Murder, He Wrote David Landau's Murder To Go is making a killing at the box office.

While working as an electrician for the TV series"Nurse," David Landau got a brainstorm. One day, during aheavy filming schedule, a group of businessmen followed the camerasaround, fascinated by every aspect of the production. Landauwondered, "Wouldn't it be fun to get rid of the camerasand have an audience follow the action around?"

Landau took his idea further, writing and directing what hecalls the first interactive mystery play. Based in his home officein Florham Park, New Jersey, his 14-year-old interactive mysterycompany, Murder To Go--founded for under $10,000--grossed half amillion dollars last year.

Landau planned his first big event aboard an overnight trainride in 1983, a trip that would take participants between Hoboken,New Jersey, and Syracuse, New York. What he didn't count on wasa blizzard--or a broken-down freight train that made his own"murder express" come to an abrupt halt. "We lost$30,000 in that `learning experience,' " Landauadmits.

But Landau was undeterred. The following weekend's mysterytrain ride went by without a hitch. More murder-mystery weekendsfollowed, often hosted at bed-and-breakfasts, where a"killer" would "murder" a "victim"(both actors), with clues left for the amateur sleuths--thecustomers--to decipher. Later he expanded to hotels, privateparties and corporate functions, attracting mystery buffs in suchcorporations as Revlon, AT&T and Princess Hotels.

"Hotels are eager to hold these types of events becausethey want the guests to stay overnight. During our mystery weekendin Bermuda, we took advantage of the great locale. We orchestrateda boat chase scene in the Bermuda harbor with gun battles,"says Landau, "and we had the cooperation of Bermuda police to`inspect' the bodies and even a real ambulance to take the`corpses' away."

Landau uses about seven actors (and one stage manager) per play,culled from his troupe of 30 thespians. The production cost pernight at a restaurant venue, including food, is $2,500. A typicalaudience will consist of about 100 people paying $42 each; Landauclears $1,800 per play after costs.

Another location where Murder To Go performs is restaurantbanquet rooms. The play and the "murder" occur during afour-course meal, while the characters visit each table between thescenes, dropping hints and clues about the mystery. By dessert, the"sleuths" hand in their guess for the murderer. Thewinner receives a bottle of wine.

"If you want to start up a business like this, I suggestnot to expand too fast," he adds. "Start with one play ata time, one location at a time, then build from there afteryou're comfortable. It's not a part-time job; it's asix-day-a-week job. You spend all week worrying about and ironingout the problems, organizing everything, the actors, understudies,props, advertising. And you learn as you go along."

"The exciting part of this business," says Landau,"is giving people the chance to live a murdermystery."

Amy Carroll Kierce covers small-business topics from her homeoffice in Manhattan. How she finds time to write her own detectivefiction is a mystery to us.