Welcome to the Murder on the Orient Express (Party) & Giveaway

Who's excited for the Murder on the Orient Express movie coming out on November 10th starring Kenneth Branagh as Poirot?  We are and we thought we throw a Murder on the Orient Express party to celebrate. From now until the movie launch we will be featuring a craft or recipe that salutes one of Dame Agatha's many books every Thursday, and most will salute, Murder on the Orient Express. Once we're done, you should have everything you need to throw the perfect Murder on the Orient Express Party. The first step of planning any party is the invitation. And that's what Lorraine Masonheimer has created for you today. Your ticket to the Orient Express...

Don't forget to comment in the section below to win a paperback copy of Murder on the Orient Express. US Residents only. 

For a Murder on the Orient Express movie viewing party, gather your friends with a train-themed invitation complete with travel sleeve.  The “ticket” is made with the train’s colors, a train track, a drop of blood and a grease stain.  All to be revealed by reading the novel or watching the movie.

Supplies:

8½” x 11” brown leather texture cardstock

Black, red, cream, navy blue and yellow gold paper

Black and white striped paper

Splatter & 1” circle stamps

Charcoal gray and light gold ink pads

Glue dots

X-acto blade

Scissors

Step One:  Create Invitation Base

Cut a 7½” x 4” rectangle from the brown leather texture cardstock.  Cut the blue paper to 7” x 1¼”, the gold to 7” x ¼”, the black to 3½” long x ¼” side and the striped paper to 3½” x slightly less to create the rail line.  Using the computer, create a 7” x 2” text box and type the suggested details as shown on the cream paper.  Create a 7” x 1¼” text box and type the suggested details as shown on the blue paper.  This example uses AR Julian.  Print onto an 8½” x 11” cream paper.  Cut to fit and glue as shown.

Step Two:  Assemble, Stamp & Embellish

Glue the cream paper to the top of the leather base.  Glue the gold slightly underneath the cream paper.  Glue the blue slightly over the gold paper.  Glue the black and white strip paper to the black strip centered to form the train track and glue as shown to form the ticket stub. 

Stamp a circle over the Venice Simplon Orient-Express type using a charcoal inkpad.  If desired, stamp a small splatter onto the stub using a light gold inkpad.  Cut a small blood drip from red paper and glue as shown.

Step Three: Create Travel Sleeve  (Optional)

Cut a 8¾” long x 7” wide shape from the leather texture paper.  To create the front flap, score and fold at 4” and clip the left corner as shown.  To make the tab, score and fold at 7¾”, clip the corners and glue the right side to the back.    If desired, type “Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits,” print, cut into an 4” long oval and glue to the front flap.  Slip the invite into the sleeve, and the sleeve into a business-sized envelope and mail.

TIP:  Ask guests to arrive in period costumes or favorite Orient Express characters and let the mystery unfold—All Aboard!

Don't forget to leave a comment to enter to win a Murder on the Orient Express paperback book.

Kenneth Branagh to Voice Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express Audio Book

This just in from Harper Collins...

Kenneth Branagh, the director and star of the forthcoming motion picture adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, has recorded a new audiobook version of the Queen of Mystery’s bestseller for HarperCollins. The recording deal with Branagh was agreed by UK Senior Audio Editor Fionnuala Barrett. The new digital audio is on-sale October 31^st, prior to the nationwide release of Murder on the Orient Express in the United States on November 10^th.

Kenneth Branagh, who plays Poirot in the Twentieth Century Fox adaptation, recorded the new audiobook for HarperCollins UK, which was produced by multi award-winning radio producer and director Cherry Cookson. He is the latest actor to take on the legendary detective, following portrayals from actors including Charles Laughton, Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov and David Suchet.

HarperCollins Publisher of Estates, David Brawn, said: “Agatha Christie has been a jewel in HarperCollins crown for nearly half of our 200 years of publishing, so how wonderful that in our anniversary year comes one of the most exciting Christie adaptations in many years. Murder on the Orient Express is one of her most important and celebrated works, and of course it features probably her greatest creation, Hercule Poirot. Kenneth Branagh is inspired casting and it is wonderful that, as well as directing and starring in the film adaptation, he is narrating a new audiobook of the original text, which will mesmerise fans new and old.

Senior Vice President, Publisher of William Morrow Liate Stehlik, publisher of Agatha Christie in the US, said: “It has been our privilege and pleasure at William Morrow to publish the work of the most popular novelist of all time, and to see her stories win new readers across formats – print, digital, and audiobook. This new audio adaptation, performed by one of the world’s most acclaimed actors, is sure to thrill Agatha Christie’s vast and expanding readership around the globe.”

