The costume question is one of the first things people ask when they get a murder mystery dinner party invitation, and it tends to produce two camps: the guests who immediately start planning an elaborate look and the guests who panic-text the host at 11pm the night before asking if a blazer counts. The good news is that both of those people can show up and have a great time, because what you wear to a murder mystery dinner party is far more flexible than most people assume — with one important exception.

There's a particular kind of confidence that comes with sending out invitations to a murder mystery party, and then a particular kind of panic that sets in about two days later when you realize you have no idea what you're actually doing. We get it. Hosting one of these nights is equal parts thrilling and logistically demanding, and the difference between a party your friends still talk about a year later and one that fizzles out by 8:30 usually comes down to a handful of decisions made well in advance. Here's how to get it right.

There's something about summer that makes people want to actually do something for their birthday rather than just book a restaurant table and call it a night. Maybe it's the long evenings, the fact that people are more likely to be in town, or simply the sense that summer demands to be celebrated properly. Whatever the reason, if you're looking for a birthday party format that's truly fun, surprisingly easy to pull off, and memorable enough to be talked about for years, a murder mystery dinner party deserves a serious look. Here's how to make it work.