Murder Mystery Evening in London - Monsterville Murder

Each of our murder mystery evenings offers a unique experience, from the main storyline and characters involved, right through to the props and evidence and even the method of investigation that our guests use to solve the heinous crimes.

In The Pharaoh's Curse, for example, teams are transported back to colonial Egypt, sifting through the sands of history in an attempt to separate myth from murder before it's too late. Murder and the Mob sees an evening of speak easy glamour and glitz as guests find themselves caught in the middle of a mob war. The ever popular Who Killed His Lordship? takes teams into the home of aristocracy, with those above stairs having as much to hide as those below.

No murder mystery though is quite as unique as Monsterville Murder; unique because of the elaborate plot, the theming, the supporting cast, are nothing like our other mysteries.

But mostly unique because even the suspects are already dead!

Set in the Underworld, Monsterville Murder has teams investigating the untimely death of Duggaba, Lord of all Vampires. The list of potential suspects includes witches, werewolves, demons; all manner of creatures that go bump in the night.

Following the nail-biting introduction and death of our Vampire Lord, teams must set to the task of unravelling this mystery before the fallout spills into the streets of the mortal realm.

At our recent Monsterville Murder event at the Kingsway Hotel in London, teams dressed the part and got involved in the spooky goings on through the evening and up to the witching hour, where their verdicts were submitted and truth was revealed.

"It was a cracking night, and everyone got massively involved. At the end the teams dressed up as the suspects and acted out their version of events - it was a very funny end to the evening!"

Dave Hall, Event Manager

To find out more about Monsterville Murder or any of our other award-winning murder mystery evenings, visit our website our give us a call on 0845 006 06 06

TV Detective World Series Round 1 - Holmes vs Creek

Here at the Murder Mystery Company we are doing our best to answer some of the important questions; questions like 'How can I arrange an amazing, affordable murder mystery evening for my team?' 'How can I choose the best venue and get the best rate?' And of course, 'Which is the greatest TV Detective of all time?'

This time...

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Judge's Overview

It's a battle of wits to an almost unprecedented scale as these two paragons of intellectual intimations step up to do battle.

On the one hand, you have the big coated, wavy haired, be-scarfed visage of Holmes who will stop at nothing to link seemingly innocent facts together until he has his man.

And facing him, the large of coat, springy of hair, scarf-fond Creek who will make a series of casual observations that will undoubtedly lead to solving a ridiculously elaborate crime that may or may not involve magic.

This is a first time for relative newcomer Holmes, as portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, though incarnations of the world's only consulting detective usually perform well in the World Series - we all remember the great Colombo upset of '89 like it was yesterday.

Creek on the other hand is a regular to the tournament, and is hoping to improve on his current record - he reached the semi-final in '97 only to be pipped at the post by a very much on-form Thomas Magnum.

Who wins? As ever, you decide. Voting closes in one month, and if you can't wait that long then please visit the main Murder Mystery Company website to see what we're doing when we're not doing this!

Next time...

TV Detective World Series Result - Grissom vs Doo

The results on the latest round of the TV Detective World Series 1st round are in! They have been checked and verified, confirmed by only the most independent of independent adjudicators and triple sealed with authority.

We can now reveal that the winner is...

Yes, with 72% of the vote, everybody's second favourite cartoon dog that solves crime is the winner!

All Grissom can do is retreat to lick his wounds, while Doo himself is free to lick whatever he likes as he enters the winner's enclosure to look forward to round two.

Meanwhile, for all your murder mystery evening needs visit our main website!

Murder at Oxford Spires

It is a frosty Saturday night in Oxford, and an unusual tension is in the air. Tonight, there will be some sinister action leaving Lord Burlington murdered! The Murder Mystery Company have been booked for a private birthday bash at The Oxford Spires Hotel to run one of our best selling murder mysteries, "Who Killed his Lordship?"

The diners are all sipping their wine and awaiting their starters, blissfully unaware of the horror that is about to begin. Suddenly there's a loud bang on the dining room door and an almighty groan of pain, as Lord Burlington stumbles into the room. Gasps of shock fill the room, as the poor man concludes a dramatic death scene and falls to the floor! 

