Saturday, November 30, 2019

2020 SpaceTime Reading Challenge


I've still got science fiction books hanging out on the TBR mountainscapes, so I'm going to jump on board Jemima's spaceship again and sign up for her 2020 SpaceTime Reading Challenge. This works better for me than the limited challenges I used to participate in since I'll have a whole year to read science fiction rather than trying to arrange my January reading schedule around SF. Here's the brief description of the challenge (for full details and to sign up follow the link above):

SpaceTime Reading Challenge

You choose your book, from any part of the science fiction genre universe – hard scifi, military, scifi romance, space opera, first contact, time travel, whatever.  It’s up to you.  You add the book to your list of books read, with a review, as short or long as you like.  Make your own rules about ‘only Hugo winners’, or ‘only space opera’…  as you wish.

There are several levels. I plan on starting with the first level 

~5 Books: Planet Hopper


1. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Scott Turton [Time loop] (1/15/20)
2. Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre (6/20/20)
3. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (8/20/20)
4. Neuromancer by William Gibson (8/22/20)
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (9/3/20)

Complete!

Book Challenge by Erin 12.0


Basic Rules
~First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome. 
~The challenge will run from JANUARY 1, 2020 to APRIL, 2020. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on January 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on April 30 will count. (We live in different time zones – follow this according to your own time zone.) 
~Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audio books are fine too.
~For full details see Erin's page on Facebook: Book Challenge by Erin 12.0

Here are this round's categories and my preliminary choices:
*5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages 
Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (256 pages) [1/20/20]
*10 points: Read a book that starts with “I” 
Information Received by E. R. Punshon (272 pages) [2/6/20]
*10 points: Read a book written by two or more authors
Spin Your Web, Lady! by Frances & Richard Lockridge (218 pages) [2/8/20]
*15 points: Read a book with a picture of a tree (or forest) on the cover 
Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (304 pages) [2/14/20]
*20 points: Read a book with one of the following words in the title: who, what, when, where, why 
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Alison Hoover Bartlett (274 pages) [2/18/20]
* 20 points: (selected by Vinay) – Read a book set in Africa
Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (208 pages) [2/20/20]
*25 points: (selected by Darlene) – As a nod to our female family members, read a book that has one of the words in the title: mother(s), sister(s), wife/wives, grandmother (or variation of), daughter(s), niece(s), aunt(s) 
The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (252 pages) [2/23/20]
*30 points: (selected by Deborah) – Read a book that has won an Edgar award 
Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A. Whitney (219 pages; Best Juvenile Mystery 1961) [1/3/20]
*30 points: (selected by Debdatta) – Read a “locked room mystery” book 
The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson (312 pages) [1/26/20]
*35 points: Read a book from the lists given in Show Us Your Books faves from 2018 (because they haven’t posted 2019 faves yet.)
Palaces for the People by Eric Klineberg (277 pages; from Jana's list of favorite nonfiction) [3/9/20]

Challenge Complete!



Thursday, November 28, 2019

When I Am An Old Woman

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

I first encountered this poem in my teens and loved it. I collected it in my treasured poems and quotes and brought it along with me into middle-age. I loved the sense of defiance that runs through it. That the speaker doesn't plan to go quietly into old age, but will go in bright colors and doing all the things that girls who behave have been taught they shouldn't do like wearing slippers in the rain or eating only bread and pickles for every meal...for a week. When you've grown up, you should be allowed to do what you want (within reason). 

Then in 2012, I found this anthology of poems and essays all about women and the aging process at the local library's used book shop. When I saw that the title and leading poem was my long-held favorite, I knew it had to come home with me. And, as often happens, I set it aside while other books on the TBR stacks claimed my attention. It has finally worked its way into the "read" column. 

It is a wonderfully insightful book full of the musings of women (and a few men) on what it means to grow old as a woman. Memories of mothers, aunts, and grandmothers fill the pages. A few women speak with the voice of experience--having already walked that road themselves. The poems are beautiful. The essays are poignant and sometimes disturbing...but they all are worthwhile. A book to reflect on as well as enjoy. ★★★★

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.


Wednesday, November 27, 2019

2020 Six Shooter Challenger


I'm heading out to the shooting range again with Rick and his Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge in 2020. The goal is pretty straight-forward--read six books on the same target (by the same author) to complete your round. Any targets started in 2019 but not yet complete will carry over to the new year. Check out the full details at the link above.

As with his other challenges, Rick doesn't ask for a commitment. But I will set a personal goal in order to claim the challenge complete for 2020. Last year I set it at two targets--I'm going to up the ante and set my goal at four targets this year.  Most likely those will include Agatha Christie, the Lockridges,  and possibly another round of Ngaio Marsh.


