Murder in Mind
A complete appr. 15 minute "Who-dunnit" murder mystery routine in 6 parts for mentalists (stage/parlour), involving 5 spectators — one of them turns out to be the murderer.
Where and how much:
LULU website
Print: $23.92
Download: $23.92
Difficulty:
Obviously there are no complicated sleights used, but rather misdirections, subtleties and a whole lot of other things, obviously not to be dissected here.
They say:
Murder mysteries have had their place in popular entertainment for centuries, from the writings of Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Morse.
Rebecca Harris has taken the ever popular idea of a murder mystery and presents you with a fully scripted, 15 minute mental routine.
Five members of your audience are called onto stage, one is secretly chosen to play the part of the murderer, only they themselves know who they are.
Astound your audience as you reveal the identity of the murderer using only the subtle, psychological signals that they give off. Amaze further as you reveal details about the fictional murder that are known only to the murderer them self. Finally, opening a box which has been locked and in view the whole time, prove tat you knew the identity of the murderer even before your show began.
Murder in Mind will suit any performer looking for that little something different to include in their show.
It includes a full explanation of all the featured effects, a complete script as well as one or two surprise extras.
I say:
It's always a great joy when members of TalkMagic create interesting tricks and routines. Murder in Mind, by Rebecca Harris aka. Lady of Mystery, is no exception. It's published by P&F Magic, which I suspect strongly means: Pink and Fluffy Magic.
It's a complete routine in a book of 56 pages and it includes in very fine details the full act, broken down into:
- How the Audience Sees it
- Preparation
- Part 1 — Introducing the Routine
- Part 2 — Where is the Body (I)
- Part 3 — Guilty or Innocent
- Part 4 — The Murderers Book Test
- Part 5 — Where is the Body (II)
- Part 6 — Profile of a Murderer
- The Full Script (Complete patter)
Then there are 3 chapters about: More Murderous Magic
And the last chapter is a pleasant "off–topic" surprise, not to be revealed here.
I quite enjoyed reading the book and after finishing it, I thought to myself: Hmmm ... This is something I could actually see myself using. It's not a book to be put in the shelf, it's definitely usable material. It's pure mentalism. Nobody knows who the murderer is except the murderer, the other 4 on stage only know they are not the murderer and nothing more. The mentalist reads body language of the suspects, subtle body signs, tone of voice, stress levels, eye movement and many other details, but everything is always under control and the mentalist always finds the murderer and dismisses the other four innocent ones.
The mentalist even reveals the name of the victim, the location of the body and details about the murderer, which will amaze the audience with a chill.
If you want to be picky, there are a few typographical mistakes and the lay-out could have benefited from professional aid, but those are minor issues when you look at the big picture. The method of the murder (weapon) is not revealed, (doesn't have to be) but if you feel it should be included, you can easily add that into your own routine.
Overall:
Very interesting, definitely something a lot of mentalists in all stages and levels can use and simple to set up. A few items of props have to be prepared in advance, but all easy to make or find.
9,5
!)