There has been a murder, and only one man is equipped to crack the case. Holmes, Sherlock Holmes! With the aid of Sherlock and the local constabulary, the diners embark on solving the hideous crime. The tables are presented with the facts, and details about the suspects, who are all being held at the mobile Scotland Yard unit at the hotel.

The diners form teams at their tables, and begin to interrogate the suspects. They thoroughly examine the contents of their pockets which have been confiscated by the police, search their criminal records, and carry out essential forensic tests. By the end of dinner as coffee is served the teams submit their verdicts, but did anyone solve this case? Just one team did on this occasion, but how would you fare at our Murder Mystery Evenings?

For more information on our Murder Mysteries please visit our website or call our expert sales team on 0845 006 06 06.

A Recipe for Murder... No.3 A shot for the Valentine

Here at The Murder Mystery Company, not only do we provide thrilling and entertaining murder mystery evenings, every now and again we like to pass on our devilishly wicked concoctions to you, as suggestions to help enhance your own parties! Your sweet-toothed Valentine will simply love to devour this hedonistic shot in the dark on this year's cold and mysterious Valentines night.  We bring you Death by Chocolate vs The B52!

If you're a glutton for punishment, or simply like to fill your winter boots & bellies with liqueurs and gourmet desserts then you are going to just LOVE this devious dish - a rich and seductive rendezvous between a Death by Triple Chocolate dessert and a B52 cocktail!!!

The classic B52 cocktail is a layered shot of coffee liqueur Kahlua on the bottom, a rich and creamy Baileys in the middle, and topped with a quality layer of delicious orange Grand Marnier. When drunk down in one gulp the flavours blend like you wouldn't believe. A truly delectable drink.

This naughty but nice invention is a three layer dessert, with a sticky mocha brownie base, then a layer of Baileys Chocolate Mousse, topped off with a White Chocolate and Orange Mousse. A divine sensation!

Mocha Brownies cook at 160c in a fan oven for 25 minutes:

• Melt 185g unsalted butter & 185g best dark chocolate in a bain marie (pyrex bowl over a saucepan of water), mix and leave to cool
• Sieve 85g plain flour & 40g of cocoa powder into a bowl
• In another bowl beat 3 eggs and then pour in 275g of golden caster sugar and whisk until thick
• Chop small chunks of 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate on a chopping board, taking care that the knife does not slip
• Pour the cooled chocolate into the beaten egg bowl and fold together, before doing the same with the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Lastly stir in the chunks and pour in a lined baking tray to cook

Baileys Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate & Orange Mousse:

• 120g dark chocolate chips & 50g butter melted over a bain marie, then cooled
• Whisk 4 egg whites in a bowl to form peaks. In a separate bowl whisk 300ml of double cream to form soft peaks
• Mix the egg yolks into the slightly cooled chocolate, and stir in 70g icing sugar
• Then fold both mixtures together add 75ml of Baileys and cool. This will be the middle of the dessert shot
• For the white chocolate mousse do the same, except double the chocolate quantity and add a dessert spoon of orange zest. (To simplify you can buy a vanilla yoghurt and add zest)

Once the items are cool, break small chunks of the mocha brownie and push to the bottom of your shot glasses. Pipe in the dark chocolate Baileys mousse, and then the white chocolate and orange one. You can decorate the top with a red love heart sweet, draw a design with red squeezy icing or pop a juicy raspberry on top!

Pass to your love, give them a wicked wink, and indulge yourselves!

For more information on our Murder Mystery Evenings for Valentines and other events, please contact our sales team on 0845 006 06 06 or visit our website.

TV Detective World Series Result - Poirot vs Bauer

The final count is in on yet another bout from the opening round of the TV Detective World Series!

We can now reveal that the winner is...

It was a close run battle, but with 62.5% of the vote at the time that it closed, the well turned out Belgian is the clear victor this time round.

Judges felt that Poirot had more of the 'classic' TV Detective about him, and that was something they were keen to promote. While they conceded that Bauer did indeed 'detect', and often even 'solve' crimes including murder, he did so in such a gun ho fashion, committing so many crimes himself in the process, that it wasn't really worthy of merit on this, the finest of TV Detection Accolades.

