The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge - PART I

[Lisa Kay]

Yes, that was my fav when I stumbled across it. What clever bookstore clerk thought that one up? LMBO!

[Ashley Marie]

Lisa Kay wrote: "Yes, that was my fav when I stumbled across it. What clever bookstore clerk thought that one up? LMBO!"

I definitely giggle every time I come to the front page of this thread!

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

I love the pics/banner, too! I love the one with the clock/books. I love clocks (and books, of course).

[Barb]

Do you have any suggestions, Ashley? I've read one, The Mystery of the Yellow Room, and have The Red House Mystery waiting for me, but I need to read one more locked room mystery soon.

[Lisa Kay]

"Locked Room"? I thought I had that set up for Round II, not Round I?

[Ashley Marie]

Lisa Kay wrote: ""Locked Room"? I thought I had that set up for Round II, not Round I?"

You do, we're just excited :)

Barb, other than some of the classics (The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Speckled Band, which are great), a more recent locked room that I enjoyed was 1222.

If I think of any others I'll let you know - those are just what I can think of off the top of my head.

[Ashley Marie]

You know, I have never read anything by Christie...*ducks*

I think that makes me a bad mystery buff, but I just tend to heavily read thrillers!

[Barb]

Lisa Kay wrote: ""Locked Room"? I thought I had that set up for Round II, not Round I?"

No, it's not in this round, LK. I need one more locked room book for a different challenge I'm trying to finish up :) Sorry to confuse you LOL

[Barb]

Ashley Marie wrote: "You know, I have never read anything by Christie...*ducks*

I think that makes me a bad mystery buff, but I just tend to heavily read thrillers!"

I'd never read Christie myself until a year or two ago. Oh, the *perfect locked room book (save it for round two? LOL) is And Then There Were None :)

[Ashley Marie]

Making a mental note! That's been on my TBR pile for ages, and I'm doing the first in both the Miss Marple and Poirot series for this round...hopefully I'll end up a convert!

[Barb]

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "Barb, thanks for the Joseph Finder mention for a missing person book. I was actually pondering over finding a book to fit that one."

Happy to help :) I'm just getting started on the In Death series, so I've got that category covered LOL

Another recommendation that I forgot to mention earlier:   Please Don't Tell, by Elizabeth Adler, fits the romantic suspense category very well :) It's a new book, but I don't think it's really popular yet, since this is her first foray into this particular type of book.

[Lisa Kay]

Okay, for next year - Part II - this is what I have so far:

(view spoiler)[
Chick-lit Mysteries:

Computer Hacking:

Exotic Local:

Female Detective:

Hard Case Crimes:

Holiday Mysteries: (Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patirick's, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc.)

Horror/Splatterpunk:

Locked Room:

Magical Realism: (with a mystery, not just the mystery of where the magic is coming from) Example: Pies and Prejudice

Mystery Island/Isolation/Deserted Setting: protagonist(s) is left (relatively) alone with murderer.

Pastische: Is a technique where an author imitates another author’s style (and/or characters), in a respectful way. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr is a pastische, he is imitation and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s style and character, Sherlock Holmes.

Pet Owner Mysteries:

Religious Protagonist (Priest, Nun, Reverend):

Steampunk:

Southern:

Theft - art, jewelry, etc.:

True Crimes:

Urban Fantasy:

Whodunit: Although basically a synonym for mystery, the term whodunit is generally used to describe works such as many of the "traditional" or "classic" mysteries of the 1920's and 30's, which contain significant elements of a puzzle.
(hide spoiler)]

I think "locked room" and "whodunit" (per definition) overlap. We'll see.

I'll gladly take suggestions!

[Lisa Kay]

Forgot one. Added it.

[Ashley Marie]

That looks awesome, LK :D I'll definitely be doing both parts...I'm excited for quite a few of the categories for both rounds. You've included some old favorites as well as things I've never tried before. So, the best of both worlds!