Agatha Christie (finishing target from last year)
1. 4:50 from Paddington (7/28/19)
2. And Then There Were None (8/2/19)
3. The Unexpected Guest [play by Christie, adapted by Charles Osborne] (10/17/19)
4. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ( 1/9/20)
5. The Big Four (2/27/20)
6. The Mystery of the Blue Train (3/1/20)

Agatha Christie (Target #2)
1. The Clocks (6/12/20)
2. The Seven Dials Mystery (6/14/20)
3. Partners in Crime (6/24/20)
4. The Mysterious Mr. Quin (7/6/20)
5. Murder at the Vicarage (8/17/20)
6. Death on the Nile (8/25/20)

Agatha Christie (Target #3)
1. The ABC Murders (8/25/20)
2. Peril at End House (11/19/20)
3. The Sittaford Mystery (11/29/20)
5. Thirteen at Dinner (aka Lord Edgware Dies) [12/18/20]
6. The Hound of Death (12/20/20)


Dorothy L. Sayers (finishing target from last year)
1. Gaudy Night (7/1/19)
2. Unnatural Death (8/31/19)
3. Thrones, Dominations (9/19/19; finished by Jill Paton Walsh)
4. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (10/19/19)
5. Have His Carcase (1/13/20)
6. The Nine Tailors (1/28/20)


Frances & Richard Lockridge (finishing target from last year)
1. Killing the Goose (6/24/19)
2. Spin Your Web, Lady! (2/8/20)
3. Stand Up & Die (3/31/20)
4. Curtain for a Jester (4/3/20)
5. Murder in a Hurry (6/22/20)
6. A Client Is Cancelled (8/29/20)

Lee Harris
1. The Christening Day Murder (4/7/20)

2. The Valentine's Day Murder (4/10/20)
3. The Passover Murder (4/12/20)
4. The New Year's Eve Murder (4/25/220)
5. The April Fool's Day Murder (4/27/20)
6. The Bar Mitzvah Murder (5/2/20)

Douglas Clark
1. Nobody's Perfect (4/20/20)
2. Death After Evensong (5/4/20)
3. Deadly Pattern (5/18/20)
4. Golden Rain (5/21/20)
5. The Longest Pleasure (5/22/20)
6. The Gimmel Flask (6/12/20)

C. S. Harris
1. What Angels Fear (8/9/20)
2. When Gods Die (8/27/20)
3. Why Mermaids Sing (10/26/20)
4. Where Serpents Sleep (11/11/20)
6. Where Shadows Dance (12/21/20)

Claude Izner
3.
4.
5. 
6.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Challenge Complete: Family Tree



Becky at Becky's Book Reviews hosted another round of the Family Tree Reading Challenge. This year there were more options to choose from but I stayed with reading books that were published in family members' birth years.  For 2019, I planned to read 10 books total for immediate family including my parents and my husband's family. I have now finished my last book.

Phil (my dad): 1948 Blueprint for Murder by Roger Bax (10/25/19)
Gloria (my mom): 1947 Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh (2/14/19)
Bev (me): 1969 The Cream of Crime edited by Jeanne F. Bernkopf (5/26/19)
Brad (husband): 1966 Eyes at the Window by George Selmark (11/25/19)
Kyle (son): 1992 The Noel Coward Murder Case by George Baxt (11/20/19)
Beverly (husband's mom): 1944 Killing the Goose by Frances & Richard Lockridge (6/24/19)
Elvin (husband's dad): 1940 Murder in a Nunnery by Eric Shepherd (4/26/19)
John (husband's step-dad): 1946 Let's Kill George by Lucy Cores (10/1/19)
Kristal (husband's sister): 1968 Death on a Warm Wind by Douglas Warner (5/8/19)
M. Alex (husband's brother): 1976 Mystery of the Emerald Buddha by Betty Cavanna (6/29/19)



Said With Flowers

Said With Flowers (1943) by Anne Nash

'Twas the week before Christmas when all through the flower shop....there was a wailing and gnashing of teeth. Dodo (Doris) Trent and her partner Nell Witter are in such a pickle. Their deliveryman has fallen and broken his leg. How will they ever survive the Christmas flower rush? As Dodo (our narrator) puts it

Under the happiest conditions a florist's shop at Christmas is nothing more nor less than a madhouse. I've never discovered a way to avoid it. People leave flowers, plants, and decorations till the last minute. Then they storm in frantically. They say it with flowers to all those whom they'd forgotten earlier  or to the ones left on their lists for whom they couldn't think of anything better.

The ladies have no idea how they will meet the rush and get everything delivered on time. And then, in walks Barney Miller. 

Who is Barney Miller? No one knows. He's a stranger in town. He claims to be a writer who is checking out the area. And he just happens to know plants and flowers. Nell and Dodo have a brief moment of worry--after all there is that dreadful Karp Killer on the loose, what if Barney is the Killer. But they promptly shake off any misgivings when they see what a nice way he has with the customers and how quickly he can put together a festive flower box. He hustles and bustles around the shop, taking orders and placating their pickiest clientele like he was born to the job and then zooms out to deliver all the goods. It looks like Santa Claus has given them their Christmas present early.

