Fame, Money and Murder
Fame, Money and Murder party game
A murder mystery game set at a family reunion
When Ed Dockafeller died, he left a will stating that each of his 5 children would only receive their share of his billions if they had done various things. His son Nathan has been murdered. Who killed him and who will inherit the millions?
Reading level of this family reunion game: 7
This is a very flexible murder mystery with only 8 suspects. It is perfect for a party where you are not exactly sure how many guests will turn up.
Great for New Year’s Eve or anytime!
Not suitable for young teens.
Versions and samples:
- Standard for 8 guests or 9 to 17 guests ($29.95):
- Meet and mingle for 17-30 guests ($39.95):
Overview of the family reunion mystery
When Ed Dockafeller died, he left a will stating that each of his five children would only receive their share of his billions if they had married, contributed something significant to the world and moved to a country town by midnight tonight. In their quest to achieve these stipulations, a lot has happened. And this morning Ed’s son Nathan Dockafeller (also known as “nasty Nathan”) has been murdered. As they tick away the hours before midnight, the children and their new partners have come together for a family meeting. Now they will find out which of them killed Nathan and which ones are going to get a share of the money. This is a very flexible murder mystery with only 8 suspects. It is perfect for a party where you are not exactly sure how many guests will turn up.
Great for New Year’s Eve or anytime!
Not suitable for young teens.
Excerpt
Polly Darton: “Now I grew up in a large family. There were 12 of us. Five kids to a bed. So I knows what family feuds can be like. But you all seem such a nice family. Why you are all so pleasant to one another, I can hardly believe that one of you murdered your poor older brother Nathan.”
What they’ve said
Tina McIntosh, Red Gum Cottage, Tamworth, NSW, Australia
“Fame” is great for 8 people who enjoy a not too serious murder.
Kari Jones, Norway
Kari sent in this feedback (see photos no. 1 and 2 above): “Here are some photos of the game we played on New year’s Eve. I think “Pebbles” had made a particular good effort! We played the game on New Year’s and had a great time. Hopefully the pictures speak for themselves. Thanks! We had a great time! Kari”
Pat Verner, USA
Pat sent in this feedback about her party (see photo no. 3 above): “I’m a resident of a retirement home community where we had a New Years party on December 31, 2007. I was unaware of your photo contests until today when I read your Party Chit Chat – Merri Mysteries No. 54. We had a successful production of “Fame, Money, and Murder”. We had lots of fun coming up with costumes and make-up. Pat Verner Louisiana”
Theresa Sterbis, USA
Theresa sent in this feedback (see photo no. 4 above): “I thought you might like to see this year’s photos from “Fame, Money and Murder.” It was a roaring success a few weeks back. Guests particularly liked the life-sized horse and fencing that my husband and I made for the back yard. It was also quite amusing that our jockey, Tommy Whip, was the tallest guy there at 6’4″ tall! 🙂 Thanks for the entertaining story line. – Theresa Sterbis”
Invitations
- In Adobe Acrobat Format (4 per page)
- In Microsoft Word Format (4 per page)
- In JPG Format (1 per page)
Reading level
Note: The reading levels of each kit (not just “page” as it says below) were determined by copying and pasting the kit (the meet and mingle version for 17 to 30), into The Readability Test Tool (see www.read-able.com). 
Characters in this family reunion game
The people present at the gathering at their father’s Arizona ranch are:
Duncan Dockafeller (brother of the victim)
I’m a world famous boxer. My name’s Duncan and so the media call me “Dunk-Them Dock – A – Fella” because of my mean left hook.
Polly Darton (partner of Duncan)
I’m a famous country and western singer from Tennessee. I also write a lot of my own songs. My family call me “Jolly Polly” because I’m always grinning.
Serina Dockafeller (sister of the victim)
I teach belly dancing. I learnt it during a trip to Athens years ago. Belly dancing and smashing plates seemed great ways to de-stress. And the belly dancing has the side benefit of toning my tummy.
Tommy Whip (partner of Serina)
I’m a world-class jockey. I was recently accused of race-fixing but I was proved innocent.
Magnus Dockafeller (brother of the victim)
I’m a scientist. Recently I published evidence proving that I’ve discovered a cure for skin cancer. Before I started my research, I spent a lot of time cruising around the world on another friend’s yacht. I started to think seriously about skin cancer while I was lounging around the deck.
Pebbles (partner of Magnus)
I’m a comedian. I spend all my time in a Neolithic age. I like telling jokes about rocks, because you can accuse rocks of anything you like. It’s politically correct, although a bit crushing for rock emotions.
Cynthia Dockafeller (sister of the victim)
I’m very shy. My therapist described me as a paranoid agoraphobic. Until recently I’ve spent all my time at home working as a proof reader for a legal publisher. But I have a secret talent.
Charles Concerto (partner of Cynthia)
I’m the conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. I also have a passion for turtles and I have twenty of them as pets. I’ve converted the bath tub into a turtle tank.