Bauer looks... well, it's difficult to tell exactly how he looks. Angry, sure, but then there's nothing new there. The judges consider consoling him, but before they even put the kettle on he picks up Intel on a terrorist atrocity that is going to happen sometime in the next 24 hours (though probably not for the first 8, and even then it will be a precursor to something even worse happening about 15 hours later) and races off.

Poirot watches all of this with the calm detachment of somebody who is above petty squabbles, and if his victory means much to him it doesn't show. He merely nods curtly, and goes into the winner's enclosure with Sloan, Fletcher, Magnum, Marple and the other 1st round victors.

The 1st Round keeps moving on, but in the meantime please come and see us for all your murder mystery needs.

By Mike Horner

TV Detective World Series Result - Quincy vs Hunt

The votes have been counted and verified and the latest round of the TV Detective World Series comes to a close.

We can now announce that the winner is...

Yes, a close fought battle for the most part, followed by a well deserved surge following reports of the death of Jack Klugman.

Not even TV's hard man hero Hunt could begrudge Quincy his victory, and it even appeared as there may have been a tear in his eye as left the stadium.

Hunt takes an early shower in this round, and goes back to a life of time-shifting police brutality, which is just the way he likes it.

Quincy, on the other hand, lives to sleuth another day as he sails into the second round of the TV Detective World Series!

For any more of your murder mystery needs, please feel free to visit our main website!

By Mike Horner

A Recipe for Murder... No.2 The Devil's Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Slice

Dust of your witch's hats and get those stripy knee highs out the bottom drawer... Halloween is just round the corner! It's that time of year we fear brats posting stink bombs through the letter box if we don't answer our doorbells and hideously dressed party goers jump out of doorways to frighten the life out of us as we innocently walk home from work. But it's a great time for parties, for spooky cocktails and themed party food!

At the Murder Mystery Company we've been slaving away over a hot cauldron (well, in our kitchen actually) to come up with a delicious and devilishly good Halloween recipe to tantalise those taste buds and make a shockingly good addition to any spooky spread this Halloween. Whether you're hosting a Murder Mystery party, lighting fireworks or simply feeding the kids before the annual trick or treat adventure, a truly dark and delicious indulgence was our goal.

After discarding the ideas with rabbit's heads, pig's blood or lamb's brains through fear of having to trial and taste the recipes first, we decided on chocolate. Dark, velvety chocolate. A naughty, but nice option. With pumpkin? If carrots can make such a delicious appearance in cakes, then "bring on the pumpkin" we said! And therefore The Devil's Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Slice was born.

• 250g Quality dark chocolate, melted over a bain marie with the butter
• 190g salted butter
• 190g castor sugar
• 4 whole eggs, whisked
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 of a small pumpkin, skinned, seeded and finely grated
• 50g cocoa powder
• 80g plain flour (gluten free or normal)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Pre-heat your fan oven to 180 degrees C, and follow the method above. Melt the butter and chocolate together over boiling water and in a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar. Stir the cocoa, flour and baking powder into the egg mix and the finely grated pumpkin flesh and vanilla into the melted chocolate. Once blended well mix both bowls together thoroughly. Bake for 25 minutes in a lined baking tray and remove to cool on the side. Once cooled, make a butter frosting icing of your choice, add a few drops of orange colouring or squeeze some writing icing across the top for decoration.

Cut into 12 slices, and add some spooky Halloween decorations. These witches on the top aren't edible, but you may find edible items in your supermarket. Serve with a hot Irish Coffee, or simply a steaming hot fresh brew!

For more information on our Murder Mystery Evenings for Halloween, and other events please contact our sales team on 08450 06 06 06 or visit our website.

Shaken, not Stirred... at The Murder Mystery Company

The days are darkening and the evenings drawing in quicker, and it's getting close to Halloween... the perfect time of year for some thrill seeking ghoulish action with a Murder Mystery dinner! Here at the Murder Mystery Company we have noticed the increase in our evening bookings already as companies are starting to sway towards indoor events rather than outdoor activities as the days grow colder. There are hundreds of venues we use for our themed murder mystery evenings and we offer a free venue finding service, or if you have a house or restaurant already booked we can cater for your entertainment needs!

