52 Book Club: Mystery Genre Challenge

 

The 52 Book Club: Mystery Genre Challenge

As you all know, I am a mystery junkie. If we were only allowed to read one genre for the rest of our lives, then mystery would definitely be my category. So...when The 52 Book Club dropped their latest addition to the Club's family of challenges, I couldn't resist joining in. If you love mysteries or challenges...or both, then check out the details at the link above and join me for some detecting fun.

There is no time limit on this one, so in order to claim it for my 2026 challenge scoreboard, I'm committing to ten prompts or the equivalent of one chapter.

Chapter One: The Crime

1. A Classic Mystery:

2. Opening Line Hooks You:

3. An "Impossible" Crime:

4. Murder Disguised as Accident:

5. Missing Person:

6. Cozy Mystery:

7. Unsettling Read:

8. Title Includes "Death" or "Dead":

9. White-Collar Crime:

10. Humorous Mystery:

Chapter Two: The Detective

11. "Brilliant" Detective Trope:

12. Amateur Sleuth:

13. Antagonist Toys with Detective:

14. Includes a Podcaster, Writer or Journalist:

15. Crime-Solving Duo:

16. Detective Has to Confront Their Own Past:

17. Iconic Detective:

18. Police Procedural:

19. Detective on the Cover:

20. Title Starts with 1st Letter of Author's Last Name:

Chapter Three: The Suspects

21. Serial Killer:

22. Unreliable Narrator:

23. Victim with Lots of Enemies:

24. Features Small Town Secrets:

25. From Multiple Suspects' Perspectives:

26. New-to-You Author:

27. Crime of Passion:

28. Character Wrongly Accused

29. Set by a Lake:

30. Character With Memory Gaps:

Chapter Four: The Clues

31. Missing Murder Weapon:

32. Solved with Forensic Science:

33. Mystery/Other Genre:

34. Snowy Setting:

35. Hidden Rooms/Secret Passages:

36. Book You Can't Put Down:

37. Includes Inheritance or Will:

38. "I Know What You Did Last Summer":

39. Published Before 1960:

40. Has Flashbacks:

Chapter Five: The Reveal

41. "Howdunit" or "Whydunit":

42. Features a Courtroom Scene:

43. From a Completed Series:

44. Ending That Surprised You:

45. More Than 4 Stars on Goodreads:

46. House on Cover:

47. Collection of True Crime Mysteries:

48. Recommended by an Author on This Challenge:

49. Suspects Gathered for Big Reveal:

50. Published This Year:

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998) by Alexander McCall Smith

When Precious Ramotswe's father dies, she sells his cattle (with his life-time-given blessing) and buys two things--a house and a building in which she can set up a detective agency. She is gifted with an incredible memory (fostered by the cousin who helped bring her up when her mother died) and a deep understanding of people--two qualities that will serve her well when she begins her work. Her cases cover everything from errant husbands to wayward daughters to fraudulent insurance claims to deceitful doctors. She deals with each case with quick efficiency and a kind heart (for those who deserve it). But one case follows her through the book--the case of a missing eleven-year-old boy, feared dead, but perhaps taken by a witch doctor. If Mma Ramotswe can find the boy alive, she will consider herself a real detective.

Though there are mysteries here and Mma Ramotswe does solve them, this is less a detective book than a commentary on life in Botswana. McCall Smith gives the reader a sweeping look at life in the small towns and countryside in this part of Africa. As we follow our detective on her cases, we meet everyone from the local shopkeepers to school-age children to mechanics and gangsters. We are shown at once that people are the same everywhere, even as we see the differences that come with life in Botswana. The appeal of the people and the descriptions of place compensate for the simplicity of the mysteries Mma Ramotswe solves. The best of them is the one that takes the longest to unravel--the missing boy. [SPOILER]  And I'm pleased to say that she's successful. Not necessarily the kind of mystery I prefer, but quietly satisfying in other ways. ★★★

First line: Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot Kgale Hill.

