Friday Fright Night: Halloween Word Search

 Well, here we are--the last Friday of the month and the last edition of Friday Fright Night. At the beginning of October Curtis Evans from the The Passing Tramp put out the call to his fellow bloggers to take part in a month-long event to get us ready for Halloween. Each Friday has found bloggers across the internet as well as familiar faces from the Tuesday Night Blogger crew serving up ghastly delights These are being gathered on up on the Golden Age of Detection Facebook page, but if any of my readers would like to join the fun you are welcome to leave a link in the comments and I'll see that Curtis gets it.

Last week I ransacked my Goodreads book list (the easiest to sort) and presented you with a sampling of Halloween-Themed Titles from my read and/or to-read lists along with a little quiz to see if you could match authors and titles. As promised, the answers will appear at the end of this post. This week I present a word search based on that post on Halloween-Themed Titles. In the puzzle, you will find one word from every title mentioned in my previous Fright Night post as well as the last name of each author referenced. Each word will be used only once--for instance,(The) Mystery of the Skeleton Key and The Skeleton Key have duplicate words. So "skeleton" and "key" (if used) may only appear once. Similarly, authors who have more than one title in the list only appear once in the puzzle. If I have done my job correctly and you have found all of the correct words (65 total), then the remaining letters will spell out (in order) the names of the blogs that have participated in our Halloween adventures (twice each)--followed by a suitable holiday message. There should be one random letter left over at the end. 

Clicking on the photo will enlarge the grid. If you would like a file to down load and print, you should be able to access it HERE.

And now for the answers to last week's quiz.

Ghosts

1. Ghost of a Chance                 C. Kelley Roos

2. Death of a Ghost                    D. Margery Allingham

3. Old Lover's Ghost                  B. Leslie Ford

4. What Beckoning Ghost          E. Douglas G. Browne

5. Three-Thirds of a Ghost         A. Timothy Fuller

Skeletons

1. (The) Mystery of the Skeleton Key     D. Bernard Capes

2. The Skeleton in the Clock                  E. Carter Dickson

3. The Long Skeleton                             C. Francis & Richard Lockridge

4. Skeleton Key                                      B. Lenore Glen 

5. Skeleton in the Closet                        A. A. B. Cunningham

Skulls & Monsters 

(I had fewer of these, so I combined)

1. The Riddle of the Traveling Skull     D. Harry Stephen Keeler 

2. The Monster of Lazy Hook               C. Thorne Lee John Dickson Carr

3. Castle Skull                                      B. John Dickson Carr

4. Many a Monster                               A. Robert Finnegan

Witches

1. The Witch of the Low Tide            B. John Dickson Carr

2. Brood of the Witch-Queen            C. Sax Rohmer 

3. The Witch's House                        A. Charlotte Armstrong

Bats

1. Bats Fly at Dusk                 C. A. A. Fair Mary Roberts Rinehart

2. The Bat                               A. Mary Roberts Rinehart

3. The Bat Flies Low               B. Sax Rohmer

Devils

1. The Devil Loves Me            G. Margaret Millar 

2. The Devil's Stronghold        E. Leslie Ford 

3. The Devil to Pay                  B. Ellery Queen Louis Malley

4. The Devil in the Bush          F. Matthew Head 

5. The Devil Man                     A. Edgar Wallace

6. Horns for the Devil              C. Louis Malley

7. The Devil & the C.I.D.         D. E. C. R. Lorac

Midnight (the witching hour!)

1. Before Midnight                         A. Rex Stout

2. The Midnight Plumber               C. Maurice Proctor 

3. Prelude to a Certain Midnight    D. Gerald Kersch

4. Midnight Sailing                         B. Laurence G. Blochman

Why Mermaids Sing

 Why Mermaids Sing (2007) by C. S. Harris

Third in the Viscount Devlin (Sebastian St. Cyr) Regency-era mystery series. It's now September 1811 and Sir Henry Lovejoy once again approaches Devlin for help with a gruesome series of murders. The sons of some of the wealthiest families in London have been found slain--their throats cut, portions of their bodies mutilated, and strange objects stuffed in their mouths. The young men have obviously been killed elsewhere and then dumped in prominent public places--someone wants their handiwork to be seen. But then a merchant captain's son and the son of a country parson are also killed. The Bow Street Runners (who take over the case) claim there is no connection--but Devlin is sure it's all part of a deadly serious pattern.

The first connection he finds is to a John Donne poem, "Song: Go and catch a falling star." The items found in the young men's mouths all come from the lines of the poem. Next, he finds that the fathers of all the young men were survivors of the doomed last voyage of Captain Edward Bellamy's ship, the Harmony. The fathers all behave as if they have something to hide and definitely don't want Devlin to investigate. So, he becomes convinced that something dreadful must have happened on that ship. But why kill the innocent sons who weren't even born yet? Once Devlin can answer that question, he'll be on his way to finding out who is behind the murders haunting London.

