The Midnight Melody Case — A 1928 Solo Mystery

Manhattan, 1928. Jazz singer Evelyn Hart was found dead in her dressing room at The Velvet Room nightclub on New Year's Eve — two hours before she was set to perform on a nationally broadcast radio program. Detective Frank Malone ruled it an apparent suicide and closed the case after nine days without waiting for the toxicology report.

In 2024, a sealed strongbox recovered during building demolition contains everything he left behind.

You are an investigator for the Manhattan Cold Case Review Panel. The box is open. The clock is running.

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WHAT IT IS

The Midnight Melody Case is a single-player browser mystery — no installation, no account, no app. Open the HTML file and play. The entire game is one self-contained file and works offline after the first load.

WHAT'S IN IT

→ 39 documents across 10 evidence categories: police reports, witness interviews, telegrams, hotel records, financial ledgers, contracts, newspaper clippings, photographs, song lyrics, and crime scene inventory
→ 8 deductions to complete — each one unlocks new sealed evidence
→ Multiple genuine suspects with real evidence pointing at each of them
→ Soft 1920s jazz ambience (toggle on/off, volume adjustable)
→ Click any photograph to enlarge it for closer examination
→ Detective notepad that saves your thoughts as you go
→ Timer and case rating when you solve it: Investigator → Detective → Inspector → Master Detective
→ Full Art Deco aesthetic throughout — period-accurate documents with authentic aging, handwritten annotations, and varied paper textures
→ Mobile-friendly layout

HOW LONG
45–90 minutes, depending on how carefully you read.

CONTENT NOTE
References to poisoning, financial fraud, and the death of a young woman. No graphic content. Ages 14+.

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"The truth is in the details."