Unsolved Case Files - Harmony Ashcroft Review *Spoiler Alert*

My birthday this year has brought so many special and fun gifts. From new dishes and books to a murder mystery pack! My mother sent me this last thing. And I was so glad she did! Once upon a time, I wanted to work in a crime lab or on a crime scene investigating team. It was my dream. To solve crimes and put the bad guys away. Bring justice to those done wrong. Bring closure to families and friends left behind. I was even working towards my degree in college to get a job with the local police department. Sadly, life went a different direction. But my love for the study hasn't truly dissipated. I still love a good mystery! 

*Disclaimer: This was sent as a gift. This is not a paid review. All opinions are my own.*

First off, this is a fictional murder case. Set up to resemble a cold case, this is all made up! That being said, it is extremely well put together. There are photographs, news articles with pertinent information hidden on the back, witness statements, fingerprint cards, persons of interest - the whole nine yards! It is as if you are opening a real case file. 

Great for rainy days!

This is a great activity for you alone or with others. I chose to go through this one with my husband. We had both been sick. Our toddler had been ill throughout the day, so to stay awake, we had drank too much coffee. Being too wired for sleep, we decided to dive in. Once we did, we couldn't stop! 

There are multiple case files you can choose from. The one I received was Harmony Ashcroft. She was a child psychologist that was murdered the night before her wedding at the rehearsal dinner. Immediately, upon beginning the study of the case, you find that an innocent man was framed for the crime and locked up for over 20 years. You have to go through the evidence and see what the police missed that will exonerate him. Then, you have to dive in and find the lies that will lead to the conviction of the true killer. 

There are stages set up. It is a great way to pace yourself. As you make it through each stage of figuring things out, you open additional envelopes after verifying the documents that led to your conclusion online. You can also get hints if you get stuck. You start off with the knowledge that a guy named "Bones" was arrested, but is actually innocent! And you have been hired as an independent detective to crack the case. Once you set Bones free, you have to show the major lie and how that shines a light on the guy who really killed her. **Wasn't the stalker!** As much as I'd love to say more, I won't ruin it for anyone else who wants to take a chance on it.

Things that could have been better...

There were minor things that stood out to me as missing. But then, I took criminology classes and did plenty of crime scene investigations studies. So for me, I was looking a little more deeply than your average player. Time of death wasn't reported. You start with the time that the body was discovered. As a grammar Nazi and English lover, there were some typos in their reports too. Not in the way people talk, but in the reports and articles. This is just a pet peeve of mine. 

Where can you get them?

My Mom got this for me on Amazon. Harmony Ashcroft case. Who knew?! There are multiple cases to choose from too. They have their very own Amazon Store HERE. Each one is about $30. I have been looking into others on there. I have seen subscription boxes that do something similar, but I prefer this one. I don't always have time to work on them though. So this works perfectly. My kids have since asked to also work through it. And within about half and hour, they had already determined that the man arrested was not the killer based on the map and an article. I was so proud of them! They have been chatting about who really did it. Surprised me big time when their top 2 suspects were the same two their Dad and I had pegged! So if you wanted to work it as a family, this one would be perfect for it. 

Let me know what you think about it in the comments below! Are you into true crime too??