Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Kamp
Liz, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We are a small business made up of myself and my husband, Jason. Together, we write engaging murder mystery stories to be experienced at dinner parties, weddings, and even weekend-long retreats.
A few years ago, when the world was recovering from the pandemic hangover and so many people in our community were looking for new ways to leave the house and be social, we saw a need that we could fill. It was a strange idea, but we thrive in the weird and strange. We began hosting murder mystery events for the public, buying the commercial licenses for pre-written stories.
In the beginning, we saw our business idea as something similar to the traveling paint and sip options that were available in various communities around Minnesota. We traveled from pub to pub, putting on an evening of mischief and mayhem for ticket purchasers. After hosting these events for a little less than a year, we toyed with the idea of writing our own–I have dabbled with writing fiction novels quite a bit in the past after all and Jason is my sounding board for all my crazy ideas. However, we laughed at the idea and moved on.
When a small bed and breakfast reached out to us, asking if we did anything that could entertain their guests overnight, we decided to give the story writing a try. After several weeks of research and a lot of trial and error, we developed a story that was one of a kind and an incredible experience for the guests and something we enjoyed hosting just as much. I created dynamic characters that could easily live off the page and be portrayed by any guest, and Jason built escape room style puzzles and physical evidence that fully immersed the guests in their experience.
Not long after, we were contacted by someone else about her cabin resort in Northern Minnesota called Lakewood Lodge. She wanted to host an entire weekend murder mystery retreat. We had no idea what that could look like, but she was willing to figure it out alongside us. We took what we learned from the bed and breakfast and built a whole new experience, entertaining guests from Friday evening to Sunday morning and packing the weekend full of whodunnit, scavenger hunts, and escape rooms – all with a satisfying conclusion revealed over Sunday brunch. This October tradition started in 2022 and it has turned into the highlight of our year. We enjoy our time at Lakewood Lodge and all the friends we have made there. It’s a joy to watch returning guests dive right into the weekend and newcomers discover its magic for the first time. We’ve become close friends with our Lakewood family and we look forward to the month of October every year.
Over the years, we have dropped our public events at bars and pubs and put all of our focus on our October retreats, as well as creating unique experiences that can be accessible to anyone across the globe. We now write our own murder mystery stories that can be downloaded in a PDF form and hosted by anyone in the comforts of home or at your chosen venue. Along with the murder mystery experiences we offer, I also teach people to write their own whodunnit stories. Between several TikTok series and 1:1 coaching sessions, I’ve helped give many people the confidence to take matters in their own hands and murder their friends.
As our story grows and evolves, so does our business model. We adapt to the needs of our guests, clients, and customers as they come. Have a special request? Just ask. We are always trying to find new and innovative ways to share our mischief with everyone.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When we decided to start writing our own murder mystery stories, we found there wasn’t any guided path out there. We spent months learning different methods in various ways, including attending a murder mystery writing retreat, but we knew that we wanted to do something different than what was currently on the market for whodunnit parties and there was no roadmap for what we were looking for. It took a bit of trial and error, and one very poorly paced event, to gain the experience we have today. We’ve discovered that our stories are ever changing and we don’t want our guests to get bored with the same experience each time they attend one of our events. By creating something different with our structure, we continue to have repeat guests that enjoy our stories, year after year.
Not having our own brick and mortar space comes with its own challenges as well. We rely on venues to partner with us to bring the experience to the people who are looking for it. We have hosted a number of overnight events at different bed and breakfasts and resorts, single evening events across bars and pubs in the northland, and gone into people’s private homes to entertain their guests. But we have been turned away by several venues and even denied social media posts due to the nature of our business. Being a murder mystery company comes with a delicate balance of silliness and the macabre. People don’t always like boasting about fictional murders taking place within their towns or at their establishments and we rely heavily on word of mouth.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Guilty Party Mysteries offers murder for hire. No really. We give you a chance to kill off that one cousin who has been driving you crazy or that friend who would find it hilarious to tragically die at your big birthday bash. It’s all in good fun, of course. We craft unique experiences and challenges for anyone to enjoy. Why settle for a boring party of small talk, when you could investigate a murder?
We’ve partnered with a variety of venues, from a resort lodge, local B&Bs, and small restaurants within the community. We do our best to cater to any request that comes our way, writing personalized stories that celebrate the venue’s history and rewriting some of our material to make it more accessible to younger crowds. We love creating stories, but we love working with you even more.
What I love most about our work is that Jason and I get the chance to explore our creativity together and provide our guests with an unforgettable experience. This is more than just a hobby–it’s a passion. We don’t just write murder mysteries, we build relationships and foster growth. During our years of operation, we’ve seen total strangers become friends over the course of a weekend, introverts light up at the idea of playing a character role, and all our guests step outside their comfort zones for a bit of fun. If I were to describe what we sell in a single word, the answer would be easy–we sell memories.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the community driven focus of Grand Rapids. Everyone wants to help each other grow and thrive and it shows. There is always something fun and unique to do, from festivals to retreats. It gets cold around here during the winter months, but that doesn’t stop anyone from getting outside and enjoying the company of one another.
Pricing:
- Murder mystery getaway retreat – $300 for the weekend
- Let us host your private event – $35 per guest
- Host your own murder mystery with our kits – $29 for PDF download
- Let me help you write your own event – $50 for a 1:1 video chat
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.guiltypartymysteries.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guiltypartymysteries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guiltypartymysteries/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@guiltypartymysteries