This is another really well-done mystery on the part of Harris. It doesn't claim to be in the Golden Age tradition, but the clues truly are all there and one could (despite the fact that one didn't) figure it all out before Devlin did. Lots of action and adventure and twists and turns to keep the reader on her toes. It's not easy to use the "murderer following a rhyme or poem or song" theme and make it work--but Harris does. There is a very logical (to the murderer) reason for the use of the Donne poem and it's not overdone. 

I honestly had forgotten how gruesome this series could be. Fifteen deaths is a pretty high body count and the deaths are not pleasant. Not that murder ever is, but these are particularly nasty. Of course, one understands why after the motive is revealed and the fact that the method of murder follows on the precipitating event makes it easier to have read. I think one reason I remembered this series so fondly is because Devlin is such an interesting and well-drawn character. The struggles he faces both in his investigations and in his personal life are very realistic and bring the reader firmly into Devlin's corner. We want him to succeed in his investigations and we want him to succeed privately.

There is a whole sub-story of mystery revolving around Devlin and his missing mother as well as Devlin and his lover, the actress Kat Boleyn. New twists keep appearing and I for one am eager to find out where Devlin goes from here. He's dealt a pretty devastating blow at the end of this one...but maybe there is hope for a happy ending eventually. ★★★★

First line: Fear twisted Dominic Stanton's stomach, compressed his chest until his breath came shallow and quick.

Last line: And still he sate there, until the last of the day faded from the sky, and the lamplighter on his rounds set a flickering flame to the oil lamps in the square.

***********

Deaths (including those contributing to the motive and resulting from catalytic event that started it all) = 15 (seven stabbed; one hit by sailing vessel; two drowned; two hit on head; one fell from height; one alcohol poisoning; one natural causes)

Death of a Warrior Queen

 Death of a Warrior Queen (1991) by S. T. Haymon

Detective-Inspector Ben Jurnet is overjoyed that the love of his life, Miriam, has returned to England after a year spent in Israel. He's not sure exactly where the relationship stands, but he knows he just wants to be with her. When he gets an invitation to examine an archaeological dig in the Lanthrop area in order to give advice about how best to protect any finds, he decides to turn it into a picnic holiday with Miriam. After a brief stop at the archaeological site, the venture to a lovely strop of beach along the sea. There's even a handy little hide-away in the dunes for lovers to get reacquainted. 

All is going well--in fact, even better than Jurnet expected--until their activities unearth a brown, leathery hand attached to a very dead body. Jurnet is hastily turned from ardent lover to cop on a job and his task is to find out who wanted Annie Chance dead. All indications were that she had packed everything she owned and planned to leave town (leaving her adult, but somewhat backward son behind) and some say she was leaving with traveling sales rep. Her suitcase is missing and there's no sign of the sales rep. Annie wasn't the most pleasant of women--so there are a few suspects in the village as well, including her son who may have gotten tired of her blows, both verbal and physical. Annie's isn't the only death in Lanthrop--but Jurnet will have to determine if an auto accident, an apparent suicide, a death from AIDS, and/or the slaughter of a herd of goats have anything to do with Annie's murder.

I have to say that I was disappointed with this one. I had read the first five Haymon mysteries in the late 80s/early 90s and found Ben Jurnet to be an interesting detective. The mystery plots were all solid--nothing extraordinary, but they were well-plotted and were good for a day's read. Reading the sixth installment about thirty years later, Jurnet is still an interesting and well-drawn character, but I wasn't all that keen on the plot. I found the motive for murder to be rather bizarre and, well, tawdry [explaining would be a MAJOR spoiler]. And, yes, murders are often tawdry in real life, but I don't generally want my fiction experiences to leave me feeling so icky.  ★★

Quotes

First line: They came to the coast by narrow roads that snaked between fields of barley and heathland where the bracken along the verges bent to the stir of the car's passing.

But things that change your life, I've discovered, don't have to be showy or dramatic. They can be so small that when you look back at them afterwards, it seems incredible such little things could have such colossal consequences. (Hannah Millburn; p. 41)

You could say that she was the one who put the whole idea into my mind. I mean, if somebody suddenly makes it plain that they think you capable of things  you never suspected you were capable of, well, you begin to think perhaps you are, if you take my meaning. (Endymion Mobbs, p. 175)

Last line: Dazed with joy, he watched the door slowly opening.

 

***********

Deaths = 5 (2 car wreck; 1 natural causes; 1 stabbed; 1 hit)

Friday Fright Night: Halloween-Themed Titles

At the beginning of the month Curtis Evans from the The Passing Tramp put out the call to his fellow bloggers to take part in a month-long event to get us ready for Halloween. Friday Fright Night has found bloggers across the internet as well as familiar faces from the Tuesday Night Blogger crew serving up ghastly delights These are being gathered on up on the Golden Age of Detection Facebook page, but if any of my readers would like to join the fun you are welcome to leave a link in the comments and I'll see that Curtis gets it.