[Lisa Kay]

Glad you like it, Ash. ☺

[Christine]

The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge
Level: Grifter (for now)

1. Whispers Under Ground 08.08.2013 ♥♥♥
2. The Prophet
3. Rock Chick Renegade
4. Rock Chick Reckoning
5. Rock Chick Regret
6. Rock Chick Revolution

[S]

This is the best challenge ever, it's PERFECT :D I'd like to aim for LHD, but I'm terribly slow reader and I don't usually have much time for reading. And right now I only have 4 months before I go to Italy as an exchange stundent. So I suppose I'll go for the Gumshoe and read 8 books. If I have time to read more I just add new books as I go :)

I'll post my book list a bit later.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Love the ideas you have for Round 2, LK! Quite a few in there that I hadn't thought of or had forgotten about. The mystery island/isolation/deserted setting one gives me chills just reading the description. I'm actually anxious to read something like that for October, when I will try to read as many 'scary' (suspenseful, scary, thrilling, chilling, etc) books as I can.

Any suggestions for that category, anyone? The "Mystery Island/Isolation/Deserted setting"? I think Shutter Island is a good one but I've already read that. Guess that would fit Locked Room, too.

[Rhonda]

I'll give this a go with a year to finish. CSI level.

COMPLETED

(view spoiler)[

Crime Scene Investigator
August 1, 2013 through July 31, 2014
26/21-30

Amateur Sleuth
1. Dark Places
2. Sharp Objects



Aristocratic Detective
1. A Great Deliverance
2. Payment In Blood



Business/Corporate Mystery
1. Touch & Go
2. Company Man



Caper
1. One For The Money
2. Whiskey Sour



Cozy Mystery
1. Waiting for Armando
2. Murder on Old Main Street



Culinary Mystery
1. Heavenly Pleasures
2. Devil's Food



Double Act
1. A Study in Scarlet
2. The Judas Goat



FBI/CIA/ATF
1. The Bourne Identity
2. The Bourne Supremacy



Forensic Specialist
1. Postmortem
2. Body of Evidence



Historical Mystery
1. The Hangman's Daughter
2. Dissolution



Legal
1. The Quiet Game
2. Turning Angel



Medical
1. Donor
2. Thinner



Missing Persons
1. Gone Girl
2. Stay Close



Noir
1. The Black Echo
2. The Black Ice



Paranormal Mystery
1. Stealing Shadows
2. Dark Hollow



Police Procedural
1. Borderlines
2. Scent of Evil



Private Eye
1. The Godwulf Manuscript
2. God Save The Child



Professional Sleuth
1. Deal Breaker
2. Drop Shot



Romantic Suspense
1. Sliver
2. Left To Die



Rooting for the Bad Guy
1. Red Dragon
2. The Silence of the Lambs



Scotland Yard
1. Well-Schooled in Murder
2. A Suitable Vengeance



Technothriller
1. The Running Man
2. The Andromeda Strain



Thriller
1. Sharp Objects
2. Along Came a Spider


(hide spoiler)]

[Rhonda]

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "Love the ideas you have for Round 2, LK! Quite a few in there that I hadn't thought of or had forgotten about. The mystery island/isolation/deserted setting one gives me chills just reading the des..."

Hey Teresa! Thanks for posting the heads-up on LJB board. I would have missed this for sure without you!

[China]

Lead Homicide Detective - Double the number for each category!

Grifter:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Gumshoe
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Hard-boiled P.I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Crime Scene Investigator
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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20.

[Rebecca]

Woohoo this looks so fun!!

PS:I love the picture with the mystery books on the shelf backwards ;)


Start: August 1st, 2013

Grifter finished 9/17/13
Gumshoe finished 11/8/13
Hard-boiled P.I. finished 8/1/14
Crime Scene Investigator 30/30



Cozy Mystery
8/3/13 10/11/13

Historical Mystery
8/2/13 8/30/13

Double Act
8/15/13 8/1/14

Futuristic
9/17/13

Culinary Mystery
10/16/13 10/24/13

Professional Sleuth
10/23/13

Proprietor Mysteries
11/19/13 12/12/13

Paranormal Mystery
11/8/13 3/2/15

Missing Person Mystery
12/19/13 2/27/14

Amateur Sleuth
12/30/13 1/23/14

Private eye
1/5/14 8/8/14

Legal
7/1/14 9/5/13

Caper
2/20/14 11/2/14

Thriller
8/30/14 9/19/14

Noir
10/8/14 12/31/15

Forensic Specialist
11/16/14 11/30/14

[Lisa Kay]

Welcome to the challenge, Christine, S, Rhonda, China, and Rebecca!

