Friday, March 20, 2015

#MysteryTwitterTheater




UPDATE!! #MYSTERYTWITTERTHEATER HAS BEEN SOLVED!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED :)
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHODUNIT, YOU CAN FIND
A RECAP NEAR THE TOP OF MY FB PAGE.

Okay. Here's the setup. On Thursday night, YA blogger Ensconced in Lit was murdered. Yep, now she's Ensconced in Death. Her body was discovered on Twitter. I don't know exactly how that works either, but the word on the street is that Twitter is magic and if we can discover who killed her ASAP, then she can be brought back to life just in time to assist with the #LiarsIncBook Twitter party, on Tuesday 3/24 at 6pm Pacific time. I totally need her help and miss her like crazy, so don't fail me, okay? Click here to read what the Ghost of Ensconced has to say about the crime.

Like basically everything else fun, the MTT images were made by a #LoyalLiar. Thanks Eli!

The motive for the crime seems pretty clear: a super-epic LIARS, INC. prize pack was stolen off her person sometime between the hours of 5pm and 11:59pm on Thursday, March 19th. What's LIARS, INC.? Oh, you're new here! Hello :-) It's a murder mystery novel written by me and published by HarperTeen. It's great for teens and adults, guys and girls. Basically All the People :D But I might be biased.


LIARS, INC. prize pack includes a hand-painted LIARS tote bag from Pivot Book Totes,
a signed finished copy of the novel, a notebook for writing down all your clues, a mini flashlight
for investigating in dark places, a crime scene lanyard so no one crosses you while you’re
hunting for evidence, crime scene candy, bookmarks, postcards, magnets, and special mystery gifts.

Unlike what you see on TV, the detectives working the case won't let me snoop around the crime scene or handle all the evidence, so I've been gathering clues on my own. I've also been getting tips from informants I have at the police station and the medical examiner's office. I'm going to share my clues and tips with all of you so that you can help me figure out who the killer is!

In addition to the murderer, you'll also need to figure out where the actual crime was committed, and what the murder weapon was. So basically, this will be somewhat like an online game of Clue/Cluedo. The first person to correctly deduce all three pieces of information will win the super-epic LIARS, INC. prize pack, plus awesome mystery gifts.


Here's how it works:

The game officially starts Saturday 3/21 at 0900 Pacific time. I will be tweeting tips and clues on Twitter under the #MysteryTwitterTheater hashtag. Some of the suspects might also be tweeting, but as they are all #LoyalLiars, you can't trust anything they say. The clues will be discovered and posted at random intervals throughout the day, like real detective work. (Except nothing like real detective work, probably). You might need to click "all" or search with my twitter handle to make sure you don't miss any clues. Each night before I go to sleep, I'll post a clue round-up at the bottom of this post. Assuming it takes you guys more than one day, that is :-)

How to win: When you think you know who the killer is, where the crime happened, and what the murder weapon is, go to this form and enter your information. But you can only enter once and you can't change your answers, so you'd better be sure you're right. Accusing someone of a crime is a big deal.

More details: This game is open to US and international players, ages 13 and up. Everyone with a valid Twitter account can play--even the murder suspects. I mean, the best way to prove your innocence is to find the real killer, right? That's what Max from LIARS, INC. is hoping anyway! The game will end when someone wins or at 11:59 pm Pacific on Mon March 23rd. If no one wins, I'll give the prize pack away at my Twitter party via a different contest. But let's get real. Twitter wins all my games in like ten minutes, so I am confident someone will win this one too :)

If you're hopelessly lost about how it's going to play out, you can post questions in the comments, but once the first couple of clues are released, that might make things more clear. Again the clues will be released first on Twitter and posted here on the blog as a courtesy at the end of each day.

Small print stuff: I will send first-class international or priority domestic, but I'm not responsible for undelivered mail. If the prize is lost, I will attempt to replace the book and some of the swag, but that's the best I can do. Ensconced in Lit is not responsible for anything. Sometimes in contests like these, the clues are open to misinterpretation or things aren't exactly black and white. I'll do my best not to trick anyone, but all decisions about the winner are final and not subject to appeal.


Let's check out our suspects:

So far, local detectives have not been able to verify any of their alibis, but thanks to my excellent stalking, er, research skills, I've collected some basic information on each of them. I don't know how helpful it'll be, but it's a start.

