A - Z Title Challenge

[Melissa]

Thanks Connie. I usually read in order, but I know some series it doesn't matter. Murder She Wrote is a good example, those can totally stand alone.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Melissa wrote: "I was going to use Zapped for my Z, but I'm wondering if that is considered a cozy since the main character is a PI? Do people consider Carol Higgins Clark books as cozies?

Either way, it's like 1..."

I'd say it's definitely a cozy - and while I am a stickler for reading books in order, I read Zapped for a challenge a couple of years ago and read it out of order and I can say unequivocally it made no difference whatsoever. I don't believe that series is overly strong on character development, though others may disagree.

[jaxnsmom]

Updated message 15 with recent books.

[Rebecca]

Uggh!! It wont let me edit!!! I have books to add:( I guess I'll try again later..

[Anne]

Here is my updated list

I have updated my lists
26/26

Appointment with Death 4/2/13
Buried by Breakfast 4/25/13
Capable of Murder 4/17/3
Death Runs in the Family 7/16/13
Easy to Kill 6/4/13
False Scent 9/9/13
G A Grave Mistake 3/19/13
Huckleberry Finished 5/25/13
I The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries 3/23/13
J The Jackpot 8/28/13
K The Killer Twist 7/29/13
Loose Screw 7/8/13
M A Man Lay Dead 3/17/13
Never Buried 8/30/13
One, Two Buckle My Shoe
Progressive Dinner Deadly 5/19/13
Quinn Checks In 4/2/13
R The Regatta Mystery 5-19/13
Sad Cyprus 7/31/13
Trouble in Mudberg 8/6/13
Uncommon Grounds 6/30/13
Vanish with the Rose 5/13/13
W The Wicked Wager Finished 5/10/12
X Hexes and Hemlines 8/25/13
Yankee Doodle Dead 6/30/13
Z Frozen Stiff 7/9/13

I have finished the challenge. It was great fun

[Randa]

Anne wrote: "Here is my updated list

I have updated my lists
26/26

Appointment with Death 4/2/13
Buried by Breakfast 4/25/13
Capable of Murder 4/17/3
Death Runs in the Family 7/16/13
Easy to Kill 6/4/13
False..."

Great job. I'm not so sure I'll be able to finish my cozy challenges. I tend to read cozies between other books since they tend to be less intense, more relaxing. They're quick reads but most other books take much more time.

[Connie N.]

Wow, great job, Anne!

[jaxnsmom]

Anne,

[Jaxie]

Anne wrote: "Here is my updated list

I have updated my lists
26/26

Appointment with Death 4/2/13
Buried by Breakfast 4/25/13
Capable of Murder 4/17/3
Death Runs in the Family 7/16/13
Easy to Kill 6/4/13
False..."

Congratulations Anne! Amazing job!!! :)

[Shirley]

Cozy Mystery Corner - A - Z Title Challenge
March 15, 2013 and run through March 14, 2014
Progress 10/26

A Artifacts
by Mary Anna Evans
5/15/13 ****
B Brush with Death
by Karen MacInerney 6/10/13 ****

C

D Death Of An Obnoxious Tourist
by Maria Hudgins
7/19/13 ****

E

F A Fatal Grace
by Louise Penny
4/22/13 ****

G

H The Hot Flash Club Chills Out
by Nancy Thayer
6/3/13 *****

I

J Just Add Trouble
by Jinx Schwartz
5/31/13 ****

K

L

M My Heart May Be Broken, but My Hair Still Looks Great
by Dixie Cash
1/25/13 *****

N

O

P

Q

R A Royal Pain
by Rhys Bowen
3/17/13 ****
S The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
by Alexander McCall Smith
4/26/13 ****
T A Thread of Truth
BY Marie Bostwick
5/7/13 *****
U

V

W

X

Y

Z

[Diana S]

A-Z MYSTERY/THRILLER TITLE CHALLENGE
Duration: 3/15/13 - 3/14/14
Books Read:9

A 'A' is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (5/26/13)
B
C The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lilian Jackson Braun (5/21/13)
D Desert Heat by J.A. Jance (8/17/13)
E Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten (6/25/13)
F
G Ghost Moon by Heather Graham (9/10/13)
H
I
J
K The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens (7/24/13)
L
M Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (9/3/13)
N
O
P
Q
R
S Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark (4/7/13)
T Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith (7/22/13)
U
V
W Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard
X
Y
Z

[jaxnsmom]

Hey Shirley and Diane! Glad you're doing the challenge. I've set up links in message 2 to your posts here to make it easier to get to them.

[Melissa]

Anne wrote: "Here is my updated list

I have updated my lists
26/26

Appointment with Death 4/2/13
Buried by Breakfast 4/25/13
Capable of Murder 4/17/3
Death Runs in the Family 7/16/13
Easy to Kill 6/4/13
False..."

