Learning how to spot a liar is one thing. Establishing yourself as a liar is a something else. Most people are honest and they wouldn’t consider telling an untruth. The average person finds lying difficult which is kind of awkward if you are asked to play a role at a Murder Mystery evening.

Learn a little about the psychology of lying though and before you know it you’ll be telling ‘whoppers’ to fellow guests at the event. What’s more, you’ll enjoy deceiving them and part of the fun is trying to hoodwink people if you have been assigned a role at a dinner where guests are dropping like flies.

To be good at lying you need to…

Focus

Liars are caught out when they let their focus slip. Bad liars give themselves away. They can’t cope with the pressure of the situation. They lose focus and want the moment of interrogation to be over quickly.

People that enjoy lying are different. They take some kind of weird pleasure from deceiving people. You don’t have to go this far but try to remain focused when placed under pressure and you should get away with those lies.

Only lie when you have to

Most liars are caught out because they can’t stop telling fibs. The process snowballs, they tell so many lies they eventually become unstuck and get caught out by their own deviousness.

Try to avoid lying unless you have to have. Keep the lies down to the bare minimum to sound plausible.

Arm yourself with facts

Liars often come unstuck when they fail to remember key facts. Create an alibi and stick to it. Learn the facts inside out and never waiver from this path. Don’t try to elaborate or change the facts in the heat of the moment, you’ll slip up and this will be a sure-fire giveaway.

Stay in control of signals

This is one of the hardest things to do as a liar, if you can master this you’ll be able to fib with confidence. Non-verbal signals are things like touching your nose, fidgeting or breaking eye contact just as you are telling a whopper. Anyone interrogating you will quickly pick up on these actions.

Signals are hard to master but you should at least attempt to mask them if you are going to make a believable Murder Mystery player.

Why not try some of these skills the next time you attend a Murder Mystery dinner? Make life as difficult as possible for all those amateur sleuths!

Think you could spot a liar at a murder mystery evening? Part of the fun of attending this type of occasion is working out who is telling the truth and who is telling outright lies. People are assigned roles at murder mystery evenings, they are given clear instructions and during the evening you’ll meet role-playing guests that are telling the biggest ‘whoppers’ of their life.

Spotting the fake alibis adds to the excitement of the evening and by studying guests carefully you should be able to differentiate fact from fiction.

To help you out a little we thought we’d highlight some of the more obvious ways to tell if a person is lying or not. Look for these classic clues and start solving the mystery, we bet you’ll have tons of fun at Murder Mystery event.

Signs that somebody is lying…

Failing to maintain eye contact

Does the person avoid looking at you when they speak? This is a sure sign they have something to hide. Try asking a rather tricky question. If they look to one side when making a reply they definitely feel uncomfortable and could be telling you an untruth.

Blushing

Some people can’t avoid blushing when they are telling a tale. Look for pink tinges around the cheek or redness growing around the neck. Blushing is often caused when people feel anxious, this could be a key indication when a suspect is questioned.

Rapid blinking

Look carefully at the person’s eyes when you ask a guest at a murder mystery party a question. Do they suddenly start blinking rapidly as they provide you with an answer? This means their brain is running at a million miles an hour as it tries to think of a plausible answer. It’s a sure sign that somebody is telling you an untruth.

Lip nibbling

This is another nervous giveaway. People often chew their lips when they are concentrating hard or feel uncomfortable. Look for lip nibbling if you want to get to the truth.

Defensive body language

Crossed legs or folded arms tell you to stay away.  They’re a natural defence mechanism and they show you a person is feeling uncomfortable.  Other body language ‘tells’ include pulling arms to the side or tucking hands behind the back so you can’t see a person twitching their fingers.

You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to detect if a person is telling a lie. Just look for the signals the next time you attend a Murder Mystery dinner and the killer should give them self away.

Plotting a successful whodunit requires the skilful blending of a number of key ingredients. When executed with precision a whodunit will intrigue, engage, and excite those participating. Should the event be poorly scripted, feature uninspired characters, or offer no real suspense, the mystery will flop. This will be the real tragedy of the occasion.

What are the core components of a successful whodunit?

The Crime Itself

Obviously, a murder will have to occur. Depending on the nature of the storyline more than one death may befall the occasion. This will build the tension to boiling point. Participants won’t know what will happen next.

A well executed story will feature numerous elements. Different circumstances, weapons and methods will create an illusion of unpredictability and heighten the experience. Unique settings will allow participants to completely immerse themselves in the fictional world and enjoy themselves. The nature of the crime will allow those participating to deduce the personality of the perpetrator and offer a clue to their identity.

The Clues

Physical evidence of the crime is a vital element of any murder mystery. Items left at the scene of the crime, the victim’s personal effects, documents found in the possession of the victim or other guests, and superficial marks or scratches on any of the participants are all pivotal pieces of the puzzle.

