Mystery Reporter's Challenge

 

Mystery Reporter's Challenge 2023 is sponsored by Ellie in The Challenge Factory on Goodreads.

My post in the challenge: HERE

Who? What? When? Where? Why?\

How--In a cozy chair with a hot cup of cocoa and a box of bonbons!

I'll be going for the Columnist level (2 books from each basic category) and hoping to complete them all.

Cub Reporter: 5 books (one from each category) Complete 1/30/23

Columnist: 10 books (two from each) Complete 3/7/23

News Anchor: 15 books (three from each) Complete 3/15/23

Editor: 20 books (four from each) Complete 5/7/23

Newspaper Mogul: 25 books (all five from each) Complete 6/7/23

Bonus Category:

Pulitzer Prize Winner = Newspaper Mogul plus bonus categories (30 books) Complete 6/7/23

Extra Bonus Category

Nobel Prize for Literature = Pulitzer plus final bonus category (31 books) Complete 6/7/23

WHO

Protagonist is starting a new business/career: Swing Low, Swing Death by R. T. Campbell (1/17/23)

Side Character is a dead person (ghost, vampire, zombie, etc.): Sabriel by Garth Nix [several characters have come back to the real world from the dead] (3/21/23)

Animal Character who talks to the protagnoist: Tintin in America by Hergé (3/10/23)

Villain is introduced by Chapter 2: The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson (1/7/23)

Character who exercises regularly: Blood on the Tracks by Martin Edwards (ed) [Thorpe Hazell, one of the detectives does several bizarre exercises] (3/20/23)

WHAT

Color in the title: The Crimson Clue by George Harmon Coxe (1/30/23)

Dessert in the title: Murder & Blueberry Pie by Frances & Richard Lockridge (5/25/23)

Title is at least six words: Sidney Chambers & the Perils of the Night by James Runcie (3/11/23)

Title starts with any letter in your last name: Here Come the Dead by Robert Portner Koehler (2/5/23)

Title is a play on words: Gone West by Carola Dunn [has double meaning--"gone west" was used to indicate that someone had died; also a reference to the victim's travels in western America] (4/6/23)

WHERE:

Set in New England State: Murder R.F.D. by Leslie Stephan (2/9/23)

Set on an island: Mystery of the Hidden Hand by Phyllis A. Whitney (5/7/23)

Set in a state that starts with a vowel: The Curriculum Murders by Marlis Day [Indiana] (6/6/23)

Set on a farm: Mysterious Invitation by Bernice Bloom (1/26/23)

Set on foreign soil (NOT USA/England): The Dante Game by Jane Langton [Italy] (1/13/23)

WHEN

1800s or earlier: Dead, Mr. Mozart by Bernard Bastable (3/15/23)

1900s: The Angry Heart by Leslie Edgley (1/21/23)

During a celebration: The Black Cat Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin [a wedding] (3/7/23)

During winter: Death Demands an Audience by Helen Reilly (4/17/23)

During a holiday: Inquest by Percival Wilde (4/15/23)

WHY

Money/Greed: Wings Above the Diamantina by Arthur W. Upfield (2/3/23)

Jealousy: Family Skeletons by Rett MacPherson (6/7/23)

Revenge: It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr (2/24/23)

"Love": Beauty Marks the Spot by Kelley Roos (1/7/23)

To keep a secret/cover up: A Gentleman's Murder by Christopher Huang (1/22/23)

BONUS--PULITZER PRIZE

WHO--Protagonist has/works with unusual pet/animals: Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt [has peacocks] (4/23/23)

WHAT--Exactly one word title: Beyond by Theodore Sturgeon (3/26/23)

WHERE--Set in a big city: Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac (2/19/23)

WHEN--During a storm: The Fear Sign by Margery Allingham (2/22/23)

WHY--Accidental death: The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian [one accidental death out of the many] (2/12/23)

EXTRA BONUS--NOBEL PRIZE

Horoscope: Pick a horoscope from the 24th of any month and read a book related to the horoscope.

Chose my husband's birthday (3/24/23): The horoscope said:

Martian Exit: It's the last full day of Mars in Gemini, the sign of communication. This is the station where Mars influences with speeches and conversations. Words can be weapons or treaties. Tomorrow it's a different game for the warrior planet. The realm of Cancer will soften his approach. to seize the energy before the Martian exit. Say what you need to say.

Aries (March 21-April 19): You'll make an impression on someone without trying to. In fact, not trying is the secret to your charm. You've thought about the image you wanted to portray, but it turns out that you are at your magnetic best when you're just being yourself.