If it's technology that tickles your taste buds then we recommend our 007 James Bond themed event, On Her Majesty's Service, which uses gadgets galore and you'll have to work out just who has planted that spy camera in your dining room! After an explosive death scene you are enlisted to help solve this hideous crime and work out the who, the why, and the how in this deadly plot. Teams are provided with suspect packs to start them off with character information, and it's up to you to gather the gruesome details through their ipad case files, forensic tests and real time printed suspect answers to your interrogation!

This recent scene at the Westcliff Hotel, Essex had the audience roaring with laughter as they took part in the final action when verdicts were revealed.

"Playing 007 is an ambition of every male actor, and in a Murder Mystery evening it creates a thrilling blend of the mysterious with glamour, and a whole lot of humour. Our professional actors love it!"

Tamara Nasser, Event Manager

For more details about our James Bond themed murder mystery, or other themed events visit our website or call 08450 06 06 06.

TV Detective World Series Result - Drebin vs Cadfael

The votes have been counted and verified by independent verifiers, and thus we call time on another battle in this exciting opening round of the TV Detective World Series!

We can now announce that the winner is...

With an epic 82% of the vote Frank Drebin delivered a drubbing to Brother Cadfael of near Biblical proportions!

With just one series of six episodes to his name, Drebin was up against a powerhouse of period sleuthing, but judges felt on the day that a combination of his raw charisma and death meant nostalgic comedy fans threw their support behind him.

Drebin can now relax and consider a plan of action for his second round fixture. With such Sleuthing Stalwarts as Marple, Fletcher and Batman already through, the next round could surely* spell problems for our victor.

In the meantime, visit our main website for all of your murder mystery needs!

*Don't call him Shirley.

By Mike Horner

A Recipe for Murder ... No.1 Bloody Mary!

The clock strikes five on a Friday and you're thinking... I could murder a drink! Or if the evil liquor is not for you, then some wicked weekend food to die for! The Murder Mystery Company can sense your devilish cravings and sympathise - we can sink a goblet or two on a Friday after work, so hot off the press today starts our Recipes for Murder! We're going to offer all you freaks something to literally sink those pointy teeth into at the weekends with some gourmet ghoulish treats and dangerous cocktail recipes as well as our other events blog posts. It's a classic to start off the series... the half food, half drink nectar itself! A Bloody Mary!

Ingredients:

• 150ml Tomato juice, chilled
• Double shot of Vodka
• 1 teaspoon of sherry (or red wine if you don't have sherry)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
• Half teaspoon horseradish
• Pinch of celery salt & pepper, and a squeeze of lime wedge
• To garnish - Slice of Jalapeno & a stick of celery as an edible stirrer

For the virgins out there leave out the vodka and sherry for a Virgin Mary. Only for the monstrous use absinthe instead of vodka to make it a Bloody Fairy, and for a Slutty Mary garnish with a sausage!

So, paint your nails crimson red, pick your cocktail glass out of the chiller and pour the ingredients over 3 ice cubes. Give it a good stir and with an evil look in your eye take your first gulp of pure heaven in hell!

Follow our other blog series or for more information on Murder Mystery Evenings visit our website.

Murder Mystery Most Wicked in Wales

It was a quiet afternoon in Llandinam, Wales as our team set up the murder most horrid! The venue for such a crime - Plas Dinam, a Grade II listed historic country house set in the rolling hills of the Severn Valley.

The views from the manor were breathtaking, especially for the victim - the last view this character would ever see before their death!

The Murder Mystery Company run terrifying events all over the country for corporate and private clients alike. Tonight's event was going to be "Who Killed his Lordship?" and a group of 20 eager diners were to embark on solving the crime!

Lord John waits in the wings and checks his watch as the diners are shown to their tables. The blood red wine is flowing a plenty as Lord John bursts into the dining hall for the death scene of the century!