Congrats Anne!

[Melissa]

I've just got Y and Z left, so I should finish in time. Now I'm just trying to read a bunch of library books first and then I can finish this up. ;)

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

Finished:

A-Z MYSTERY/THRILLER TITLE CHALLENGE, 3/15/13 - 3/14/14
PROGRESS: 26/26

✔ A - And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily #1), by Tasha Alexander, finished 3/31
✔ B - Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs #2), by Jacqueline Winspear, finished 3/28
✔ C - Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks #2), by Miranda James, finished 4/26
✔ D - Do You Want To Know A Secret? (Key News #1), by Mary Jane Clark, finished 3/15
✔ E - An Expert in Murder (Jospehine Tey #1), by Nicola Upson, finished 3/24
✔ F - Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat #4), by Richard Castle, finished 8/23
✔ G - Guns Will Keep Us Together (Bombay Assassins #2), by Leslie Langtry, finished 3/17
✔ H - Heat Wave (Nikki Heat #1), by Richard Castle, finished 4/6
✔ I - The Innocent (Will Robie #1), by David Baldacci, finished 6/6
✔ J - The Jefferson Key (Cotton Malone #7), by Steve Berry, finished 3/26
✔ K - Killer Honeymoon (Savannah Reid #18), by G.A. McKevett, finished 4/4
✔ L - Love Lies Bleeding (China Bayles #6), by Susan Wittig Albert, finished 5/21
✔ M - The Moving Finger (Miss Marple #4), by Agatha Christie, finished 5/4
✔ N - Never Preach Past Noon (Leigh Koslow #3), by Edie Claire, finished 3/25
✔ O - On the Run (Ivy Malone #3), by Lorena McCourtney, finished 3/21
✔ P - Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta #1), by Patricia Cornwell, finished 3/20
✔ Q - The Quick and the Thread (Embroidery Mystery #1), by Amanda Lee, finished 6/26
✔ R - A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness #2), by Rhys Bowen, finished 7/11
✔ S - A Stranger's Game (Bitter Creek #7), by Joan Johnston, finished 4/2
✔ T - Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #1), by Dana DeLeon, finished 3/29
✔ U - The Underdog and Other Stories, by Agatha Christie, finished 4/10
✔ V - Vineyard Deceit (J.W. Jackson #3), by Philip R. Craig, finished 11/29
✔ W - Well-Schooled in Murder (Inspector Lynley #3), by Elizabeth George, finished 5/1
✔ X - The Xibalba Murders (Archeological Mystery #1), by Lyn Hamilton, finished 8/29
✔ Y - You're Next, by Gregg Hurwitz, finished 4/29
✔ Z - The Zero Game, by Brad Meltzer, finished 11/20


                

                  

          


***** CHALLENGE COMPLETE 11/29 ******

[Melissa]

Congrats Barb!

[jaxnsmom]

Way to go, Barb! What were your favorites? Any you wouldn't recommend?

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

Thanks :)
Hmmm ... favorites would include:

Do You Want To Know A Secret? - I really like Mary Jane Clark's books
The Jefferson Key - the latest in a favorite series
Trouble in Mudbug - a fun first-in-a-series
Heat Wave - liked this more than I thought I would
The Moving Finger - how can you go wrong with Miss Marple?
The Xibalba Murders - another fun first-in-a-series
Vineyard Deceit - and another favorite series


The books I didn't really care for:
Postmortem - too ... explicit? for me. I should have known better!
An Expert in Murder - just not my style
The Underdog and Other Stories - I'm not a fan of short stories

[jaxnsmom]

I've read some of your favorites, and now some of them are on my tbr :)

I read a few of Cornwell's books, but quit when some of the characters got on my nerves.

I didn't think short stories were for me, but I've read a few really good ones this year.

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

If I've learned one thing this year about my reading preferences, it's that I'm ok with language, some 'sex stuff' and violence -- as long as the violence isn't too graphic! And the moment a child gets involved is the moment I lose interest in the story.

I probably should have noted that The Xibalba Murders includes a LOT of history over the course of the story. I understand that the entire series is like that, addressing the history of whatever culture Lara is involved with in each book. In this one, the first in the series, it's the Mayans, which has always fascinated me for some reason :) I know a lot of readers would be turned off by all the history lessons, but I enjoyed them!

[jaxnsmom]

I love informative books that give you a good sense of history along with the story. Much better than a dry textbook. My only hope is that the authors did their research (and most have), because I like to think I'm learning something factual.

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

That's the thing -- I don't know enough about the Mayans to know whether this was factual or not. It appears to be, but without verifying the information elsewhere, I have to assume the author did her research :)

[Connie N.]

Congrats, Barb. I've been making very little headway on this one recently. Guess it should go onto the front burner for a while so I can finish up before the deadline.