S, let us know if you find any great new mysteries over in Italy. I wish I were going with you.

[Lisa Kay]

Glad you like the Part II so far, Teresa. ☺

[Rhonda]

Any ideas on where might fit in this challenge?

[Lisa Kay]

Rhonda, I have that one! I've been meaning to read it. I even had a category entitled: “I Never Knew You”/Masquerade, but I couldn't fine any helpful links to the sub-genre. I don't know if “espionage” quite fits, as I was also thinking of spouses who weren't who they said they were.

Anyway, I would say Thriller.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Oh, that sounds really interesting, Rhonda! I'm not sure I've ever read a book like that before (outside of the historical romance genre, that is). Love the idea of adding a "Never Knew You/Masquerade" category to this sometime.

[Rhonda]

Okay, I've "individualized" the challenge a bit. I've done away with the "Sci-Fi mystery, as that is not an interesting option for my taste and I've added "Business/Corporate Mystery" in it's place. I hope that is permissable.

[Lisa Kay]

Sure, Rhonda. That's a great sub-genre. I'll probably steal it for Part II.

[JoLene]

Duration: Aug 1, 2013 - Aug 1, 2014 (or until I finish :-D)
Level: Lead Homicide Detective (2 in each category)
Progress:: 7 out of 50

AMATEUR SLEUTH
1.
2.

ARISTOCRATIC DETECTIVE
1. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen: 8/7 - 4 stars
2. Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen: 9/4 - 4 stars

CAPER
1.
2.

COZY MYSTERY
1.
2.

CULINARY MYSTERY
1.
2.

DOUBLE ACT
1. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King: 8/1 - 3 stars
2.

FBI/CIA/ATF
1.
2.

FORENSIC SPECIALIST
1.
2.

FUTURISTIC
1. Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead: 9/13 - 4 stars
2.

HISTORICAL MYSTERY
1. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen: 10/12 - 4 stars
2.

LEGAL
1.
2.

MEDICAL
1.
2.

MISSING PERSON
1. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: 10/13 - 5 stars
2.

NOIR
1.
2.

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1.
2.

ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY
1.
2.

PARANORMAL MYSTERY
1.
2.

POLICE PROCEDURAL
1. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry: 9-22 - 3 stars
2.

PRIVATE EYE
1.
2.

PROFESSIONAL SLEUTH
1.
2.

PROPRIETOR MYSTERIES
1.
2.

SCI-FI
1.
2.

SCOTLAND YARD
1.
2.

THRILLER
1.
2.

TECHNOTHRILLER
1.
2.

[Lisa Kay]

Great, JoLene! Welcome to the challenge.

[Suzanne]

Nothing but Reading Challenges
The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge
Duration: 8/1/2013 - Til Done!

Progress: 25 out of 50

AMATEUR SLEUTH
1. The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton - ***** - 10/28/2015 - 290 Pages
2.


ARISTOCRATIC DETECTIVE
1.
2.

CAPER
1.
2.

COZY MYSTERY: Finished!
(view spoiler)[
1. Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman - ***** - 3/23/2014 - 280 Pages
2. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris - ***** - 6/21/2015 - 216 Pages (hide spoiler)]


CULINARY MYSTERY
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke - **** - 4/19/2016
2.


DOUBLE ACT: Finished!
(view spoiler)[
1. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - ***** - 5/26/2015 - 503 Pages
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - ***** - 6/17/2015 (hide spoiler)]


FBI/CIA/ATF
1.
2.

FORENSIC SPECIALIST
1.
2.

FUTURISTIC
1. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb - ***** - 4/16/2014
2. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb - ***** - 6/25/2016 - 356 Pages



HISTORICAL MYSTERY: Finished!
(view spoiler)[1. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - ***** - 8/28/2013
2. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley - ***** - 8/20/2013
3. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley - ***** - 1/16/2015 - 27 Pages (hide spoiler)]



LEGAL
1.
2.

MEDICAL
1.
2.

MISSING PERSON
1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - ***** - 8/16/2015 - 399 Pages
2.