"We are the ones who first ploughed the earth when Modise (God) made it," ran an old Setswana poem. "We were the ones who made the food. We are the ones who look after the men when they are little boys, when they are young men, and when they are old and about to die. We are always there. But we are just women and nobody sees us." (p. 34)

Last line: "Of course I will," said Mma Ramotswe.
*******************

Deaths = 5 (three natural; one hit by train; one eaten by crocodile)

March Reading by the Numbers Reviews

 

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The Avenging Chance

 The Avenging Chance & Other Mysteries from Roger Sheringham's Casebook (2004*) by Anthony Berkeley

The collected short works of Anthony Berkeley [Cox] and this second edition contains added material--one "lost story," an article by Berkeley on why he writes detective stories, and one parody. I originally read the first edition back when it first came out and was pleased to find this copy at our annual community book fair in 2018. I remembered reading some of these--especially the title story since it has appeared in various anthologies and was the basis of Berkeley's novel, The Poisoned Chocolates Case. But I didn't remember the solutions to most of them. My favorites among the stories are "White Butterfly" and "Perfect Alibi," but all of them have their merits and only "Unsound Mind" and the parody (which didn't strike me as at all amusing) were well and truly disappointing.  ★★★★

"The Avenging Chance": A box of poisoned chocolates--sent to one man and brought home by another--kills Joan Beresford. Who was the intended victim? [one poisoned]

"Perfect Alibi": Eric Southwood, a notorious rake, very conveniently dies while visiting the home of his latest conquest. He was shot while out in the woods--but everyone with a motive also appears to have an iron-clad alibi. [one shot]

"The Mystery of Horne's Copse": Could also be called "The Case of the Reappearing Corpse." Frank Chappell keeps finding the corpse of his cousin (and the man who would be his heir). But when he brings the authorities to examine the body, it disappears. Is he going crazy? Or is someone trying to drive him there? [one stabbed]

"Unsound Mind": A man rings up the police station to announce that he's just taken prussic acid and left a note to explain everything. But when Chief Inspector Moresby gets there, he's sure it's murder. But can he prove it? [one poisoned]

"White Butterfly": Mr. Warrington says that his pretty but volatile wife has left him for another man. But the village gossips say that he has done away with her and got rid of the body. Sheringham is certain the woman has been killed, but just who did it and where her body is, is the question. [one strangled]

"The Wrong Jar": Cynthia Bracey is poisoned by arsenic in one of her medicines. But how did it get there? Did the doctor accidentally grab the wrong jar when making up the medicine? Did the nurse have it in for her patient? Was the husband tired of his wife? Did the doctor's assistant meddle with the prescription? Sheringham will find out. [one poisoned]

"Double Bluff": Several witnesses all claim to have recognized James Meadows as the man who shot  Mrs. Greyling in the middle of the busy town. Can they all be wrong? Sheringham believes so. [one shot]

"'Mr. Bearstowe Says...'": Mrs. Hutton is quite taken with Mr. Bearstowe and impresses this upon Roger Sheringham when they have a chance meeting at a party. Two years later, Mr. Hutton has gone missing while bathing and a body is found drowned. Sheringham has to wonder what exactly Mr. Bearstowe said to Mrs. Hutton and what did he (and she) do? [one drowned]

"The Bargee's Holiday": An additional short, short story, found after the first edition of this collection of stories, in which Roger Sheringham correctly deduces when and where the next major campaign of WWII will take place simply by speaking with a couple of men on leave and meeting up with their commanding officer in a bookstore. The reader is asked to figure out how Sheringham did it.

First line (1st story): When he was able to review it in perspective Roger Sheringham was inclined to think that the Poisoned Chocolate Case, as the papers called it, was perhapes the most perfectly planned murder he had ever encountered.

Last lines (last story--the parody): I wish I could remember my idea. It was such a brilliant one.

*All stories originally written/published pre-1960

The Fourth Postman

 The Fourth Postman (1948) by Craig Rice

"Please, Mr. Postman, look and see

Is there a letter, a letter for me..."

