The Man Who Didn't Fly

 The Man Who Didn't Fly (1955) by Margot Bennett

Four men--Joseph Ferguson, Maurice Reid, Harry Walters, and Morgan Price--decide to book a private plane for Dublin. They all claim to have business in Ireland and plan to come back to their family and friends at home. But those who saw the plane start its westward journey across England tell of a fireball that plunged into the Irish Sea. But when an investigation is mounted, the police find that only three of the men joined the pilot in that disastrous journey. The difficulty is finding out which man didn't fly. No one who saw the men--from the bus driver who took passengers to the airport to the barman at the small airport to the men who helped get the plane ready can swear to which men were actually there. There were too many other people milling about and there was no reason to take special notice of any of them. The only things the detectives assigned to the case have to go on is a half-heard conversation that mentions Australia...or maybe South Africa and the fact that at least one of the men might have smoked and might have had a silver cigarette case.

It is odd that the man who didn't fly doesn't come forward. Did he somehow arrange for the plane to go down? If so, how? And why? The investigation comes to center on the family left behind--listening to their version of what happened in the days leading up to the plane's take-off. Other clues crop up in the conversations and eventually the police are able to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw together.

I have to say that I'm not finding the revival of Margot Bennett stories to be very satisfying. I wasn't nearly as impressed with her The Widow of Bath as some of my Golden Age Mystery friends (see linked review) and The Man Who Didn't Fly was just as disappointing. This time around the characters are not nearly as well-drawn (though they are just as un-engaging). I had a hard time keeping all the men straight (Was "Uncle Joe" the one who might have been in the plane or was it Hester's father?). And, speaking of Hester--she may not be "bitter, dreary, and cruel" as I have described the heroine of Bath, but she's definitely not one of the shining lights of GAD leading ladies. Her relationship, such as it is, with Harry is not at all believable. Why on earth both she and her step-mother (?--I'm not really sure about the relationships of all the women in the case either) are both attracted to him is a mystery to me. And the rest of the women are just as unimpressive. Added to the lack of interesting characters is a lack of interesting detection. We've taken what could have been a very engaging mystery (the premise really hooked me when I purchased this copy) and dragged it out through an endless parade of "here's what happened--in excrutiating detail--on the Monday before they all left" and "here's what happened on Tuesday"...rinse and repeat for each day leading up to the plane crash. Even breaking up the recollections with other bits of investigation didn't help me. By time things picked up and we were finally getting some action and interesting discoveries I was too numb to even care. ★★

But--my friend Kate over at Cross Examining Crime gave this a glowing review--so your mileage may vary.

First line: At eleven in the morning the aeroplane began its westward flight across England; shining like snow under is blue sky; losing its glitter in the thick white clouds; passing, heard but unseen, over the Welsh hills.

"Would you be willing to say that one of them wore a hat?"
"No. and I'll tell you why. Because I didn't see. and, if I did see, I didn't remember. And if I didn't remember, it was because I was thinking of something else. And, if I was thinking of something else, it was the three thirty at Lingfield. And if I was thinking of the three thirty at Lingfield, there's no law against it." (Police detective, Mr. Crewe; p.4)

He is a poet in words. That is now of no importance. I am a poet of money. Words! We have too many words. Word poets talk all the time of love and death. People fall in love and they die and no amount of poetic advice has ever helped them to do either of those things more successfully." (Joe Ferguson; p. 55)

"Let me try curling my lip. Do you suppose when people curl their lips it's convex or concave?" She went to the glass over the mantlepiece. "It looks queer both ways. If I curl it up towards my nose it is worse, don't you think? People in those books must look odd most of the time." (Prudence Wade; p. 116)

Last line: She kissed him and there was nothing left of Harry, except a small handful of poems for the anthologies.
*****************

Deaths = 5 (four airplane crash; one shot)

2026 Key Word Challenge

 

It's time for another round of the monthly Key Word Challenge hosted by Kim & Tanya at Chapter Adventure. I encourage you to join in--this is one of my favorite challenges and has been for quite some time. Just click on the link to get all the details and join in the fun.

