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Mystery Weekend

Home -> Experience -> Mohonk Signature Events -> Mystery Weekend

February 27-March 1, 2026

Mystery Weekend

Bring your pen and parchment for a weekend of authors, novels, and secrets, for ‘Murder by the Book’.

Watch a mystery unfold before your eyes at Mohonk Mountain House, the birthplace of Mystery Weekends, now celebrating its momentous 50th anniversary! In the 1970s, Mohonk was the place where Mystery Weekends got their start. Performers act out each scene in front of you, and it is up to you or your team to solve the crime.

This year, we present a Mystery weekend with classic elements and all-new wrinkles to baffle and confuse. Highlights include ‘Murder by the Book’- a Mystery play in four acts produced by Murder Café, an original puzzle hunt by Greg Pliska, a tabletop escape room, live music, Sunday’s closing events, and more! Costumes and props are encouraged but not required.

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$30 per guest to participate in Mystery Weekend’s events

What’s Included

Your stay at Mohonk Mountain House includes access to countless activities and experiences for guest of all ages, including our indoor pool, tennis courts, show gardens, and an award-winning spa. Discover all that Mohonk has to offer during your mountaintop getaway.

Fine Dining at Mohonk Mountain House

Dining

Three meals daily featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients from our farm-to-table partners.

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Man Playing Golf at Mohonk Mountain House

Recreation & Wellness

Enjoy countless activities such as guided hikes and outdoor activities as well as yoga, meditation, and fitness classes.

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Man Playing the Guitar at Mohonk

Entertainment

Themed Mohonk Signature Events, featuring live music and engaging performances, changing daily

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And more…

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This Year’s Mystery: Murder by the Book

A group of the world’s most celebrated mystery writers descends upon the secluded Mohonk Mountain House for what promises to be a weekend of inspiration and intrigue. Their peculiar hosts—lavish patrons of the literary arts —are eager to discuss their favorite methods of murder. But when one of the famed authors is discovered dead, the weekend takes a sinister turn. Accusations fly, secrets unravel, and tensions rise—as an uninvited guest crashes the party and another body falls. The masters of whodunit are quick to share their favorite means of murder by the pen, but they are slow to realize the line between fiction and reality begins to vanish… and not everyone will make it to the final chapter.

Mystery Weekend Clues

Participation

There are three elements to participating in Mystery Weekend. Each of these elements are separate from each other. There will be similarities due to thematic reasons, but clues to solving the mystery will not be found in each other.

i. The Live Action Mystery: ‘Murder by the Book’ – Presented in 4 Acts
ii. An original puzzle hunt by Greg Pliska
iii. The King in Yellow: A Golden Anniversary Mystery Challenge: A Tabletop Mystery presented by Mohonk’s Recreation Team

Pre-registration is required

There is a $30 per person program fee for participation in the Mystery Weekend program. In addition, the tabletop escape room requires advance sign-up. This program is not recommended for children under age 12. Parental guidance is suggested. You may participate as an individual; you may join a team or bring a team of your own!

Being on a Team

If you are on a team, you will be eligible to win a prize in the Team Solutions performance on Sunday, 3/1/26. Otherwise, all other contests (the written solutions to the Mystery, The Greg Pliska puzzle hunt, and the fastest time out of the tabletop escape room) are open to all guests who are a part of the program. Costumes are encouraged as a way to add to the fun, but they are not required. All prizes and winners will be revealed on Sunday, 03/01/2026. If you wish to eat meals with your team, reservations are required in advance.

What to do & how to get around
Welcome Letter

A Welcome Letter will be given to you upon check-in with the weekend’s schedule, dates, locations, and times.

Sign up & Registration

Sign up at the Registration Table on the Ground Floor inside the Lake Lounge from 4pm – 5:30pm. Here, you will be able to sign up for the tabletop escape room, register your team, and have any questions answered about Mystery Weekend.

Friday, February 27

Act I of ‘Murder by the Book’ begins at 9pm.

Be on the lookout tonight! You never know when a mysterious stranger may deliver your puzzle hunt packet.