John J. Malone finds himself representing Rodney Fairfaxx when a procession of postmen get themselves killed in the alley that runs beside the Fairfaxx house. Rodney is a small, mild-mannered man who just likes to collect stamps while waiting patiently for a letter from his sweetie, a woman whose name appeared on the Titanic passenger list and whom everybody (except Rodney) has accepted as lost at sea. The police (in the person of Captain Daniel von Flanagan) believe Rodney has been driven crazy by the non-appearance of letters and has decided to take it out on the innocent postmen who are not delivering the goods. But when Malone takes a look at the scene of the crimes and considers the circumstances, he knows his client didn't do it...and what's more, he knows that von Flanagan knows it too. So....

Who would want to kill a postman? [A question posed by several of our characters.] And...who would want to kill three postment? These are questions that John J. Malone and Captain Daniel von Flanagan are trying to answer. But to my mind, the more burning question is why on earth, after two of your fellow postmen have been bashed on the head while going down an alley short-cut, would you--as the third postman to take this route--go down that alley? If I'm the third postman, I'm going to take the long way round and avoid that alley like the plague.

Another observation, as soon as one of the characters announced to all and sundry that he was changing his will--and definitely not in y'all's favor; in fact, none of you are gonna get anything now--I fully expected another murder/attempted murder. And, by golly, I was right. But not in the way I thought. 

Anyway, Malone, von Flanagan and Helene Justus spend the rest of the book running around town looking for hammers, making mysterious phone calls, tracking down motives for either killing postmen or seeing that Rodney Fairfaxx takes the rap, feeding their newfound doggy friend beer, and trying to keep Jake Justus, currently suffering from a bad case of chicken pox, safely at home in bed. Malone discovers that Rodney's family (a brother and a niece and nephew) and neighbors (who are the wife and daughter of one Rodney's dearly departed friends) all might have a motive to keep postmen and Fairfaxx from seeing one another. But who wanted it enough to kill? 

Malone's antics with his new booze-hound side-kick and the interactions with Helen and Jake (and the doctor who keeps popping in and out to attend to the chicken pox) are well worth the price of admission. The quirky motive behind the murders adds a bit of spice to the proceedings and it all makes for a fun, fast-paced mystery. ★★★★

First line: The sound of a dead body falling is like no other sound on earth, as any effects technician who has tried to create it in a radio studio will tell you.

"I can't arrest all of 'em," von Flanagan muttered. He added, "Besides, butlers don't commit murders."
You'd be surprised what butlers will do," Malone said. (p. 151)

Last line: Then he leaned his head back and went to sleep.
**********************

Deaths = 8 (three hit on head; two natural; one shot; two car accident)

GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Minatory

 

My new bookish meme for 2026: the Golden Age of Detection (GAD) Mystery Word of the Day. Whenever I find a word that I'm unfamiliar with--or shall we say not absolutely confident I know the exact meaning of, I'm going to actually take time to look it up and share it with mystery-lovers everywhere. 😊

Today's GAD Mystery Word of the Day is minatory (adj): having a menacing quality.

On his head was hardly a vestige of hair, but in compensation he had the most minatory of eyebrows. (The Plumley Inheritance by Christopher Bush)

Now, from context, I would have thought it meant abundant or some such.

GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Abysm of Time

 

My new bookish meme for 2026: the Golden Age of Detection (GAD) Mystery Word of the Day. Whenever I find a word that I'm unfamiliar with--or shall we say not absolutely confident I know the exact meaning of, I'm going to actually take time to look it up and share it with mystery-lovers everywhere. 😊

Today's GAD Mystery Word (phrase) of the Day is "abysm of time": phrase from Shakespeare's The Tempest referring to the distant, murky, and nearly forgotten past. It suggests the past is a deep, dark, and indistinct abyss—a "bottomless pit" of memory. The phrase is also used to represent the immense depth of history.

As to his [Plumley's] origins, none could say for certain. There were some who professed to have known him, in the dark backward and abysm of time, as a solicitor's clerk or a kind of glorified insurance agent; but it is to be doubted whether such knowledge was other than it usually is in these cases, the boasting of some cheap liar broadcast into rumour. (The Plumley Inheritance ~Christopher Bush)

Frederica

 Frederica (1965) by Georgette Heyer

Vernon, the Marquis of Alverstoke, is at the top of the ton; the highest  levels of fashion. He is wealthy and handsome and the hope of every mother determined to make an excellent match for one of her daughters in the Marriage Mart. But...Alverstoke is easily bored by the ladies of the ton and never spends longer more time than a brief flirtation or discreet liaison on any of them. Then along comes Frederica Merriville with her three younger siblings. He's never met a woman like her.

