The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

October is upon us and it has brought a murder to the Big Sandy Library! A killer is on the loose, and the game is afoot, and by game, I mean Clue. The Library will be running a game of Clue for the community throughout the month of October. Though the full story has yet to be revealed, the cast of characters in our local game won't include Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, or any of the others from the classic game. Instead, the game will be stocked with a cast of local suspects. Another significant change from the original, the victim in the board game was the rather generic "Mr. Body." The victim in the local incarnation will be the principal of our school: Ms. Wolery. Who would want to hurt her? Where would they do it? What weapon would they use? Will it be Dale Morey in the meeting room with the licorice whip (Yes, that is one of the weapons!)? Only the town's brightest detectives, who sign up to investigate the crime can bring the villain to justice! Another mystery to be announced later is the reward that will go to the detective that manages to bring the killer to justice.

Clue is the latest event brought to our library by Darlene Cline. She explains that she had seen other libraries do Clue and had wanted to do it for our community for some time. Halloween seemed like the perfect choice, though it is a bit of a departure from the Haunted house of two years ago and last year's haunted hallway (the limited scope was due to Covid concerns). This is the second community game offered at the library, after the library-wide 'Where's Waldo' game earlier this summer. Darlene explained that some libraries go as far as taping out squares throughout the building and having players roll dice and take turns. The local incarnation will follow a different format with new clues introduced every week, requiring players to come and investigate the scene several times in order to crack the case. The traditional suspect-weapon-location format will be followed with various rooms in the library and zany weapon options featured in lieu of the traditional version.

The building itself will be decorated in a clue theme, with tape outlined bodies, scary

decorations, and a "Ms. Wolery" body lying in the nonfiction section. Darlene revealed that there will be a confession and other major clues off the bat for junior detectives to examine as a part of their investigation. Though I called the players "Junior detectives" make no mistake, adults are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun.

Darlene was somewhat tight-lipped about the details of the investigation and the larger story, she assured me that all would be revealed as players dive into the fun. The center shelf in the library will also feature Halloween and mystery themed titles to get you and your kids in the mood for the game and all of the other Halloween fun this month.

Do you have what it takes to step into the role of Sherlock Holmes or Columbo? Test your skills and have fun with the library community by playing Clue this month!