

War hero and wine connoisseur. Was wine his only interest, or was something else fermenting in a dark corner of his mind?

Lotte Brenzenbraun

A striking beauty with incredible business savvy. Was her pose as a wine merchant just a coverup for a less than sparkling past?

Party Planner by Ann Howard

Ann Howard has been a leading culinary figure for over twenty years. For many years, she operated a highly acclaimed cooking school in Connecticut and introduced to the area international stars such as Jacques Pepin, Martha Stewart and Julia Child. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne, two of France's leading cooking schools, Ann has studied under the direction of the late Simone Beck.

The Contents

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• Party Planner Booklet with menu and recipes suggestions, along with music and decorating ideas.
• Character Booklets for all six suspects, includes their roles and background information.
• Six Place Cards
• Six Party Invitations and Envelopes
• Six Secret Clues
• Cassette Tape with an introduction, summary of events and the solution to the crime.

This is a vintage game dating from 1993 (did you see the cassette tape!) which is still a blast to play - It is a double hopscotch through time, as the game concerns itself with the 1920's as perceived in the 1990, now being played by us a further 30 years down the line! Note that sensitivities we've since developed may be bruised by some of the sentiments and stereotypes expressed in this material - if that shows up, remember, this is a piece of history on a piece of history.

NOTE:

Special considerations and accommodations need to be made if you want to rent this for your use at home, but if you want to plan a party at our location using this Murder a la carte, that is of course the best option.