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

Good luck, Connie :)

[❂ Murder by Death]

Just updated my list with a "U" and happy to see I have until March to finish this one. :)

[Katherine]

6 more to go- any recommendations for U, X, or Z?

[jaxnsmom]

I know some people have read The Xibalba Murders for X. I have Uncommon Grounds to read for U.

[Connie N.]

I loved Unzipped for U.

[Melissa]

Two weeks left! I have one more book, I can't forget to read it now. :)

[Melissa]

Finished, just got that last one in under the wire! :)

[Connie N.]

I've been plugging away at this one for almost 2 years, so I'm going to consider it complete! Thanks for the fun.

A-Z COZY TITLE CHALLENGE
Timeframe: 3/15/13 to 9/14/14
23/26

A - Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton - 4/18/13 ❀❀❀❀
B - A Beautiful Place to Die by Philip R. Craig - 7/23/13 ❀❀❀❀
C - Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson - 4/10/13 ❀❀❀❀
D - Death is a Cabaret by Deborah Morgan - 5/15/13 ❀❀❀❀
E - Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood - 4/4/13 ❀❀❀❀
F - The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith - 5/10/13 ❀❀❀❀
G - The Grave Gourmet by Alexander Campion - 7/9/13 ❀❀
H - Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman - 4/24/13 ❀❀❀❀
I - Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown - 5/12/13 ❀❀❀❀
J
K - Knock Off by Rhonda Pollero - 8/14/14 ❀❀❀❀❀
L - Let There Be Suspects by Emilie Richards - 4/18/14 ❀❀❀❀
M - Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets - 4/21/13 ❀❀❀❀
N
O - One for the Money by Janet Evanovich - 6/26/13 ❀❀❀❀
P - Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams - 6/28/14 ❀❀❀❀
Q - The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton - 7/31/13 ❀❀❀❀
R - A Rumor of Bones by Beverly Connor - 9/18/13 ❀❀❀❀
S - Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau - 5/25/13 ❀❀❀❀
T - Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth by Tamar Myers - 4/30/13 ❀❀❀❀
U - Unzipped by Lois Greiman - 12/31/13 ❀❀❀❀❀
V - A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair - 2/28/14 ❀❀❀
W - Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown - 4/28/13 ❀❀❀❀
X - The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton - 7/6/14 ❀❀❀
Y - You Cannoli Die Once by Shelley Costa - 12/5/13 ❀❀❀❀
Z

[Nancy]

You can still fill the J. Try The Murder House or The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

[Connie N.]

Thanks, Nancy. I actually have a list of books that will fit, but I just need to clear out some challenges and I've been struggling with this one for almost 2 years!

[Connie N.]

I just couldn't give up on this challenge! I don't know why it took so long, but it took 2-1/2 years to finish--whew!

A-Z COZY TITLE CHALLENGE
Timeframe: 3/15/13 to 10/7/15
26/26

A - Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton - 4/18/13 ❀❀❀❀
B - A Beautiful Place to Die by Philip R. Craig - 7/23/13 ❀❀❀❀
C - Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson - 4/10/13 ❀❀❀❀
D - Death is a Cabaret by Deborah Morgan - 5/15/13 ❀❀❀❀
E - Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood - 4/4/13 ❀❀❀❀
F - The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith - 5/10/13 ❀❀❀❀
G - The Grave Gourmet by Alexander Campion - 7/9/13 ❀❀
H - Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman - 4/24/13 ❀❀❀❀
I - Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown - 5/12/13 ❀❀❀❀
J – Just Murdered by Elaine Viets - 10/7/15 ❀❀❀
K - Knock Off by Rhonda Pollero - 8/14/14 ❀❀❀❀❀
L - Let There Be Suspects by Emilie Richards - 4/18/14 ❀❀❀❀
M - Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets - 4/21/13 ❀❀❀❀
N - Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman - 6/28/15 ❀❀❀❀
O - One for the Money by Janet Evanovich - 6/26/13 ❀❀❀❀
P - Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams - 6/28/14 ❀❀❀❀
Q - The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton - 7/31/13 ❀❀❀❀
R - A Rumor of Bones by Beverly Connor - 9/18/13 ❀❀❀❀
S - Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau - 5/25/13 ❀❀❀❀
T - Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth by Tamar Myers - 4/30/13 ❀❀❀❀
U - Unzipped by Lois Greiman - 12/31/13 ❀❀❀❀❀
V - A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair - 2/28/14 ❀❀❀
W - Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown - 4/28/13 ❀❀❀❀
X - The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton - 7/6/14 ❀❀❀
Y - You Cannoli Die Once by Shelley Costa - 12/5/13 ❀❀❀❀
Z - Zero-Degree Murder by M.L. Rowland - 8/19/15 ❀❀❀❀



***CHALLENGE COMPLETE 10/7/15*****

[jaxnsmom]

Way to go Connie!!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review), Co-Moderator, Featured Series]

well done!