With the fifth Carol Reed mystery charging hard toward release, indie developer MDNA Games has recently released a playable demo of The Colour of Murder.

The latest adventure for the amateur sleuth comes unexpectedly, just as Carol is preparing for the Midsummer's Eve in Sweden. Her allotment neighbour suspects that his handicapped son is involved in a recent murder, and asks Carol to investigate. With only three days to solve the case, Carol accepts, beginning a journey that will lead her to such places as abandoned military areas, derelect mines, and historically important locations that involve even the Royal Family.

The demo includes a step-by-step tutorial and the start of the full slideshow-like adventure, allowing a sneak peek at the first few locations presented with the same painterly graphical treatment seen in the previous Carol Reed mysteries. At 83 MB, the sampler can be downloaded from the game's official website. Note that the download link does not require a paid membership, as a free download option is also available.

The Colour of Murder is scheduled for release later this month.