If you are uncommonly observant, you may have noticed a ticking countdown on the front page of our website. If you are especially inquisitive, you may have clicked on that countdown and been directed to our Murder Mystery page. If you are particularly insightful, you may have concluded that the countdown indicates the date at which our murder mystery events will return. Huzzah and congratulations, you may have the makings of a detective in the Ravenwood Detective Agency!

(Don’t worry, we promise our actual mysteries are significantly more challenging than this one.)

I am thrilled to announce that at long last, Ravenwood Castle’s extremely popular murder mysteries are back! Stay tuned here on Quoth the Raven, and keep an eye on that countdown, as it leads to the announcement of the first mystery in the Ravenwood Detective Agency’s 2022-2023 season!

In the meantime, since it has been over two years since our last mystery, I thought I’d take a moment to explain just what makes our mystery weekends so special. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I’ve decided to revisit an article I wrote nearly nine years ago, The Anatomy of a Murder Mystery.

The Anatomy of a Murder Mystery – Reprised

We tend to do things… differently… here at Ravenwood Castle. I think it’s part of our charm. You may think we’re just crazy. Who knows, maybe we’re both right!

One of the many things we do differently are our Murder Mystery Weekends. We often have people ask what’s so special about our mysteries. They wonder why guests get so excited about them, and why they tend to sell out so quickly. In most cases, these people have a picture in mind when they hear “Murder Mystery”. They may be thinking of something out of a box containing a few clue cards, a fake police report and perhaps a character card or two; or they may be picturing a cast of actors putting on a play over dinner.

Remember when I said we do things differently? Yeah, our Murder Mystery Weekends are nothing like that. First of all, they are weekends. This isn’t a four hour dinner mystery. When you attend one of our events, the mystery starts at dinner Friday night and the final clues aren’t wrapped up until breakfast on Sunday. The intervening 40 hours or so are filled with activity. You will be gathering evidence, searching for clues, solving puzzles, making dead drops, avoiding the killer (unless you ARE the killer!), and a myriad of other activities that you just can’t fit in a box.

Another thing that won’t fit in a box are our Chief Detectives (we know, we’ve tried…). They are the engine behind our mystery events. They create the story for each murder mystery, design the puzzles, facilitate the activities, bring some amazing props and décor, and generally ensure that everyone is following Rule Number One – You are here to have FUN!

But importantly, they aren’t presenting the mystery. They’re not actors delivering dialogue. That’s on you, the guests and members of the Ravenwood Detective Agency. You see, that’s the final and most important part of our events – YOU. You as a group bring the fun, and you as a group drive the weekend. You can create your own character, bring life to a character suggested by the Chief Detectives, or just be yourself. Wear a costume if you’d like. (Why yes, that IS a Starfleet officer sharing a table with a pirate in the picture below. Why do you ask?) It’s all up to you, so long as you obey Rule Number One – You are here to have FUN!

But don’t take my word for it, come on out and see for yourself! We offer a number of mysteries each year, typically scheduled in seasons running from September to April. The mysteries cover a wide variety of themes and settings. Check out our Mystery Page to review some of our Closed Cases, and keep an eye peeled here on Quoth the Raven as we always announce our Open Cases here first. Be sure to make your reservation quickly, it’s no mystery that these events fill up fast!

Jim Reed

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.