Saturday, February 28

Act II & Act III of ‘Murder by the Book’ will continue to unfold at 10am and 5pm, so don’t miss these events!

The King in Yellow: A Golden Anniversary Mystery Challenge will be available from 11am – 12:15pm, 2pm – 4:45pm and 7pm – 9pm. Remember to sign up!

Sunday, March 1

Whodunit Solution Sheets will be distributed after Act III on Saturday, 02/28/2026, and can be dropped in the box in the Parlor by 10am Sunday, 3/1/26. Prizes will be given to the most accurate solution.

Team Solutions will be presented in a creative (and often hilarious) style beginning at 10am for a chance to win a prize! There will be five minutes per team presentation, with teams called at random. These “plays” through the years have been funny, dramatic, musical, and especially silly. The prize will be awarded for a blend of the most accurate and most creative solutions. Costumes and props are encouraged but not required. Use your imagination for any other props, costumes, or supplies you might need to break the case. This element has been with the Program since the 1970s and always adds fun to the all weekend.

Act IV of ‘Murder by the Book’ at 11am will solve the mystery!

Prizes & Winners will all be announced following Act IV. If you are unable to attend, please let the Theme Programs Team know at any event prior.

Be Sure to Lock Your Doors!

Who knows who might be lurking in the hallway?
Be on the lookout for your original puzzle by Greg Pliska.

Drop off your completed puzzles in the box any time until
Sunday, 3/1/26 at 10am in the Parlor.

Our Suspects

Everyone has a story… and a secret. Meet the colorful cast of characters you’ll encounter throughout the weekend and explore their backstories, motives, and surprises.

Kent & Miriam Ladue

Kent and Miriam Ladue are a picture of 1950’s elegance. Kent, with his impeccable tuxedo and a twinkle in his eye, and Miriam, a vision of mid-century grace, are the epitome of New York’s high society. Living on inherited wealth, they are known for their lavish parties and obsession with murder mysteries. Their book collection would rival that of any library. Both are keen observers of human behavior, and they enjoy conversation related to classic mysteries, unless they’re at odds over Kent’s obsession with horror-mystery writer T.C. Payne. This weekend, the Ladues have invited five celebrated mystery writers to participate in a workshop that will produce the ultimate whodunit.

Winifred Craneshaw

Winifred Craneshaw, a Gothic writer of classical English murder mysteries, is celebrated for her high Victorian fashion, suspenseful plots, flowery language, and atmospheric settings. She created the character of Margo Mador, a sleuth who solves unsolvable murders that often occur in locked rooms. Miss Craneshaw casts a massive shadow over her handmaiden, Miss Horton, who is always by her side. She is never without a stylish parasol and a copy of her most recent mystery novel. During this weekend’s appearance, she presents In the Shadow of the Clockwork Killer.

Harriet “Hattie” Horton

Harriet “Hattie” Horton is Winifred Craneshaw’s unexpected and uninvited companion. She attempts to provide her employer with company, conversation, and emotional support, but her own agenda gets in the way. And not only is she familiar with Winifred’s novels, but she may also have supplied her with themes and plot devices. As an uninvited guest of the Ladues, she will not be silenced or ignored. She wears a large, silky scarf, which she is forever playing with, especially when she is flirting with Eddie Armstrong.

Eddie Armstrong

Eddie Armstrong is a tough, but affable, two-fisted, street-educated writer. The term “hard-boiled” was practically coined for him. Falling under the category of “noir fiction”, Eddie’s bestselling mysteries are known for their simple plots, short, punchy dialogue, and the no-nonsense private eye, Ram Smith. Straight out of the 1940s, Smith is a trench-coated shamus who solves every crime with his fists and a few bullets. Ram Smith recently made an appearance in Armstrong’s latest bestseller, The Case of the Bloody Trigger.

