If you’ve ever wanted to sip cocoa with Poirot, examine fingerprints with Holmes, or blithely observe your neighbours while tending to your rock garden with Marple, this article is for you.
The mystery and intrigue of a head-scratching whodunnit lingers for much longer than the time it takes to get to the end of a gripping page-turner, as fans of Christie, Tey, Doyle, James and more know.
But what if you were the detective in charge? Push the limits of your curiosity one step further by indulging in a murder mystery in London where you find out ‘whodunnit’.
Read on to find out more…
The Best Murder Mystery London Experiences
The most immersive murder mystery experiences in London that are available right now.
Divulge A Centuries’ Old Mystery With Return of The Ripper
As we all know, one of the names most likely to crop up in murder mystery London experiences is Jack the Ripper - but don’t be fooled.
This isn’t some clichéd Jack the Ripper walking tour that takes you around ‘haunted’ spots - this is a full-blown murder mystery experience where your team play as detectives investigating yet another murder - possibly, or possibly not, perpetrated by The Ripper himself.
Murder mystery meets time travel in this incredible murder mystery game that takes place live in the streets of Whitechapel, the former haunt of The Ripper. Your team are faced with a conundrum: a corpse has been found with wounds that bear striking similarities to the murders committed by the infamous villain - but there’s a catch. The Ripper’s nowhere to be found. Was it him? Or some other faceless, gruesome killer? It’s up to you to find out.
By playing along, you’ll get access to evidence from the original Scotland Yard investigation, you’ll visit pubs frequented by victims and the possible suspects and you’ll have the ability to bring your 21st century mind to a 19th century crime.
Find out more here.
Play A Dickensian Detective Mystery: A Rift in Time
Not your typical murder mystery in London, this adventure game takes a Dickensian twist as you and your team wind through the lit up streets of London. Here’s the backstory:
You have been tasked with following a mysterious stranger. Who he is or what he’s up to is unclear, but it’s your job to determine his identity and trace his steps - but wait, here’s the crucial part: who he is is only half the story.
Play as the good-natured Pip or as dastardly Sikes as you follow the mystery man between Mayfair and Soho, cracking slues and discovering secret passages, historic arcades and charming pubs as you go. Your choice to play as hero or villain will determine much more than just the revelation of the mystery stranger’s identity…
Ready for the challenge? Book here!
Uncover The Secrets of Kensington’s Mysterious Mews
While this isn’t a conventional murder mystery in London - spoiler alert, no one dies - this intriguing route will suit amateur detectives of history and shed a whole new light on one of London’s most fascinating suburbs.
Your role as a detective in this mystery game is to crack clues and follow leads that will uncover Kensington’s history, involving all manner of ‘crime scene locations’ such as a shop that isn’t a shop, ‘suspects’ like headless lampposts and a very real building that was once used as a Cold War dead drop.
Great fun for people of all ages, this is a creative game that broadens your knowledge of London and gives you a chance to put your detective skills to the test by solving riddles, and cracking codes - all without the gore and nastiness of a body being involved.
Want to find out more? Check it out here!
Murder Mystery London Places To Visit For Fans of True and Fictional Crime
In case you’re doing a tour of murder mystery London locations, add these to your bucket list - you won’t regret it!
Visit Bertram’s- oops, We Mean Brown’s Hotel in London
Anyone familiar with Agatha Christie’s book At Bertram’s Hotel will be delighted to find out that you can visit the inspiration for the famous hotel and “scene of the crime” in London.
Written in 1965, At Bertram’s Hotel is one of Miss Marple’s most “modern” murder mysteries in London. The wise, fluffy-haired detective visits a rare relic from the past in the ever-changing city of London, a hotel that has remained in the same hands and condition since the heroine’s youth in the Edwardian era.
But there’s something a bit ‘off’ about the experience: the staff are almost too good to be true, the other guests are older with memories not quite what they were, and some of the clientele happen to include racing car drivers, an estranged mother and daughter, and a lot of rich Americans clinging to an almost antique vision of what England should be…
These days, of course, the hotel that inspired this thrilling tale has changed hands and no longer looks stuck in centuries past. You can find Brown’s Hotel on Albemarle Street, a stone’s throw away from Berkeley Square.
