Westerly Sun Column | 'Murder by the Book' Mystery Night This Friday

Many of us have played the board game “Clue” at some point in our lives. I mean, I haven’t, but I assume everyone else has. Even if you don’t have hands-on experience with it, I’m sure you’re familiar with the premise: players compete to see who can deduce the details of a crime, including the culprit, the setting, and the weapon. Was it Miss Scarlet in the study with a candlestick? Perhaps Mrs. Peacock in the ballroom with a pipe? Well, step aside Professor Plum, because there’s a new version of Clue taking place this Friday…but this time, it’s happening in the library, and our citizen detectives are tasked with cracking the case.

The library will be closing early on January 23, at 2:00pm, as we transform the space into a 1946 library and the setting of a mysterious crime. Detective William “Willie” Soffit is on the case, but he needs your help to successfully solve it. Attendees will collect clues throughout the library building and enjoy live performances from potential suspects along the way. Could Rita Storey, a library lover played by the incomparable Rona Mann, be responsible? Surely it wasn’t Meryl Sweep, the custodian, played by our own Kid’s Librarian Julianna Risica DiPanni. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by joining us in person this Friday at 6:00pm!

Tickets are still on sale through our website, at www.westerlylibrary.org. General Admission tickets are $100 per person, or you can purchase a VIP ticket for $150 which guarantees you premier parking, early admission, a bonus clue, and a stainless-steel tumbler. In addition to a night of fun, tickets include a plentiful assortment of food and beverages to enjoy while you journey through the library. Wine and beer/canned cocktails were generously provided by The Wine Store and Grey Sail Brewery and South County Distillers. The event is catered by Gourmet Galley in North Stonington, and includes a flatbread station and slider bar, fillet of beef and Maryland crab cakes, warm arancini, and more. My mouth is already watering!

Again, our “Murder by the Book” fundraiser takes place this Friday, January 23, from 6:00-9:00 p.m., so head to our website to purchase your tickets. Then, grab your monocle, don your best vintage attire, and get ready to solve the mystery!

by Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian