Decorating for The Deadly Library
Step into Victorian London, where dark secrets lurk behind respectable appearances and a private library contains more than just books.
The Deadly Library is a murder mystery party set in 1887, in the magnificent private library of Martin Alexandria, an eccentric collector of books, historical records and confidential documents.
Creating the right atmosphere is a wonderful way to bring the game to life.
Fortunately, you don’t need an actual Victorian library. With a few inexpensive decorations, you can transform your living room into a convincing setting for an evening of secrets, scandal and murder.
Fill your library with books
Books are the most important decoration for The Deadly Library, and you probably already have plenty around your home.
Fill your shelves: Gather books from around the house and arrange them on shelves, side tables and mantelpieces.
Create antique-looking books: Wrap modern books in brown or dark-coloured paper and add handwritten titles to their spines.
Stack books on tables: A few carefully arranged piles suggest a library where research is constantly underway.
Find old hardbacks: Charity shops are excellent places to find inexpensive books with decorative covers.
Add bookmarks and notes: Slip ribbons and scraps of paper between books to suggest that Martin has been studying them.
Use Victorian lighting
Lighting makes an enormous difference to the atmosphere. Victorian libraries were illuminated by gas lamps, oil lamps and candles, creating pools of warm light and deep shadows.
Recreate this effect with LED candles, battery-powered lanterns and warm table lamps.
Avoid bright overhead lighting where possible, but make sure there’s enough light for players to read their character sheets and examine documents.
Creating a Victorian look
A few simple additions can transform a modern room:
- Velvet cushions or throws
- Dark-coloured tablecloths
- Lace doilies
- Patterned rugs
- Heavy-looking curtains or draped fabric
- Brass ornaments and picture frames
You don’t need genuine Victorian furniture. A dark cloth over a modern table, combined with books and a candlestick, can look surprisingly convincing.
Decorate the walls with Victorian prints
Wall decorations help establish the period without taking up valuable space.
Look for printable images such as:
- Victorian portraits and family photographs
- Old maps of London
- Botanical illustrations
- Antique bookplates
- Victorian newspaper pages and advertisements
- Architectural drawings and engravings.
Print them in black ad white or sepia tones and place them in inexpensive frames.
An old map of London is particularly suitable, as the game takes place in the city in 1887.
Add Victorian curiosities
Martin Alexandria is an eccentric collector, so his library need not contain only books.
A few unusual objects will suggest his wide-ranging interests:
- A globe or old atlas
- A brass compass or small telescope
- Antique-looking keys
- A decorative wooden box
- An old-fashioned clock
- Framed botanical or anatomical illustrations
- A small skull or skeleton model
Arrange a selection on a side table labelled Curiosities and Antiquities.
Create a Victorian refreshment table
Make your refreshments part of the setting with a lace or dark-coloured tablecloth, vintage-style teacups and period-inspired serving dishes.
Consider serving tea, sandwiches, biscuits and small cakes on tiered cake stands. Glass decanters, silver-coloured trays and handwritten food labels add to the atmosphere.
For a little humour, display a sign reading Refreshments Provided by Mr Alexandria – Please Help Yourself.
Given that this is a murder mystery, guests may regard their drinks with a certain amount of suspicion!
Use Victorian music and background sounds
Soft background music can help create the atmosphere without interfering with conversations.
Victorian parlour piano music, classical chamber music, instrumental waltzes and string quartets are all suitable.
You might also use occasional background sounds, such as a ticking clock, crackling fireplace or distant London street noises.
Keep the volume low. The Deadly Library is an interactive murder mystery, and players need to hear one another clearly.
Decorating a small space
You don’t need a large house to create Martin Alexandria’s library. If you’re hosting in a living room, concentrate on three or four key areas:
The main library: Use existing bookshelves, stacks of books and Victorian-style accessories.
Martin’s study: Create a focal point with papers, books and a writing set.
The private archives: Use a cupboard, bookcase or designated area, following the game’s instructions.
The refreshment table: Dress it with vintage-style crockery and period decorations.
Most importantly, leave plenty of space for guests to mingle. The Deadly Library involves conversations, investigations and the exchange of information, so players need room to move around and speak privately.
Final touches for your Victorian murder mystery party
The most effective decorations are often the simplest: a flickering candle beside a stack of books, an old map on the wall or a bundle of mysterious documents tied with string.
You don’t need to recreate an entire nineteenth-century library. Concentrate on the atmosphere—books, warm lighting, rich fabrics and the suggestion that important secrets are hidden somewhere among the shelves.
With a little imagination, your home can become Martin Alexandria’s magnificent library, a place of scholarship, secrets and scandal.
Just be careful what you discover in the archives. Some secrets are better left buried…
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