Challenge (-like) Event Complete: R. I. P. (Reader's Imbibing Peril)

(Art used for banners is the property of the wonderful Abigail Larson)

This September began Carl's ninth annual R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril) reading event (he doesn't like to call it a challenge) over at Stainless Steel Droppings. It was the time of year to pull out those creepy, mysterious, suspenseful books and movies and enjoy giving ourselves a scare on our way to Halloween. The whole point being to have fun.  Carl always gives us several levels of participation and I chose two:



Peril the First:
Read [at least] four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be King or Conan Doyle, Penny or Poe, Chandler or Collins, Lovecraft or Leroux…or anyone in between.

1. Vertigo 42 by Martha Grimes (9/5/14)
2. Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh (9/6/14)
3. The Unfinished Crime by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (9/8/14)
4. Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet by Harry Kemmelman (9/8/14)
5. Red Cent by Robert Campbell (9/10/14)
6. Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie (9/11/14)
7. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (9/12/14)
8. The Herb of Death & Other Stories by Agatha Christe (9/14/14)
9. Death Takes a Sabbatical by Robert Bernard (9/16/14)
10. The Edison Effect by Bernadette Pajer (9/20/14) 
11. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy [the threat of the guillotine is enough to scare anyone...] (9/21/14)
12. The Footprints on the Ceiling by Clayton Rawson (9/25/14)
13. Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson (9/27/14)
14. A Death for a Dancer by E. X. Giroux (9/28/14)
15. Bleeding Maize & Blue by Susan Holtzer (9/30/14)
16. Blood on the Stars by Brett Halliday (10/4/14)
17. The Witch's Grave by Philip DePoy (10/5/14)
18. Death by Hitchcock by Elissa D. Grodin (10/6/14)
19. Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes (10/8/14)
20. The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (10/11/14)
21. Death on Allhallowe'en by Leo Bruce (10/11/14)
22. Only a Matter of Time by V. C. Clinton-Baddeley (10/13/14)
23. Murder on Mike by H. Paul Jeffers (10/15/14)
24. Appleby's Answer by Michael Innes (10/17/14)
25. The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart (10/18/14)
26. Too Many Doctors by Holly Roth (10/22/14)
27. Madman's Bend by Arthur W. Upfield (10/24/14)
28. Roast Eggs by Douglas Clark (10/25/14)
29. Nor Live So Long by Sara Woods (10/26/14)
30. Head of a Traveller by Nicholas Blake (10/29/14)
31. The Mind-Murders by Janwillem van de Wetering (10/30/14)




Peril on the Screen:
This is for those of us that like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious Gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large. It might be a television show, like Dark Shadows or Midsomer Murders, or your favorite film.

My intent was to watch a whole marathon of murderous movies from the 30s and 40s. However, I soon realized that I have WAY too much reading to do in order to meet all my challenges for this year, so I only squeezed in a few viewings...

1. The Thirteenth Guest (1932) [9/3/14]
2. Death in a White Tie (BBC TV episode, 1993) [9/6/14]
3. Hardy Boys Mysteries "The Mystery of the Haunted House" (1977) [9/22/14]