Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

Tracey's thread for the 2018 challenge

https://www.random.org/

Move #:
Random #:
Category:
Task:
Book:

Move #1:
Random #: 1
Category: Clue Trivia
Task: 4

4. The 50th Anniversary edition of Clue has a bottle of poison added to the list of possible murder weapons. Read a book in which someone is poisoned OR a book with any beverage or any type of bottle on the cover.

Book: Depending on whether I do an audiobook or Kindle, my book will be:

(Isn't that a great cover? I hope that doesn't mean the book is awful)

or


(An old favorite - Could be time for a reread)

Yes, that is a fantastic cover! Enjoy!

To no one's surprise, I'm sure, I've changed my mind. I decided on an audiobook, but I'm saving Lord Peter for a rainy day. I found a rather nice Agatha Christie: Dumb Witness, which I am informed features a rather nice poisoning.

Excellent Golden Age stuff. That was fun. But I still despise Hastings.

Move #2:
Random #:1
Category: Clue Trivia
Task: 2

Read a book with a black cover OR a book with a corpse on the cover

I feel like continuing with Dame Agatha audio, and I see this:


- (mostly) black cover.

Not exactly seasonal, but I'm okay with that!

Aw, nuts - this one's only as old as I am, which is not yet fifty years. Oops. I'll pick another. (I thought it sounded awfully modern!)

Tracey wrote: "Aw, nuts - this one's only as old as I am, which is not yet fifty years. Oops. I'll pick another. (I thought it sounded awfully modern!)"

49 years is close enough for the challenge, Tracey :)

That's okay - I'll definitely finish it, but for the challenge I started:



I'll be done with it sooner than I'll get around to an audiobook on the weekend. :)

Miss Silver books - as reliable as the lady herself. I figured out a bit of it, but still had the wrong end of the stick.

Move #3:
Random #:4
Category: The Rooms
Task: 4 - HALL

Read a book with any of the following items on the cover: castle, body of armor, banner, tapestry, candelabra, chandelier or throne
OR read a book with any word in the title or author name that rhymes with hall

For this task, I will (probably) read either The Murder at Sissingham Hall, which I've already read and enjoyed very much, or The Fall, before which I will have to read The Devil's Grin. I'll be back!

I should just stop saying what I'm going to read until I start it, because I always change my mind. This time, if it's okay, instead of the above I'm reading - if it's ok for the challenge! - London Calling. CALL-ing - does that work? It's a Regency novel with espionage, and quite a few people have it shelved in "mystery".

Yes, London Calling works. I'll amend the task description so that the root of the word counts.

Thanks! (I should have stuck to my original choices - it's not great...)

Tracey wrote: "Thanks! (I should have stuck to my original choices - it's not great...)"

Oy!

Well, that got two stars. If it had been set in another time period it might have worked, but as a Regency? Uh uh. And I figured out the bad guy about five minutes after they were introduced: never a good sign. Oh well.

Move #4:
Random #: 3
Category: The Weapons
Task: 6
REVOLVER
Read a book with any type of gun on the cover OR a book with any of the following words in the title: READY, AIM, FIRE, BANG, BULLET, SHOOT, SHOT, SAFETY, or TRIGGER

Yay, I've been waiting for this - I'll finally read Murder in July, by Barbara Hambly. It's impossible for her to write a bad book.

That was terrific - one of her best.

Move #: 5
Random #: 3
Category: 3
Task: Read a book with any type of knife on the cover (i.e. dinner knife, sword, dagger)
OR a book with SHARP in the title, author or protagonist's name
Book: TBA

OK, I spent more time than I want to admit looking for a book "with SHARP in the title, author or protagonist's name - and as far as I'm finding, there are none. There are a handful of mysteries with main characters or authors named Sharp, but I think the earliest any of them took place was 1999. And unfortunately it looks like none of the Bernard Cornwell Sharpe series (hello, Sean Bean) have ever been shelved as mysteries. I look forward to seeing if anyone else has better luck!

SO - I'm going with the easier option: blade on the cover.


I think this one of the few Alleyn novels I never read, so it should be fun.

Tracey wrote: "OK, I spent more time than I want to admit looking for a book "with SHARP in the title, author or protagonist's name - and as far as I'm finding, there are none. There are a handful of mysteries wi..."


Hmmm... perhaps it would be easier with other words such as CUT, SLICE, SLASH, STAB. I'll update the task description

Thanks, Lauren! That would be great. There *have* to be at least some titles with those words.

Death of a Fool was terrific - though I must have read it at some point in the distant past, because I remembered things. I don't think I'm clever enough to have figured out what I figured out.

Move #: 6
Random #: 3
Category: THE WEAPONS
Task: 4
Book: Wrench

4. Wrench - Read a book with a wrench on the cover
OR a book whose cover shows anything that might be purchased in a hardware store (i.e. hammer, saw, nails, paint)

Going with one of the other grande dames of mystery, I choose City of Gold and Shadows. The cover from Audible is not on Goodreads (yet - I'll add it when I have a chance), but this is it:



(Creeeeepy)

Aw. Should have checked the pub date first - it's 1973. I'll be back.