Their worries return, however, when one of their dearest friends is found murdered in the alley behind their shop. She's been stabbed with one of their pruning knives, but on her body is pinned the Karp's calling card--a hand-drawn picture of a fish. Could they have hired a killer? The odd thing is that the Karp seems to have broken his own rules for killing. All of his victims so far have been young and beautiful; and he would hide the bodies so there would be a delay before the murder was discovered. Rosalind Vance is a middle-aged woman. She isn't ugly by any means, but the bloom was definitely off her beauty. Why has the Karp gone of his script?

Or, more alarmingly, what if the Karp isn't responsible? Who in the small town of Pinehurst could have had reason to kill Rosalind? As far as Dodo and Nell know, their friend had no enemies. When Mark Tudor, a detective, arrives on the scene with his specially trained dog Svea, they join forces and try to figure out who killed Rosalind. Was it the Karp? Was it Barney...and is he the Karp in disguise? Was it Rosalind's younger sister? Sheila has been hiding something from Rosalind. Was it a secret worth killing for? Is it possible that Rosalind's perfect marriage with her husband James wasn't all that perfect after all and he is the culprit? Or maybe it was Jenny--Rosalind's long-time friend and supposedly devoted companion. But Dodo thinks she sees guilt and fury in Jenny's eyes. Of course, Dodo has worked herself into such a state that she's jumping at shadows and suspecting everyone. 

This is a fun little mystery. Very nice small-town atmosphere in what seems to be an early version of the current cozy craze for mysteries set in bakeries and bookshops and what-have-you. Dodo does get on the nerves a bit with her foreshadowing and borderline hysteria, but fortunately her fiery tempered friend Nell is on hand to liven things up and keep things from getting to be too much "Had I But Known." I spotted the killer straight away and even sussed out the motive, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. It's not a deep puzzle, but it's a quick read and definitely worth time. ★★ and 1/2.

For a much more in-depth look at the book, please see John's review from 2016 over at Pretty Sinister Books


Quotes (don't read the last one if you don't want a spoiler)


[First Lines] The tragic affair ended at last. Excitement simmered down, life got back to normal, and then everyone began hounding us to write about the events.

Good. Intellectual processes--so called-- often enough block our intuitions, hunches, whatever. Let's hope in our present passive state we'll be receptive to any flashes of insight that might be lurking about. (Mark Tudor; p. 73)

Detach yourself from the personal element; this case is merely a problem to solve. Not for our own personal satisfaction, but for the possible safety of numbers. At this point we don't know what's important, what's insignificant; we'll have to assemble every scrap of material available, then sift and discard.

[Last Lines] "I used to think Jenny was so--so sort of--unapproachable. But now I know how grand she is...I'm going to be as faithful to you, Barney, all of my life...as Jenny was to Rosalind." [Sheila] A high note on which to end.

**************
Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one fell off cliff)
Murder Mystery Bingo: Alley; Store (flower shop); Nonbarking dog; Mysterious stranger; Knife

Monday, November 25, 2019

2020 Murder Mystery Bingo Reading Challenge


Here is the latest from mastermind Rick at the Rick Mills Project: the 2020 Murder Mystery Bingo Reading Challenge. And it looks really awesome. Use the four bingo cards provided to collect weapons, crime scenes, clues & cliches, and red herrings from your mystery reading. Fill a card and win a prize! The challenge runs through all of 2020, but Rick is opening the Bingo Hall now. Click on the link to see the full details.

As with all his challenges, Rick doesn't require a commitment to participate. My personal goal will be at least one Bingo per card. Once I have that, I can count the challenge as complete for my challenge tally. But--I love mysteries, so you know I'll be doing more.

BINGOS  



                                     

Weapons
Card #1
Knife/Dagger: Said with Flowers by Anne Nash (11/26/19)
Gun: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
Bare Hands: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
Fireplace Poker: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
Axe/Hatchet: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/5/19)
Blunt Object: Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh (12/18/19)
Rope: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Poison/Meds: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Drowning: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Fistfight: Unholy Dying by R. T. Campbell (12/29/19)
Medicine/Drugs: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20) 
Wire: Spin Your Web, Lady! by Frances & Richard Lockridge (2/8/20)
Bomb/Explosion: "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2/23/20)
Boat (struck by): "Seasprite" by Andrew Garve (in Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards, ed (2/24/20)
Motor vehicle (struck by): The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/26/20)
Push/Fall: Curtain for a Jester by Frances & Richard Lockridge (4/3/20)
Fright/Heart Attack: The Grey Flannel Shroud by Henry Slesar (4/6/20)
Fire: The Grey Flannel Shroud by Henry Slesar (4/6/20)
Smothering: The Valentine's Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/16/20)
Animal Attack/Bite: Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (6/10/20)
Belt/Tie/etc: The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (8/25/20)