Tentative picks for the months--will update once I actually read one.

January: Don Among the Dead Men by C. E. Vulliamy (1/7/26)

February: The Avenging Chance & Other Mysteries from Roger Sheringham's Casebook by Anthony Berkley (2/28/26)

March: Murder Enters the Picture by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz (3/20/26)

April: Dead Man's Mirror by Agatha Christie (4/10/26)

May: Murder in Bright Red by Frances Crane (5/4/26)

June: The Man Who Didn't Fly by Margot Bennett [fly/flight] (6/8/26)

July: A Dying Fall by Hildegarde Dolson (7/26/26)

August: A Matter of Accent by David Keith (8/28/26)

September: Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box (9/17/26)

October: The Mystery of Jockey Hollow by Cleo F. Garis (10/27/26)

November: Keep It Quiet by Richard Hull; The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper; The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel; The Seven Deadly Sisters by Pat McGerr

December: Murder in Baker Street by Martin H. Greenberg; Curiosity Didn't Kill the Cat by M. K. Wren; The Secret of the Crooked Cat by William Arden; Cat & Mouse by Christianna Brand

Buzzword Challenge 2026

For a while now Books and Lala has sponsored the Buzzword Reading Challenge on the blog and on Storygraph (see links on blog). The goal is pretty simple--just read one book per month which has the following prompt words in the title. Last year she added a second challenge to the mix--the Buzzword Cover Reading Challenge where you read books that have the prompts somewhere on the cover. So, of course, I'm going to do both and record them both here. Titles listed below are tentative possibilities--will update with final choice once read.

Buzzword Reading Challenge Prompts

Buzzword Title Challenge

January "Before" or "After": Shadows Before by Dorothy Bowers (1/18/26)

February Keyboard Key: Escape While I Can by Melba Marlett (2/19/26)

March "This" or "That": That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green (3/11/26)

April Ordinal Numbers: Murder on the Thirty-First Floor by Per Wahlöö (4/6/26)

May "Make": These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (5/12/26)

June One-Word Title: Spellbound by Francis Beeding (6/13/26)

July Occupations: Titanic Captain by G. J. Cooper (7/4/26)

August Groups/Clubs: A Catered Book Club Murder by Isis Crawford (8/3/26)

September "My" or "Me": Who Killed Me? by Joan Allan (9/9/26)

October Parts of a House: The Opening Door by Helen Reilly (10/18/26)

November Instructional Title: HIllary Waugh's Guide to Mysteries & Mystery Writing by Hillary Waugh

December Superlatives: Best Dr. Poggioli Detective Stories by T. S. Stribling

Buzzword Cover Challenge

January An Internal Body Part: Old Bones by Herman Peterson (1/20/26)

February Silhouette: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War by Simon Guerrier (2/7/26)

March Implies Action: The Gaunt Stranger by Edgar Wallace (3/16/26)

April Wearable Accessories: Harriet Farewell by Margaret Erskine [scarf] (4/8/26)

May Border/Frame: Murder Mayhem Short Stories by Christopher Semtner (5/2/26)

June Wings: The Man Who Didn't Fly by Margot Bennett (6/8/26)

July Metallic Element: The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine [gold on cover] (8/1/26)

August Damage: Murder & Sullivan by Sara Hoskinson Frommer [bloodstains] (8/22/26)

September Fire/Smoke: The Man Who Killed Fortescue by Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett (9/19/26)

October Doors/Keys/Locks: The Opening Door by Helen Reilly (10/18/26)

November Reflection: Death on a May Morning by Max Dalman

December Musical Item: The Hymn Tune Mystery by George Birmingham [pipe organ]

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

 

The Cloak & Dagger Challenge is back at Carol's Notebook. Those who have participated before will recognize the rules and format--check out the link for full details and to sign up. Since my primary reading genre is mysteries, I will be joining in again at the Sherlock Holmes level of 56+ books in the mystery and crime fields.