Dorothy Clutterbuck

Dorothy Clutterbuck is a gentle white-haired grande dame, and contrary to her tender demeanor, she is the author of spine-chilling mysteries. Her stories are known for romance, gruesome murder, and the appearances of ghostly apparitions who interfere in
the investigations. Dorothy, who clings to a 1920s style of dress, has a recent bestseller titled Weapons from the Great Beyond; it has become a manual for those interested in achieving both love and a successful murder. Her first novel, The Hatpin Poltergeist, is in its 10th printing. Dorothy often lapses into a trance and channels spirits for inspiration.

Conrad Monjoy

Conrad Monjoy is known worldwide for his prolific output and his interest in fame and wealth rather than in quality writing. He has been accused by several critics of plagiarizing the works of others. However, that has never deterred him from hobnobbing with the high and mighty and using their shenanigans for inspiration in his breezy whodunits. Connie, as his contemporaries call him, is a sophisticated, well-heeled gentleman with a touch of sarcasm. Although he presents his current bestseller, The Fairway to Foul Play, he clutches a briefcase that he claims holds his final manuscript.

Spencer Blackwood

Spencer Blackwood is the famed horror novelist T.C. Payne’s researcher. Well-versed in anthropology, local lore, and history, he approaches everything from a scientific perspective. Although Blackwood arrives on the scene unannounced, he is welcomed to participate in the weekend’s activities by Kent Ladue. Although not a writer, he is a student of human behavior; no detail gets past him.

T.C. Payne

T.C. Payne is one of the most critically and financially successful writers in American history. His fame stems from his masterful blend of relatable characters who encounter terrifying, imaginative horror. He has brought chilling suspense and mystery to the mainstream by tapping into universal fears. His first novel, Nightfall Over the Hudson, was an instant bestseller, as was his last novel,The Devil Inside of Us. Payne is also known for not being known. A dedicated recluse, he never engages in book signings and interviews, and his photo has never appeared on the jacket of his books.

Schedule of Events

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Mystery Weekend Hosts

Murder Café

Murder Café, our Program Host for the weekend, brings theater directly to you with an extraordinary mix of skill and talent. A professional repertory company, owned and operated by Frank and Kristen Marquette since 1998, Murder Café delivers original scripts, period costumes, one-of-a-kind production design, and marketing and publicity skills that ensure each event’s success. Their public shows are scheduled year-round throughout New York’s Hudson Valley and beyond. The Murder Cafe calendar includes fundraising events, company parties, dinners at resorts and historic sites, and entertainment for charities and Fortune 500 companies. Frank Marquette’s memoir, The True Story of Murder Cafe: How One Family’s Plunge into Mystery Dinner Theater Made the World a Better Place, is now available on Amazon.

The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust

The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust was established by Edward Gorey, the acclaimed American illustrator, writer, and designer renowned for his intricate pen-and-ink drawings, whimsical gothic style, and darkly humorous storytelling. Gorey’s work spans books, theatrical productions, and illustrations, often blending the macabre with playful absurdity, transporting readers into worlds both familiar and delightfully askew. In his will, Gorey created the Trust to preserve and promote his artistic and literary legacy while advancing his lifelong commitment to animal welfare. As the sole owner of his intellectual property, the Trust licenses his work, lends pieces to museums and exhibitions, and provides grants to organizations dedicated to the care and protection of animals. The Trust also organizes Gorey’s extensive archive for use by researchers and educators, and it collaborates with artists, designers, cultural institutions, and nonprofit partners to ensure that his uniquely whimsical vision continues to inspire audiences worldwide.

Greg Pliska

Greg Pliska, a composer and musician, has been solving and creating puzzles since he could read. He is a puzzle writer and presenter for public radio’s “Ask Me Another,” and he now creates puzzle hunts for corporate and academic clients. His composing work includes the Broadway play Sylvia and acclaimed productions for New York’s Shakespeare in the Park. His recent work includes orchestrations for the film The Infiltrator, the CBS Evening News theme, and the new IMAX theme. Greg has created an original puzzle treasure hunt for Will Shortz’s Wonderful World of Words at Mohonk Mountain House for the last 12 years and brings a new mystery puzzle to the Mountain House for Mystery Weekend’s 50th anniversary.