Crime Scenes
Card #1
Library: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
Alley: Said with Flowers by Anne Nash (11/26/19)
Store/Restaurant: Said with Flowers by Anne Nash (11/26/19)
Stairs: Death Knell by Baynard Kendrick (12/5/19)
Pathway/Trail: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Beach: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Bedroom: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Body of Water: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Garden/Gazebo: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20) 
Boat: Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (1/20/20)
Drawing/Living Room: Spin Your Web, Lady! by Frances & Richard Lockridge (2/8/20)
Lawn: Red Threads by Rex Stout (2/14/20)
Swimming Pool: "The Swimming Pool" by H.C. Bailey in Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves edited by Martin Edwards (2/24/20)
Train: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3/1/20)
Office: The Grey Flannel Shroud by Henry Slesar (4/6/20)
Car: The Passover Murder by Lee Harris (4/12/20)
Kitchen: The New Year's Eve Murder by Lee Harris (4/25/20)
Park: The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris (4/30/20)
Sidewalk: The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris (4/30/20)
Basement: Death After Evensong by Douglas Clark (5/4/20)
Cliff: Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (6/10/20)

Clues & Clichés 
Card #1--CARD COMPLETE
Item in Newspaper: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
Provision in Will: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Footprints: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Anonymous Message: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Monogram: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Stopped Clock/Watch: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Knife Found: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Gloves: Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh (12/15/19)
Magnifier Used: Unholy Dying by R. T. Campbell (12/29/19)
Fingerprints: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20)
Muddy/Wet ClothingHave His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Ashes in Fireplace: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Hat Missing/Found: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Clock Heard Striking: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Lipstick: Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (1/20/20)
Bullet: The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson (1/26/20)
Bloodstain: The Death of a Joyce Scholar by Barholomew Gill (1/31/20)
Candle or Wax: Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20)
Life Insurance: "Man Overboard" by Edmund Crispin in Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves edited by Martin Edwards (2/24/20)
Perfume smelled: Good Luck to the Corpse by Max Murray (3/30/20)
Cigarette lighter: Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost (4/18/20)
Cigar Ash/Butt: Nobody's Perfect by Douglas Clark (4/20/20)
Empty Poison/Med Bottle: Nobody's Perfect by Douglas Clark (4/20/20)
Foreign Saying: "The Capture of Cerebus" by Agatha Christie in Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (5/25/20)
Well-oiled hinge: The Christie Curse by Victoria Scott (8/26/20)

Red Herrings
Card #1
Maid/Housekeeper: The Case of the Second Chance by Christopher Bush (12/4/19)
2nd Gun/Knife: Death Knell (Baynard Kendrick (12/5/19)
Non-Barking Dog: Said with Flowers by Anne Nash (11/26/19)
Barking Dog: Death Knell by Baynard Kendrick (12/5/19)
Mysterious Stranger: Said with Flowers by Anne Nash (11/26/19)
Someone Tied Up:  Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Knitting/Sewing: Murder Breaks Trail by Eunice Mays Boyd (12/15/19)
Locked Room: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Broken Window: Bells of Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers (12/22/19)
Hair: Mystery of the Red Trailer by Julie Campbell (12/30/19)
Animal Other Than Dog: Mystery of the Red Trailer by Julie Campbell [crow] (12/30/19)
Missing Money: Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (12/30/19)
Keys: The Mysterious Visitor by Julie Campbell (12/31/19)
Butler: The Mysterious Visitor by Julie Campbell (12/31/19)
Listening at Keyhole: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20) 
Secret Marriage: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20)  
Lights Go Out!: Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (1/20/20)
Former Lover: Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (1/20/20)
Twins: Spin Your Web, Lady! by Frances & Richard Lockridge (2/8/20)
Car Backfires: "Murder on St. Valentine's Day" by Mignon G. Eberhart (2/11/20)
Ex-Wife/Husband: The Passover Murder by Lee Harris (4/12/20)
Baking/Cooking: Golden Rain by Douglas Clark (5/21/20)
Secret Passage: The Ampersand Papers by Michael Innes (8/8/20)
The Cook: Death Rides a Sorrel Horse by A. B. Cunningham (8/31/20)

First Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (1/9/20)
Second Bingo: Crime Scenes [Card #1] (1/20/20)
Third Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (1/31/20)
Fourth Bingo: Weapons [Card #1] (2/8/20)
Fifth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (2/8/20)
Sixth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (2/11/20)
Seventh Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (2/24/20)
Eighth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card # 1] (2/24/20)
Ninth Bingo: Weapons [Card #1] (4/6/20)
Tenth Bingo: Weapons [Card #1] (4/6/20)
Eleventh Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (4/18/20)
Twelfth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (4/20/20)
Thirteenth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card # 1] (4/20/20)
Fourteenth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card # 1] (4/20/20)
Fifteenth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card # 1] (4/20/20)
Sixteenth Bingo: Crime Scenes [Card #1] (4/30/20)
Seventeenth Bingo: Crime Scenes [Card #1] (4/30/20)
Eighteenth Bingo: Crime Scenes [Card #1] (5/4/20)
Nineteenth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (5/21/20)
Twentieth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (5/21/20)
Twenty-first Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (5/21/20)
Twenty-second Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (5/25/20)
Twenty-third Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (5/25/20)
Twenty-fourth Bingo: Weapons [Card #1] (6/10/20)
Twenty-fifth Bingo: Crime Scenes [Card #1] (6/10/20) 
Twenty-sixth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (8/8/20)
Twenty-seventh Bingo: Weapons [Card #1] (8/25/20)
Twenty-eighth Bingo: Clues & Cliches [Card #1] (8/26/20)
Twenty-ninth Bingo: Clues & cliches [Card #1] (8/26/20)
Thirtieth Bingo: Red Herrings [Card #1] (8/31/20)
Thirty-first Bingo: Red Herring [Card #1] (8/31/20)
Thirty-second Bingo: Red Herring [Card #1] (8/31/20)


Weapons
Card #2
Poison: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Gun: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Knife/Dagger: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton(1/15/20)
Drowning: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Axe/Hatchet: Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20) 
Bomb/Explosion: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
Heavy/blunt object: "The Thimble River Mystery" by Josephine Bell (2/24/20)
Rope: "The Turn of the Tide" by C. S. Forester (2/24/20)
Medicine/Drugs: "Bride in Danger" by Ellery Queen (2/26/20)
Wire/Electricity: The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/27/20)
Motor vehicle (struck by/wreck): Stand Up & Die by Frances & Richard Lockridge (3/31/20)
Bare Hands: The Passover Murder by Lee Harris (4/12/20)
Push/Fall: The Ebony Bed Murder by Rufus Gillmore (4/18/20)
Fire: Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost (4/18/20)
Falling Object: The Dreadful Lemon Sky by John D. MacDonald (5/9/20)
Fright/Heart Attack: The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris (5/17/20)
Stocking/Pantyhose/Belt/Scarf/Tie: The Clocks by Agatha Christie (6/12/20)
Rock/Brick: The Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards (8/4/20)
Fistfight: When Gods Die by C. S. Harris (8/27/20)


Crime Scenes
Card #2
Beach/Shoreline: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Lake/Ocean: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Alley: Death of a Joyce Scholar by Bartholomew Gill (1/31/20)
Library: "Murder on St. Valentine's Day" by Mignon G. Eberhart (2/11/20)
Garden/Gazebo: Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20)
Boat: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
Pathway/Trail in Woods: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
Basement: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
Street or Sidewalk: The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/26/20)
Bedroom: The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/26/20)
Hotel room: Good Luck to the Corpse by Max Murray (3/30/20)
Office: Curtain for a Jester by Frances & Richard Lockridge (4/3/20)
Bar/Store/Restaurant: Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost (4/18/20)
Lawn: The April Fool's Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/27/20)
Kitchen: The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris (5/17/20)
Stairs: "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" by Agatha Christie in Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (5/25/20)
Island: The Longest Pleasure by Douglas Clark (5/22/20)
Cliff: "The Man from the Sea" in The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie (7/5/20)
Train: Death in Berlin by M. M. Kaye (7/31/20)
Swimming Pool: Death in Berlin by M. M. Kaye (7/31/20)

Clues & Clichés
Card #2
Someone in Disguise: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Item in Newspaper: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Something said en Francais: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20) 
Muddy/Wet Clothing: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Dying Message: "Jericho & the Dying Clue" by Hugh Pentecost (1/26/20)
Seen by Moonlight: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers (1/28/20)
Anonymous Message: Information Received by E. R. Punshon (2/6/20)
Snow/Rain Storm: Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20)
Fingerprints: Red Threads by Rex Stout (2/14/20)
Footprints: Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20)
Blood on Object: Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20)
Empty poison/med bottle: Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20)
Lipstick: "Murder on St. Valentine's Day" by Mignon G. Eberhart (2/11/20)
Monogram: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3/1/20)
Perfume: Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost (4/18/20)
Reading the Will: The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris (4/30/20)
Stopped Clock/Watch: Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (6/10/20)
Something Burned in Fireplace: Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (6/10/20)
Clock Heard Striking: The Clocks by Agatha Christie (6/12/20)
Magnifying Glass Used: "The Crackler" in Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (6/23/20)
Cigar Ash/Cig. butt: Blotto, Twinks & the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett (7/1/20)