1. Don Among the Dead Men by C. E. Vulliamy (1/7/26)

2. Death on the Slopes by Norma Schier (1/9/26)

3. The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson (1/12/26)

4. Shadows Before by Dorothy Bowers (1/18/26)

5. Old Bones by Herman Petersen (1/20/26)

6. High Marks for Murder by Rebecca Kent (1/22/26)

7. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (1/25/26)

8. Masterpieces of Mystery: Amateurs & Professionals by Ellery Queen (1/31/26)

9. Aristotle Detective by Margaret Doody (2/3/26)

10. Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys (2/4/26)

11. The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War by Simon Guerrier (2/7/26)

12. A Death for a Double by E. X. Giroux (2/7/26)

13. The Plumley Inheritance by Christopher Bush (2/13/26)

14. Twisted Daughters, Troubled Wives by Sarah Weinman, ed (2/18/26)

15. Escape While I Can by Melba Marlett (2/19/26)

16. The Fourth Postman by Craig Rice (2/25/26)

17. The Avenging Chance by Anthony Berkeley (2/28/26)

18. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (3/2/26)

19. A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem by Manda Collins (3/7/26)

20. That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green (3/11/26)

21. The Gaunt Stranger by Edgar Wallace (3/16/26)

22. Portrait of a Nightingale by Manda Collins (3/17/26)

23. Murder Enters the Picture by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz (3/20/26)

24. Consequences of Sin by Clare Langley-Hawthorne (3/21/26)

25. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (3/22/26)

26. Shadow of Madness by Hugh Pentecost (3/23/26)

27. An Heiress's Guide to Deception & Desire by Manda Collins (3/25/26)

28. The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead (4/1/26)

29. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie (4/3/26)

30. Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh (4/4/26)

31. Murder on the Thirty-First Floor by Per Wahlöö (4/6/26)

32. Harriet Farewell by Margaret Erskine (4/8/26)

33. Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (4/9/26)

34. Dead Man's Mirror by Agatha Christie (4/11/26)

35. Treasure of Hemlock Mountain by Virginia Frances Voight (4/11/26)

36. The Methods of Sergeant Cluff by Gil North (4/13/26)

37. The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs (4/16/26)

37. The Case of Mice & Murder by Sally SMith (4/18/26)

38. Murder on Eaton Square by Lee Strauss (4/20/26)

39. Murder by Plum Pudding by Lee Strauss (4/22/26)

40. Who Done It? by Jon Scieszka [compiler & editor] (4/25/26)

41. When the Wolves Are Silent by C. S. Harris (4/26/26)

42. Murder Mayhem Short Stories by Christopher Semtner [foreword] (5/2/26)

43. Murder in Bright Red by Frances Crane (5/4/26)

44. The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris (5/5/26)

45. Who Killed Alfred Snowe? by J. S. Fletcher (5/8/26)

46. These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (5/12/26)

47. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (5/16/26)

48. Squire of Death by Richard Lockridge (5/17/26)

49. No Peace for the Wicked by E. X. Ferrars (5/18/26)

50. The Evil That Men Do by Hugh Pentecost (5/19/26)

51. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun (5/21/26)

52. The Buttercup Case by Frances Crane (5/23/26)

53. The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (5/30/26)

54. The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves (6/1/26)

55. The Man Who Didn't Fly by Margot Bennett (6/8/26)

56. A Case of Life & Limb by Sally Smith (6/11/26)

57. Spellbound by Francis Beeding (6/12/26)

2026 Medical Examiner Challenge

 

Once again Rick at the Rick Mills Project will be offering up the Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge as well as the Six Shooter Challenge and the Mystery Marathon. I, having no self-control when it comes to challenges--especially mystery-related challenges, will--of course--sign up for all three. For full details, check out the link above after the new year starts. Basically, just read mysteries and log the number of named corpses on his handy form.

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 doesn't prove too difficult--so, there should be plenty of toe tags signed by "Quincy" Hankins at the Mystillery Morgue.

