The Mowbray Hotel served up a mouthwatering concoction of suspense, shocks and laughs in their latest interactive dinner and murder mystery Donation Of Death on Friday.

Talented author Robert A Wood has written a diabolically intriguing whodunnit and also takes two of the leading roles – that of celebrity artist Emerton and the no-nonsense inspector.

Ryan Ashley, the leader of charity The Green Space Coalition, is killed just before they are due to purchase land around Eastbourne for £500,000 to prevent it being developed. When the money is stolen it becomes obvious that Ryan was murdered.

Wood is convincing in both his roles, and when he forgot one of the lines he had written for himself it just added to the fun.

Philip J Willett goes to great lengths – even shedding his trousers – to reveal much about retired banker Huckstable Braithwaite.

The quick-witted Lisa Archer and cleverly evasive June Harris play Ryan's lover and Huckstable's wife. The multi-tasking actors also served a superb four-course meal.

It would have helped us sleuths if the characters' complex secrets had been made easier to discover but it was a fun-packed evening, with some of us cast as suspects too.