2022 Catch-Up: POM Awards for November & December

 

So....life went a little off the rails at the end of November. My husband suffered a mild stroke and once we got him diagnosed and analyzed and released from the hospital and settled into a therapy schedule, I discovered that it was almost mid-December and I hadn't awarded a P.O.M. for November. So I decided to do November and December all in one go, with two winners: one from each month. The good news for the POM awards is that all but one of the books read were mysteries. The bad news is few garnered more than three or three & a half stars. Here's how things look for the last two months of 2022:

Total Books Read: 25 (which early in the year was about a month's total)

                               November = 14; December = 11
Total Pages: 5,724
Average Rating: 3.04 stars 
Top Rating: 4.5 stars 
Percentage by Female Authors: 48%

Percentage by Male Authors: 44%

Percentage by both Female & Male Authors: 8%

Percentage by US Authors: 52%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors:  4%
Percentage Mystery: 96%

Percentage Fiction: 100%
Percentage written 2000+: 16%
Percentage of Rereads: 24%
Percentage Read for Challenges: 100% {It's easy to have every book count for a challenge when you sign up for as many as I do.}    
Number of Challenges fulfilled so far: 34 (100%)

 

Mysteries Read:

Murder Impossible by Jack Adrian & Robert Adey [eds] (3.5 stars)

Wrapped Up in Crosswords by Nero Blanc (2.5 stars)

A Nameless Coffin by Gwendoline Butler (2.5 stars)

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (4 stars)

Sweet Poison by Douglas Clark (3.5 stars)

The Old English Peep Show by Peter Dickinson (1 star)

Streaked with Crimson by Charles J. Dutton (3 stars)

The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner (2.5 stars)

Holmes for the Holidays by Martin H. Greenberg, Jon L. Lellenberg, & Carol-Lynn Waugh [eds] (3.5 stars)

The Last Noel by Jean Hager (3.5 stars)

The Candle Shop Mystery by Eileen Hill (3 stars)

The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill (4 stars)

The 10:30 from Marseille by Sebastien Japrisot (3 stars)

The Clue of the Velvet Mask by Carolyn Keene (3.5 stars)

The Triple Hoax by Carolyn Keene (3 stars)

The Longer the Thread by Emma Lathen (2 stars)

The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell (2.5 stars)

Death Beneath the Christmas Tree by Robert Nordan (3 stars)

The Old Dark House by J. B. Priestley (2 stars)

The King Is Dead by Ellery Queen (3.5 stars)

No More Dying Then by Ruth Rendell (3 stars)

Murder in Black Tie by Sara Rosett (3.5 stars)

Down Among the Dead Men by Stewart Sterling (3 stars)

Murder at the College by Victor Whitechurch (4.5 stars)

 

 

As you can see, I never did capture that elusive five-star read from a new-to-me or at least new to the POM awards author. We came close with a few 4.5 stars, but every five-star winner this year was someone who had already won several times (Agatha Christie And C. S. Harris) or were books from outside the mystery genre. And now that I'm looking at the list--our winners are obvious. The two highest ranking books were read in different months, so our November POM goes to....

The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill. Hill can writes a really good mystery with a ghostly, gothic feel. We're not told explicitly, but I get the idea that the events Sir James describes take place in the early 20th Century while what he finds out about Vane must have taken place in the mid- to late-Victorian period. The atmosphere is just right for a nice shivery, spooky story and I enjoyed what we learn from Sir James's point of view. Overall, a very absorbing read from the author of The Woman in Black (one of my favorites) with just the right mix of mystery and the supernatural--but a somewhat anticlimactic ending and a few quibbles kept it from either a 4.5 or 5 star rating.

Which leaves our December POM award for....

Murder at the College by Victor L. Whitechurch. This was one of my picks for the annual Reprint of the Year award and, as far as I'm concerned you can't beat a good academic mystery. As I said at the time of reivew: this is just a delightful book. If you like college-settings, then this is a book for you. If you like interesting characters, then you'll find some here. If you like cryptic clues, then Whitechurch has you covered. If you like a surprise ending, then he manages to give you that as well. If you're just looking for a fun, fast-moving read, then here you go. Whitechurch ticked off so many boxes that needed covered for me, that I'm tempted to sit down and read it again just for the pure pleasure of experience. There is a slight disappointment at the end (which is more a "me" thing than a Whitechurch thing), otherwise I would probably give this five stars. That's how much I enjoyed it.

And now...stay tuned. The My Reader's Block end of year wrap-up is coming soon--including the big reveal: The Mystery Pick of the Year.