The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox (3/29/23)

Sweet Poison

 Sweet Poison (1970) by Douglas Clark

Fay Partridge wasn't much liked at the Throstlecombe Holiday Camp in Devon. She had been a "no better than she should be" second wife to the late Claud Partridge. Some called her no better than a tart. She was self-absorbed and in it for the money and good times. Claud and his first wife and their two daughters had built the Holiday Camp up from nothing to a thriving business. The daughters expected to inherit when daddy passed on, but his bumbling attempt at a self-made will left the earnings from the camp to Fay Partridge for her lifetime. And she planned to live as long as possible and squeeze out every penny she could. So the daughters and their husbands weren't exactly fond of their step-mama. Mr. Compton, the manager of the Holiday Camp, also resented the way the second Mrs. Partridge ran the business (or tried to run it into the ground, as he saw it). She interfered with his management in ways that Claud and his first wife never did. She thwarted him at every turn...and elbowed the girls out of their rightful inheritance. And the local doctors (a husband and wife team) had cause to dislike Fay as well. She cancelled their contract as chief medicos for the camp, which put an end to a nice, guaranteed stipend.

Somebody decided that it might be better if she didn't live as long as she had planned--and most likely it was one of these seven. Though only in her thirties, she died suddenly from toxic necrosis of the liver...most unusual in someone her age. And her two prized poodles succumbed to the same ailment that same day. Apparently all three were poisoned, but the difficulty is to prove it. The post-mortem and examinations of the dogs reveal none of the standard signs of poisoning of any sort. The doctors are stumped and so are the local police. 

So, Detective Chief Inspector George Masters, Inspector Bill Green, and the team from Scotland Yard head to Devon to investigate. Masters has quite the reputation for unraveling the thorniest problems and he'll need everyone's help in gathering the clues that point to what kind of poison, how it was delivered, and by whom. Bill Green will get to spend time interviewing the rather comely Dr. Meg Meeth and Sergeants Brant and Hill will get to dress up as cowboys and mingle among the guests at a fancy dress ball all in the line of duty--gathering up evidence for their Chief. Masters takes an inordinate personal interest in some perfumed decorations in Fay's rooms never thinking that they might lead him to part of the solution (this isn't necessarily the spoiler you might think it is).

Another enjoyable plot from Douglas Clark. He excelled at interesting murder methods and I'm quite sure that this one was even more interesting at the time it was written. Simply because the method was a fairly new innovation (can't get detailed here or it will spoil things) that we take for granted nowadays. I vaguely remember commercials making a big deal of the innovation back in the 70s. So, I'm sure readers at the time would have been even more surprised at the reveal. One thing that confused me was Masters' hang-up on the word "dessert"--especially since the man knows what phrases mean in various dialects around England (and displays the ability in this very story). I recognized what our victim was referring to immediately, though I didn't quite make the connections Masters did once he finally came round to the right connotation.

This is the fourth in the series and Masters and Green still aren't completely comfortable with one another, but we can see the development of the mutual respect that will prevail in later books. Green is pleasantly surprised to receive a "well done" over a particularly helpful bit of detecting. And Masters is really beginning to appreciate his inspector's differing viewpoint. Clark provides a good view of the teamwork that goes into a successful police investigation.  ★★★  and 1/2.

First lines: The first Thursday in July. A growing rain falling.

Last line: "I think you're right. Your sergeants say you usually are."

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

Deaths = 5 (three natural; one shot; one poisoned)

Christmas at the Block

 Christmas is almost over here at the Block. We've opened all the wrapped presents under the tree....but I do have some Christmas cash to spend. I'm not quite sure how soon I'll get the Christmas cash presents delivered so we'll display any bookish purchases in all their glory at a later date. For now let's see what the Santas in my life have added to the Hankins Library...

Up first (in order of opening), a Secret Santa gift from Lisa LaPlante at work--a collection of book-themed Golden Age short stories reprinted by the British Library Crime Classics:

Next Secret Santa gifts from Michelle's True Book Addict Bookish Secret Santa exchange. A lovely Golden Age mystery reprint and an Agatha Christie jigsaw puzzle as well as a light-up, musical "Nutcracker" card from Lucy Pollard Gott.

From my own personal Santas--husband and son--I received three pulp-era, digest-sized mysteries, a collection of Zebra Puzzlers (mysteries designed so readers have clues in both the text and in illustrations which should allow them to solve the mystery before the big reveal) and five Unicorn Mystery Book Club editions with four stories each.

