Something Mysterious This Way Comes Hosting a Sherlock Lockwood Mystery Night
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Blog 4: Something Mysterious This Way Comes Hosting a Sherlock
Lockwood Mystery Night
By Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
There is a particular kind of delight that comes from watching a
mystery unfold.
It's the pleasure of noticing what others miss. The satisfaction
of connecting dots that don't yet form a picture. The thrill of being just a
little bit ahead of the story, or delightfully behind it, or wonderfully,
perfectly confused until the very end when everything clicks into place.
This is the world of Sherlock Lockwood-Little.
If you've been following the Hocksbox releases, you've met him
by now: age eight and three-quarters (the three-quarters is vitally important),
with hair that appears to have its own weather system and grey eyes that fix on
things—and people—with an intensity that grown-ups find "unnerving."
His school cap is never straight. This is not a fashion statement; it's simply
that his head is moving too fast for fabric to keep up.
His companion is Dickie Pembroke Watson—round-faced,
rosy-cheeked, built like a friendly Labrador puppy who hasn't quite grown into
his paws. Dickie writes down Sherlock's theories in a small, battered notebook,
not because he understands them all, but because he knows they matter.
Together, they roam the hallowed halls of Saint Edwards Boarding
School—a place of ancient traditions, questionable porridge, and more corridors
than any child could possibly need—solving mysteries that would make their
elders blush.
And lurking in the shadows: the janitor, Mr. Magwath,
constructed entirely of elbows, suspicion, and damp grey overalls. His face is
set in a permanent expression of having just discovered a small boy hiding in a
cupboard, and being quietly, terribly pleased about it. His cat, Tobias, is a
vast, ginger tom with one eye, a torn ear, and the general demeanour of a
retired prize-fighter who still remembers how to throw a punch.
This week, we're not just reading about Sherlock and Dickie.
We're becoming them. We're hosting a mystery night.
Why Mystery Nights Work
There's something about a mystery that brings people together.
Perhaps it's the shared puzzle. Perhaps it's the way a good mystery makes
everyone feel clever. Perhaps it's simply that solving things is one of the
deepest pleasures we know.
For children, mystery nights offer something more: they build
observation skills, encourage logical thinking, and reward collaboration. No
one solves a mystery alone—not really. Even Sherlock needs Dickie to write
things down, to talk to people, to notice the things Sherlock is too busy
deducing to see.
For families, mystery nights create shared memories. The time we
solved the Case of the Missing Tartan Waistcoat. The night we finally
understood what Tobias was really up to. These become stories in themselves,
told and retold long after the candles have burned down.
For educators, mystery nights are stealth learning at its best.
Observation. Inference. Sequencing. Collaboration. Communication. It's all
there, wrapped in fun.
And for anyone who loves the Sherlock Lockwood stories, it's a
chance to step inside that world—to walk those endless corridors, to dodge Mr.
Magwath, to earn a flick of Tobias's tail (which, in cat language, means
approximately seventeen different things, most of them judgmental).
Before You Begin: Know Your Mysteries
The Sherlock Lockwood stories are many, and more arrive
regularly. For your mystery night, you have options:
If you want to read together first: Choose one of
the published cases. Read it aloud or listen to the audiobook as a group. Then,
after you know how Sherlock and Dickie solved it, try solving your own.
If you want to dive straight in: Skip the
reading and go directly to the activities below. The mysteries you create will
be your own, but they'll live in the same world—the world of Saint Edwards, of
Mr. Magwath, of Tobias and his remaining eye that sees everything.
If you have time for both: Read a story before your
mystery night to set the mood. Then, when you gather, everyone arrives already
immersed in the world.
The stories themselves are wonderful, but they're also doorways.
Tonight, we're walking through.
Setting the Scene: Transforming Your Space
You don't need a Victorian manor or a boarding school to host a
mystery night. You just need a little intention.
The Basics:
- Dim the
lights. Mysteries thrive in shadows.
- Gather
notebooks and pencils. Every detective needs somewhere to record clues.
- Set out
magnifying glasses if you have them. (If not, any glasses will do—even
sunglasses, in a pinch. Style matters less than intention.)
- Play
quiet, atmospheric music. Something that sounds like walking down a long
corridor, wondering what's around the corner.
For the Full Saint Edwards Experience:
If you want to go deeper, consider these additions:
- Name your
space. You're not in your living room anymore. You're in the "Great
Hall" or the "East Corridor" or the "Room of
Questionable Porridge."
- Create a
"janitor's closet" somewhere—a small space that feels slightly
forbidden. (A hallway cupboard works perfectly. Just make sure everyone
knows it's part of the game.)