Event Manager, Zoe Taylor said,

"You could have cut the air with a knife as the diners looked on in amazement as Lord John staggered through the dining hall clutching his throat! The death scene will go down in history as one of the best in this spooky historic venue."

For more information on our Murder Mystery Evenings or other Team Building Events in Wales please call our Murder HQ on 0845 006 06 06 or visit the website.

TV Detective World Series Round 1 - Grissom vs Doo

The excitement of the TV Detective World Series continues apace, with this week's contest between two stalwarts of the genre:

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Here we see two long serving pillars of justice and the law. Whether it's a grisly murder or some kind of scary-costume-themed caper, between the two of them they would get the job done. But how will they do(o) when pitted head to head? You decide...

Round One - Car

Grissom eschews the over the top madness of his Miami counterpart's vehicle choice. Rather than over-compensating with a General Motors Hummer, Grissom prefers to compensate just enough with a Chevrolet Tahoe, or a GMC Yukon, depending on what year it is. These no nonsense all-American 4x4s get him from A to B, whether B is a grisly desert crime scene or a grisly city-centre crime scene.

Doo travels from encounter to encounter in a bright blue van. Choosing style over subtlety, the van is painted in bright blue and green with orange lettering declaring it to be not simply 'a' but The Mystery Machine. Driven by Alpha-Male Fred, The Mystery Machine ferries Doo and his team wherever they are needed - whether that be a deserted fairground, a deserted mine or a deserted mansion on a hill.

Round Two - Being Based On The Famous Five

Grissom was the original televised Crime Scene Investigator. Focussed and determined, his analytical mind has been likened to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. It has also been said that he looks "a bit like one of the Baldwin's. Not sure which". But he has never been accused of being based upon children's author Enid Blyton's Famous Five books.

Doo on the other hand plays a sterling job here, because he and his colleagues were indeed based on the best-selling children's novels of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Some of the details were lost in translation - the dog Timothy, for example, was going to have a larger role; there would also be more criminals pretending to be monsters in order to affect the price of real estate - but on the whole Scooby Doo was a re-imagining of a tale of four friends and their dog becoming embroiled in mysteries.

Round Three - Catchphrase

"The evidence never lies" - Grissom

Brooding and steely, Grissom must work in an environment where people quickly forget even the most fundamental lesson about what kind of things can and cannot lie as he is compelled to remind those around him that the evidence never lies at least four times each episode. The phrase is his mantra, his very sword and shield and keeps his work grounded in science and fact.

"Scooby Dooby Doo" - Doo

Doo's catchphrase involves saying his full name. It is used as a victory salute, and often turns into a howl at the sky. It should be remembered that as Doo is a dog, the fact that he is able to enunciate even his own name is a truly remarkable feat that should hopefully see him pick up points in this round.

But what's this? Closer inspection from the judges reveals that Doo's nephew, a puppy that is perhaps six months old, has a perfect grasp of the English language - this casts Doo in a completely different light, and his language skills seem rudimentary by comparison.

Round Four - Legacy

Grissom was one of the pioneers of the Forensic Procedural Cop Show. He stood on the shoulders of the likes of Quincy, and proved that it was fine to have a TV Cop show that was just some scientists investigating stuff: CSI:NY/Miami, NCIS, Bones, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, all followed in their wake. Grissom must take some responsibility for opening a door that brought CSI:Miami's Horatio Caine into the world and looks to take a points hit in this round for the crime.

Doo on the other hand hasn't been far from our screen since 1969. He has been revamped and re-imagined, had the stage stolen from him by his own nephew and seen some truly risable (one would imagine) motion pictures made in his honour. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated premièred on Cartoon Network in 2010 and has been repeated around the world ever since. A strong, albeit stained legacy from everyone's favourite van-based-crime-solving-cartoon-dog's-uncle.

So there you have it. Voting closes in once month, and in the meantime visit our main website for all your murder mystery needs.

Next Time...

TV Detective World Series Round 1 - Poirot vs Bauer

The first round of the TV Detective World Series is now past the halfway point, and it's time to move into game nine of sixteen. This time...