These two are from Kyle

And, finally, from my Golden Age Detective Secret Santa (aka the other Brad), a Christmas-themed Joan Coggin, a Carter Dickson with Christmas Red in the title, an Inspector West mystery by John Creasey, and a trio of pulp-era, digest-sized books (including a Mapback!).

The Ultimate Reader's Block Challenge Wrap-Up

 Last year, I decided that rather than post wrap-up links for each challenge, I would have a one-stop shopping plan. If you participated in any of the Reader's Block challenges, then you may submit your wrap-up posts here. The linky will be open until Friday, January 6th. At that time I will pick random winners* from all the challenges to select a prize from the prize vault. If you have participated in more than one challenge, you are welcome to submit a separate wrap-up post for each challenge and earn yourself an entry for every challenge. (*Number of winners will depend on where winners are from--I don't want to exclude my friends from outside the US, but shipping costs won't allow me to do many of those.)

Please list your name in the following manner (especially if you've got more than one entry): 

Name (challenge name) [example-- Bev@My Reader's Block (Vintage Scattergories)]

If you don't blog and don't have an URL to link up, you may post your wrap-ups in comments below (one comment per challenge) and I'll add you into the drawing. I will keep my eye on the entries and enter everyone onto a spread sheet in the order I see the entries appear. That order will determine the number for the random number generator to select.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The Candle Shop Mystery

 The Candle Shop Mystery (1967) by Eileen Hill

During Christmas break Robin, her brother Kevin, and friends Mindy & Michael visit an old Spanish neighborhood in Los Angeles at the behest of Mindy's friend Pilar. Something strange is going on at the local candle shop--long owned by Senor Garcia and now operated on his behalf by the Lodato family. At first the family was very friendly and open, but now they have banished Senor Garcia from his own backroom and act very suspicious and afraid. Pilar is sure that the son, Ramon, wants to confide in her but he's too afraid. When she visits Mindy and hears stories about the mysteries that Robin has solved in the past, she asks her new friends to come to Olvera Street and help find out what's wrong at the candle shop. There is a small fire in the shop and a mysterious man with a pin-striped suit hanging around--not to mention his friend with the eyepatch. When Robin finds a shard of pottery in the ashes from the fire, she's more than half-way to finding the solution.

My first Robin Kane story. She's made in the standard girl detective mode and a little bit younger than Nancy Drew. Somewhere between Nancy and Trixie Belden--Mindy's father is wealthy enough to purchase a hydroplane of his own and the story opens with Robin helping her mother make curtains. I get a bit of a Trixie/Honey vibe with a charming mystery from the late '60s. Not an intricate plot, but fun and with a little bit of danger/action--just enough to make it adventurous for young readers, but not too violent. It also provides a look at some Spanish/Mexican Christmas traditions that lets us see how others celebrate the season. It was a nice low-key read for the holiday season. ★★★ 

First Line: Robin Kane, sitting cross-legged on the window seat in her bedroom, was struggling to sew a hem in the new curtains she and her mother were making

Last Line: The sounds of happy voices followed Robin and the others as they left Olvera Street, sounds they would remember for a long time to come.

Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

 

I've been anxiously awaiting the new Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge for 2023. I first found Gregory's challenge in 2020 and have enjoyed the prompts that he devises.  As I have in the past, I'm going to commit to a Baker's Dozen (13 books). I'll probably do more, but my commitment will be met at 13.

Standards

~A classic: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (3/14/23)

~A mystery: Here Come the Dead by Robert Portner Koehler (2/5/23)

~A historical fiction book: Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (3/4/23)tr

~A thriller: The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox (3/29/23)

Lost & Found

~Book about a missing person: Mysterious Invitation by Bernice Bloom (1/27/23)

~Book about a civilization that no longer exists: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4/20/23)

~Book about self-discovery: My Pocket Meditations for Self Compassion by Courtney E. Ackerman (2/22/23)

~Book you find on your TBR list: Garden of Deadly Delights by Cynthia Manson [ed] (2/7/23)

Hobbies

~Book about a hobby you do or would like to do: Packing My Library by Alberto Manguel (4/26/23)

~Cozy mystery with hobby-related pun title

~Memoir/Biography about someone with unusual hobby

~Book from your "collection": The Crimson Clue by George Harmon Coxe (1/30/23)

Who Wrote That

~Twofer: two books by same author using different names (counts as two books)

 It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr (2/24/23)

 Nine--And Death Makes Ten by Carter Dickson [Carr] (4/11/23)

~Author you have always wanted to read: Death & the Conjurer by Tom Mead (10/26/23)

~By a local author: Phi Beta Murder by C. S. Challinor [from Bloomington, IN] (2/20/23)