1. Don Among the Dead Men by C. E. Vulliamy [7 deaths] (1/7/26)

2. Death on the Slopes by Norma Schier [4 deaths] (1/9/26)

3. The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson [2 deaths] (1/12/26)

4. Shadows Before by Dorothy Bowers [11 deaths] (1/18/26)

5. Old Bones by Herman Petersen [5 deaths] (1/20/26)

6. High Marks for Murder by Rebecca Kent [one death] (1/22/26)

7. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie [5 deaths] (1/25/26)

*****************The following are from Masterpieces of Mystery: Amateurs & Professionals by Ellery Queen, ed (1/31/26)

8. "Chambrun & the Electronic Ear" by Hugh Pentecost [one death]

9. "The Poisoned Dow '08" by Dorothy L. Sayers [one death]

10. "The Stripper" by H. H. Holmes (one death)

11. "Wally the Watchful Eye" by Paul W. Fairman [one death]

12. "They Can Only Hang You Once" by Dashiell Hammett [2 deaths]

13. "Wild Goose Chase" by Ross Macdonald [3 deaths]

14. "File #1: The Mayfield Case" by Joe Goes [one death]

15. "About the Perfect Crime of Mr. Digberry" by Anthony Abbot [one death]

16. "The Devil Is a Gentleman" by Charles B. Child [one death]

17. "A Winter's Tale" by Frances & Richard Lockridge [one death]

18. "The Motive" by Ellery Queen [3 deaths]

19. "Cause for Suspicion" by George Harmon Coxe [one death]

20. "The Botany Pattern" by Victor Canning [3 deaths]

Commitment met

21. "H as in Homicide" by Lawrence Treat [one death]

22. "Nightshade" by Ed McBain [6 deaths]

*********************

23. Aristotle Detective by Margaret Doody [one death] (2/3/26)

24. Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys [4 deaths] (2/4/26)

25. The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War by Simon Guerrier [8 deaths] (2/7/26)

26. Death for a Double by E. X. Giroux [5 deaths] (2/7/26)

27. The Plumley Inheritance by Christopher Bush [5 deaths] (2/13/26)

********************The following are from Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives by Sarah Weinman, ed (2/18/26)

28. "The Heroine" by Patricia Highsmith [one death]

29. "A Nice Place to Stay" by Nedra Tyre [5 deaths]

30. "Lavender Lady" by Barbara Callahan [one death]

31. "Sugar & Spice" by Vera Caspary [2 deaths]

32. "The Purple Shroud" by Joyce Harrington [one death]

33. "The Stranger in the Car" by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding [2 deaths]

34. "The Splintered Monday" by Charlotte Armstrong [one death]

35. "Lost Generation" by Dorothy Salisbury Davis [one death]

36. "Mortmain" by Miriam Allen Deford [one death]

**********************

37. Escape While I Can by Melba Marlett [13 deaths] (2/19/26)

38.The Fourth Policeman by Craig Rice [8 deaths] (2/25/26)

39. The Avenging Chance by Anthony Berkeley [8 deaths] (2/28/26)

40. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith [5 deaths] (3/2/26)

41. A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem by Manda Collins [10 deaths] (3/7/26)

42. That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green [one death] (3/11/26)

43. The Gaunt Stranger by Edgar Wallace [7 deaths] (3/16/26)

44. Portrait of a Nightingale by Manda Collins [3 deaths] (3/17/26)

45. Murder Enters the Picture by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz [5 deaths] (3/20/26)

46. Consequences of Sin by Clare Langley-Hawthorne [7 deaths] (3/21/26) 

47. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie [3 deaths] (3/22/26)

48. Shadow of Madness by Hugh Pentecost [5 deaths] (3/23/26)

49. An Heiress's Guide to Deception & Desire by Manda Collins [5 deaths] (3/25/26)

50. The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead [12 deaths] (4/1/26)

51. Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh [2 deaths] (4/4/26)

52. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie [3 deaths] (4/3/26)

53. Harriet Farewell by Margaret Erskine [7 deaths] (4/8/26)

54. Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie [5 deaths] (4/9/26)