NOIR: Finished!
(view spoiler)[
1. White Night by Jim Butcher - **** - 3/3/2015 - 416 Pages
2. Small Favor by Jim Butcher - ***** - 3/4/2015 - 420 Pages (hide spoiler)]


ROMANTIC SUSPENSE: Finished!
1. Angels Fall by Nora Roberts - *** - 9/26/2013
2. Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden - ** - 4/4/2014



ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY Finished
(view spoiler)[
1. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay - ***** - 4/28/2015 - 288 Pages
2. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay - ***** - 8/20/2015 - 292 Pages (hide spoiler)]


PARANORMAL MYSTERY: Finished!
(view spoiler)[1. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones - **** - 8/5/2013
2. Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones - ***** - 8/6/2013
3. Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones - ***** - 8/21/2013
4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones - ***** - 10/6/2013
5. Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones - ***** - 10/14/2013
6. Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones - ***** - 1/8/2015 - 326 Pages
7. Seventh Grave and No Body by Darynda Jones - **** - 8/15/2016 - 336 Pages (hide spoiler)]



POLICE PROCEDURAL
1. The 9th Judgment by James Patterson - ***** - 12/6/2014 - 355 Pages
2. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson - ***** - 5/27/2015 - 395 Pages


PRIVATE EYE: Finished!
(view spoiler)[1. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton - **** - 8/23/2013
2. C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton - **** - 12/10/2013
3. D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton - 7/28/2015 - **** - 320 Pages
4. E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton - *** - 10/7/2016 - 320 Pages (hide spoiler)]



PROFESSIONAL SLEUTH
1.
2.

PROPRIETOR MYSTERIES
1.
2.

SCI-FI: Finished!
1. Zoo by James Patterson - *** - 9/4/2013
2. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - **** - 8/20/2014 - 374 Pages



SCOTLAND YARD
1.
2.

THRILLER
1.
2.

TECHNOTHRILLER
1.
2.

[Lisa Kay]

Super, Suzanne! Welcome to the challenge.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Rhonda wrote: "Okay, I've "individualized" the challenge a bit. I've done away with the "Sci-Fi mystery, as that is not an interesting option for my taste and I've added "Business/Corporate Mystery" in it's place..."

Nice one, Rhonda. I guess would fit that one, eh?

I just received a newsletter that lists newly released books and the first title listed is a mystery so of course I immediately thought about how it would fit this challenge, hah. Might be my favorite challenge ever.

edit: The second title listed is about a couple of missing girls, lol. Boy, is this good timing or what?

Oh hey, the 3rd title might be a mystery, too. It's called The Husband's Secret ..hmm...!

Further into the newsletter, they have paperback releases for this week...lots of mysteries! My list will be growing, LOL.

[S]

Lisa Kay wrote:

S, let us know if you find any great new mysteries over in Italy. I wish I were going with you."

I definitely will :)


If someone spots a book in a catagory where it doesen't fit, please let me now.

The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge
Gumshoe - 8 books
1st of August - 30th of November 2013

2/8

1. Aristocratic Detective : The Confessions of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc
2. Cozy Mystery : A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
3. Amateur Sleuth : The Benson Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine
4. Historical Mystery : The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry
5. Noir : The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
6. Rooting for the Bad Guy : The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
7. Thriller : In the Woods by Tana French
8. Professional Sleuth : The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I probably don't have time to finish The Complete Sherlock Holmes, but I'll read as much of it as I can (: I just couldn't decide which Sherlock Holmes novel I would read, they all are so good.

[Lisa Kay]

Oh, man-oh-man! I can see I'm going to be spending a lot of time checking out the books posted in this thread. Some I've never heard of. Others have been on my list.

[Ashley Marie]

Time Lord Steven wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Making a mental note! That's been on my TBR pile for ages, and I'm doing the first in both the Miss Marple and Poirot series for this round...hopefully I'll end up a convert!"..."

Thanks for the heads up :) I've got a few downloaded already, so my pocketbook will force me to read a few!

[Sophie, The other one]

Ohh... I'm going to have to think about this one!

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Lisa Kay wrote: "Oh, man-oh-man! I can see I'm going to be spending a lot of time checking out the books posted in this thread. Some I've never heard of. Others have been on my list."

No kidding! I think I'm just going to bookmark this challenge as a "TBR reference", lol.