Series or Not

~Read (or reread) the first book in a series: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (1/25/23)

~The Second book in a series: The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson (1/7/23)

~Any book from a series: Swing Low, Swing Death by R. T. Campbell (1/17/23)

~A standalone book: Tom O'Bedlam by Robert Silverberg (5/16/23)

Cuddly & Cute

~Book by an author you'd like to hug: The Red Death Murders by Jim Noy [because that means, since I've met him in person, I've finally made it to England!] (11/6/23)

~Book with a toy on the cover: Murder in Miniatures by Sam Merwin, Jr. [toy soldier] (4/15/23)

~Book that makes you think of warm fires & cozy beds: Little Men by Louisa May Alcott [a lot of cozy by the fire scenes] (4/14/23)

~Book with a pair of slippers on the cover

Regarding the Moon

~Book with word "tide" in the title

~Book with a moon on the cover: Murder R.F.D. by Leslie Stephan (2/9/23)

~Book about a werewolf

~Book with word in title that rhymes with "moon" or "moony"

The Number Four

~Book published in a year that includes a 4: Beauty Marks the Spot by Kelley Roos [1948] (1/7/23)

~Book about a cult

~Book by author whose name (first or last) is only four letters: The Dante Game by Jane Langton (1/13/23)

~Book with a four-word title: Wings Above the Diamantina by Arthur W. Upfield (2/3/23)

Preparing for the Robot Uprising

~Book with word "machine" or "mechanic" in title

~book about rocket science

~Book with robot/cyborg/AI character: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (4/27/23)

~Steampunk Book

Road Trips

~Book with name of a street or highway in title

~Book with luggage on the front cover: Blood on the Tracks by Martin Edwards (ed) [in luggage rack on the train] (3/20/23)

~Travel Memoir: Nala's World by Dean Nicholson (5/6/23)

~Book with car/truck/bus on cover: Gone West by Carola Dunn (4/6/23)

Initial Impressions

~Choose a book because of its cover

~Book by author with initials in their name: Where Serpents Sleep by C. S. Harris (4/3/23)

~Book that your initial reaction is I know I'll love this": Who Cries for the Lost by C. S. Harris (7/4/23)

~Book you expect will expand your initial knowledge of a subject: Soldiers Don't Go Mad by Charles Glass (7/28/23)

Weather or Not

~Book with picture of foggy street on cover: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (4/4/23)

~Book with word "chill" in the title

~Nonfiction book about a natural disaster/weather event

~Book set in winter: Death Demands an Audience by Helen Reilly (4/17/23)

Not As It Seems

~Fiction book with real person as protagonist: Dead, Mr. Mozart by Bernard Bastable (3/15/23)

~Book with animal on the cover that is not about that animal:  Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac [Edith Caroline Rivett] (2/19/23)

~Book with title that begins "how to" that is not a "how to" book

~Book written by an author using a pseudonym of the opposite gender: The Final Appointment by Marcia Blair [Marc Baker] (7/16/23)

Take a Flying Leap

~Book with a person jumping on cover: Blind Man's Bluff by Baynard Kendrick (12/12/23--finished; review coming 12/16/23 for ROY Awards)

~Book you want to dive into

~Memoir/Biography of a "daredevil": 12 Impossible Daredevil Stunts by Samantha S. Bell [mini-bios of 12 daredevils] (8/7/23)

~Book about taking chances: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (3/30/23)

Sparkles & Glitter

~Book with a gem in the title

~Book whose cover makes you think of a middle school girl: Mystery of the Hidden Hand by Phyllis A. Whitney (5/7/23)

~Memoir by someone who might use glitter regularly

~Book with gold writing on cover: The Becket Factor by Michael David Anthony (1/9/23)

Matching

~Book with a cover that matches your shirt (on day you start it): A Gentleman's Murder by Christopher Huang (1/22/23)

~Book about marriage: Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt (4/23/23)

~Book about twins: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (6/29/23)

~Book with something that can be lit by a match on the cover: Fatal Enquiry by Will Thomas [gas lamp] (4/9/23)

Love Them Critters

~Book by an author who has a pet listed in their bio: The Black Cat Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin [has a dog & a cat] (3/7/23)

~Book with the word "lion," "elephant," or "mouse" in the title: The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian (2/12/23)

~Book with a house pet on the cover: Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome (2/27/23)

~Book you would wrestle from the jaws of a tiger to read

Shakespeare Inspired

~Romeo & Juliet: Book with a balcony on the cover: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson [Lincoln's balcony box seat] (9/18/23)