55. Dead Man's Mirror by Agatha Christie [7 deaths] (4/11/26)

56. Treasure of Hemlock Mountain by Virginia Frances Voight [one death] (4/11/26)

57. The Methods of Sergeant Cluff by Gil North [2 deaths] (4/13/26)

58. The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs [4 deaths] (4/16/26)

59. A Case of Mice & Murder by Sally Smith [3 deaths] (4/18/26)

60. Murder on Eaton Square by Lee Strauss [3 deaths] (4/20/26)

61. Murder by Plum Pudding by Lee Strauss [one death] (4/22/26)

62. Who Done It? by Jon Scieszka (compiler & editor) [4 deaths] (4/25/26)

63. When the Wolves Are Silent by C. S. Harris [19 deaths]) (4/26/26)

***************The following stories are from Murder Mayhem Short Stories by Christopher Semtner [foreword] (5/2/26)

64. "The Wendigo Goes Home" by Sara Dobie Bauer [one death]

65. "The Death of Halpin Frayser" by Ambrose Bierce [2 deaths]

66. "The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce [one death]

67. "The Rector of Veilbye" by Steen Steensen Blicher [3 deaths]

68. "Dr. Hyde, Detective & the White Pillars Murder" by G. K. Chesterton [one death]

69. "Who Killed Zebedee?" by Wilkie Collins [one death]

70. "The Problem of Dead Wood Hall" by Dick Donovan [2 deaths]

71. "The Brazilian Cat" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [one death]

72. "Nineteen Sixty-Four Ford Falcon" by Tim Foley [2 deaths]

73. "Mama Said" by Steven Thor Gunnin [2 deaths]

74. "Six Aspects of Cath Baduma" by Kate Heartfield [one death]

75. "The Thing Invisible" by William Hope Hodgson [one death]

76. "Freedom Is Not Free" by David M. Hoenig [5 deaths]

77. "Mademoiselle de Scuderi" by E. T. A. Hoffman [6 deaths]

78. "Pigeons from Hell" by Robert E. Howard [6 deaths]

79. "Two Out of Three Rule" by Patrick J. Hurley [one death]

80. "The Well" by W. W. Jacobs [2 deaths]

81. "In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka [one death]

82. "Getting Shot in the Face Still Stings" by Michelle Ann King [2 deaths]

83. "The Return of Imray" by Rudyard Kipling [2 deaths]

84. "Less Than Katherine" by Claude Lalumiere [8 deaths]

85. "The Hound" by H. P. Lovecraft [one death]

86. "From Beyond" by H. P. Lovecraft [2 deaths]

87. "Drive Safe" by K. A. Mielke [2 deaths]

88. "In the Dark" by Edith Nesbitt [3 deaths]

89. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe [one death]

90. "The Azure Ring" by Arthur B. Reeves [three deaths]

91. "Redux" by Alexandra Camille Renwick [one death]

92. "The First Seven Deaths of Mildred Orly" by Fred Senese [6 deaths]

93. "Markheim" by Robert Louis Stevenson [one death]

94. "The Dualists by Bram Stoker [4 deaths]

95. "Mister Ted" by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt [3 deaths]

96. "Cheese" by Ethel Lina White [one death]

97. "Corpses Removed, No Questions Asked" by Dean H. Wild [4 deaths]

98. "Lord Savile's Crime: A Study of Duty" by Oscar Wilde [2 deaths]

99. "Fragments of Me" by Nemma Wollenfang [one death]

*************************

100. Murder in Bright Red by Frances Crane [3 deaths] (5/4/26)

101. The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris [8 deaths] (5/5/26)

102. Who Killed Alfred Snowe? by J. S. Fletcher [6 deaths] (5/8/26)

103. These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac [3 deaths] (5/12/26)

104. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin [3 deaths] (5/16/26)

105. Squire of Death by Richard Lockridge [4 deaths] (5/17/26)

106. No Peace for the Wicked by E. X. Ferrars [3 deaths] (5/18/26)

107. The Evil That Men Do by Hugh Pentecost [6 deaths] (5/19/26)

108. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun [3 deaths] (5/21/26)