I always assume that these books are at least fifty years old ... ergh. OK, I'm going to take a flyer on something risky: someone is apparently carrying on Agatha Christie's characters. I despise Jill Paton Walsh's attempts at Peter Wimsey - but I'm not as emotionally attached to Poirot, despite my recent binge on his books, so hopefully I'll like this:



- - Since hardware stores always have a key-cutting station, right?

I just spent a credit on the audiobook, so if nothing else I'll be able to enjoy Julian Rhind-Tutt. Goodreads's description includes the phrase "ferociously clever", which would be great - we'll see! ETA: And I checked: it's set in 1929. I think I'm covered!

That was awful. That was absolutely awful. The narration was terrific - but my lord was that a bad book. It should have traffic cones around it.

Move #: 7
Random #: 2
Category: The Suspects - It's about time I got to this category!
Task: 1 - Miss Scarlet
Read a book with a red cover
OR a glamorous looking female on the cover
OR a book that is first in a series

Book: I'm spoiled for choice here - but I actually started listening to Murder in the Mews and then forgot about it; I'm going to start over and check off "red cover".

Tracey wrote: "That was awful. That was absolutely awful. The narration was terrific - but my lord was that a bad book. It should have traffic cones around it."

That bad huh?!
Glad you managed to find another option for hardware store though :)

So bad. Let that be a lesson to me - leave an author's characters to that author!

"Mews" was quick and painless - back to the REAL Poirot.

Move #: 8
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms
Task: 7 - Lounge - Read a book with any type of chair or sofa on the cover
OR a book cover showing any kind of leisure activity


Cat Among the Pigeons - tennis

Forgot to update - -

Cat Among the Pigeons was one of the best - I really enjoyed it.

Next:
Move #: 9
Random #: 1
Category: The Suspects
Task: 6
Mrs. Peacock - Read a book with a blue cover; OR any type of bird on the cover; OR a protagonist who is a female servant of any kind (housekeeper, companion, governess, cook, maid, etc.).

Blue cover option (since I can do it by listening to another Christie):

Hm - strangely lacking in Poirot; it almost seemed like she was setting up this Lamb fellow to be a new main character, but he's off to do other things. A little reliant on chance, this; not my favorite, though I did enjoy it more than others.

Next:
Move #: 10
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms
Task: 5. Dining Rm Read a book with a food-laden table or buffet on the cover
OR a book with any type of dish, silver ware, or serving piece (i.e. platter, large bowl, pitcher) on the cover

Another Poirot audiobook fits the bill - I just noticed one of the pigs has a knife and fork. (How twisted.)

Next:
Move #: 11
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms again
Task: 8 LIBRARY
Read a book showing a library on its cover
OR a book that has a book or person reading on the cover

Another one harder than you'd think ... lots of books, not too many readers.

But there's a good one with a nice library on the cover:

Wow, I really hated that. I don't know why. I've always liked Innes fine, and there's no faulting the writing - but I was bored and annoyed and couldn't wait for it to be over. Oh well.

Next:
Move #: 12
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms again
Task: Billiard Room Read a book depicting a billiards or pool table on the cover
OR a book showing any kind of round object on the cover


- round wheel. (Unless it's supposed to be round as in a billiard ball - spherical?)

That's one of the better Christies. Funny, though, how little resemblance there was to the tv episode made from it...

On to the next:

Move #: 13
Random #: 2
Category: THE SUSPECTS
Task: 2
Book: Col. Mustard - Read a book with a yellow cover
OR a protagonist who is a former or current military man.


(couldn't be more yellow if it tried.)

I loved that. And so, of course, it's the only historical mystery by the author. Hopefully it's the first in a series to come - there's plenty of scope for more. In any case, I recommend it highly for the yellow cover task - or just because.

Move #: 14
Random #: 1
Category: GENERAL CLUE TRIVIA
Task: 1 Read any book set in the United Kingdom
OR any book revolving around World War II
Book: I'm SO spoiled for choice - probably 90% of the books I've got are set in England, and quite a few are WWII.

I'm going with A Man Lay Dead, very much set in England, and also going toward a Ngaio Marsh challenge from another group.

That was fun, although the whole "Russian element" bored me. I've missed Ngaio Marsh.

On to the next:
Move #: 15
Random #: 1 again
Category: 3
Task: 3 Read a book which has been “archived in your cellar” for a year or more
OR a book with 2, 3, or 4 in the total number of pages
Book: TBA

I've got a mountain of books "archived in my [digital] cellar" - and another mountain literally in storage for years. Hm. I shall return.

I just haven't had the time to read read lately - but audiobooks I can do. So ... the oldest historical mystery audiobook I have (which I have never listened to or read) is Donis Casey's Crying Blood, fifth in the Alafair Tucker series, which I love; it's set in Oklahoma in 1915. I've been kind of holding this one back, because there are only six audiobooks in the series (oh good - there are nine books total - hopefully they'll get their narrations before too long)... Now's a good time. I bought it January 29, 2016.