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Round One - Interrogation Technique

"Only by interrogating the other passengers could I hope to see the light, but when I began to question them, the light, as Macbeth would have said, thickened" - Poirot

Poirot is the master of nuance and subtle wordplay, of setting deliberate traps for his suspects and then springing them expertly. His interrogation technique is determined, but polite. He makes his suspects want to confess.

Bauer also makes his suspects want to confess, but not for quite the same reasons. When a suspect confesses to Bauer it is not because they have been the victim of some clever bout of wordplay or disarmed by a charming demeanour. It is invariably because they don't want to be beaten up any more, or have a towel stuffed down their throat. Or a family member killed.

"Tell me where the bomb is or I will kill your son" - Bauer

So different approaches by these two detectives, but the judges agree you can't argue that they both get results.

Round Two - Never Having To Go To The Toilet

Poirot is a refined gentleman of impeccable manners. At no time throughout all of his adventures was he ever required to go to the toilet. And if he had, he certainly wouldn't have told anyone about it. Known across polite society as the Gentleman Detective, Poirot has lasted entire murder sprees without ever once having to visit the smallest room.

A great showing from Bauer as well, as he manages to resist the pull of visiting the lavatory. He also manages to go without eating and drinking and charging his mobile phone.

Round Three - Presentation

Poirot is always well turned out. From his shiny shoes to his expertly waxed moustache, he is always in perfect finery. Critics may argue that he cares more about his appearance than solving crimes, but Poirot claims in return that a gentleman should find time for solving dastardly murders and personal grooming.

Not so for Bauer, his priorities are firmly job-focussed. Whether he is climbing through tunnels or hacking off people's heads with hacksaws, Bauer finds that he just can't stay clean. Every now and then he changes his t-shirt, but it's only window dressing - his laundry bill is sky high and, judges realise with disdain, he doesn't even wax his moustache! Most of the time he doesn't even have one!

Round Four - Survival Rate of Sidekicks

A wonderful show from Poirot on this round. The loyal, trustworthy Hastings is with him right up until his own death. Hastings even makes Poirot's funeral arrangements - and what better final service is there for a sidekick to perform? A high scoring round for Belgium's finest.

Oh, dear... This was never going to be a good round and Bauer is angry to be drawn it. Just about every sidekick Jack has ever had has died - whether they turned out to be a spy and killed his wife only to be killed by him; or whether they died flying a nuclear bomb into the desert so Jack wouldn't have to; or whether they spent several seasons dying only to come back to life and switch sides only to die again or not die but actually die - being Bauer's sidekick has its dangers. Bauer tries to save face by reminding judges that he "only cut off Chase's hand", but it's a poor show for him.

As ever, voting closes in one month's time. In the meantime, if you think you've got Poirot's reasoning skills or Bauer's sense of the dramatic, then get in touch!

Next Time...

TV Detective World Series Round 1 - Quincy vs Hunt

Round 1 of the TV Detective World Series has already seen its fair share of ups and downs, surprising results and easy wins. Ever since Jessica Fletcher cruised past Lewis in the opening bout fans have been glued to the battles and they haven't disappointed - from the whitewashing Batman gave to Horatio Caine to the neck and neck battle between Jimmy McNulty and Miss Marple, the TV Detective World Series has had something for everyone.  Well, everyone who finds such things interesting. Or just diverting. This time...

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Round One - Challenging Bureaucracy

If there's one thing Quincy hates, it's bureaucracy. Whether it's those pen pushers at City Hall and their vote-chasing-re-election-attempting-muck-scraping-double-talking-backhander-accepting nonsense, or Dr Asten trying to get Quincy to sign off bodies for a quick turn around, Quincy won't stand for any of it. In fact he will talk, at length, about just how much he hates it.

Every single episode.

Hunt opens up well in this round also. Unlikely to be accused of ticking all the boxes, dotting all the 'i's or crossing the 't's, Hunt prefers to get things done with the application of the two main tenets of good, old-fashioned police work - extreme violence and alcohol abuse.