Gauging the reactions and listening to what the players is also important. To enjoy the occasion it’s important that everything is clearly understood. Carefully crafted acting and subtle character nuances must be portrayed. This will make the mystery all the more intriguing.

The Use of Red Herrings

Red herrings are an effective plot ploy. Often employed by storytellers to turn the attention of the audience in a whole new direction, they prove very successful in mystery sagas. Once such ploys are deduced the story takes a dramatic new direction with potential suspects discarded, or in well-constructed whodunits, bumped off.

The Suspects

A successful whodunit should have scores of suspects. This is what propels the narrative. Clear motives should be established from the outset – this is achieved through good characterisation. Opportunities to commit the crimes should be clearly presented and any reason for eliminating suspects should be outlined and portrayed.

The Detective

Murder mystery fiction has a rich history of charismatic detective characters. Either professional or amateurs with a gift for deducing characters – they will find the culprit. The character should point out the significance of factors that haven’t necessarily been considered by everyone else.

The Conclusion

A satisfactory ending leaves you wanting more. Should the structure or pace of the occasion be even slightly off the participants will be left with a hollow feeling once the curtain has been drawn. A successful conclusion brings the occasion to a close and leaves the participants in no doubt to the identity and motive of the perpetrator – and that they’ll get their comeuppance.

Murder mystery dinner parties are a great way to bond people together. The shared experience is one that will not be soon forgotten. Rewarding your employees with an invitation to such an engaging event after years of faithful service is a unique and original way to strengthen internal relationships.

Organising the Event

To enhance the ambiance of the event why not design bespoke invitations and deliver to them to their intended recipients in a secretive manner? Be unpredictable in the way that you distribute your invitations. This sets the tone and mood of the occasion.

Decorating the Dinner     

The atmosphere of the event is greatly enhanced by the approach taken to decorate the environment. Draw inspiration from some of the more celebrated fictional murder mystery stories. Props add an extra element as does a foreboding decor one that creates a feeling of uncertainty. Halloween themes create that creepy air of mystery.

The Meal

The meal is a time when tensions will be running high. Everyone will be aware of what’s round the corner. Take the opportunity to build the tension with a themed menu and choice of named dishes. You could even mirror the tone or ethos of your brand with deliciously devilish names for your dishes.

Dinner conversation is a good opportunity to size up the characters around you. Clues could be laid for future events, or the number of dishes on your menu could reflect the mystery scenes that are about to unfold.

A good mystery dinner should last between 2-3 hours. This allows the participants to savour the food and size up their fellow guests. Normally as the meal is being enjoyed a clue will be divulged between each course.  Putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together requires a keen and intuitive mind.

The Benefits of a Murder Mystery Dinner  

There are numerous reasons to organise a corporate murder mystery dinner. You offer a setting for everyone to get to know each other better, outside the workplace environment. Such an event demonstrates that your company cares about their employees, and that their loyalty is valued. Once the mystery has been unravelled, it’s a good time to show your appreciation by presenting the winner with a gift!

A well organised and executed murder mystery dinner is a great opportunity to get everyone that works together in one place for a fun and engaging social occasion that won’t be easily forgotten!

The murder mystery is one of the more potent and exciting storylines. Creating the right framework and executing all the elements of the story to the letter is essential. Here are the main points to consider.

The Theme or Mood of the Mystery

In simply terms, the mood or theme determines the precise content or historical context which the story is told. There is a wealth of options available to choose from. Such settings should allow all participants to immerse themselves in the plot. Popular murder mystery themes include stories set in the roaring twenties or those that draw inspiration from the golden age of Hollywood.

The Location

The setting is that you decide to tell the story is paramount. Good fiction is both absorbing, and transports you to a place of curiosity and intrigue. Having a peep into the homes of the rich and famous is favoured, as is solving the riddle in ancient Roman times.

The Scene of the Crime

The scene of the crime is also an essential aspect of creating an engaging plot. The place where the body is discovered not only provides vital clues for amateur sleuths but is a great opportunity for storytellers to inject some creativity into the tale that they’re telling.

The Cause of Death

The manner in which the ill-fated victim meets their end will be revealed over the course of the story. There are a number of different ways to divulge this information. Writers have proven to be very creative in victims’ causes of death. Indeed, from falling from a great height to poisoning there is a wealth of different ways to commit the crime. As the story unfolds additional details should be added to flesh out the nature of the crime. Astute plot tools include police and coroner reports, and newscasts.

Any Clues Found

Physical clues found in and around the body are vital for developing the mystery. What objects are in the vicinity? The position the body was found is also imperative. Were any objects found in the pockets of the victim? The personal effects of the victim may also be pivotal clues. In most good mysteries belongings like a locket can link the perpetrator to the victim.

These are just a few of the ways that an intriguing murder mystery tale can be told. There is a certain formula to telling a murder mystery story, and this fact is no more apparent than in the plot of the story.