The Merrivilles are distant cousins and Frederica is determined that Cousin Alverstoke will launch her sister Charis into ton on her come out. There is nothing that Alverstoke would less--as he's already explained to his sisters who have wheedled and schemed and everything in between trying to get him to host a ball in their daughters' honor. Hosting balls bore him and he hates being bored. But there's something about Frederica that appeals to him--she's not pretty and she's "on the shelf" (an elderly twenty-four [!], no longer seeking a entree into society for herself), but she can talk to him without resorting to coquettish ways and (gasp) even argue with him. Her sister Charis is a beauty, a diamond of the first-water, and he suddenly realizes that helping Frederica to bring her out into society will put his sisters' noses so far out of joint that they (the nose) may be facing backward. And what great fun that will be! 

What he doesn't bargain on is becoming fond of Frederica's two younger brothers--Jessamy and Felix and serving as a father-figure/guardian stand-in. But at least with Felix, he is never bored. Felix is a scientifically-minded young fellow who gets into the most extraordinary scrapes all in the interests of science--from disappearing overnight on a steam packet (to get an up close and personal experience of the steam engine) to going up in a hot air balloon and then falling out of it when it had a bad landing. Jessamy isn't far behind, having a run-in with some Londoners when he tries out the latest conveyance (an early form of the bicycle). No, boredom has never been so far away. And...he also doesn't bargain on becoming fond of Frederica. She interests him more than any woman of the ton ever did. But does she interest him enough to make this confirmed bachelor settle down for life?

So often bookish quizzes and challenges either want to know your "guilty pleasure" reads or have a prompt asking you to read a "guilty pleasure" book. I generally say that I don't really have any guilty pleasure reads: If I like reading a thing, then I like it and will own up to it. There's no feeling guilty about it. That said, if I have to choose a guilty pleasure read then I will claim historical romances for that category simply because I'm not a big romance fiction reader. And if I'm going to read romance then there's nothing better than one of Heyer's Regency romances. I love the research Heyer has put into getting the period right; I love making my way through the colloquialisms of the time--everything from "top-lofty" to "making a cake" of oneself to "ninnyhammer." [As an aside, it's a shame that there is not even a hint of a mystery in this particular Heyer--some of the romances do have a bit of mystery as well--because it's chock full of words and phrases that could have been used as the GAD Word of the Day.]

This is another of Heyer's best. Frederica makes for an admirable love-interest for Alverstoke. She's able to give plenty in their verbal give-and-take and she has enough force of character to stand up to him. The subplots involving Felix and Jessamy are well-done, incorporated nicely, and most interesting. I find Charis and Harry (the eldest Merriville--mostly off at Oxford) a bit disappointing, but I suppose the whole family can't be interesting. The one thing that keeps this from being a full five stars is the fact that, despite being a Regency romance, the romance is very definitely flying under the radar. In fact, for most of the book, Frederica doesn't even realize that romance is in the works for her. But the finely-drawn characters and the various storylines carry the day and make this a compelling historical fiction read. ★★★★

First line: Not more than five days after she had despatched an urgent missive to her brother, the Most Honourable the Marquis of Alverstoke, requesting him to visit her at his earliest convenience, the widowed Lady Buxted was relieved to learn from her youngest daughter that Uncle Vernon had just driven up to the house, wearing a coat with dozens of capes, and looking as fine as fivepence.

Last lines: "If I promise faithfully not to blow the house up? If you please, Cousin Alverstoke...?"

 

My new bookish meme for 2026: the Golden Age of Detection (GAD) Mystery Word of the Day. Whenever I find a word that I'm unfamiliar with--or shall we say not absolutely confident I know the exact meaning of, I'm going to actually take time to look it up and share it with mystery-lovers everywhere. 😊

Today's GAD Mystery Word [phrase] of the Day is gymkhana (noun): a day event comprising races and other competitions between horse riders or car drivers.