Round Two - Being a Moral Crusader

Now you're talking! Quincy started well and now settles into this battle. He is so into being a moral crusader that he sets aside time at the end of every episode (and at several different points throughout) to explain the issue of the day. Whether it's statistical sermonising ("If this doesn't stop, there's an 80% chance when Joey grows up he'll beat his kids and his kids will beat their kids!") or simply having the right retort to a rogue Doctor who claims he is not a murderer ("Try telling that to those seven dead people"), Quincy has something to say, and it will no doubt be something about how something bad should be stopped from happening.

Hunt plays a more cagey round this time. True, he was described by a colleague as an "overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding." True, also, that he wouldn't be welcome on a road safety campaign ("Take that seat belt off! You're a police officer, not a bloody vicar)." But that doesn't mean Gene Hunt is without a moral code. He has a clear sense of who is on the good side and who is on the bad - true, it may not always be correct, legal or fair, but in his own way he is one of the good ones. Take his view on drugs, for example:

“Drugs, eh? What’s the point. They make you forget, make you talk funny, make you see things that aren’t there. My old grandma got all of that for free when she had a stroke.”

Round Three - Having a Chirpy Sidekick Called Sam

A great draw for Quincy, because he does indeed have a sidekick called Sam. When Sam's not assisting 'Quince' in his investigations he's invariably making him a cup of coffee using a conical flash and a Bunsen burner, or covering for Quincy while he goes off investigating - against Dr Aston's express orders! The capers come thick and fast, and Sam is always standing at the periphery, like a good sidekick should be.

Hunt starts this one with enthusiasm, because he's at least half sure his sidekick is called Sam. On closer observation though, Hunt's Sam is hardly chirpy, and barely gets involved in any light hearted high jinx - being too interested in having existential arguments about life and existence. On further observation one judge points out that Sam isn't Hunt's sidekick at all, but that provokes Hunt into a frenzy and in the ensuing discussion three judges' portakabins are burnt to the ground for 'resisting arrest'.

So that brings things to a close on this round, and the combatants are left to lick wounds and contemplate how things could have been. As ever, you decide who wins! Voting closes in a month, but if you can't wait that long jump inside for more murder mystery fun and games!

Next Time...

TV Detective World Series Result - Knight vs Buchannon

And we're back! The TV Detective World Series was forced to take a temporary holiday as we enjoyed our busiest July on record, but is now back and raring to continue the competition.

The results on this heat are in, have been counted and checked and we can announce that the winner is...

Of course it was.

In a landslide even greater than the trouncing Batman gave Horatio Caine in the previous heat, Michael Knight took his later incarnation of Mitch Buchannon to school, then put his kids through university with the change.

Judges remarked that although on paper both crime-fighters were similar, voters flat out didn't like Buchannon.

One commented "sometimes things belong in a certain time, and sometimes other things should just be taken out behind the barn and shot."

Specifically what he was talking about is unclear.

Check out our main website for more murder mystery high-jinx!

A Dastardly Plan is Foiled at The Piccadilly Institute, London

Being experts in murder for some 22 years now, we have learned that a distinctive venue choice can take your murder mystery from good to 'dead good' within the few seconds it takes your guests to walk through the door. Let us introduce you to The Piccadilly Institute in London - the quirkiest and most fanciful haunt in the neighbourhood.

Always on the hunt for another wickedly sinister spot, we think we might have found our favourite one yet.

"The Piccadilly Institute is a place where new experiences can be gained. The unexpected, the beautiful and the bizarre are at every turn; Gorgeous in design and twisted in personality, it's dedicated to the principles of pleasure. There's something for every mood, every scene, every desire, a labyrinth of rooms with six different bar experiences each totally unique."

The six themed rooms are an adventure in the art of decor with a surprise through every hallway; from bundles of baby dolls in the Shrink room, to an explosion of multi-colour in the Fruitbox, it certainly is an experience your guests will not forget - the perfect venue to make your murder mystery event really stand out.

One of our full time event managers, Dave, led teams on a dastardly trail around London recently using The Institute as a backdrop for the opening scenes for one of our award-winning events.