~Midsummer Night's Dream: Book about fairies

~Sonnets: A Book of Poetry

~Macbeth: Book set in Scotland: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (5/11/23)

Bucket List

~Book with an elderly protagonist: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by various (2/15/23)

~Book you definitely want to read before you die: Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (8/6/23)

~Book with a beach on the cover: Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt by Clair Blank (8/31/23)

~Book about a place you want to visit: The Mystery of the Yellow Hands by Jake & Luke Thoene [England] (8/16/23)

Spirits

~Book about alcoholic beverages

~Book about ghosts: Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott (7/16/23)

~Book you hope will soothe your soul: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (5/26/23)

~Book with a super cheerful person the cover

Museums

~Natural History: Book with dinosaurs in it: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (8/9/23)

~Art: Book with a well-known painting on the cover

~Children's: Book with a protagonist 12 yrs old or younger: Madeline & the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans (1/30/23)

~Maritime: Book about ships or sailing: Murder on the Purple Water by Frances Crane [murders take place aboard ship] (10/8/23)

Dinner Time!

~Book with a restaurant on cover

~Book you'd skip a dinner date for

~Book off a "Sizzling Summer Reads" list

~Book you've been waiting to gobble up

The Darkness Around Us

~Book that employs dark humor: Hopeland (aka Skippy Dies part one) by Paul Murray (1/19/23)

~A "noir" book: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (9/9/23)

~Book set someplace that has a "long night" during winter

~Book about finding hope when life is challenging

Ain't That Sweet

~Nonfiction book about sugar

~Book with an adorable cover

~Book with "ain't" or "sweet" in the title

~Book set in a bakery or sweet shop

Music

~Book with an instrument in the title: The Bell in the Fog by John Stephen Strange [7/29/23)

~Book with a title that is a song name: The Angry Heart by Leslie Edgley (1/21/23) [song by Rob Thomsett, 2017]

~Book with musical notes on the cover: Murder in Burgundy by Audrey Peterson (5/17/23)

~Memoir by singer or musician: Number One Is Walking by Steve Martin [banjo player/sang "King Tut"] (3/.9/23)

Wild Cards

~Book set in the 1800s: Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield (4/7/23)

~Book you can read in a day: Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (1/1/23)

~Book you wish you'd written

~Book translated from a different language: Tintin in America by Hergé  (3/10/23)

Linz the Bookworm & Tress 2023 Reading Challenge

 

Linz the Bookworm and Tress @The Logophile co-sponsor a 2023 Reading Challenge that works on a tiered-level format. There are five levels for a total of 60 books if all levels are completed. I plan on opting in for the first level: Book of the Month Club. After that, I may read more books for the challenge--just to see how many categories I can fill--but my personal commitment will be met at Level 1. I've filled in possible choices.

Level 1: Book of the Month Club Complete!

1. Book recommended to you on social media or by a friend: The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian (2/12/23)

2. Book under 300 pages: The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson (1/7/23)

3. Book with a female main character: Mysterious Invitation by Bernice Bloom (1/27/23)

4. Book by author whose name is Samantha, Sam or a variant: Murder in Miniatures by Sam Merwin, Jr. (4/15/23)

5. Book by author from your home state: The Angry Heart by Leslie Edgley [grew up in East Chicago, IN] (1/21/23)

6. Book you meant to read for last year's challenge: Sidney Chambers & the Perils of the Night by James Runcie (3/11/23)

7. Book with a basic shape on the cover: The Becket Factor by Michael David Anthony [circle-shaped window on church] (1/9/23)

8. Book from Project Gutenberg, the library, or another nonprofit source: A Gentleman's Murder by Christopher Huang (1/22/23)

9. Book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up: Packing my Library by Alberto Manguel (4/26/23)

10. Book that starts with the first letter of your name: Beauty Marks the Spot by Kelley Roos (1/7/23)

11. Next book in a series you haven't read in a while: The Black Cat Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin (3/7/23)

12. Free space! Pick any book: Swing Low, Swing Death by R. T. Campbell (1/17/23)

Level 2 Casual Reader Club

13. Book by Mary Faulner (or one of her aliases) OR by an author from the Owlcation list of the 21 most prolific writers of all time (I chose John Creasey): Murder, London--New York by John Creasey (6/22/23)