109. The Buttercup Case by Frances Crane [4 deaths] (5/23/26)

110. The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor [2 deaths] (5/30/26)

111. The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves [3 deaths] (6/2/26)

112. The Man Who Didn't Fly by Margot Bennett [5 deaths] (6/8/26)

113. A Case of Life & Limb by Sally Smith [4 deaths] (6/11/26)

114. Spellbound by Francis Beeding [6 deaths] (6/13/26)

115. The Case of Cabin 13 by Sam McCarver [18 deaths] (6/14/26)

116. A Particular Eye for Villainy by Ann Granger [2 deaths] (6/17/26)

117. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams [3 deaths] (6/23/26)

118. Murder on Fleet Street by Lee Strauss [3 deaths] (6/23/26)

119. A Conspiracy of Poisons by J. G. Jeffreys [6 deaths] (6/28/26)

120. The Eve of the Wedding by Lionel Black [2 deaths] (6/30/26)

121. Winds of Evil by Arthur W. Upfield [7 deaths] (7/7/26)

122. Murder at Brighton Beach by Lee Strauss [4 deaths] (7/9/26)

123. DeKok & the Somber Nude by A. C. Baantjer [2 deaths] (7/10/26)

124. Murder in Hyde Park by Lee Strauss [one death] (7/13/26)

125. Blotto, Twinks & the Dead Dowager Duchess by Simon Brett [5 deaths] (7/15/26)

126. Two Bronze Pennies by Chris Nickson [5 deaths] (7/20/26)

127. Murder at the Royal Albert Hall by Lee Strauss [4 deaths] (7/21/26)

128. A Spinster's Guide to Danger & Dukes by Manda Collins [one death] (7/24/26)

129. A Dying Fall by Hildegarde Dolson [3 deaths] (7/26/26)

130. A Governess's Guide to Passion & Peril by Manda Collins [7 deaths] (7/27/26)

131. How to Dance with a Duke by Manda Collins [2 deaths] (7/29/26)

132. The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine [one death] (8/1/26)

133. A Catered Book Club Murder by Isis Crawford [2 deaths] (8/3/26)

134. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart [2 deaths] (8/5/26)

135. A Wallflower's Guide to Viscounts & Vice by Manda Collins [5 deaths] (8/6/26)

136. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers [one death] (8/7/26)

137. Dandy Gilver & an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson [2 deaths] (8/8/26)

138. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson [3 deaths] (8/10/26)

139. The Charteris Mystery by A. E. Fielding [5 deaths] (8/18/26)

140. Murder & Sullivan by Sara Hoskinson Frommer [one death] (8/22/26)

141. Murder, Murder, Little Star by Marian Babson [3 deaths] (8/25/26)

142. A Matter of Accent by David Keith [5 deaths] (8/28/26)

143. Death of a Harvard Freshman by Victoria Silver [3 deaths] (8/31/26)

144. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer [3 deaths] (9/2/26)

145. Beverly Gray Returns by Clair Blank [2 deaths] (9/5/26)

146. A Stitch in Crime by Ann Yost [3 deaths] (9/7/26)

146. Who Killed Me? by Joan Allan [2 deaths] (9/9/26)

147. The Property of a Lady by Anthony Oliver [6 deaths] (9/12/26)

148. Murder in Luxury by Hugh Pentecost [8 deaths] (9/15/26)

149. Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box [3 deaths] (9/17/26)

150. The Man Who Killed Fortescue by Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett [3 deaths] (9/19/26)

151. Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene [one death] (9/23/26)

152. Random Killer by Hugh Pentecost [5 deaths] (9/25/26)

153. The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene [one death] (9/25/26)

154. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie [21 deaths] (10/1/26)

155. Death Draws the Line by Jack Iams [3 deaths] (10/7/26)

156. The Final Problem by Arturo Pérez-Reverte [4 deaths] (10/12/26)

157. The Opening Door by Helen Reilly [5 deaths] (10/18/26)

158. Happy Returns by Manning Coles [5 deaths] (10/24/26)

159. The Mystery of Jockey Hollow by Cleo F. Garis [3 deaths] (10/27/26)

160. The Serpent Pool by Martin Edwards [11 deaths] (10/30/26)

161. Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair

162. The Kraymer Mystery by Mabel Esther Allan

163. 