I do love that series. It's ominous watching WWI get closer and closer, with all those boys of perfect draftable age in the family ...

On to the next:
Move #: 16
Random #: 2
Category: The Suspects
Task: 6
6. Mrs. Peacock Read a book with a blue cover
OR any type of bird on the cover
OR a protagonist who is a female servant of any kind (housekeeper, companion, governess, cook, maid, etc.).

Book: - Actually, I'm probably going to put the game on hiatus for a couple of weeks. The Jeopardy! test is on March 6, 7, and 8, and (for all the good it ever does me) I'm going to be reading up (and listening to podcasts and whatnot) on subjects I'm stupid about - so hello, two weeks of opera, geography, and sports!

I'll be back in March.

Good luck cramming for the exam.

Thanks. :) I can't learn everything I don't already know - I just don't want to be mad at myself for missing something dumb.

Well, because it was so busy at work I didn't get to "study" as much as I usually do - but I took the test last night, and it went pretty well. They don't give you a score, but I learned a long time ago to take screencaps of the questions and check my answers that way. I did better than usual. Here's hoping!

Back to the game...

For Mrs. Peacock, I already read a blue cover. This time around I'll do the female servant option: Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women. I'm a little surprised I requested this on Netgalley; the descriptions I've read of the series always seemed like something I wouldn't like. Here goes nothing.

That was better than I expected, but I can't see myself reading 35 more like it.

On to the next...

Move #: 17
Random #: 1
Category: General Clue Trivia
Task: 2
Read a book with a black cover OR a book with a corpse on the cover

I already did the black cover, so for corpse on the cover I will read One Corpse too Many -

Tracey wrote: "That was better than I expected, but I can't see myself reading 35 more like it.

Sometimes authors just don't know when to quit.

Thirty-six books! Yeesh.

I love Cadfael. So much. I've had Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" going through my head since chapter 1.

On to the next...

Move #: 18
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms
Task #: 3 CONSERVATORY
Read a book showing any type of large, glass structure on the front
OR a book with plants, flowers, or trees on the cover

I definitely want to keep going with Cadfael, so I'll take the easy option:

I really, really love Cadfael.

Next...

Move #: 19
Random #: 3
Category: The Weapons
Task #: 1 ROPE
Read a book with rope on the cover
OR a book whose author initials can be found in ROPE (all initials count)

Oh! Well, happily Ellis Peters's initials are in ROPE. I'll go back and read A Morbid Taste for Bones.

OK, that wasn't one of the best (maybe because I actually remembered a lot of it from many years ago - I knew he did it!); it was a more rebellious, anarchistic Cadfael. But still, lesser Ellis Peters is still light years better than a lot of what's out there.

Move #: 20
Random #: 4
Category: General Clue Trivia
Task: 3 Read a book which has been “archived in your cellar” for a year or more
OR read a book with 324 pages
OR read a book with 2, 3, or 4 in the total number of pages
Book: TBD. I already did the "archived" option, so I'm looking at page totals.

ETA: The Leper of Saint Giles has two hundred and twenty-four pages, so I'll go with option 3 and stick with my favorite monk.

Move #: 21
Random #: 2
Category: The Suspects
Task: 1 MISS SCARLET
Read a book with a red cover
OR a glamorous-looking female on the cover
OR read a book that is first in a series

I already did the red cover; I'll do the glamorous female and red (ETA: Freudian slip for Miss Scarlet - READ) another Miss Fisher: Unnatural Habits.

It's official: I want to be Phryne Fisher.

Move #: 22
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms
Task: 5 - DINING ROOM
Read a book with a food-laden table or buffet on the cover
OR a book with any type of dish, silver ware, or serving piece (i.e. platter, large bowl, pitcher) on the cover

Book: I did the dishes/silverware one .... Oh, good - I can read Monk's Hood


- or is that laden enough?

Tracey wrote: "It's official: I want to be Phryne Fisher..."

So do I! I love her outfits in the TV show :)

For anyone else looking at reading Brother Cadfael books for the challenge (or just because), I just finally thought to check - and lo and behold, they're available on - -

http://lendle.me/books/available/

(Most of them, anyhow.) I can't believe I never looked before!

I love the ghosts of Cadfael's past.

Move #: 23
Random #: 4
Category: The Rooms
Task: 3 CONSERVATORY
Read a book showing any type of large, glass structure on the front
OR a book with plants, flowers, or trees on the cover

I did the plant option; now for the glass structure:



Been a long time since I read that one.

Wow. That was good. So that's why I used to be such a fan of Anne Perry! I'm so glad I read that.

And on to the next.

Move #: 24
Random #: 3
Category: The Weapons
Task: 5 CANDLESTICK
Read a book with a candle on the cover (bonus for finding a candlestick!)
OR a book with any type of flame on the cover

Hm. Maybe -

I'll be back.