[Catherine]

The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge~

Sub-genre: Mystery

List inspired by the blogspot Murder by 4. We’ve added several of our own and used a few GoodReads’ definitions.

Rules: Pick a level, and read books that fall under these twenty-five (25) Mystery sub-genres listed below.

There is sure to be some overlap; you may use different books from the same series in more than one category. For example, The Gaslight Mystery Series featuring Sarah Brandt, the widowed midwife, and Frank Malloy, the widower police detective, would fall under both “Double Act” and “Historical Mystery.” So, if you’re enjoying the series, you could use #1-Murder on Astor Place for “Double Act” and #2-Murder on St. Mark's Place for “Historical Mystery.”

Remember to check out GR’s listopia (see “how to” screen under spoiler). (view spoiler)



Duration: You set the pace.

Levels:
Grifter - 5 books
Gumshoe- 6-10 books
Hard-boiled P.I. - 11-20 books
Crime Scene Investigator - 21-30 books (do more than one of your favs)
Lead Homicide Detective - Double the number for each category!
(Yes, 50 books in all for LHD!)

SUB-GENRES OF MYSTERY


Amateur Sleuth: The amateur sleuth tries to solve the murder of someone close. Either the police have tried and failed, or misread the murder as an accident/suicide. Both the loss and need for a solution is personal. Examples: Miss Marple Series; Murder, She Wrote Series (Jessica Fletcher). (Special Note: Contrast with “Professional Sleuth” below.)

Aristocratic Detective: The aristocratic detective novels are usually - but not exclusively - featuring a member of British gentry and set in Britain’s Golden Age. Examples: Lady Emily Series; Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries; Sebastian St. Cyr Series; Inspector Lynley Series; Her Royal Spyness Mysteries.

Caper: A caper is a comic crime story. Instead of suave and calculating, the caper chronicles the efforts of the lovable bungler or protagonist who either thinks big or ridiculously small. Finally we get to laugh. Examples: The Spellmans Series; Stephanie Plum Series; Melodie Campbell’s The Goddaughter; Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season; Donald E. Westlake’s The Fugitive Pigeon and God Save the Mark: A Novel of Crime and Confusion as well as his Dortmunder Series.
The Marseille Caper..Peter Mayle(book 2)(31 Aug)
The Corsican Caper..Peter Mayle(book 3)(read)
The Diamond Caper..Peter Mayle (book 4)(24 Feb)

Cozy Mystery: A bloodless crime and a victim who won’t be missed. The solution can be determined using emotional (Miss Marple) or logical (Poirot) reasoning. Examples: A great indexed site is www.cozy-mystery.com which has books wonderfully arranged by theme, author, holidays, professions, hobbies, state, etc.

Culinary Mystery: Chef, baker, wine connoisseur; if it’s ingestible and includes recipes, it’s a culinary mystery. Examples: Check out listopia’s Mysteries in Good Taste.

Double Act: It takes two to solve this mystery. They may be working together at the beginning, or not. Nevertheless, these partners help each other out by the end. Examples: Chet & Bernie Mysteries; Cut & Run Series; Elvis Cole Series (though his partner, Joe Pike, is not listed in the series’ title); Rosemary & Thyme Mysteries; Rizzoli & Isles Series; Lincoln Rhyme Series (though his partner, Amelia Sachs, is not listed in the series’ title); Tommy & Tuppence.

FBI/CIA/ATF: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). While the FBI, CIA, and ATF appear in many mysteries, for this sub-genre category we want books where a main character is an employee of one of these government agencies, even if they are not a field agent. Examples: FBI Thriller Series; Quincy & Rainie Series; FBI/US Attorney Series; CIA Spies; Tony Wolf/Tim Buckthorn Series; James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor.
Red Sparrow..Jason Matthews(read)
Touchstone..Laurie R. King(book 1)(9 Jan)
The Bones of Paris..Laurie R. King(book 2)(read)

Forensic Specialist: A medical examiner, forensic pathologist, forensic psychologist, forensic anthropologist, forensic entomologist…you get the idea. Examples: Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries; Kay Scarpetta Series; Temperance Brennan Series.

Futuristic: Set in the future, whether in our world or another. Examples: J.D.Robb’s In Death Series or Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist Series.