I missed last week and wasn't sure I would be able to put together one today, but I decided to try and squeeze one in under the wire. So...I ransacked my Goodreads book list (the easiest to sort) and will present you a sampling of Halloween-Themed Titles from my read and/or read lists. For most of the categories I have at least two titles, so I am challenging you to match the title to the correct author.  But I'll lead with Dwight V. Babcock's (The) Gorgeous Ghoul Case. There are no other ghouls among my books--unless you count the fact that I own two different pocket-size, pulp-era editions.

I haven't read this one yet, but the blurb for Babcock's book promises: You'll Shudder, You'll Groan, You'll Laugh--You'll Sit Up All Night to Read The Gorgeous Ghoul Murder Case! ...the intriguing, contrasting combinations that crows the pages include: A phone call from a dead man! A romantic moon that shines on a bitter fight in an open grave! A sweet-smelling gardenia crushed under the beautiful nude body of a throttled woman! A trumpet that serves as a doorbell! And a skunk that is a house pet! If you're badly in need of sleep, DON'T start this story--because you won't close your eyes until you've read the last action-packed line of this definitely superiour "whodunit"!

Of course, in honor of Halloween itself, there is Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie. Leo Bruce also tried his hand at a Halloween mystery with Death on Allhallowe'en. And, coincidentally, each story revolves around the murder of a young person who saw more than s/he should have.

But...on with our ghoulish games. In each category, your challenge is to match up the author with the appropriate title. Please--no peeking in Google. Answers will be posted next Friday so you can see how you did.

Ghosts

1. Ghost of a Chance                 A. Timothy Fuller

2. Death of a Ghost                    B. Leslie Ford

3. Old Lover's Ghost                  C. Kelley Roos

4. What Beckoning Ghost          D. Margery Allingham

5. Three-Thirds of a Ghost         E. Douglas G. Browne

Skeletons

1. (The) Mystery of the Skeleton Key     A. A. B. Cunningham

2. The Skeleton in the Clock                  B. Lenore Glen Offord

3. The Long Skeleton                             C. Francis & Richard Lockridge

4. Skeleton Key                                      D. Bernard Capes

5. Skeleton in the Closet                        E. Carter Dickson

Skulls & Monsters 

(I had fewer of these, so I combined)

1. The Riddle of the Traveling Skull     A. Robert Finnegan

2. The Monster of Lazy Hook               B. John Dickson Carr

3. Castle Skull                                      C. Thorne Lee

4. Many a Monster                               D. Harry Stephen Keeler

Witches

1. The Witch of the Low Tide            A. Charlotte Armstrong

2. Brood of the Witch-Queen             B. John Dickson Carr

3. The Witch's House                        C. Sax Rohmer

Bats

1. Bats Fly at Dusk                 A. Mary Roberts Rinehart

2. The Bat                               B. Sax Rohmer

3. The Bat Flies Low              C. A. A. Fair 

Devils

1. The Devil Loves Me            A. Edgar Wallace

2. The Devil's Stronghold        B. Ellery Queen

3. The Devil to Pay                  C. Louis Malley

4. The Devil in the Bush          D. E. C. R. Lorac

5. The Devil Man                     E. Leslie Ford

6. Horns for the Devil              F. Matthew Head

7. The Devil & the C.I.D.        G. Margaret Millar

Midnight (the witching hour!)

1. Before Midnight                         A. Rex Stout

2. The Midnight Plumber               B. Laurence G. Blochman

3. Prelude to a Certain Midnight    C. Maurice Proctor

4. Midnight Sailing                         D. Gerald Kersh

Color Coded Challenge 2021: My Sign-Up

 

Every year I think I've used up my last title with "Brown" (or a shade of brown) for the Color Coded Reading Challenge and every year I prove myself wrong (or buy more books with suitable titles). I'll keep signing up as long as I have suitable titles (I'm determined to use titles and not covers).

Here's the basic rule: read nine books with the various colors listed below in their titles or as a dominant color/image on their covers. For full details, click the link above. I'll list my books and date read as they come.

1. Read book with "Blue" (or a shade of blue): Blue Octavo by John Blackburn (3/12/21)

2. Read a book with "Red" (or a shade of red): The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang [ed] (1/9/21)

3. Read a book with "Yellow" (or a shade of yellow): The Venetian Blonde by A. S. Fleischman (5/4/21)

4. Read a book with "Green" (or a shade of green): Behind the Green Door by Mildred A. Wirt (2/26/21)

5. Read a book with "Brown" (or a shade of brown): The Sands of Windee by Arthur W. Upfield (5/3/21)

6. Read a book with "Black" (or a shade of black): The Black Thumb by Constance & Gwenyth Little

7. Read a book with "White" (or a shade of white): The Ivory Snuff Box by Arnold Fredericks (4/27/21)

8. Read a book with any other color: The Ultraviolet Widow by Frances Crane (5/31/21)

9. Read a book a word/image that implies color (rainbow, polka dot, etc): The Rainbow Riddle by Margaret Sutton (5/18/21)

Challenge Complete! 5/31/21

Calendar of Crime 2021: My Sign-Up

As mentioned elsewhere on the Block, mysteries are my go-to read, so filling up a Calendar of Crime with all sorts of dastardly deeds is an easy challenge for me. The goal--to read one month-related mystery book per month for a total of 12 books (or more, if you'd like). If you'd like to join me, just click on the link.