The driver, having been told that haste was urgent, was already taking risks. Like a cyclist at a gymkhana, he twisted here and there; purred impatiently behind a slowly moving vehicle as if in ambus and then darted again through the narrowed gaps. (The Plumley Inheritance ~Christopher Bush)

Escape While I Can

 Escape While I Can (1944) by Melba Marlett

Elizabeth and her mother go to northern Michigan for a month's vacation while Elizabeth waits to hear results of her applications for teaching positions. Little does she know that she won't be leaving any time soon. They receive an invitation to dinner at the Brandons, the remaining members  of a once prominent and extremely wealthy family. Now the Brandons are reclusive--staying away from most neighbors and they normally don't take to strangers. But apparently Thayer, the sole male member of the family, has seen Elizabeth and taken quite a shine to her. 

Not long after the dinner, Elizabeth's mother, who has always had a weak heart, dies and the Brandons immediately take Elizabeth in--helping with funeral arrangements and giving the young woman a place to stay. And giving Thayer the chance to woo her. She is sure that she'll hear good news from her applications any day, but when no offers come she decides to marry Thayer. Thayer's pleasure in his new bride is short-lived and soon Elizabeth realizes that she has made a mistake. She finds the household difficult to understand. Effie, the eldest Brandon, seems to fear something (insisting that all doors be locked); Anne is often heard weeping and railing against Effie's strictures; Maggie, an adopted sibling, is treated poorly. Her husband is moody and they quarrel often. And his family is really quite odd--there have been strange deaths in the past, their dogs are now accused of attacking sheep, and now a little girl belonging to a vacationing family has disappeared from their beach. There is secrecy and fear hanging over the house. Elizabeth takes her last one hundred dollars and leaves her husband and the Brandons behind.

Eight years of successful teaching later, Effie writes to let Elizabeth know that Thayer has died of pneumonia and that she needs to come back so his affairs can be settled. As soon as she returns, the atmosphere makes its impression again and Elizabeth realizes there is still something to be feared on the Brandon property. Two people are attacked and there is a murder before Lieutenant Stark (who had investigated the missing child) can discover the truth behind all of the incidents in the Brandons' past.

So, one of the strongest parts of this story is Elizabeth. I really liked the fact that despite her naive plunge into matrimony, she was aware enough to realize that things were not right in the Brandon family and that things were not going to get better with her husband. So often in these stories we have the heroine staying in the uncomfortable or even threatening circumstances, thinking that it's all going to work out. 

The mystery is fair. There really wasn't much choice for culprit, so the real mystery is what really happened to the little girl. I was glad to find out that it wasn't as nasty as what we were led to believe even though I still didn't like what use the killer made of her death. But if you like a bit of midwestern melodrama, a smidgen of suspense, and stories about troubled families, then this is definitely the mystery for you. I found it to be a decent read by an author that I hadn't sampled before. ★★★

First line: Today I found in the back of my bureau drawer an old letter from Maggie Mitchell, and my first look at the fine, sprawling handwriting brought back last summer as clearly as the lifting of the lid of my rose jar brings back last June's Killarneys and Talismans and Ophelias.

Last line: Lieutenant Stark says I couldn't find a better place to live or one as convenient for him.
*********************

Deaths = 13 (five natural; two car accident; one hanged; two shot; one poisoned; one hit with axe; one fell from height)

Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives

 Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives: Stories from the Trailblazers of Domestic Suspense (2013) by Sarah Weinman (ed)

A collection of 14 suspenseful tales by notable domestic suspense authors such as Shirley Jackson, Vera Caspary, Charlotte Armstrong, and Dorothy B. Hughes as well as others. In general, I'm not a huge fan of domestic suspense novels, but this is an excellent collection with just a couple stories that didn't strike me as all that suspenseful. But there are also a couple that are downright creepy. ★★★★

"The Heroine" by Patricia Highsmith: Lucille Smith has just found the perfect job in the country as nurse to two children. She loves her job and working for the family.But something within her tells her that it's not quite enough. [one natural]

"A Nice Place to Stay" by Nedra Tyre: Our protagonist grew up poor--never knowing if she'd have a roof over her head. She's a nice woman...but she'd kill for a nice little place of her own. (four natural; one stabbed)

"Louisa, Please Come Home" by Shirley Jackson: Three years ago Louisa Tether ran away from home. She's doing very well for herself--found a job and nice place to stay. But each year on the anniversary of her run, her mother's voice is on the radio begging her to come home. When she decides to do so, she finds that you just can't go home again.