After the popularity of the recent Sherlock films starring Robert Downey Jr., and Benedict Cumberbatch's potryal of the famous detective on BBC One, our Sherlock-themed events are even more popular than before.

'D.I. Lestrade', aka Dave, had teams cracking codes and chasing down criminals in a race against time to stop the evil Moriarty before his devastating plans came to fruition.

Dave commented:

"What a fantastic venue for a themed event - three floors of quirky and outrageous decor! We chose the Shrink Room for the Sherlock event; with it's unsettling and eerie atmosphere it was perfect to get the teams in the mindset to hunt for the 'Napoleon of Crime'."

If you would like your murder mystery event to be just a little bit more unique, why not give us a call on 0845 006 06 06 and ask the team about our free venue-finding service. We're always happy to tailor something to you, and for inspiration and ideas about your theme you can visit our website for more info.

TV Detective world Series Round 1 - Drebin vs Cadfael

It's that time again. The TV Detective World Series is heating up nicely, with the results of the opening round starting to come in already. This time...

[polldaddy poll=6429484]

Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant, Police Squad goes up against Brother Cadfael in this trans-atlantic time-shifting face-off.

Round One - Having a sensible haircut.

Too often in the world of TV Detection does solving a case hinge on the details, and good grooming is a sign of a meticulous nature. A good start for Drebin, as his no-nonsense straight back and sides side parting is probably the only thing about him that is sensible. Drebin relaxes and looks around for someone to offer him a cigarette so that he can reply "Yes, it is".

But what's this? Sporting a traditional pudding-bowl haircut that was a sign of no nonsense functionality at the time, Brother Cadfael might just pip Drebin to the post. Only time will tell...

Round Two - Tact

Straight and to the point Drebin can hardly be accused of being tactful, whether he's shooting first and asking questions later or simply consoling a widow with the words "I'm sorry, we would have been here sooner but your husband wasn't dead then", Drebin is everything but tactful.

Cadfael on the other hand is a monk, a man of quiet reflection and spiritual calm. He is softly spoken and considerate of others, lending a caring word wherever it is required. A good show for the God-fearing ex crusader.

Round Three - Knowledge of Herbology

Drebin can't catch a break in this match, and his frustration is starting to show. Not wanting to be outshone, he tries to make a soothing poultice out of some nettles and a few blades of grass but just ends up stinging himself. It's frankly embarrassing.

Cadfael on the other hand is an expert in herbology and frequently uses the knowledge to identify poisons and foul play. He deftly demonstrates this by rubbing two sticks together and creating a functional cure for motion sickness. The judges are impressed.

Final Round - Being a 12th Century Crime Fighting Benedictine Monk

Drebin has given up. He gets back in his car and, in reverse gear, drives 'back to the station'. For him this fight is over.

Cadfael can't believe his luck! Being a 12th century crime fighting Benedictine Monk is what he is best at! Like a good sport he offers a wave of apology at his own good fortune, and even offers Drebin a cup of herbal tea to show there are no hard feelings. Drebin just shouts "yes, it is" from his car and carries on his way.

So there you have it. A slightly one sided draw of rounds, but as ever you are the judges! Voting closes in one month's time.

Fancy more medieval murder mystery? Head this way.

Next time...

TV Detective World Series Result - Mulder vs Sloan

And the results are in! The TV Detective World Series opening round has claimed another victim!

They have been checked and verified. Then they were forgotten about for a while and finally found behind the fridge. We can now announce that the winner is...

It was a close call, and the author was even accused of leaving the vote open longer than usual in the hope Mulder could catch up but to no avail - Sloan took just over 60% of the vote and joins other first round winners in the winner's enclosure.

Mulder shocked everyone when the result was announced by claiming conspiracy, and started shouting at the judges about secret drug tests and time travelling vote rigging aliens.

Sloan took this outburst well. He chuckled like the world's grandfather, produced a lollipop from his lab coat sleeve, ruffled the young pretender's hair and said "Oh, Mulder. You and your conspiracies..."

Mulder retracted his complaint and left the arena contented, sucking noisily at his lolly.

As ever, visit our main website for more murder and mystery!