January: Death & the Dutch Uncle by Patricia Moyes [author's birth month] (1/18/21)

February: The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer [Couple/romance] (2/19/21)

February: Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [author's birth month) (2/22/21)

March: Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh & Stella Duffy [Duffy's birth month] (3/28/21)

April: Sidney Chambers & the Shadow of Death by James Runcie [Original publication] (1/14/21)

April: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz [author's birth month] (2/4/21)

May: Death of a Millionaire by G.D.H. & Margaret Cole [Margaret's birth month] (1/4/21)

June: Raffles [The Amateur Cracksman] by E. W. Hornung [author's birth month] (1/28/21)

July: The Cannibal Who Overate by Hugh Pentecost [my birth month/wild card] (2/14/21)

July: Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss [Original publication] (2/21/21)

July: Behind the Green Door by Mildred A. Wirt [author's birth month] (2/26/21)

August: When Maidens Mourn by C. S. Harris [primary action] (1/20/21)

August: Gently in the Sun by Alan Hunter [boat/water on cover] (4/5/21)

September: The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie [author's birth month] (2/7/21)

September: The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie [Original publication] (2/21/21)

September: The September Society by Charles Finch [month in title] (8/21/21)

October: Dead as a Dodo by Jane Langton [primary action] (1/24/21)

November: Hallowed Murder by Ellen Hart [Thanksgiving] (1/26/21)

December: Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal [Primary Action] (1/2/21)

December: Crimson Snow by Martin Edwards (ed) [Christmas] (1/12/21)

December: The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club [Original publication] (1/17/21)

Virtual Mount TBR 2021: My Sign-Up

 

image credit--ST:The Next Generation holodeck with Capt. Picard

Every year my goal is to read from my own stacks (hence the original Mount TBR Challenge). And every year I decide that there are TBR books that I don't own that I just have to Read. So--with my Virtual Mount TBR Challenge, I get to count that mountain too. I'm starting with Rum Doodle and, hopefully, I won't get too carried away with library books. Though it would be nice to say that I've climbed the steps to Vulcan's Mount Seleya....

click to enlarge

If you have tons of books on your want to read list that you don't own, then please join me as we tackle fictional mountains in the TBR world. Just click on the link above.

1. Crimson Snow by Martin Edwards [ed] (1/12/21)

2. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (1/18/21)

3. The Double-Jack Murders by Patrick McManus (2/2/21)

4. The Bookwanderers by Anna James (2/6/21)

5. The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie (2/7/21)

6. My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2/13/21)

7. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre (2/20/21)

8. Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss (2/21/21)

9. A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore (2/25/21)

10. Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love & Reunion intro by Kristin Hannah (3/10/21)

11. Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh/Stella Duffy (3/29/21)

12. The Devil & the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (4/1/21)

Rum Doodle!

13. Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs (4/10/21)

14. Women Heroes of World War II by Kathryn J. Atwood (5/5/21)

15. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle (5/7/21)

16. Hiding by Barbara Cartland (5/8/21)

17. Malcolm X & the Fight for African American Unity by Gary Jeffrey (5/8/21)

18. The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon (5/9/21)

19. The Clue of the New Pin by Edgar Wallace (5/15/21)

20. Who Buries the Dead by C. S. Harris (5/25/21)

21. Murder by the Book: The Crime That Shocked Dickens's London by Claire Harman (6/12/21)

22. Why Kill the Innocent by C. S. Harris (6/22/21)

23. Who Slays the Wicked by C. S. Harris (6/30/21)

24. Road Rage by Ruth Rendell (7/2/21)

Mount Crumpit!!

25. Who Speaks for the Damned by C. S. Harris (7/12/21)

26. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (7/14/21)

27. What the Devil Knows by C. S. Harris (7/22/21)

28. Henrietta Who? by Catherine Aird (8/2/21)

29. Resurrection Row by Anne Perry (8/4/21)

30. The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell (8/8/21)

31. Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood (8/20/21)

32. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis

33. The Appeal by Janice Hallett (9/3/21)

34. Mythos: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry (9/27/21)

35. Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett (9/29/21)

36. Seven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon (10/2/21)

Mount Munch!!!

