There were dastardly deeds afoot but fear not LINDA BARRINGTON-SMITH was on the case as she joined a murder mystery dinner at the Sea Marge Hotel.

Dark deeds stalked the small seaside village of Overstrand, as murder struck at the Sea Marge Hotel in the High Street. But all was well...this was its first murder mystery dinner.

Presented by Dreamstone Productions, the event was set in 1941.

Capt Michael Wyndham and Sgt Alf Stupper, part of an RAOC Bomb Disposal squad operating in the midst of the London Blitz, had just returned home to Norfolk on compassionate leave after seeing two of their colleagues killed.

At Sea Marge they had been met for a night out by Michael's fianc�e Alice Meystone and Alf's daughter. Also present were the anti-war local vicar, his new secretary, plus ARP warden and his attractive secretary.

However, all was not quite what it seemed as each of them appeared to have something hidden in their past lives.

It was up to the innocent diners to find out exactly why the protagonists were at the hotel, what secrets they were hiding and what was actually going on. And when two of the characters were shot and murdered during the evening, unmask the murderer!

We were helped on our way to discovering the truth with an excellent three-course dinner — and it didn't include Spam or any other war-time fare either!

I started off with feuillette of red onion jam and local Guernsey Gold Cheese with saffron poached garden pear, walnut and raspberry dressing, while my husband had terrine of locally smoked and poached salmon with caper berries and quails egg salad, chive and caviar cr�me fraiche.

For the main course we both savoured pan-fried fillet of sea bass with citrus mashed potatoes, ragout of clams, braised endive and red wine reduction.

For dessert I succumbed to the delightful terrine of milk chocolate parfait with coconut and Malibu ice cream and chocolate sauce, while my husband loved his sticky date bread and butter pudding served with milk sorbet and toffee date sauce.

All the dishes were beautifully presented, and the combination of delicate flavours mouth-watering.

The Sea Marge, which holds 2AA rosette for culinary excellence and fine dining boasts the Frazer's Restaurant, which offers an a la carte menu featuring dishes ranging from pan roast breast of guinea fowl to feuillette of lemon sole and lobster.

There is also an extensive menu in the Clement Scott Bar, the hub of the hotel, sitting under a vaulted timber roof with the minstrels' gallery running along two sides, that includes a fine selection of local seafood including Cley smoked salmon, dressed Cromer crab and Brancaster oysters.

The murder mystery plot was as devious as the characters and we had our work cut out deciding whether the disclosure that the two war-weary soldiers were actually trying to unmask a spy signalling to German submarines from the hotel was true or not.

Then, following the double murder even harder work guessing who dunnit! We didn't guess, but it was all good fun.

The Murder Mystery Weekend could be enjoyed as a two night bed and breakfast, with in-house 'sinister diversions' and dastardly deeds' on the Friday and a four-course 'Dinner with Death' — billed as the ultimate murder mystery experience — on the Saturday. The weekend package was �165.00. However the Saturdaynight dinner only was just �39.

The next murder mystery dinner at Sea Marge takes place on March 17.

SEA MARGE HOTEL

High Street

Overstrand

Norfolk

01263 579579

www.seamargehotel.co.uk

t Prices: Starters from �4.50, mains from �9.50, desserts from �3.50

t Vegetarian options: Adequate

t Wheelchair access: Yes