Red Herrings
Card #2
Gloves: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Inquest held: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
Missing Money or Blackmail: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20) 
Maid/Butler/Chauffeur: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (1/15/20)
Someone Tied Up: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers (1/28/20)
Someone Faints: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers (1/28/20)
Mysterious Stranger: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers (1/28/20)
Inheritance: Information Received by E. R. Punshon (2/6/20)
Secret Marriage: Information Received by E. R. Punshon (2/6/20)
Key Copied: Information Received by E. R. Punshon (2/6/20)
Lights Go Out: Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20)
Locked Room: Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20)
Lighted Window: Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20)
Forgery: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
Former Lover: "Bride in Danger" by Ellery Queen (2/26/20) 
Looking/Listening at keyhole: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3/1/20)
2nd Weapon: The Ebony Bed Murder by Rufus Gillmore (4/18/20)
Twins: The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris (5/17/20)
Map: Deadly Pattern by Douglas Clark (5/18/20)
Dog That Didn't Bark: "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" by Agatha Christie in Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (5/25/20)
Ex-Wife/Husband: 4 Feet in the Grave by Amelia Reynolds Long (5/30/20)
Gambling Debts: When Gods Die by C. S. Harris (8/27/20)

First Bingo: Red Herrings Card #2 (2/8/20)
Second Bingo: Clues & Cliches Card #2 (2/8/20)
Third Bingo: Weapons Card #2(4/12/20)
Fourth Bingo: Weapons Card #2 (4/18/20)
Fifth Bingo:  Weapons Card #2 (5/13/20)
Sixth Bingo: Crime Scenes Card #2 (5/13/20)
Seventh Bingo: Red Herrings Card #2 (5/17/20)
Eighth Bingo: Red Herrings Card #2 (5/18/20)
Ninth Bingo: Crime Scenes Card #2 (5/25/20)
Tenth Bingo: Red Herrings Card #2 (5/25/20)
Eleventh Bingo: Clues & Cliches Card #2 (6/10/20)
Twelfth Bingo: Clues & Cliches Card #2 (6/23/20)
Thirteenth Bingo: Clues & Cliches Card #2 (7/1/20)
Fourteenth Bingo: Crime Scenes Card #2 (7/5/20)
Fifteenth Bingo: Crime Scenes Card #2 (7/31/20)
Sixteenth Bingo: Weapons Card #2 (8/27/20)


Seventeenth Bingo: Red Herrings Card #2 (8/27/20)

2020 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge


Last year Rick at the Rick Mills Project plunged into challenge hosting for the first time offering up the Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge as well as the Six Shooter Challenge. I, having no self-control when it comes to challenges--especially mystery-related challenges, signed up for both. He's got them both on deck for 2020 (as well as an all-new Mystery Bingo), so here I go again....For full details, check out the link above. Basically, just read mysteries and log the murder methods on his handy form. Compete for prizes!

Rick doesn't require a sign-up post, but in order to claim this one as complete on my own personal challenge tally sheet, I must submit at least 20 death certificate reports. With the number of mysteries I read per year, this shouldn't be too difficult.