Agatha Christie Limited: 

Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie's works around the world since 1955, working with the best talents in film, television, publishing, stage and on digital platforms to ensure that Christie’s work continues to reach new audiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed by Christie’s great grandson James Prichard.

November 2017 will see the release of 20th Century Fox’s feature film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s acclaimed mystery, Murder on the Orient Express. The film will be directed by five-time Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh, who will also star as Poirot. Branagh helms an all-star cast that includes Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Olivia Colman, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman, Derek Jacobi, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr, Sergei Polunin and Lucy Boynton.

ACL’s recent television projects include the critically-acclaimed BBC One adaptations of And Then There Were None (Aidan Turner, Charles Dance, Sam Neill) and The Witness for the Prosecution (Toby Jones, Andrea Riseborough, Kim Cattrall), both produced by Agatha Christie Ltd alongside Mammoth Screen, with screenplays from Sarah Phelps (Great Expectations, The Casual Vacancy).  The latest adaptation, Ordeal By Innocence, is currently in production.

Globally, ACL works closely with leading screen production companies to deliver territory-specific adaptations. Notable productions include the popular French series Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie produced by Escazal, and Japanese adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express from Fuji TV (winner of the Tokyo Grand Prix drama award) and the forthcoming And Then There Were None from TV Asahi. Further projects are in development in Europe, the US, Asia and Latin America.

In 2016 literary projects included the global publication of the new Hercule Poirot novel Closed Casket, the second continuation novel from bestselling crime writer Sophie Hannah, published in more than 30 languages and distributed in over 100 territories. Sophie will shortly begin work on two more Poirot novels for publication in 2018 and 2020. 

Don't forget to enter our Murder on the Orient Express Giveaway here. 

Murder on the Orient Express Party

We're a little excited about the Murder on the Orient Express movie coming out tomorrow so we decided to help you set up your own party complete with invitation, food, jewelry to wear to the party and gift bags. You'll just have to wait for tomorrow's drinks with reads post to check out our suggested drink. First on the list is the invitation. Ours was created by Lorraine Masonheimer and you can find directions here.

Next up is food. Here's how to make the delightful tea sandwiches that you see above and here's how to make our Murder on the Orient Express Train Cake seen below. 

The best background you could have for your Murder on the Orient Express party is the audio book narrated by Kenneth Branagh. 

The fabulous vintage tea towel in the background was loaned to us by Bottle Shop 33 in Denver. 

We also have special Murder on the Orient Express Gift bags.

And special handmade necklaces to salute the story. 

Hope you enjoy our Murder on the Orient Express Party as much as we did.

Big thanks to Kerry Hammond, Sharon Long and Lorraine Masonheimer for helping to put on the party. 

- Deborah Lacy

Murder on the Orient Express - Book Cover Ornaments

Every year Mystery Playground works on ornaments for a mystery-themed Christmas tree. And our theme this year is a salute to...Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. We do this in July so you have plenty of time to get your materials together and make your own for December. 

Our first ornament this year are these Murder on the Orient Express book covers. Super easy to do. Won't take you every long. 

To make our Murder on the Orient Express Christmas tree theme easily identifiable, we decided to make some book cover ornaments. There are several different book covers that have been used throughout the years for different printing cycles, and you can choose your favorites.

Materials:

Wooden rectangles or other shapes

Color printed Murder on the Orient Express book covers (sized to fit on the wood pieces you are using)

Paint

Paintbrush

Mod Podge

Glue

Ribbon

Step One: Paint Your Wooden Pieces

Using a paint color that compliments your book cover, paint your pieces of wood. We purchased these cut outs but you can also cut your own to the size you need. These are going to go back to back and be covered with a book cover, so you don’t need to paint the middles, but be sure to cover the edges and sides that will show.

Step Two: Glue Your Wooden Pieces with Ribbon

When your paint is dry, cut a piece of ribbon that will be your ornament hanger and loop it and place the two ribbon ends on the back of one of your wooden pieces. Apply glue to ribbon edges and the back of the wood. Place your second wooden piece with its back to the glued surface. Put something heavy on it while the glue dries.

Step Three: Attached your Book Cover

Using your Mod Podge, paint the back of your book cover and then press it to the front of the ornament (on the painted wooden piece). Mod Podge over the entire front of the book cover and wooden piece to that the shine is uniform. Mod Podge dries clear, but there is a slight gloss, so cover the wooden edges too.

Once your Mod Podge is dry, hang on your tree and repeat with other book covers.

Come back next week for our ornament with all of the clues from the book.