2026 Reading by the Numbers: My Sign-Up

 

The Reading by the Numbers Challenge is the reading challenge at its most basic--just track everything you read. Anything counts--graphic novels or comic books, hard copy, e-books, audio novels, etc. If it is a book, it counts. And although the covers shown in the challenge image are all mysteries, you may read from any and all genres that interest you. Just set a goal and when January 1 comes around, start reading.

For the last two years, I've set my goal at 150, but in 2025 life went off the rails and there's no way I'm making 150. So, I'm dialing it back and setting my goal at 100. Hopefully, I'll rack up more than that. But with 100 I can claim the challenge complete.

1. Don Among the Dead Men by C. E. Vulliamy (1/7/26)

2. Death on the Slopes by Norma Schier (1/9/26)

3. The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson (1/12/26)

4. Shadows Before by Dorothy Bowers (1/18/26)

5. Old Bones by Herman Petersen (1/20/26)

6. High Marks for Murder by Rebecca Kent (1/22/26)

7. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (1/25/26)

8. Masterpieces of Mystery: Amateurs & Professionals by Ellery Queen, ed (1/31/26)

9. Aristotle Detective by Margaret Doody (2/3/26)

10. Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys (2/4/26)

11. The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Great War by Simon Guerrier (2/7/26)

12. A Death for a Double by E. X. Giroux (2/7/26)

13. The Plumley Inheritance by Christopher Bush (2/13/26)

14. Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives by Sarah Weinman, ed (2/18/26)

15. Escape While I Can by Melba Marlett (2/19/26)

16. Frederica by Georgette Heyer (2/22/26)

17. The Fourth Postman by Craig Rice (2/25/26)

18. The Avenging Chance by Anthony Berkeley (2/28/26)

19. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (3/2/26)

20. An Affair to Remember by Christopher Andersen (3/5/26)

21. A Lady's Guide to Mischief & Mayhem by Manda Collins (3/7/26)

22. That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green (3/11/26)

23. The Gaunt Stranger by Edgar Wallace (3/16/26)

24. Portrait of a Nightingale by Manda Collins (3/17/26)

25. Murder Enters the Picture by Willetta Ann Barber & R. F. Schabelitz (3/20/26)

26. Consequences of Sin by Clare Langley-Hawthorne (3/21/26)

27. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (3/21/26)

28. Shadow of Madness by Hugh Pentecost (3/23/26)

29. An Heiress's Guide to Deception & Desire by Manda Collins (3/25/26)

30. The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead (4/1/26)

31. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie (4/3/26)

32. Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh (4/4/26)

33. Murder on the Thirty-First Floor by Per Wahlöö (4/6/26)

34. Harriet Farewell by Margaret Erskine (4/8/26)

35. Hercule Poirot & the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (4/9/26)

36. Dead Man's Mirror by Agatha Christie (4/11/26)

37. Treasure of Hemlock Mountain by Virginia Frances Voight (4/11/26)

38. The Methods of Sergeant Cluff by Gil North (4/13/26)

39. The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs (4/16/26)

40. A Case of Mice & Murder by Sally Smith (4/18/26)

41. Murder on Eaton Square by Lee Strauss (4/20/26)

42. Murder by Plum Pudding by Lee Strauss (4/22/26)

43. Who Done It? by Jon Scieszka [compiler & editor] (4/25/26)

44. When the Wolves Are Silent by C. S. Harris (4/26/26)

45. Murder Mayhem Short Stories by Christopher Semtner [foreword] (5/2/26)

46. Murder in Bright Red by Frances Crane (5/4/26)

47. The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris (5/5/26)

48. Who Killed Alfred Snowe? by J. S. Fletcher (5/8/26)

49. These Names Make Clues by E. C. R. Lorac (5/12/26)

50. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (5/16/26)

