How to Host a Murder
Chicago Caper
8 players
Ages 13 & up
Playing time: 2+ Hours
Publisher: Decipher

It is September 1928 in Chicago. The return of notorious gangster Harold "Hal" Coppone is expected to trigger a wave of violence. Instead, Coppone has disappeared, mystifying police and the criminal underworld. To the small group gathered in a speakeasy near Coppone's headquarters, the crimelord's whereabouts become only part of the mystery when murder is discovered. There's no shortage of suspects, motives, speakeasy glamour or gorgeous flappers in this crime tale.

Characters

Molly M. Awbsterr
A society dame from New York, where the Awbsterrs are a prominent and respected family, Molly came to Chicago for the action and because, in her own words, "Chicago is a fun town." Molly is a flapper from the top of the feather in her hat to the tip of her satin shoes and she maintains an apartment on the top floor of Chicago's most exclusive apartment-hotel. She is a consummate shopper, driving herself about town in an elegant Packard DeLuxe Eight Sport Phaeton automobile. Friends and acquaintances call her "The Moll."

Ernie ("Bet A Million") G. Ambler
Chicago's most colorful millionaire gambler, Ernie parlayed a small stake into a stock exchange fortune early in the decade. He still actively plays the stock market, but his favorite game is poker and he can often be found at a table in the notorious back room of Chicago's Green Tables, where they play the "richest game in town." Ernie is flamboyant, outspoken, always ostentatiously dressed, and never without his diamond stickpin and Havana cigar. It's said that he will bet on almost anything.

"Silky" M. Adam
Silky is a slinky and shady lady who owns and operates The Everlay Club, Chicago's most prominent private establishment situated in the exclusive Luxington Gardens district. Silky's father, "Champagne" Charlie McCorker, founded the club years ago, and his daughter, christened Penelope McCorker – known to friends as "Poppy" – took over management at about the time she married prominent Chicago businessman U. Penn Adam. After her husband's unexpected death, the young and beautiful owner became known as "Silky" for the elegant silk gowns she was accustomed to wearing in the evenings. Silky counts among the club's members the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Chicago, who, despite their busy schedules, often stop in at the club for an hour or two simply to pass the time in the club's elegant and relaxing atmosphere.

Eddie ("Socks") R. Gyle
Smooth, fashionable and clever, Eddie is an avid golfer and spends most afternoons on the links at the exclusive Lake View Country Club dressed elegantly in plus fours and argyle socks. In the evenings he can be found at his exclusive gaming house in downtown Chicago, known simply as Green Tables, where the affluent, the trendy and the compulsive citizens of Chicago come to gamble. Those close to Eddie also know him as a deal maker and in certain circles as "Fast Deal Eddie," although what he deals in and with whom he deals is never mentioned.

Malissa F. Orrthot ("Scoop")
As a young reporter for the city's leading paper, The Chicago Trumpet, Scoop quickly made a name for herself on the crime beat, later covering the political scene. Her considerable beauty and lively charm have undoubtedly helped further her career, and she enjoys a broad circle of influential and powerful friends on both sides of the law. She counts as a close friend and ally the editor-in-chief of the paper, Augustus Kohn – known affectionately to his staff as "Citizen Kohn." Recently though, Scoop has written a series of articles exposing corruption in government and, as a result, has antagonized several of the city's most powerful figures. Undaunted by threats against the paper and herself, Scoop has vowed to carry on the crusade "until I've exposed every crook in Chicago."

S. Treighton Harrow
U.S. District Attorney and chief opponent to the criminal element in Chicago, Harrow is single-handedly responsible for bringing to justice several of crime's most despicable practitioners. Foremost among those convicted through Harrow's efforts are mob hit man Charlie "Golf Bag" Marconi (who carried a machine gun in his golf bag) and Maximillian Buccher, alias Max the Butcher, alias Max the Knife. Amidst the corruption and complacency that characterize Chicago law enforcement, Harrow stands out as a shining example. Harrow carries on a tradition set by his renowned trial attorney father, Clarence D. Harrow. Nobody knows his first name.

Anna Maria Carlotta Sassine ("Torchy")
Currently the featured singer at Eddie Gyle's Green Tables, Torchy has also appeared in many of the exclusive night clubs of Chicago and has sung with many of the town's top jazz bands. While she brings to music an exuberance of style enjoyed by fans of the modern sound, it is her rendition of the more traditional blues melodies and so-called "torch songs" that have earned her the nickname "Torchy." Her smoldering beauty and sultry voice contribute to Torchy's appeal, as does an extensive repertoire that includes the latest in Chicago jazz, as well as more traditional blues numbers.

Billy ("The Kid") Thrower
Star pitcher for the Chicago Stock Kings major league baseball team, Billy was born to play baseball. His grandfather was Bulford "Bull" Thrower, famed for his dreaded "mud-ball." Termed "almost impossible to hit," the pitch suffered the disadvantage of requiring a muddy field or, in the alternative, a well-endowed cow pasture. Grandson Billy has carried on Bull's tradition and in his first major league game struck out 11 batters. He currently holds the league strikeout record. Off the field, Billy is as fun-loving, hard-drinking, warm-hearted, lustful, brawling and hell-raising as a baseball player can be. He won 22 games for the team last season and is on a faster pace this year.

In How To Host A Murder®, the world's best-selling mystery dinner party game, you and your guests assume the roles of humorous suspects – each with a motive and opportunity to commit the crime – in a light-hearted murder mystery.

How To Host A Murder® provides everything you need to bring a murder mystery to life – from detailed player guides, maps, and secret clues to costume suggestions and recipes tailored to the era featured in each episode. Contents include a comprehensive Host Guide; eight invitations and envelopes; name tags; an CD, which sets the scene and details the crime; and a diagram of the crime scene.