14. Book of short stories or a novella: Here Come the Dead by Robert Portner Koehler (2/5/23)

15. Book that involves a lot of traveling: Wings Above the Diamantina by Arthur W. Upfield (2/3/23)

16. Book published in 1998 (25 yrs ago): Warped Factors by Walter Koenig

17. Book with a yellow cover: A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie (3/17/23)

18. Reread a book you have recommended to someone else: The End of the Alphabet by C. S. Richardson (5/7/23)

19. Book by Dean Koontz: Fear Nothing Vol. 1 (11/12/23)

20. Book with one-word title: Sabriel by Garth Nix (3/21/23)

21. Book 1 in a trilogy: The Q Continuum: Q-Space by Greg Cox

22. Book 2 in a trilogy: The Q Continuum: Q-Zone by Greg Cox

23. Book 3 in a trilogy: The Q Continuum: Q-Strike by Greg Cox

24. Free space! Pick any book: Hopeland (aka Skippy Dies part one) by Paul Murray (1/19/23)

Level 3 Dedicated Reader Club

25. Book that takes place somewhere you'd like to live: Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac [London/England] (2/19/23)

26. Book recommended by https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

27. Book with a neon-colored cover: Madeline & the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans (1/30/23)

28. Book by author who shares first or last name with one of your friends: Murder R.F.D. by Leslie Stephan (2/9/23)

29. Book that has under 1,000 reviews/ratings on website/app: The Dante Game by Jane Langton (1/13/23)

30. A middle-grade book (8-12 age range): Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien (1/1/23)

31. Read a book with word "Time" in title: The Cave of Time by Edward Packard (4/26/23)

32. Read a book about a famous criminal(s): Bony & the Kelly Gang by Arthur W. Upfield [fictionalized history featuring Ned Kelly and his descendants] (3/23/23)

33. Read a movie novelization book (movie to book, not book to movie):

34. Read a fiction or nonfiction book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself: My Pocket Meditations for Self-Compassion by Courtney Ackerman (2/22/23)

35. A self-published book: The Red Death Murders by Jim Noy (11/6/23)

36. Free Space! Pick any book: The Crimson Clue by George Harmon Coxe (1/30/23)

Level 4 Speed Reader Club

37, Book that is over 600 pages: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (10/2/23)

38. Book from List Challenge's Rory Gilmore Challenge: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (5/26/23)

39. Book by author named David/Dave: Black Friday by David Goodis (11/3/23)

40. A "Dark Academia" novel: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (6/10/23)

41. Book with title that starts with letter "V": Vultures in the Sky by Todd Downing (11/22/23)

42. Book set in Asia or an Asian-inspired culture: Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt by Clair Blank [China & nearby area] (8/31/23)

43. Book with a cat on the cover: Death Turns the Tables by John Dickson Carr (5/9/23)

44. Folklore book or book based on Folklore: Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste (2/22/23)

45. Book where main character is a dancer: The Frightened Pigeon by Richard Burke (7/5/23)

46. Book by new [to me] author: The Woman in the Picture by John August (3/10/23)

47. Book that involves a conspiracy: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (9/18/23)

48. Free Space! Pick any book: Garden of Deadly Delights by Cynthia Manson [ed] (2/7/23)

Level 5 Overachiever Club

49. Read one of the New York Public Library's Best Books of 2022 (any category): Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (3/30/23)

50. Book where main character is a Villain or Anti-hero: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (3/14/23)

51. Book that is punny and/or alliterative: Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. Wirt (4/10/23)

52. A "Found Family" Story: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4/20/23)

53. Book that has letter Q in title: The Beauty Queen Killer by John Creasey (5/14/23)

54. Book that has an illustrated cover: Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (3/4/23)

55. Book that takes place in at least two different decades: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by various (2/15/23)

56. Book about an entrepreneur (real or fictional): The Body in the Cast by Katherine Hall Page [owns a catering business] (8/1/23)

57: Book that takes place in Alaska

58. Book with word "Justice" in title: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (4/27/23)

59. Book involving Dinosaurs: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (8/9/23)

60. Free Space! Pick any book: Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (8/3/23)

The Hanover Square Affair

 The Hanover Square Affair (2003) by Ashley Gardner (Jennifer Ashley)

Captain Gabriel Lacey, late of His Majesty's Cavalry, has returned from the Napoleonic Wars with a ruined leg and bouts of melancholy. He's on half-pay because of a matter of honor--a matter that put him at odds with his commanding officer, who was also his closest friend. He feels himself to in a city of strangers with no friends and no purpose. But when an older man is shot and injured by a group of cavalrymen quelling a riot outside fashionable house in Hanover Square, Lacey can't resist getting involved. He discovers that the man was creating the disturbance outside of Mr. Horne's home because he believes the Parliament member to have abducted and ruined his only daughter Jane. Lacey takes the man home, dresses his wound, and vows to find the Thornton's daughter.