"Lavender Lady" by Barbara Callahan: "Lavender Lady" is the title of our heroine's most famous (and most requested at concerts) song. The story reveals the dark history behind the lyrics and the anguish our heroine feels each time her fans demand to hear it. (one hit on head)

"Sugar & Spice" by Vera Caspary: Mike Jordan tells our narrator that he knows who murdered a famous actor and gives her a jolt--it seems well-bred, middle class girls can commit murder just as calmly as she might knit a sock. (one natural; one poisoned)

"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" by Helen Nielsen: Loren is the secretary to a married boss, who winds up being wife number two. She thinks she's made it in life...but then the anonymous phone calls start. 

"Everybody Needs a Mink" by Dorothy B. Hughes: And that's just what Meg, our heroine, gets. She's always dreamed of something a little bit fancier than her own life, but has been realistic enough to know she'll never see some of the luxuries she's dreamed of....until an unnamed benefactor suddenly gifts her with a beautiful mink coat..... [Not really a mystery--except for wondering who the man was and why he did it. Not, to my mind anyway, really suspenseful.]

"The Purple Shroud" by Joyce Harrington:  George Moon cheats on his wife once too often.  Don't be fooled by that placid smile, George.[one hit on head]

"The Stranger in the Car" by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding: Carrol Charleroy, wealthy businessman, is more like a neurotic housewife when it comes to his home and daughters. When Julia, his youngest--and the only one of his kids who still lives at home, gets into a bit of a jam, he gets things even more tangled by trying to keep everything from his wife. [one shot; one poisoned]

"The Splintered Monday" by Charlotte Armstrong: Sarah Brady is staying with her nephew and his wife aft er the funeral of his sister, a domineering hypochondriac. The family always tiptoed around the very trying matriarch and now Sarah feels like she's getting the same treatment. What is being hidden from her? [one poisoned]

"Lost Generation" by Dorothy Salisbury Davis: Very chilling story of town "justice" gone really wrong. [one shot]

"The People Across the Canyon" by Margaret Millar: More of a science fiction/fantasy story than a mystery. Marion Borton is worried when the family moves into the house across the canyon. She's afraid that their quiet home in the country will be ruined by loud music or cars or a huge number of children She's even more worried when she sees what effect the family has on her daughter....

"Mortmain" by Miriam Allen Deford: The greedy Miss Hendricks decides to hurry her patient into the afterlife so she can enojy the money he's got stashed in his safe. She knows there's danger from his little pistol. But she doesn't see the danger in the other items stored with cuffs...at least not until it's too late. [one poisoned]

"A Case of Maximum Need" by Celia Fremlin: An elderly woman tries to refuse the phone the social worker insists she needs (in case anything should happen to the woman). She's tells the social work that "it's a danger" but she doesn't explain that the danger isn't to herself....

First line (1st story): The girl was so sure she would get the job, she had unabashedly come out to Westchester with her suitcase.

Last line (last story): "It's too dangerous"--for them.

GAD Mystery Word of the Day: Arkhon

 

My new bookish meme for 2026: the Golden Age of Detection (GAD) Mystery Word of the Day. Whenever I find a word that I'm unfamiliar with--or shall we say not absolutely confident I know the exact meaning of, I'm going to actually take time to look it up and share it with mystery-lovers everywhere. 😊

Today's GAD Mystery Word of the Day is arkhon (noun): (from Greek archōn, meaning "ruler" or "lord") is a term for a leader, magistrate, or high-ranking official. Historically, it referred to the chief magistrates in ancient Athens.

Tears will have their season, but now tell us what has happened--what you know, that is--so that we may lay the case before the Basilius and see that the arkhon is informed.

Bonus word Basilius: a masculine name of Ancient Greek origin, derived from basileus, meaning "royal," "kingly," or "emperor".