51. Squire of Death by Richard Lockridge (5/17/26)

52. No Peace for the Wicked by E. X. Ferrars (5/18/26)

53. The Evil That Men Do by Hugh Pentecost (5/19/26)

54. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun (5/21/26)

55. The Buttercup Case by Frances Crane (5/23/26)

56. The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (5/30/26)

57. White Orchids by Grace Livingston Hill (5/31/26)

58. The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves (6/1/26)

59. The Man Who didn't Fly by Margot Bennett (6/8/26)

60. A Case of Life & Limb by Sally Smith (6/11/26)

61. Spellbound by Francis Beeding (6/13/26)

62. The Case of Cabin 13 by Sam McCarver (6/14/26)

63. A Particular Eye for Villainy by Ann Granger (6/17/26)

64. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams (6/23/26)

65. Murder on Fleet Street by Lee Strauss (6/23/26)

66. A Conspiracy of Poisons by J. G. Jeffreys (6/28/26)

67. The Eve of the Wedding by Lionel Black (6/30/26)

68. Titanic Captain by G. J. Cooper (7/4/26)

69. Winds of Evil by Arthur W. Upfield (7/7/26)

70. Murder at Brighton Beach by Lee Strauss (7/9/26)

71. DeKok & the Somber Nude by A. C. Baantjer (7/10/26)

72. The Well House Reader by Donald J. Gray (7/13/26)

73. Murder in Hyde Park by Lee Strauss (7/13/26)

74. Blotto, Twinks & the Dead Dowager Duchess by Simon Brett (7/15/26)

75. Two Bronze Pennies by Chris Nickson (7/20/26)

76. Murder at the Royal Albert Hall by Lee Strauss (7/21/26)

77. A Spinster's Guide to Danger & Dukes by Manda Collins (7/24/26)

78. A Dying Fall by Hildegarde Dolson (7/26/26) 

79. A Governess's Guide to Passion & Peril by Manda Collins (7/27/26)

80. How to Dance with a Duke by Manda Collins (7/29/26)

81. The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (8/1/26)

82. A Catered Book Club Murder by Isis Crawford (8/3/26)

83. Muscle & Bone by Paul-Victor Winters (8/4/26)

84. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart (8/5/26)

85. A Wallflower's Guide to Viscounts & Vice by Manda Collins (8/6/26)

86. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (8/7/26)

87. Dandy Gilver & an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson (8/8/26)

88. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson (8/10/26)

89. The Charteris Mystery by A. E. Fielding (8/18/26)

90. Murder & Sullivan by Sara Hoskinson Frommer (8/22/26)

91. Murder, Murder, Little Star by Marian Babson (8/25/26)

92. A Matter of Accent by David Keith (8/28/26)

93. Death of a Harvard Freshman by Victoria Silver (8/31/26)

94. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (9/2/26)

95. Beverly Gray's Return by Clair Blank (9/5/26)

96. A Stitch in Crime by Ann Yost (9/7/26)

97. Who Killed Me? by Joan Allan (9/9/26)

98. The Property of a Lady by Anthony Oliver (9/12/26)

99. Murder in Luxury by Hugh Pentecost (9/15/26)

100. Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box (9/17/26)

Commitment Complete!

101.The Man Who Killed Fortescue by Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett (9/19/26)

102. Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene (9/23/26)

103. Random Killer by Hugh Pentecost (9/25/26)

104. The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene (9/25/26)

105. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (10/1/26)

106. Death Draws the Line by Jack Iams (10/7/26)

107. The Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte (10/12/26)

108. The Opening Door by Helen Reilly (10/18/26)

109. Happy Returns by Manning Coles (10/24/26)

110. The Mystery of Jockey Hollow by Cleo F. Garis (10/27/26)

111. The Serpent Pool by Martin Edwards (10/30/26)

112. Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair by David Stuart Davies (11/5/26)

113. The Kraymer Mystery by Mabel Esther Allan

114.