- If you
have a cat (ginger or otherwise), assign it the role of Tobias. It will
almost certainly refuse to cooperate. This is accurate to the stories.
The Most Important Element:
Place a small, battered notebook in the center of the room. This
is Dickie's notebook. Throughout the evening, anyone can add to
it—observations, questions, theories, drawings. By the end, you'll have a
record of your collective detective work.
Mystery Option One: The Case of the Missing Object
This is the simplest mystery to set up, and it works for all
ages.
Before your guests arrive:
- Choose an
object to go missing. It should be small enough to hide but significant
enough to matter. In the Sherlock stories, it might be a tartan waistcoat,
a prefect's badge, a mysterious key, or a jar of Mrs. Fidget's baked beans
(which, as we know from Crumpet Noggin's adventure, have proven defensive
capabilities).
- Hide the
object somewhere in your space. Not too easy, not too hard. Consider the
age of your detectives.
- Create 5-7
clues that lead to the object. These can be:
- Written
riddles
- Partial
footprints (cut from paper)
- A single
button left behind
- A smudge
of something (jam? ink? mud?)
- A witness
statement from someone who "saw something"
- A piece
of a torn-up map
- A clue
that only makes sense when combined with another clue
- Place the
clues around your space. Some should be easy to find. Others should
require a little searching.
During the mystery:
- Announce
the crime: "Something has been taken! [Object] is missing! We need
detectives to find it before [consequence] happens!"
- If you
have a large group, consider assigning roles:
- Sherlock:
leads the investigation, asks the big questions
- Dickie:
takes notes, talks to witnesses, keeps everyone organized
- Witnesses:
you (the host) and any other adults or children who can provide
information when asked
- Mr.
Magwath: someone who lurks in the background, looking suspicious,
occasionally offering cryptic remarks
- Tobias:
the cat, who may or may not help, depending on mood
- Let the
detectives search, question, and theorize. Resist the urge to help too
much. Part of the fun is working through dead ends.
- When the
object is found, celebrate! The Case of the Missing [Whatever] is solved.
Mystery Option Two: The Case of the Unexplained Incident
This is a step up in complexity, perfect for older children,
families, or book clubs who want more of a challenge.
The Setup:
Something has happened at Saint Edwards. It's not a theft,
exactly. It's something stranger:
- The
prefects' tea has been replaced with something that tastes suspiciously
like pond water
- Someone
has been leaving mysterious symbols in the dust under the dormitory beds
- A series
of inexplicable noises has been heard at exactly 3:17 each afternoon
- The
kitchen has reported a shortage of porridge, but no one admits to eating
it
- Mr.
Magwath has been seen smiling. (This is the most disturbing clue of all.)
The Investigation:
Unlike a simple missing object case, this mystery doesn't have a
single solution. Or rather, it has multiple possible solutions, and your
detectives must gather enough evidence to determine which one is correct.
Create several possible explanations:
- The
Pranker Theory: An
upperclassman is behind it all, for reasons of mischief.
- The
Ghost Theory: Saint
Edwards is haunted by something from its ancient past.
- The
Magwath Theory: The
janitor knows more than he's letting on. (This is always a safe bet.)
- The
Tobias Theory: The
cat is orchestrating everything. (Also always a safe bet.)
- The
Accidental Theory: It's
all a series of misunderstandings that have snowballed.
Create clues that point toward each theory:
- A dropped
notebook with prank plans (points to Pranker)
- A cold
spot in the corridor and a moaning sound (points to Ghost)
- Mr.
Magwath lurking near the scene with a knowing look (points to Magwath)
- Tobias
sitting in exactly the right place at exactly the right time (points to
Tobias)
- A series
of innocent explanations that, when combined, explain everything (points
to Accidental)
Let the detectives investigate:
They can interview witnesses (you and other adults, playing
roles), search for clues, examine evidence, and debate theories. There's no
single right answer—the fun is in the process.
At the end, have each detective or team present their
conclusion. Which theory do they find most convincing? Why? What evidence
supports it?
Then reveal the "truth"—or don't. Some mysteries
remain unsolved. Even Sherlock doesn't catch every case.
Mystery Option Three: The Case of the Mysterious Disappearance
This is the most theatrical option, ideal for larger groups or
special occasions.
The Setup:
One of your guests "disappears" midway through the
evening. (They're actually hiding in another room, with a snack and a book,
having a lovely time.) The remaining guests must solve the mystery of where
they've gone.
