Did you ever wonder how mystery authors come up with their plots, characters, and red herrings? Wonder no more—author Jeannette de Beauvoir’s acclaimed Candlestick in the Library event gives groups of up to 15 people the opportunity to decide whether the culprit is Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick, Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with a rope, or… whomever participants choose to create, along with attendant mayhem, in the improvisational making of a murder mystery!

Participants help supply the victim(s), sidekick, murderer, sleuth, and more, eventually putting the entire story together.

Along with the fun, Jeannette weaves in information about the mystery genre and the craft: the difference between a cozy and a procedural; the importance of sense of place; the formation of characters; and the plot, which most certainly will include a twist. In less than 90 minutes, you’ll have created a (semi)-coherent story to rival Agatha Christie—but having a lot more fun than Hercule Poirot ever did!