37. Serpents in Eden by Martin Edwards [ed] (10/11/21)

38. The Arsenal Stadium Mystery by Leonard Gribble (10/22/21)

39. Death in the Tunnel by Miles Burton (10/26/21)

40. Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss (11/24/21)

41. Silent Nights by Martin Edwards [ed] (12/1/21)

42. The Christmas Card Crime & Other Stories by Martin Edwards [ed] (12/5/21)

43. Murder at the Mortuary by Lee Strauss (12/6/21)

44. A Surprise for Christmas by Martin Edwards [ed] (12/16/21)

45. Murder at Kensington Gardens by Lee Strauss (12/18/21)

46. The Pig on the Hill by John Kelly (12/18/21)

47. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (12/20/21)

48. Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner (12/22/21)

White Plume Mountain!!!

49. In the Crypt with a Candlestick by Daisy Waugh (12/24/21)

50.

Mount TBR 2021: My Sign-Up

 

 

January 2021 kicks off the tenth year for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge and, despite climbing like mad and conquering Mount Everest on the regular each year, I still have mountain ranges to climb. And miles of bookcases to read before I sleep (or something like that). I just can't resist a good old fashioned used bookstore (though they are become rarer and rarer) or the community Hoosier Hills Food Bank Book Sale which adds to the mountains as fast as I knock books off. And, somehow, despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled both my trips to my favorite used bookstore and the community book sale, my mountain range seems to be just as vast as ever. 

So, once again, I plan to concentrate on reading primarily from my own books in the coming year. Perhaps this year I will actually plant a flag on Mount Olympus...but my declared goal will remain Mount Everest. Please join me in knocking out some of those books that have been waiting for attention for weeks...months...even years. Just click on the link above.

1. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal [on TBR since 2/16/17] (1/2/21)

2. Death of a Millionaire by G.D.H. & Margaret Cole [on TBR since7/1/17] (1/4/21)

3. The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (ed) [on TBR since 10/4/2018] (1/9/21)

4. Sidney Chambers & the Shadow of Death by James Runcie [on TBR since 1/22/17] (1/14/21)

5. The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club [on TBR since 1980s] (1/17/21)

6. Death & the Dutch Uncle by Patricia Moyes [on TBR since 9/28/12] (1/18/21) 

7. When Maidens Mourn by C. S. Harris [on TBR since 8/17/17] (1/20/21)

8. Mr. President, Private Eye by Martin H. Greenberg & Francis M. Nevins, Jr. (eds) [on TBR since 12/5/19] (1/22/21)

9. Dead as a Dodo by Jane Langton [on TBR since 12/6/08] (1/24/20)

10. Hallowed Murder by Ellen Hart [on TBR since 3/1/12] (1/26/21)

11. Raffles by E. W. Hornung [on TBR since 12/22/18] (1/28/21)

12. Murder in the Calais Coach (aka Murder on the Orient Express) by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 12/25/20] (1/30/21)

Pike's Peak!

13. One Lady, Two Cats by Richard Lockridge [one TBR since 9/8/20] (1/31/21)

14. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz [on TBR since 1/19/19] (2/4/21)

15. The Cannibal Who Overate by Hugh Pentecost [on TBR since 10/3/14] (2/14/21)

16. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer [on TBR since 7/14/18] (2/19/20)

17. The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 10/12/13] (2/21/21)

18. Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [on TBR since 7/22/15] (2/22/21)

19. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier [on TBR since 10/1/93] (2/24/21)

20. Behind the Green Door by Mildred A. Wirt [on TBR since 10/5/17] (2/26/21)

21. Howard's End by E. M. Forster [on TBR since 2/11/10] (2/27/21)

22. The Adventure of the Peerless Peer by Philip Jose Farmer [on TBR since 10/6/16] (2/28/21)

23. Dracula (graphic novel) by Bram Stoker [on TBR since about 1977] (3/2/21)

24. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers [on TBR since 1/19/13] (3/6/21)

Mount Blanc!!

25. Dead, Man, Dead by David Alexander [on TBR since 7/1/17] (3/7/21)

26. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 9/4/10] (3/8/21)

27. Bodies from the Library: Lost Tales of Mystery & Suspense from Agatha Christie & Other Masters of the Golden Age by Tony Medawar (ed) [on TBR since 5/7/19] (3/10/21)

28. Blue Octavo by John Blackburn [on TBR since 10/5/17] (3/12/21)

29. Taking Detective Stories Seriously: The Collected Crime Reviews of Dorothy L. Sayers by Martin Edwards (ed) [on TBR since 3/27/17] (3/21/21)

30. The Coconut Killings by Patricia Moyes [on TBR 10/3/19] (3/22/21)

31. Murder in 3 Acts by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 12/25/14] (3/26/21)

32. Final Notice by Jo Dereske [on TBR since 3/10/17] (3/27/21)

33. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 5/17/19} (3/31/21)

34. The Lazarus Tree by Robert Richardson [on TBR since 4/10/15] (4/2/21)

35. Gently in the Sun by Alan Hunter [on TBR since 12/31/11] (4/5/21)

36. Mr. Smith's Hat by Helen Reilly [on TBR since 3/28/15] (4/7/21)

Mt. Vancouver!!!