Investigate Paranormal Perils at 50 Berkeley Square
Speaking of Berkeley Square, one house in this respectable neighbourhood has caused no end of strife in the murder mystery London world.
50 Berkeley Square was once believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in London, and if walls could talk, they would be the first to be interrogated by any worthy investigator, paranormal or otherwise.
Strange happenings, haunting deaths, and other bizarre occurrences have enticed curious minds for centuries to 50 Berkeley Square. More recently, it has featured in crime fan favourite TV series such as Whitechapel, and its renown has even penetrated the gaming community - it was featured in the video game Assassin’s Creed Syndicate in a mission associated with Charles Dickens.
Potter Around Primrose Hill For Clues Leading to Kidnapped Puppies (and more!)
Many crime fiction lovers may not have realised that their interest in the genre began from early childhood - but here’s some evidence that might prove it.
In the 1996 live-action Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians, viewers can only watch Pongo and Perdita’s struggle to find their missing puppies. In the film, their quest takes them to Primrose Hill and a Great Dane who informs them that their puppies were last sighted in Suffolk.
But that’s not the only instance of detectives working overtime to uncover clues in Primrose Hill. The now iconic London site is home to some pretty grizzly murder mystery London history - find out more here.
Drink Cocktails at Evans & Peel Detective Agency
For amateur detectives looking to take their sleuthing across the pond but without the air miles, look no further than Evans & Peel Detective Agency, a prohibition era speakeasy shrouded in mystery.
Evans & Peel Detective Agency describe themselves as “London’s safest of safe house’s and a secret restaurant and drinking den” - but in truth, it’s a bit more than that. It’s a haven for all things art deco, old school glamour and a place to discuss your latest case findings (or, as some people call it, the latest episode of your favourite true crime podcast) in top secret.
Find out more here.
Visit BBC’s Sherlock’s Scene Of The Crime and Spot Concealed Clues at Leinster Gardens
There are many odd sites, landmarks and mysteries dotted around the UK capital but perhaps none more intriguing than Leinster Gardens - especially if you’re a fan of the TV series Sherlock.
This seemingly ‘normal’ street is home to some enigmatic clues, concealing not only a railway line but also the very Victorian notion of upholding aesthetics for the upper classes.
Viewers of the BBC’s television series Sherlock will already have seen Leinster Gardens featured in the season three finale in 2014 during the episode called His Last Vow, directed by Nick Hurran and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes himself.
If you haven’t already, head out to Bayswater and check them out for yourself.
Clue: look for greyed-out windows…or read more about Leinster Gardens here.
Walk Among The Graves of London’s Former Criminal Underbelly Kingpins
Thankfully, graveyards aren’t the first place we think of these days when we think of untoward ‘goings on’ in our communities, but in Georgian and Victorian London, they very much were.
Charles Dickens grew up just around the corner from the churchyard of St Pancras Old Church and he found grizzly inspiration for his popular novel A Tale of Two Cities there. During Dickens’ time, the churchyard was a magnet for grave robbers and so-called bodysnatchers, who dug up newly buried bodies and sold them to surgeons and dentists.
But that’s not all. The churchyard is also littered with names of former Londoners, some of whom led very ‘active’ criminal lives in their heyday. Take Jonathan Wild, for instance, who ran London’s thieving trade in the early 18th century. Wild avoided the law for two decades before finally being caught and sentenced to hanging at Tyburn Gaol. The day after he was buried, his body became one that was sold to doctors for dissection - and his skeleton can still be found in the London Royal College of Surgeons today.
Summary
So there you have it! The best murder mystery experiences in London and where to visit to experience the most poignant and fascinating former criminal haunts and settings.
Enjoy solving mysteries and discovering facts for yourself? Of course you do!
That’s why we at CityDays create mystery games and outdoor adventures that are equally challenging and rewarding. With 12 trails to choose from in London, you can always be sure to find a route that allows you to uncover London’s hidden gems, secret sites and mysteries.
Booking any of our walking tours, outdoor exploration games or treasure and scavenger hunts in London gives you total freedom to start and finish whenever you like, take extra breaks if you want or need them, and it’s suitable for people of all ages.
You’re also guaranteed your money back if you don’t have an amazing time - although our previous reviews speak for themselves: we’re rated 5/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.95/5 on Google Reviews!