Attendees can bring out their inner Sherlock Holmes at interactive murder mystery parties hosted by Mystery Mixers in Clearwater, Florida. For these experiences, emceed by founder Tom Denham, each attendee receives a prewritten character to study ahead of time—when they arrive at the venue with their new persona, they must work with fellow teammates to solve the “murder” presented. (Warning: Wild accusations are likely to ensue!)
Planners can book these events for groups from 35 to 80 people at a location of their choice in the Clearwater area. Mystery Mixers offers many party themes for planners to select from, such as Rock ’n’ Roll, Pirate, Holiday, Roaring ’20s and more—Denham also can write custom themes. “My favorite party is the Rock ’n’ Roll party,” he says. “And it’s the one I wrote first.”
Denham notes it is natural to have folks who are a bit more reserved in the group, and says he does his best to ensure there is a part for everyone—both major and minor parts are available to accommodate all comfort levels. Denham says he once had a CEO for a large accounting firm call up when he wasn’t keen on going to a holiday-themed mystery party with his company—on request, Denham wrote him a custom Grinch part, and the CEO and his costume, complete with big, green Grinch toes, was the highlight of the night.
Denham says the fun comes from people letting loose, getting into their characters, and interacting with coworkers in a way they perhaps never have before. “They come up with theories I could never dream up in a million years,” he says of some of the creative crime-solving tactics he sees from attendees. “This is the kind of team building where you get your team together, don’t talk shop for an hour and a half, and watch what happens.”