37. Murder Goes to College by Kurt Steel [on TBR since 12/17/20] (4/8/21)

38. What Darkness Brings by C. S. Harris [on TBR since 8/17/17] (4/11/21)

39. Why Kings Confess by C. S. Harris [on TBR since 5/25/17] (4/12/21)

40. One Murdered: Two Dead by Milton Propper [on TBR since 7/29/17] (4/14/21)

41. Who Killed Stella Pomeroy? by Sir Basil Thomson [on TBR since 12/24/18] (4/16/21)

42. Murder in the Bookshop by Carolyn Wells [on TBR since 11/27/20] (4/17/21)

43. An Ad for Murder by John Penn [on TBR since 10/5/17] (4/18/21)

44. Murdock's Acid Test by George Harmon Coxe [on TBR since 12/25/16] (4/19/21)

45. The African Poison Murders by Elspeth Huxley [on TBR since 7/20/13] (4/21/21)

46. Star Trek The Motion Picture: The Photostory by Richard J. Anobile (ed) [on TBR since 6/27/12] (4/21/21)

47. Star Trek The Motion Picture: Full Color Comic by Marv Wolfman (ed) [on TBR since 6/27/12] (4/21/21)

48. The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers & Robert Eustace [on TBR since 10/13/14] (4/24/21)

Mt. Ararat!!!!

49. Smooth Justice by Michael Underwood [on TBR since 10/5/19] (4/25/21)

50. The Ivory Snuff Box by Arnold Fredericks [on TBR since 9/13/19] (4/27/21)

51. The Egyptian Cross Mystery by Ellery Queen [on TBR since 7/8/16] (4/29/21)

52. Fire in the Thatch by E. C. R. Lorac [on TBR since 1/26/19] (4/30/21)

53. Look Behind You, Lady by A. S. Fleischman [on TBR since 3/29/14] (5/1/21]

54. The Sands of Windee by Arthur W. Upfield [on TBR since 10/3/14] (5/3/21)

55. The Venetian Blonde by A. S. Fleischman [on TBR since 3/29/14] (5/3/21)

56. Murder by the Book by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 7/1/20] (5/5/21)

57. Accent on Murder by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR 9/3/11] (5/6/21)

58. With One Stone by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since at least 2011] (5/7/21)

59. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle [on TBR sincs 1980s] (5/8/21)

60. Preach No More by Richard Lockridge [on TBR since at least 2011] (5/9/21)

Mt. Kilimanjaro!!!!!

61. The Haunted Attic by Margaret Sutton [on TBR since 2/24/18] (5/10/21)

62. Innocent Blood by P. D. James [on TBR since 1988] (5/12/21)

63. The Trolley to Yesterday by John Bellairs [on TBR since 3/8/19] (5/13/21)

64. I'll Kill You Next! by Adam Knight [on TBR since 11/10/14] (5/16/21)

65. The Montmartre Investigation by Claude Izner [on TBR since 5/5/16] (5/17/21)

66. The Rainbow Riddle by Margaret Sutton [on TBR since 10/3/19] (5/18/21)

67. Theoretically Dead by Tinker Marks [on TBR since 12/18/10] (5/19/21)

68. The 13th Warrior by Michael Crichton [on TBR since 12/25/11] (5/22/21)

69. Think of Death by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 9/8/20] (5/23/21)

70. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 9/3/11] (5/27/21)

71. Murderess Ink: The Better Half of Mystery by Dilys Winn [on TBR since 9/25/14] (5/28/21)

72. The Black Thumb by Constance & Gwenyth Little [on TBR since 3/26/11] (5/30/21)

73. The Ultraviolet Widow by Frances Crane [on TBR since 5/24/14] (5/31/21)

74. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks [on TBR since 8/20/11] (6/4/21)

75. Hunt the Tortoise by E. X. Ferrars [on TBR since 4/23/20] (6/6/21)

El Toro!!!!!!

76. A Silver Spade by Louisa Revell [on TBR since 4/23/20] (6/9/21)

77. The Judge Is Reversed by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since at least 2011] (6/10/21)

78. The Curious Custard Pie by Margaret Scherf [on TBR since 4/23/20] (6/11/21)

79.The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Murder at Sorrow's Crown by Steven Savile & Robert Greenberger [on TBR since 1/22/17] (6/14/21)