Historical Mystery: Move your mystery into the past, near or far, and you've entered the realm of the historical mystery. Examples: Victor Legris Series; Amelia Peabody Series; Erast Fandorin Mystery Series; Chronicles of Brother Cadfael.
The Lady of Hay..Barbara Erskine(read)
Murder as a Fine Art..David Morrell(read)
Strangled in Paris..Claude Izner(book 6)(read)
The Arnifour Affair..Gregory Harris(book 1)(read)
Inspector of the Dead..David Morrell (read)

Legal: Although popular, these tales are usually penned by actual lawyers due to the demands of the information presented. Examples: Kindle County Legal Thriller Series; some books by John Grisham; Kermit Roosevelt’s In the Shadow of the Law: A Novel.

Medical: Doctors make effective protagonists since they seem to exist on a plane far above the rest of us. As with the “Legal” sub-genre, these tales are usually penned by actual doctors due to the demands of the information presented. Examples: Prescription for Trouble Series; Dr. Steven Dunbar Series; medical mysteries by Dr. Tess Gerritsen; Dr. Robin Cook’s Coma and his Dr. Marissa Blumenthal Series.

Missing Person Mystery: Someone’s gone missing! However, you can find one of these in most all the other sub-genres. Finding the missing person should be the focus of the storyline. Example: Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress.
The Butterfly Sister..Amy Gail Hansen(5 Sept)

Noir: While much PI is Noir, Noir also covers stories from the other side of the fence. Noir is a mood: gritty, bleak, and unforgiving. The usual brutality is about as far from Cozy as you can get. Examples: Great classic authors for this sub-genre are Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett; however, listopia has more at Best Noir and Best Noir of the 21st Century, to name just two.

Romantic Suspense: Add a hefty dose of romance to a suspense and produce a romantic suspense novel. Not only does justice prevail, but love conquers all. Examples: Check out listopia’s Best Romantic Suspense and Romantic Suspense Full of Action.
Tears of Pearl..Tasha Alexander(book 4)(read)
Dangerous to Know..Tasha Alexander(book 5)(read)

Rooting for the Bad Guy: Not you average heroes, still you find you can’t help yourself in cheering for them. Examples: Dexter Series; Artemis Fowl Series; Dortmunder Series; Gentleman Bastard Series.

Paranormal Mystery: Paranormal books involve unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation. Some popular subjects in paranormal books are supernatural creatures, ESP, clairvoyance, ghosts, UFOs, telepathy, and psychics. Examples: GhostWalkers Series; Psy-Changeling Series; Charley Davidson Series; The Dresden Files Series.
The Lost Book of Fragrances..M.J. Rose(book 4)(read)
Seduction..M.J. Rose(book 5)
The Collector of Dying Things..M.J. Rose(book 6)

Police Procedural: The police procedural emphasizes factual police operations. Law enforcement is a team effort where department politics often plays a large role. If you plan to write one of these, you need to spend time with police officers and research the tiny details which will make your story ring true. While the FBI, CIA, or other governmental agencies may make an appearance in these books and stir up the politics, they are not the main foci. Examples: 87th Precinct Series; Harry Bosch Series; Arkady Renko Series.

Private Eye: The PI is as much an American icon as the Western gunslinger. From the hardboiled PIs of the 30s and 40s to the politically correct investigators of today, this sub-genre is known for protagonists with a strong code of honor. They can be found all over the globe. Examples: Kinsey Millhone Series; Matthew Scudder Series; Spenser Series; Harry Stoner Mysteries; No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series; Jeri Howard Mysteries; V.I. Warshawski Series.

Professional Sleuth: The professional sleuth is an amateur sleuth in a professional setting, preferably a setting which is unique and intriguing. Not only is inside information used, but solving the crime returns order to a cloistered environment. Example: English Garden Mysteries where the professional sleuth is botanist Lawrence Kingston. Or Harlan Coben’s former FBI agent turned sports agent in the Myron Bolitar Series. (Special Note: Contrast with “Amateur Sleuth” above.)