Nurse Pili is 5'3" with curly black hair. She wears a size 6.5 shoe and is allergic to cats and ash trees. She's a former ballerina and swimmer and is never without her wristwatch. Pili lists traveling as one of her hobbies, along with reading Agatha Christie books and watching crime TV shows. As a nurse, Pili has great manual dexterity, detailed medical knowledge, and access to drugs. Click here to read Nurse Pili's whereabouts during the time the crime was committed.


Jessica is 5'3" with brownish-plum hair and size 7 shoes. She has a script tattoo on her left inner forearm and you'll rarely catch her without fresh nail polish and lipstick. Jessica wears cherry almond hand cream and according to her social media she's a good climber, who also enjoys yoga and traveling. Jessica says she didn't do it. Read her alibi here and decide if you believe her.



Ri is 5'1" with black hair. She wears a size 6 shoe and is always seen with red lipstick on and ink stains on her hands. She lists photography, skiing, and watching crime shows as her hobbies, but I have it on good authority that she's also good at archery and knows how to pick locks. Also I saw somewhere that she self-identifies as Slytherin...Click here to read Ri's super-vague explanation for why she can't be the killer.


Zachary is 5'10" with brown hair and wears size 10.5 shoes. He's often seen sporting a class ring with an Alexandrite gem and has a trident tattoo on his upper left arm. Zachary enjoys reading, archery, and fencing, and the word on the street is that's he's also an excellent marksman. I met him once and he didn't seem like a killer, but then again I'm a horrible judge of character. Click here to read his dubious alibi for where he was the night of the crime.


Jamie Justice is 5'4" with dark brown hair and size 8 shoes. She's allergic to cats, hay, and mold, but has a fluffy white dog that likes to shed all over her clothes. Jamie is extremely quiet and extremely neat, except for her messy desk. Perhaps most suspiciously, Jamie and Ensconced know each other in real life, so Jamie would know how to track Ensconced down easier than any of our other suspects. Click here to see where Jamie Justice says she was the night Ensconced was killed. (And is it just me, or does that dog totally look like an accomplice?)


Isabel the Invisible is 5'5" inches tall with curly brown hair and size 9 shoes. She's often seen wearing a theater mask ring and some of her friends told me she's an accomplished eavesdropper. She also talks very fast and prides herself on being good at following people without being seen, going far as to list stalking as one of her hobbies. Click here to see why Isabel claims she's not the murderer.


Ohana Reads is 5'10" tall with straight dirty blonde hair and size 10 shoes. She is allergic to dogs and is often seen wearing plaid and sporting henna tattoos. Ohana Reads describes herself as aggressive and competitive. Siri told me that Ohana once asked her where she could bury a body. Here's what Ohana Reads has to say about her whereabouts the night of the murder.



Stabby Stacee is 5'9" tall with black hair and black cat-eye Ray Ban glasses. She wears a size 9 shoe and is covered with tattoos, including images from Doctor Who. She always wears a Return to Tiffany sterling silver choker. She often wears Lola by Marc Jacobs perfume and has a Master's Degree in Forensic Science, so basically she knows how to kill people and get away with it. Click here to read her sketchy explanation for why she couldn't be the killer.


@JaimeArkin is 5'8" with brownish red hair and size 10.5 shoes. She allergic to cats but has them anyway (me too!) so she's usually covered in cat hair and also always wears a watch. @JaimeArkin can swear like a truck driver and claims to be both an excellent PhotoShopper and judge of character. She has a tattoo on her left wrist and lists planning as one of her hobbies. She also has a twin sister. Click here to read @JaimeArkin's questionable alibi for the night of the murder.


Here are the possible murder weapons:






Your mission: to determine if Ensconced was:
  1. poisoned with hemlock coffee
  2. strangled with a computer cord
  3. bludgeoned with a big book
  4. mauled by a trained attack cat
  5. shot with Chekhov's gun
  6. stabbed with a sharpened pencil

And here are the three possible locations:

The library has a quiet room, computer area, attached elevator, 
and parking garage. Plenty of spots for a killer to hide!

The local bookstore doesn't seem like a crime scene, but look,
a trained attack cat is just waiting to greet unsuspecting visitors.

This all-night coffee shop has an indoor and outdoor seating section,
and it always too busy for staff to keep track of people coming and going.


NINE SUSPECTS. 
SIX POSSIBLE MURDER WEAPONS. 
THREE POTENTIAL CRIME SCENES. 
ONE KILLER.

WHO KILLED ENSCONCED?
WHAT WEAPON DID THEY USE?
WHERE DID THE ACTUAL CRIME OCCUR?