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20) Deaths = 3 (two poisoned; one stabbed)
2. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20) Deaths = one (stabbed/throat cut)
3. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (1/15/20) Deaths = 11 (five stabbed; three shot; two poisoned; one drowned)
4. Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn (1/20/20) Deaths = one (stabbed)
5. The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson (1/26/20) Deaths = four (three shot; one burned to death)
6. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/28/20) Deaths = two (one "other" --to reveal how would spoil the plot; one drowned)
7. The Death of a Joyce Scholar by Bartholomew Gill (1/31/20) Deaths = one (stabbed)
8. Information Received by E. R. Punshon (2/6/20) Deaths = 4 (three shot; one poisoned)
9. Spin Your Web, Lady! by Frances & Richard Lockridge (2/8/20) Deaths = 3 (two strangled; one shot)
10. Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (2/14/20) Deaths = 2 (one car "accident" and one shot)
11. Red Threads by Rex Stout (2/14/20) Deaths = one (hit on head)
12. Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye (2/20/20) Deaths = 6 (two shot; two stabbed; one poisoned; one killed with axe)
13. The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20) Deaths = 6 (two poisoned; one hit on head; one stabbed; two shot)
14. Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards [ed] (2/24/20) Deaths = 16 (one other/natural; six drowned; two other [attacked by piranhas]; three poisoned; two strangled; one hit on head; one fell from height)
15. The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/27/20) Deaths = 11 (two poisoned; two stabbed; one electrocuted; one run over by car; three blown up; one other [suicide])
16. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3/1/20) Deaths = 1 (strangled)
17. Good Luck to the Corpse by Max Murray (3/30/20) Deaths = 4 (one poisoned; two stabbed; one drowned)
18. Stand Up & Die by Frances & Richard Lockridge (3/31/20) Deaths = 3 (one stabbed; one poisoned; one drowned after car plunges into reservoir)
19. Curtain for a Jester by Frances & Richard Lockridge (4/3/20) Deaths = 3 (one stabbed; one shot; one fell from height)
20. The Grey Flannel Shroud by Henry Slesar (4/6/20) Deaths = 4 (one fire; one heart attack; two shot)
Commitment met! Still Reading
21. The Christening Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/7/20) Deaths = 1 (shot)
22. The Valentine's Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/10/20) Deaths = 3 (one shot; one drowned; one smothered)
23. The Passover Murder by lee Harris (4/12/20) Deaths = 1 (beaten to death)
24. The Ebony Bed Murder by Rufus Gilmore (4/18/20) Deaths = 3 (one shot; one pushed from height; one jumped from window)
25. Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost (4/18/20) Deaths = 5 (one poisoned; 4 shot; a whole slew of unnamed--and therefore, don't qualify--blown up)
26. Nobody's Perfect by Douglas Clark (4/20/20) Deaths = 1 (poisoned)
27. The New Year's Eve Murder by Lee Harris (4/25/20) Deaths = 1 (beaten with shovel)
28. The April Fool's Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/27/20) Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one auto accident)
29. The Bar Mitzvah Murder by Lee Harris (4/30/20) Deaths = 1 (beaten to death)
30. Kept by D. J. Taylor (5/2/20) Deaths = 1 (hit on head)
31. Death After Evensong by Douglas Clark (5/4/20) Deaths = 2 (one shot; one poisoned)
32. The Dreadful Lemon Sky by John D. MacDonald (5/9/20) Deaths = 5 (one hit by truck; one by explosive; one hit with heavy bag; one strangled; one intense allergic reaction; one shot)
33. The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris (5/17/20) Deaths = 3 (one stabbed; one heart attack--stress induced by murder attempt; one natural causes)
34. Deadly Pattern by Douglas Clark (5/18/20) Deaths = 5 (strangled)
35. Golden Rain by Douglas Clark (5/21/20) Deaths = 1 (poisoned)
36. The Longest Pleasure by Douglas Clark (5/22/20) Deaths = 2 (poisoned)
37. 4 Feet in the Grave by Amelia Reynolds Long (5/30/20) Deaths = 3 (shot)
38. The Gimmel Flask by Douglas Clark (6/3/20) Deaths = 1 (poisoned)
39. Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (6/10/20) Deaths = 3 (one strangled; one poisoned; one accident--thrown from bicycle)
40. The Clocks by Agatha Christie (6/12/20) Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one strangled)
41. The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie (6/14/20) Deaths = 2 (one poisoned; one shot)
42. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King (6/17/20) Deaths = 1 (asphyxia)
43. Death-Wish Green by Frances Crane (6/18/20) Deaths = 2 (fall from height and shot)
44. Murder in a Hurry by Frances & Richard Lockridge (6/22/20) Deaths = 2 (poisoned and strangled)
45. Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (6/24/20) Deaths = 8 (two stabbed; one electrocuted; one hit on head; three poisoned; one heart failure)
46. Foul Deeds by Susan James (6/26/20) Deaths = 5 (one hanged; two stabbed; one smothered; one shot)
47. Blotto, Twinks & the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett (7/1/20) Deaths = 2 (one poisoned; one stabbed)
48. The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie (7/6/20) Deaths = 9 (four shot; one poisoned; one drowned; one heart failure; one strangled; one fell from height)
49. Between the Thames & the Tiber by Ted Riccardi (7/20/20) Deaths = 7 (one poisoned; one hit on head; three shot; one electrocuted; one natural causes)
50. Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin (7/23/20) Deaths = 4 (one heart attack; two shot; one pushed from height)
51. Between the Devil & the Duke by Kelly Bowen (7/24/20) Deaths = 5 (one poisoned; one stabbed [throat slit]; three shot]
