"We cleared the kitchen table and suddenly we had our own little Baker Street at home! The letters and clues felt very real."
Charlotte
Solved with a friend over tea
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The Clock Has Stricken Three.
A Victorian Murder Mystery Box.
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Blackmail & Murder
The clock has stricken three, and the shadows have grown long in the rough East End of London.
The figure who is found dead in a dark alley is not one of the regular "unfortunates"—it's a gentleman of good reputation by the name of Edward Holgate. Strangely, the murderer has gone to the trouble of dressing him in women's clothes, layered over his own.
The police figures out that Mr. Holgate was being blackmailed before his death, but they cannot break the cipher with which the blackmail letter was written.
Little do they know that breaking the cipher is only the first step towards unraveling the full mystery.
Featured Review
The Clock Has Stricken Three
4.5/5
"A wonderfully presented, well-written murder mystery set in Victorian London. It features great attention to historical accuracy, a compelling story and intricate ephemera. The writing stands out with twists and turns that challenge players to dig deeper."
Read the full review at The Escape Puzzler →Cast of Characters
The Victim
A marine surveyor residing in the East End.
The Blackmailer
Who is she?
The Friend
Attended a lecture with the victim before the murder.
The Magnate
A deep and dark history ties his family to the victim's.
Sherlock Holmes
Tasked to solve the case.
The Rest
Can you find the killer among them?
"Do you think the cipher can be solved?"
"It seems probable."
"That is good news! What else?"
"You must know already that it is written by a woman."
"Well, what sort of a woman?"
"There we tread into murkier waters. What sort of woman deals in blackmail, especially in such an overwrought mode of procedure? It's not a simple task to come up with a satisfying answer. There are, luckily, some other clues as to her character. There is intelligence and strategy behind these words, but they also strike me as rather naive."
— From the Detective's Compendium: Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes discussing the case.
What's in the Box?
50-page Compendium
Portrait gallery
Authentic map
Coroner's report
Medical report
Inquest report
Multiple letters
Pamphlets
Witness interviews
Newspaper clippings
Photographs
Pawnbroker's tickets
Pencil rubbings
Cipher
Torn note
Police Notice
...and more
Preview Partial Documents:
Whitechapel Map
Coroner's Report
Inquest Report
Letters
Interview
The Compendium
(Click on to show and drag/zoom freely within)
Fast through the dark and foggy night,
Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel stole,
Past the light-ship's red-dimmed light,
Tow'rds the shallow reef of Nab Shoal.
Coroner: Did the deceased dress himself in this manner? (Laughter.)
Inspector: Our best theory is that some individual, or rather more likely a group of individuals, happened upon the deceased and mistook him for being unconscious from drink. They probably thought it a humorous idea to dress him up like a woman.
Coroner: It’s a rather baffling form of comedy.
Inspector: It is, I think, equally baffling in the design of a killer.
— From the inquest on the death of Edward Holgate
What our detectives say.
A few glimpses from real players who brought Sherlock's world to their own tables.
"Interesting and fun to solve. We spent hours on it and managed to be mostly right after extensive discussions and puzzle solving!"
Isabel
Weekend mystery night
"We wanted something immersive and brain-teasing. This was right up our alley!"
Murray
Game night group
"Wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. There are so many details to find among all the documents. I enjoyed Watson's narration as well, felt like authentic Doyle."
Christopher
Solo sleuth
Can You Solve the Mystery?
Our story begins in Sweden, where we’ve been bringing mystery and intrigue into the homes of thousands over the years. (In fact, we just celebrated our 200,000th sent letter!)
With the expertise of our resident writer, we’ve meticulously crafted our first packaged mystery, marking the start of our international journey.
You can always reach us at email@oksherlock.com.