His search takes him from the Hanover Square to the backroom of brothels and from the gentle countryside to a home for fallen women. He learns of other young women who have gone missing, but can find no clue to Jane's whereabouts. Then Horne is murdered in his own home and the last person to have seen him is one Mr. Denis--a man who it is said can obtain anything for anyone...at a price. And a man who has friends in high places. Lacey finds himself deep in danger, but a new friendship with a man about town comes just in the nick of time.

When I first read this almost 20 years ago, I said that this was a good start to a new historical mystery series. And I thought it good enough to go ahead and buy the second in the series as well. But then I never read that second book--or any that followed. A challenge that I'm thinking about signing up for in 2023 had a prompt to "read the next book in a series you haven't read in a while"--the perfect time to read the second book in the Captain Lacey series, I thought. And then I thought I better go back and reread this first book just to remind myself what had already happened. Now, I'm not so sure that this was a good idea.

Reading this book twenty years later, I'm trying to figure out what struck me so positively about The Hanover Square Affair. Honestly, Captain Lacey is not a very sympathetic lead character. I am sorry about what happened to him the war, but he seems to have been saddled with a multitude of issues to get over. He's on the outs with his best friend--a best friend/commanding officer that managed to ruin his career and nearly get him killed. He's got a damaged leg. He's living on half wages. His wife ran off on him, taking their daughter with him. He seems (to me) to be in love with his ex-best friend's wife (though he never says so). He's got a nearly ungovernable temper. He has bouts of extreme melancholia. I'm glad that Mr. Grenville decides to befriend him just so the man can have a little bit of good in his life. 

He's not exactly the world's best detective either. His temper leads him to suspect people without evidence. Sure, some of them are really nasty pieces of work and deserve to go to jail for something--but that doesn't mean they did what Lacey thinks they did. And even if they did, he needs to find some evidence and not just go around accusing people. Granted, he does do a fair job of thinking things through once he gets his hands on some clues. But he goes off half-cocked more often than not. The mystery itself is a fairly good one and I do like the friendship that is beginning between Lacey and Grenville. I also like the time period, though I think C.S. Harris does a better job of evoking it in her Sebastian St. Cyr series.

I am going to go ahead and give Lacey another shot in A Regimental Murder and I hope that he develops as a detective...and that he can work through some of these issues that he has. I also hope that more is made of the friendship with Grenville. They could make a very good team. ★★ and 1/2 stars for this reading.

First line: Sharp as a whip-crack, a shot echoed through the mists in Hanover Square.

Last line: "Even if he will not," she whispered, "I will."

Deaths = 6 (one stabbed; one influenza; three more illness; one beaten)

Holmes for the Holidays

 Holmes for the Holidays (1996) by Martin H. Greenberg, Jon L. Lellenberg & Carol-Lynn Waugh (eds)

 A fairly good collection of holiday-themed stories from the pen of authors both well-known to me (Perry, Paul, Estleman, Breen, DeAndrea, Crider, Douglas, Hill, & Hoch) as well as some who are new. Most do a pretty good job getting the voices of and relationship between Homes and Watson right--though I was disappointed with the Douglas story. The tone here (at least from my point of view) is more bickering and peevish than the comfortable back and forth between two old friends. My favorites of the collection are "A Scandal in Winter," "The Yuletide Affair," and "The Adventure of the Christmas Tree." It was definitely nice to see Watson get a chance to show that doctors have some good deductive skills as well. ★★★ and 1/2 for the collection.

"The Watch Night Bell" by Anne Perry: Holmes prevents the Christmas Eve murder of a wealthy, decorated Colonel. The obvious suspect is his elder daughter whose husband is deep in debt. But is the obvious always the answer? (one shot)

"The Sleuth of Christmas Past" by Barbara Paul: Miss Amy Stoddard comes to Holmes for help in determining whether her fiance is as trustworthy as he seems. (one accident)

"A Scandal in Winter" by Gillian Linscott: A tale of another encounter with "the woman"--late in Holmes' career. This time he works to clear her of a murder charge--not in a court of law, but in the court of public opinion. (one fell from height)

"The Adventure in Border Country" by Gwen Moffat: Holmes investigates the disappearance of Miles Aubrey--who left behind champagne glasses and a bit of game pie in a hunting cabin. (one fell from height)

"The Adventure of the Three Ghosts" by Loren D. Estleman: Sherlock Holmes fears the worst when three ghosts reminiscent of those in A Christmas Carol begin haunting Lord Chislehurst.