80. A Tasty Way to Die by Janet Laurence [on TBR since 10/4/14] (6/15/21)

81. When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris [on TBR since 8/17/17] (6/15/21)

82. Where the Dead Lie by C. S. Harris [on TBR since 7/21/20] (6/16/21)

83. The Marais Assassin by Claude Izner [on TBR since 5/3/12] (6/17/21)

84. The Bitter Path of Death by Pierre Audemars [on TBR since 3/28/15] (6/18/21)

85. Dragon's Cave by Clyde B. Clason [on TBR since 10/4/13] (6/21/21)

86. Mystery on the Isle of Skye by Phyllis A. Whitney [on TBR since 10/5/19] (6/22/21)

87. The Fantastic Civil War by Frank McSherry, Jr (ed) [on TBR since at least 2000--not logged properly] (6/23/21)

88. Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell [on TBR since 3/13/10] (6/24/21)

89. The Youth Hostel Murders by Glynn Carr [on TBR since 1/15/13] (6/28/21)

90. The Predator of Batignolles by Claude Izner [on TBR since 5/3/12] (6/30/21)

91. The Conjure-Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher [on TBR since 8/29/19] (7/3/21)

92. The Bride of Newgate by John Dickson Carr [on TBR since 3/24/17] (7/3/21)

93. Giant Mystery Reader by Various (ed by Avon Books) [on TBR since 3/24/17] (7/4/21)

94. Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay [on TBR since 12/21/15] (7/5/21)

95. Trixie Belden & the Mystery Off Glen Road by Julie Campbell [on TBR since 10/4/18] (7/5/21)

96. After the Armistice Ball by Catriona McPherson [on TBR since 7/9/16] (7/6/21)

97. The Red Right Hand by Joel Townsley Rogers [on TBR since 7/22/15] (7/10/21)

98. The Illusion of Murder by Carol McCleary [on TBR since 12/20/12] (7/11/21]

99. Cats Don't Smile by D. B. Olsen [on TBR since 10/5/15] (7/11/21)

100. Strangled in Paris by Claude Izner [on TBR since 9/5/19] (7/13/21)

Mount Everest!!!!!!! (Commitment Complete--Still Reading)

101. Bugs Bunny #152 [on TBR since 2018] (7/15/21)

102. Murder Draws a Line by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz [on TBR since 12/31/19] (7/15/21)

103. Murder at Teatime by Cynthia Manson (ed) [on TBR since 10/1/11] (7/16/21)

104. For This I Went to College? by Bill Keane [on TBR since 7/17/78] (7/17/21)

105. Stone Cold Blonde by Adam Knight [on TBR since 12/20/14] (7/17/21)

106. Naked Came the Manatee by Carl Hiassen, Dave Barry, et al [on TBR since 4/28/16] (7/17/21)

107. Quaker Witness by Irene Allen [on TBR 10/3/19] (7/19/21)

108. The Kennel Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine [on TBR since 7/1/17] (7/20/21)

109. No Medals for the Major by Margaret Yorke [on TBR since 7/11/19] (7/20/21)

110. The Perfect Crime (aka The Big Bow Mystery) by Israel Zangwill (with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe) [on TBR since 11/10/18] (7/21/21)

111. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry [on TBR since 7/1/90] (7/23/21)

112. Great French Detective Stories by T. J. Hale (ed) [on TBR since 11/17/12] (7/25/21)

113. Callander Square by Anne Perry [on TBR since 6/14/90] (7/25/21)

114. The Portcullis Room by Valentine Williams [on TBR since 10/5/17] (7/27/21)

115. The Basle Express by Manning Coles [on TBR since 4/9/16] (7/28/21)

116. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume [on TBR since 10/9/15] (7/29/21)

117. Drink to Yesterday by Manning Coles [on TBR since 2/1/18] (7/30/21)

118. Lord Mullion's Secret by Michael Innes [on TBR since at least 2011] (7/30/21)

119. The Graveyard Rolls by Maurice Procter [on TBR since 5/24/14] (7/31/21)

120. Paragon Walk by Anne Perry [on TBR since 8/25/90] (8/1/21)

121. The Secret of Skeleton Island by Robert Arthur [on TBR since 6/2/18] (8/3/21)

122. Sleight of Crime by Cedric E. Clute & Nicholas Lewin (eds) [on TBR since 10/3/14] (8/4/21)

123. The Sound of Insects by Mildred Davis [on TBR since 10/23/10] (8/5/21)

124. Rutland Place by Anne Perry [on TBR since 7/1/90] (8/5/21)

125. Bluegate Fields by Anne Perry [on TBR since 4/23/91] (8/6/21)

126. Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 7/1/17] (8/10/21)

127. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch [on TBR since 10/3/19] (8/12/21)

128. Funerals Are Fatal (After the Funeral) by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 6/22/18] (8/14/21)

129. The Patriotic Murders (One, Two, Buckle My Shoe) by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 6/1/18] (8/17/21)

130. The September Society by Charles Finch [on TBR since 1/30/10] (8/21/21)

131. Hang the Little Man by John Creasey [on TBR since 10/6/16] (8/22/21)

132. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 12/20/14] (8/22/21)

