The Very Reverend Toby Spoon was murdered in Lord Snuffington's manor, his dead body found in a chair in the lord's study. Lord Snuffington had recently changed his will, disinheriting his nephew and leaving his fortune to the church. You are presented with the crime scene and six possible suspects. Your primary tool is not a magnifying glass – it’s a mouse.

Welcome to murder on the Internet, where online mysteries offer new twists to traditional whodunits. With the use of hyperlinks, readers can take control of the crime investigation. And with a click of the mouse, they can decide which suspect to interrogate, what questions to ask, and what clues to explore. The Internet provides an ideal forum for this type of interactive story.

There is no standard for interactive fiction – each site offers its own approach. The following tour explores a number of mystery sites that use various techniques, from simple links to graphics with embedded clues.

PBS Mystery! Games

Three mouse-driven mysteries contain some fun tricks. Even starting these games takes some detective work! In Who Killed the Very Reverend Toby Spoon (mentioned above) and The Disappearance of Pollyanne Fishenchips, your job is to investigate the crime scene and interview the suspects by reading their versions of the murder. A floor plan helps you navigate from room to room, where clicking on various objects can provide clues. Moving graphics, sound, and some humor add to the fun. Who Murdered Miss Isabella von Recklinghause contains no text whatsoever -- it's an explore-with-your-mouse game as you follow the murderer from the scene of the crime.

Who Killed Laura Mitchell?

Who Killed Laura Mitchell illustrates the potential for elaborate mysteries on the Internet. A murder has taken place in Stanton, an intricately detailed cyber city. To investigate the crime, you must visit home pages for Stanton businesses, search local newspaper articles, and access Stanton police records. You can even "hack" into computers to gather clues. When you know whodunit, you visit the police department to talk to the officer in charge, who'll let you know (via email) if you've correctly solved the crime.

MysteryNet's The Case

See-n-Solve picture mysteries start with a brief introduction to the story, then provide a picture of the crime scene with embedded clues. Using your mouse, you can uncover clues in the illustration, and "interrogate" suspects by reading their side of the story. To solve the crime, you choose the villain, and an explanation is displayed. New See-n-Solve mysteries are offered twice a month.

NowTV! Murder Mysteries

This site includes three mysteries: Natasha's Mystery, part one of The Big Case, and the Dead Client. The Dead Client is available in a text-only version and a version with video and sound. These stories allow you, as the detective, to decide what questions to ask (i.e., where were you this afternoon?) and what actions to take (such as, go speak to Jean) by choosing from a list of programmed responses. Unfortunately, navigation can be slow going, since each line of dialog is another page to load. If you’re too impatient to get to the end of the mystery, this site does include a "clues" link, as well as the solution.

The Mystery Corner

For a quick read with an innovative twist, check out Tally Ho. There is one choice to make while reading the story. Does Crystal spend the weekend with her lover or try to mend her marriage? Someone is killed in the end, but who dies depends on your decision. To fully appreciate the story, you need to read it both ways.

Spotlight on Murder

"Detective Shelby entered the Moonlight Bar and could instantly smell death and danger." The Moonlight Murder Mystery, written by Kimberley Gray, begins with several paragraphs describing the crime scene and the suspects. From there, hyperlinks allow the reader to control the order of the mystery investigation.

This site also includes two linear stories, where the reader simply clicks to read the next section, but can't control the story's order. After you've finished your investigation, email your clues and solution to Gray. She’ll provide additional hints, or tell you if you’ve successfully solved the mystery. "Some [readers] want to have clues so they can figure it out for themselves, which I enjoy," Gray says. "Others request that I just tell them whodunit, because they MUST know." If you want to try writing part of a mystery, go to the Interactive Mystery section, where you can add to an ongoing story.

The next time you’re in the mood for a good mystery, combine surfing with your sleuthing -- it makes cracking the case that much more rewarding.