Clues might include:
- A trail of
objects leading toward the hiding spot (a button, a piece of ribbon, a
footprint)
- Witness
statements from people who "saw something" (played by adults or
older children)
- A ransom
note (if you want to add that element)
- A final
clue that requires solving a riddle to reveal the location
The key:
Make sure the "missing" person is comfortable and
knows how long they need to stay hidden. This works best if the hiding spot is
revealed after a certain amount of time, whether or not the clues have been
solved.
Adding Sherlock Lockwood Specifics
However you structure your mystery, you can deepen the
experience by weaving in elements from the stories.
The Characters:
- Sherlock
Lockwood-Little: Your
lead detective should try to embody Sherlock's intensity. The hair should
be slightly wild. The cap should be askew. Every observation should be
noted with grave importance.
- Dickie
Pembroke Watson: The
note-taker. The people-person. The one who asks gentle questions that put
witnesses at ease.
- Mr.
Magwath: Someone
should play the janitor. They should lurk. They should look suspicious
even when doing nothing. If approached, they should mutter cryptic things
and refuse to give straight answers.
- Tobias: If you have a cat, you
know what to do. If you don't, someone can be Tobias—creeping, watching,
occasionally hissing for effect.
The Vocabulary:
Use words from the stories. Things aren't just
"strange"—they're "unnerving." The school isn't just old—it
has "more corridors than any child could possibly need." Porridge
isn't just bad—it's "questionable."
The Atmosphere:
Play up the boarding school setting. Mention the matron. Mention
the prefects. Mention the mysterious rules that no one quite understands but
everyone follows. The more you can make your space feel like Saint Edwards, the
more your detectives will feel like they've stepped into the stories.
After the Mystery: Discussion Questions
Once the case is solved (or remains deliciously unsolved),
gather to talk about it. These questions work for families, classrooms, and
book clubs alike:
For younger detectives:
- What was
your favourite clue?
- Was there
a moment when you thought you knew who did it, and then changed your mind?
- If you
could ask Sherlock or Dickie one question, what would it be?
- What do
you think Mr. Magwath keeps in his janitor's closet?
- What does
Tobias know that we don't?
For older detectives:
- How did
the process of elimination work in this mystery? What clues ruled out
which suspects?
- What role
did observation play versus deduction? (Observation is noticing things;
deduction is figuring out what they mean.)
- How
reliable were the witnesses? Did anyone seem to be hiding something?
- If you
were writing the next Sherlock Lockwood mystery, what would the case be?
- What's the
relationship between Mr. Magwath and Tobias? Alliance? Mutual respect? A
deal struck with darker powers?
For book clubs:
- How do the
Sherlock Lockwood stories compare to other detective fiction you've read?
What's similar? What's different?
- Joules
Young writes these mysteries with warmth and humor rather than true
menace. How does that affect the reading experience?
- Sherlock
and Dickie are a classic detective duo. How do their personalities
complement each other?
- The adults
in these stories (Mr. Magwath, the matron, the prefects) are often more
mysterious than the children. What effect does that have?
A Note on the Janitor's Secrets
If your detectives become truly invested, they may want to know
more about Mr. Magwath. What's his story? What does he want? Why does Tobias
always look so suspicious?
The wonderful thing about the Sherlock Lockwood stories is that
these questions have answers—but they unfold gradually, over multiple
adventures. The janitor's secrets, when they finally emerge, surprise readers.
The cat's role in everything delights them.
If your detectives are curious, tell them this: the answers
exist. They're waiting in future stories. The best mysteries aren't solved in a
single night. They unfold across a lifetime of reading.
A Final Thought on Mystery
There's a line in one of the Sherlock stories that I think about
whenever I'm faced with something puzzling. Sherlock, staring at a clue that
makes no sense, says quietly:
"The thing that doesn't fit is usually the thing that
matters."
This is true in mysteries. It's true in stories. It's true in
life.
The clue that seems irrelevant. The detail that doesn't belong.
The person who's just slightly off. Pay attention to those. They're where the
truth hides.
Tonight, as you host your mystery night, watch for the things
that don't fit. The odd shadow. The cryptic remark. The cat who knows more than
she's telling.
Those are the things that matter.
And if you find yourself genuinely baffled, do what Sherlock
would do: consult Dickie's notebook. Talk it through with a friend. Take a
break and eat something—even questionable porridge is better than no porridge
at all.
The answer will come. It always does.
Next week in Blog 5: "Something Heartfelt This Way Comes —
Exploring Big Emotions Through Story"
Until then: keep your eyes open, your notebook handy, and your
suspicions about janitors appropriately high.
Look, Listen, Linger, Laugh, and Love.
— Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
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