133. The Body of a Girl by Michael Gilbert [on TBR since 9/20/13] (8/25/21)

134. Add a Pinch of Cyanide by Emma Page [on TBR since 3/28/15] (8/27/21)

135. I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogle [on TBR since 5/27/19] (8/27/21)

136. The Private Face of Murder by John & Emery Bonett [on TBR since 9/28/12) (8/29/21)

137. Appleby's Other Story by Michael Innes [on TBR since 6/9/12] (8/31/21)

138. A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch [on TBR since 4/1/14] (9/2/21)

139. The River & the Rose by Sandra Abbott [on TBR since 7/9/14] (9/4/21)

140. The House of Care by W. J. Burley [on TBR since 8/27/15] (9/6/21)

141. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 6/19/19] (9/9/21)

142. A Burial at Sea by Charles Finch [on TBR since 2/28/19] (9/10/21)

143. The Lake Frome Monster by Arthur W. Upfield [on TBR since 10/4/18] (9/11/21)

144. Practise to Deceive by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since at least 2011] (9/13/21)

145. The Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie [on TBR since 6/10/17] (9/13/21)

146. Dead Woman's Ditch by Simon Nash [on TBR since 8/29/16] (9/15/21)

147. Dolls Are Deadly by Brett Halliday [on TBR since 11/16/17] (9/16/21)

148. The Witch of the Low Tide by John Dickson Carr [on TBR since 10/1/10] (9/18/21)

149. DeKok & Variations on Murder by A. C. Baantjer [on TBR since 9/2/13] (9/21/21)

150. The Locked Room by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö [on TBR since 10/6/12] (9/23/21)

Mount Olympus!!!!!!!! 

151. Many Deadly Returns by Patricia Moyes [on TBR since 12/30/11] (9/25/21)

152. A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch [on TBR since 9/20/13] (9/30/21)

153. Mister Splitfoot by Helen McCloy [onTBR since 7/1/17] (10/4/21)

154. The Five Assassins by Owen Fox Jerome [on TBR since 10/18/14] (10/6/21)

155. Three Thirds of a Ghost by Timothy Fuller [on TBR since 10/9/15] (10/7/21)

156. A Mystery for Ninepence by Phyllis Gegan [on TBR since 8/18/18] (10/7/21)

157. Watson's Last Case by Ian Charnock [on TBR since 12/22/12] (10/8/21)

158. Star Trek 8 adapted by James Blish [on TBR since 1980] (10/8/21)

159. Earl Derr Biggers Tells Ten Stories by Earl Derr Biggers [on TBR since 11/12/15] (10/10/21)

160. Burnt Offering by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 2/27/09] (10/13/21)

161. Show Red for Danger by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 8/6/11] (10/17/21)

162. The Spider Sapphire Mystery by Nancy Drew [on TBR since 7/1/78] (10/17/21)

163. First Come, First Kill by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 3/21/09] (10/19/21)

164. The Distant Clue by Frances & Richard Lockridge [on TBR since at least 2011] (10/19/21)

165. Murder Can't Wait by Richard Lockridge [on TBR since 2/27/09] (10/26/21)

166. The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene [on TBR since 7/29/17--this edition] (10/27/21)

167. The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene [on TBR since 1978] (10/28/21)

168. Blood on the Dining-Room Floor by Gertrude Stein [on TBR since 10/6/16] (10/29/21)

169. The Secret at Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene [on TBR since 3/25/17] (10/30/21)

170. The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene [on TBR since 11/1/14] (10/31/21)

171. The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene [on TBR since 6/1/18] (11/2/21)

172. Dying Fall by Judith Cutler [on TBR since 12/25/19] (11/3/21)

173. Death Among the Stars by Kenneth Giles [on TBR since 12/17/20] (11/7/21)

174. The American Gun Mystery by Ellery Queen [on TBR since 10/10/15] (11/10/21)

175. Death of an Obnoxious Tourist by Maria Hudgins [on TBR since 1/14/17] (11/19/20)

176. Which Reminds Me by Tony Randall & Michael Mindlin [on TBR since 6/11/16] (11/21/21)

177. Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand [on TBR since 9/20/13] (11/23/21)

178. Spence & the Holiday Murders by Michael Allen [on TBR since 6/20/21] (11/27/21)

179. Murder under the Mistletoe by Jennifer Jordan [on TBR since 10/3/19] (11/27/21)

180. Still Life with Murder by P. B. Ryan [on TBR since 4/5/14] (12/9/21)

181. Murder in the French Room by Helen Joan Hultman [on TBR since 4/25/14] (12/18/21)

182. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; read by Patrick Stewart [on TBR since 2010] (12/25/21)

183. Spare Time for Murder by John Gale [on TBR since 1/16/16] (12/27/21)

184. The Death at Yew Corner by Robert Forrest [on TBR 3/19/16] (12/29/21)

185. Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie [on TBR since at least 2011] (12/31/21)