"The Adventure of the Canine Ventriloquist" by Jon L. Breen: Mr. Maplethorpe is a very long-winded author of stories, reviews, and poems who has a very long tale to tell to Sherlock Holmes. He is being driven mad by a dog that apparently can speak. Is the man really mad or the victim of a dastardly plot?

"The Adventure of the Man Who Never Laughed" by J. N. Williamson: In order to find Miss Eleanor Chesterfield's missing brother, Holmes goes to church and joins a band of carolers. (one died from fever)

"The Yuletide Affair" by John Stoessel: Watson shows that he can deduce with the best of them when he is called to tend to Inspector Lestrade--who has apparently been stabbed by a well-known crook. The man pleads innocent and Watson spots the clues that will either prove the truth of the crook's statement or send him back to prison.

"The Adventure of the Christmas Tree" by William L. DeAndrea: Why would anyone steal the Christmas tree intended for a duke and then make it reappear again right on schedule for the Christmas Eve festivities? The duke's forester is troubled by it...and so is Holmes when he hears the story. (two blown up)

"The Adventure of the Christmas Ghosts" by Bill Crider: Franklin Scrooge, nephew and heir to Ebenezer Scrooge, finds himself suffering nighttime visitations just as his uncle before him. But instead of immediately changing his ways, he seeks Holmes' help in discovering the source of the visions.

"The Thief of Twelfth Night" by Carole Nelson Douglas: Holmes tells a tale of a lost emerald, a Twelfth Night cake, and the return of the precious stone...which took place right in front of a much younger Dr. Watson.

"The Italian Sherlock Holmes" by Reginald Hill: While convalescing in Italy, Holmes is on hand to see the results of case detected by "the Italian Sherlock Holmes"--a man who claims to follow Holmes's methods. But how skillfully does he employ them? (one throat cut; one beheaded)

"The Christmas Client" by Edward D. Hoch: Holmes comes to the aid of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) who is being blackmailed by a certain professor mathematics. But is blackmail all that Moriarty is after?

"The Adventure of the Angel's Trumpet" by Carolyn Wheat, ASH: A man who derided Holmes's detective skills in a previous court case comes to Baker Street for assistance in clearing his client of a murder charge. (one poisoned)

First line (1st story): My friend and colleague Sherlock Holmes had not a high regard for the logical nature of women.

Last line (last story): I, on the other hand, sampled a glass with last night's chop and found it most satisfactory, if a trifle young and forward, a quality that renders it not unlike the daughters of the great republic from which it came.

12 Challenge

12 Challenge: 12 Months to Read 12 Books Recommended by 12 Friends

Suggested by moonpiereadss on Instagram

A simple challenge--ask twelve friends for book suggestions and then read those twelve books by the end of 2023. I've solicited suggestions from my friends on Facebooks-if I get more than twelve then I may do more (will add as they come in).

My First Dozen:

January: Hopeland/Skippy Dies (part one) by Paul Murray (rec by Katie Levin) [1/19/23]

               A Gentleman's Murder by Christopher Huang (rec by Ryan Groff) [1/22/23]              

February: The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian (rec by Aubrey Nye Hamilton) [2/12/23]

                The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien (rec by Ivan Kreilkamp) [2/27/23]

March: Speakers of the Dead by J. Aaron Sanders (rec by Adam Burgess) [4/1/23]

            Nala's World by Dean Nicholson (rec by Dianne Winand) [5/6/23]    

April: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (rec by Miranda Wojciechowski) [4/20/23]

          Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (rec by David Higgins) [4/27/23]

May: Alif the Unseen by Willow Wilson (rec by Andy Oler)

        Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (rec by Katy Balma) [6/19/23]

June: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (rec by Anushka Sen) [6/10/23]

          All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (rec by Lavonne Weller & Richard Nash [6/15/23]

 

My Second Dozen:

 

 

July: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (rec by Petra Meyer) [6/30/23]

        The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (rec Katie Anderson) [8/9/23]

August: The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (rec by Becky Laney) [9/2/23]

             Manhunt: The Twelve-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson (rec by Yvette Banek) [9/18/23]

September: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (rec by Joe Morgan) [10/2/23]

                    Murder on the Purple Water by Frances Crane (rec by Brad Friedman) [10/8/23]

October: Camera Hunter by James H. McCommons (rec by Leslie Warren)

               Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (rec by Julie Kraft)

November: The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (rec by Dustin Long) [11/16/23]

                   Enchantment by Orson Scott Card (rec by Stacy Maugans)

December: Evelina by Frances Burney (rec by Celia Barnes)

                   Night Film by Marisha Pessl (rec by Amy Locklin)