by Jon Bach  • photos by Jamie Conners

Remember the television show Murder, She Wrote? It aired from 1984 to 1996 and starred actress Angela Lansbury as main character Jessica Fletcher—a mystery writer and detective in the fictional small town of Cabot Cove, Maine. 

In the same year the show made its debut, a few business owners came together and accidentally turned Whidbey Island’s City of Langley into Cabot Cove. The aim was to create an immersive citywide activity to attract and engage visitors to discover the island in a “novel” way. 

While the show lasted 12 seasons, the annual Langley Mystery Weekend has endured for far longer, having celebrated its 40th anniversary this past February. Today it’s hosted by the Langley Chamber of Commerce and holds the title of longest-running immersive mystery weekend in the country, with the 2025 festivities attracting over 3,000 people to Whidbey Island, some from as far away as Gloucestershire, England.

The theme this year was “Murder in a Small Town,” and took place February 22 and 23, turning Langley into a real-life Clue boardgame, complete with suspects and amateur sleuths determined to solve a mystery. 

On the first day, the event’s appeal was evident within minutes of opening, when more than 95 people lined up outside the Visitor’s Center to receive their detective materials. “I love that people are discovering Langley this way,” said Langley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nicole Whittington-Johnson. “They ask, ‘is this part of your town all year long?’”

“It’s great to see new visitors as well as the same people coming back year after year,” said Felton. “The key point is to encourage people to discover Langley, and it looks like so many have done just that over the years.”

Preparations for Mystery Weekend start early, with event writers creating the story a year in advance and participants preparing their group themes ahead of time. This past February was no different, with Langley filled with trenchcoat detectives, pirates, clowns, construction workers, and card dealers—all intent on solving the mystery.

For the 30 local Whidbey Islanders playing characters within the mystery, each received their backstory from this year’s head writer Loretta Martin, who has written 26 of Langley’s past Mystery Weekend stories. This year, Martin played the role of Officer Poly Graph, whose backstory is as a retired Langley police detective and local psychic who helped solve 25 murders.

“The best part is seeing the characters I created come to life when they don their costumes,” Martin said when interviewed “backstage” in the City Council chambers that served as the “green room” for the volunteer actors. “But the most joy I get is watching the actors ‘become’ their characters and interact with the visitors and each other.”

When the event started in 1984, it was a one-day event with the goal of bringing people to the island during the quieter time of year to support local businesses. These days, this two-day event may have grown in size, but the principle is the same—bringing visitors to Whidbey during the winter months. Even this year’s rainy weather didn’t stop people from participating.

Josh Hauser, owner of Moonraker Books since 1972, was the first “murderer” in that inaugural mystery four decades ago. Here, 40 years later, she wanted to continue to play a character—reprising her role as Josh DeFax, the stylish mayor of Langley. 

“This has been the best year we’ve had, seeing the little kids come in, but also seeing the kids from years ago who have grown up and have kids of their own,” she said. 

Residents Steve and JoAnn Buff have been playing since the Weekend’s second year, where their group of eight won the Grand Prize. Since then, their group has ranged from eight sleuths to 20, always in costume and named in concert with the year’s theme. For Steve, the event endures because the writers, merchants, and Chamber do an “awesome” job making the weekend exciting and fun. “It’s done in such a warm, welcoming, inclusive way that people are drawn to it again and again. That spirit convinced my wife and me to move to Langley about 15 years after our first visit. It’s a great advertisement for Langley.”

Local businesses got into the mystery spirit, with Tamar Felton, owner of the Star Store, stocking a few shelves of mystery-themed merchandise. She said people were lined up outside the store before it opened, some to purchase supplies, others to get clues.

“It’s great to see new visitors as well as the same people coming back year after year,” said Felton. “The key point is to encourage people to discover Langley, and it looks like so many have done just that over the years.”

For Fair Trade Outfitters owner Lilly van Gerbig, who played environmentalist “Holly Greensleeves,” it was all about connecting with participants who come and discover what they love about Whidbey. 

“The joy factor goes up 100 percent on Mystery Weekend,” van Gerbig said. “As a merchant, you want to have clues to give out, but it’s when you see people coming back after the weekend and saying ‘we love your store and we love your village,’ that makes all the difference.” 

With Mystery Weekend preparation already underway for 2026, Langley has once again secured its place as the go-to destination for amateur sleuths of all ages.

Sorry, Cabot Cove. You had your time.