How to throw a detective party for Halloween

 

It’s that time of year again when cool October temperatures aren’t the only reason for the chill in the air! That’s right –Halloween is next weekend, and crime fiction fans who love thriller and suspense novels are planning parties to celebrate this day dedicated to getting scared silly. If you’re tired of planning the same old costume party or playing host to another murder mystery dinner, then mix things up with a detective party! These helpful hints will clue you in on how to make your Halloween detective party a big hit.

Round up the suspects. The invitation for your Halloween detective party is your first chance to intrigue your guests, so have some fun! While most party invitation are sent via email these days, you can still jazz them up by using images like a confidential stamp or a Sherlock Holmes pipe. Better yet, choose a poison pen font to write a ransom note-style invitation or select old fashioned typewriter text and create a newspaper classified ad for a “private eye wanted” that invites your guests to your detective party.

Dress to kill. Any Halloween party is better with costumes, so encourage your friends to come to your detective party dressed as their favorite mystery novel characters – from sleuths like Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade to femme fatales or even villains like Moriarty. Plan ahead for any party poopers and stock a costume chest with accessories like Poirot’s mustache and Homberg hat along with generic trench coats and pipes that you can leave by the front door.

Set the scene. Crime fiction fans know how important a role the scene of the crime plays in any crime noir novel, so pull out all the stops decorating for your detective party. Start outside with cardboard footprints that lead to your front – which you can partially block with crime scene tape to greet your guests. Inside, scatter crime scene evidence around the house – like a chalk outline, confidential file folders, fingerprints left in baby powder, and even a “bloody” murder weapon. You can even put your TV on mute and leave a detective classic like The Maltese Falcon playing in the background.

Get to the bottom of things. Every good party deserves a good cocktail, so carry through your detective theme right down to the drinks you serve. Whip up A Sherlock Holmes with Scotch or serve up a sweet Nancy Drew with rum and coconut cream. Of course, you can’t go wrong with classic like the Bloody Mary, the Corpse Reviver, or the fruity delight known as a Skeleton in Your Closet!

How to throw a great detective party is no mystery – it just takes a little planning and creativity. This year, host your own detective party with some of these tips and make it a night to remember. No matter how you celebrate, have a safe and Happy Halloween!