52. Murder in the Dog Days by P. M. Carlson (7/29/20) Deaths = one ("other" to be more specific would be to provide a spoiler as to how the locked room was done)
53. Death in Berlin by M. M. Kaye (7/31/20) Deaths = 4 (two stabbed; one drowned; one shot)
54. The Town Cried Murder by Leslie Ford (8/2/20) Deaths = 2 (shot)
55. The Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards (8/4/20) Deaths = 4 (two hit on head; one stabbed; one burned to death)
56. The Ampersand Papers by Michael Innes (8/8/20) Deaths = one (fell from height)
57. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris (8/9/20) Deaths = two (stabbed/throat cut)
58. Scarweather by Anthony Rolls (8/11/20) Deaths = 3 (one hit on head; one poisoned; one shot) [Two more missing, presumed dead. But never confirmed and method not discussed.]
59. The Murder That Had Everything! by Hulbert Footner (8/13/20) Deaths = 4 (one shot; three hit on head)
60. Sweet Poison by Ellen Hart (8/15/20) Deaths = one (tasered to death)
61. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (8/17/20) Deaths = one (shot)
62. A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (8/19/20) Deaths = 4 (three poisoned; one natural causes)
63. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (8/25/20) Deaths = 5 (four shot; one stabbed)
64. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (8/25/20) Deaths = 4 (two hit on head; one strangled; one stabbed)
65. The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott (8/26/20) Deaths = one run over by subway
66. When Gods Die by C. S. Harris (8/27/20) Deaths = 10 (two poisoned; one fell from height; four stabbed; two drowned; one hit on head)
67. A Client Is Cancelled by Frances & Richard Lockridge (8/29/20) Deaths = 2 shot
68. Death Rides a Sorrel Horse by A. B. Cunninghham (8/31/20) Deaths = one hit on head
69. Something the Cat Dragged In by Charlotte MacLeod (9/4/20) Deaths = 2 (one hit on head; one strangled)
70. Out of Control by Baynard Kendrick (9/12/20) Deaths = 3 (car accidents)
71. Into the Valley by Evelyn Hervey [H.R.F. Keating] (9/13/0) Deaths = 2 (shot)
72. Bound to Murder by Dorsey Fiske (9/16/20) Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one fell from height)
73. The Mystery of the Skeleton Key by Bernard Capes (10/2/20) Deaths = 2 (one shot; one natural causes)
74. The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost by John Bellairs (10/3/20) Deaths = one hanged
75. Shadow on the Wall by H. C. Bailey (10/13/20) Deaths = 7 (two shot; one airplane crash; one fell from height; two poisoned; one stabbed)
76. Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner (10/14/20) Deaths = 6 (five poisoned; one stabbed)
77. Death of a Warrior Queen by S. T. Haymon (10/24/20) Deaths = 5 (2 car wreck; 1 natural; 1 stabbed; 1 hit)
78. Why Mermaids Sing by C. S. Harris (10/26/20) Deaths = 15 (seven stabbed; one hit by sailing vessel; two drowned; two hit on head; one fell from height; one alcohol poisoning; one natural causes)
79. Foot in the Grave by E. X. Ferrars (10/28/20) Deaths= 1 (hit with hammer)
80. The Disappearance at Pere-Lachaise (11/2/20) Deaths = 6 (three hit on head; one fell from height; one stabbed; one natural causes)
81. Look Your Last by John Stephen Strange (11/6/20) Deaths= 4 (two hit on head; one shot; one overdose)
82. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (11/10/20) Deaths = 9 (one hit on head; three poisoned; one hung; three shot; one stabbed)
83. Where Serpents Sleep by C. S. Harris (11/11/20) Deaths = 16 (four shot; seven broken neck; four stabbed; one poisoned/suicide)
84. If the Shroud Fits by Kelley Roos (11/13/20) Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one strangled)
85. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (11/19/20) Deaths = 1 (shot)
86. By Hook or by Crook by Anthony Gilbert (11/21/20) Deaths = 4 (3 poisoned; one hanged)
87. The Shadowy Third by Marco Page (11/22/20) Deaths = 2 (stabbed)
88. The Whispering Death by Roy Vickers (11/23/20) Deaths = 3 (two poisoned; one shot)
89. A Halo for Nobody by Henry Kane (11/26/20) Deaths = 9 (eight shot; one fell from height)
90. Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards (11/28/20) Deaths = 12 (one run over by train; one drowned; two strangled; one beaten; one natural; one shot; one stabbed; two fell from height; one house collapsed on; one poisoned)
91. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (11/29/20) Deaths = 1 (hit on head)
92. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie (12/3/20) Deaths= 21 (five poisoned; six natural; two stabbed; two hit on head; two drowned; one fell from height; two hanged/strangled; one shot)
93. Mrs. Jeffires & the Feast of St. Stephen by Emily Brightwell (12/4/20) Deaths = 5 (poisoned)
94. The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell (12/10/20) Deaths = 2 (one drowned; one fell from height)
95. The Revenge of the Hound by Michael Hardwick (12/12/20) Deaths = 3 (one stabbed; two clawed/mauled to death)
96. The Dragon Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (12/16/20) Deaths = 4 (two strangled; one crushed by rock; one natural)
97. What Remains of Heaven by C. S. Harris (12/17/20) Deaths = 4 (one hit on head; two stabbed; one died in fire)
98. Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie (12/18/20) Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one poisoned)
99. The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie (12/20/20) Deaths = 14 (two drowned; one struck by lightning; two shot; one strangled; five natural; one poisoned; one hit w/crowbar; one hit by subway train)
100. Where Shadows Dance by C. S. Harris (12/21/20) Deaths = 12 (seven stabbed; two shot; one hit on head; two strangled)
101.