Again, once you think you know for sure, here's the link to the form for you to submit your entry.

BELOW ARE ALL THE CLUES THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED:
I'll give you the info I know so far as "starter clues" for Friday.

Friday:
  • This mystery has no "shocking twists." There is only one killer, one murder weapon, and one location, all of which are listed above. And I'm the only one with the answers >:)
  • The body was found hidden on Twitter, but detectives are positive Ensconced was killed elsewhere, and they are looking into three places she might have gone.
  • Time of death has been estimated to be between 5pm and midnight on March 19th.
  • A few strands of dark hair were discovered on Ensconced's clothing. Forensic investigators are currently working to determine if the hairs belong to Ensconced or to the killer.

Saturday:





1. An MD confirmed both Nurse Pili and Jamie J have severe cat allergies. Neither could've killed w/ an attack cat. #MysteryTwitterTheater




2. Police confiscated laptops from several suspects. Both @jaimearkin and Ri were missing their power cords. #MysteryTwitterTheater




3. The bookstore doesn't allow ANY food or drink inside, so no one could've used coffee as a murder weapon there. #MysteryTwitterTheater




4A. The bookstore clerk told me he remembers Ensconced coming in "sometime after dinner" on Thursday night. #MysteryTwitterTheater




4B. He saw her talking to a woman but can't remember what she looked like, just that she kept checking her watch. #MysteryTwitterTheater




4C. Potentially useful info: Library hours: 9am-9pm Bookstore hours: 10am-10pm Coffee shop hours: Open 24 hours #MysteryTwitterTheater




4D. Possibly useful info: Here's a pic of Ensconced and me from last summer. #MysteryTwitterTheater pic.twitter.com/TnoPYkl0ez




5. The library parking garage was closed all week for renovation. There's no way Ensconced or anyone else was in the garage. #MysteryTwitterTheater




6. Both entrances to the library have metal detectors, meaning no one could've sneaked a gun inside. #MysteryTwitterTheater




7. A criminal background check reveals that Stabby Stacee got kicked out of SDCC for fighting w/ another blogger... #MysteryTwitterTheater




8A. A criminal background check reveals Nurse Pili was once accused of slipping Benadryl into a patient's coffee. #MysteryTwitterTheater




8B. Nurse Pili denied the accusations and was found innocent of the crime. #MysteryTwitterTheater




9A. A criminal background check reveals Isabel the Invisible was once kicked out of the mall for suspicious loitering #MysteryTwitterTheater




9B. (just because I forgot to # it, not because it's related to 9A.)
After speaking with each suspect, the police psychologist determined NONE of them would ever use a book as a weapon. #MysteryTwitterTheater




10A. My source says the librarian said no one could've brought a cat in the library w/o a security guard noticing. #MysteryTwitterTheater




10B. But when cops questioned the security guards, one admitted to leaving his post from 8-8:30 PM for a sandwich. #MysteryTwitterTheater




11A. The coffee shop has security cameras overlooking the patio and back entrance. Footage is currently under review #MysteryTwitterTheater




11B. Here's the current view of the patio camera: http://207.56.93.235/webcam/coffee.jpg #MysteryTwitterTheater




12A. BREAKING NEWS: I've just been informed that Chekhov's gun is not a real gun! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%2… #MysteryTwitterTheater




12B. Click that link in 12A and learn stuff :) I *thought* that gun looked fake! It's definitely not the weapon. #MysteryTwitterTheater




13A. My source rode the elevator down w/ the detectives as they left the police station for the night. #MysteryTwitterTheater




13B. He heard them say that according to friends, Ensconced had been receiving threatening phone calls from a woman. #MysteryTwitterTheater




14A. The bookstore manager said that Isabel the Invisible had been banned from the bookstore a few weeks ago. #MysteryTwitterTheater




14B. She was banned for reorganizing the whole YA section by spine color. She definitely hasn't been around. #MysteryTwitterTheater




15. A late phone call confirms that Zachary was at a book signing in Oregon on the night of 3/19. Alibi verified. #MysteryTwitterTheater




16. So the detectives have gone to sleep for a few hours. Let's call this a #MysteryTwitterTheater break. I think we've earned it. Reconvene at 9C tomorrow

Again, if you have questions, put them in the comments. Happy investigating!



1 comment:

  1. Find my murderer!!! OOOOHHH BOOOOOO WHOOOO :-) #MysteryTwitterTheater

    ReplyDelete

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