Proprietor Mysteries: Small business owners in mysteries are plentiful. Whether they run bookshops, bed & breakfast inns, coffeehouses, pie shoppes, or beauty shops, etc., they still like to solve a good mystery when it happens in or near their home turf. Examples: Amish Mysteries; Cheese Shop Mysteries; Bed & Breakfast Mysteries; Gray Whale Inn Mysteries; Manor House Mysteries; Bath & Body Mysteries; Tea Shop Mysteries; Coffeehouse Mysteries; Booktown Mysteries.

Sci-Fi: While the Sci-Fi/Sci-Fy category is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology, GoodReads explains: (view spoiler) Examples: Robot Series; Takeshi Kovacs Series; China Miéville’s The City and the City.

Scotland Yard: The epitome of the investigator needed to solve a mystery, Britian’s Chief Inspectors working for Scotland Yard are in a class by themselves. Examples: Adam Dalgliesh Series; Gideon Series; Roderick Alleyn Series; and Richard Jury Mysteries Series.

Thriller: Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. This ride will be a bumpy one! More under spoiler: (view spoiler) In other words, don’t just think “spy,” as James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans falls into this sub-genre. To quote David Morrell, “As long as you have that breathlessness and sense of excitement, then they're in.” Example: Jack Reacher Series.

Technothriller: Technothrillers are a hybrid genre, drawing subject matter generally from science fiction, thrillers, spy, action, and war. The inner workings of technology and the mechanics of various disciplines (espionage, martial arts, politics) are thoroughly explored, and the plot often turns on the particulars of that exploration. Examples: Jurassic Park Series; Sigma Force Series; Jack Ryan Series; Patrick McLanahan Series; Jeffery Deaver’s The Blue Nowhere.

[Catherine]

I am soooo in! how on earth did I miss this challenge!??!?!?

[❀Tea❀]

OK Watson let start this one for real.

Duration: until I'm done
Level: LHD - Europe branch

: 34/50

Amateur Sleuth
1.
2.

Aristocratic Detective
1. What Remains of Heaven by C.S. Harris - 26.08.13 - ★★★★
2. Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris - 08.09.13 - ★★★★



Caper
1.
2.

Cozy Mystery
1. Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly - 17.08.13. - ★★
2. After the Funeral by Agatha Christie - 22.09.13 - ★★★



Culinary Mystery
1. Sweet Revenge by Andrea Penrose - 19.10.13 - ★★★★
2. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay - 29.05.14 - ★★★



Double Act
1. Murder in Chelsea by Victoria Thompson - 25.8.13 - ★★★★
2. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn - 03.09.13 - ★★★



FBI/CIA/ATF
1. Divide & Conquer by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban - 21.06.14 - ★★★★
2. Fish & Chips by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux - 04.10.14 - ★★★★



Forensic Specialist
1. Dead Guilty by Beverly Connor - 27.11.13 - ★★★★
2. Dead Secret by Beverly Connor - 09.01.14 - ★★★★



Futuristic
1. Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb - 15.09.13 - ★★★★
2. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb - 01.03.14 - ★★★★



Historical Mystery
1. When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris - 14.09.13 - ★★★★
2. What Darkness Brings by C.S. Harris - 11.10.13 - ★★★★



Legal
1.
2.

Medical
1.
2.

Missing Person Mystery
1. Six Years by Harlan Coben - 21.02.15 - ★★★
2.



Noir
1. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher - 16.11.13 - ★★★★
2. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher - 21.11.13 - ★★★★



Romantic Suspense
1. Northern Lights by Nora Roberts - 07.08.13 - ★★★★
2. The Witness by Nora Roberts - 29.10.13 - ★★★★



Rooting for the Bad Guy
1.
2.

Paranormal Mystery
1. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - 12.10.13 - ★★★★
2. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - 27.10.13 - ★★★★



Police Procedural
1. A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon - 02.12.13 - ★★★
2. Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon - 26.12.13 - ★★★



Private Eye
1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - 05.10.13 - ★★★★
2. A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn - 19.12.13 - ★★★★



Professional Sleuth
1. Home of the Braised by Julie Hyzy - 20.01.14 - ★★★
2.



Proprietor Mysteries
1. Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams - 06.09.13 - ★★
2. Billionaire Blend by Cleo Coyle - 08.01.14 - ★★★



Sci-Fi
1. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde - 03.11.13 - ★★★
2.



Scotland Yard
1. A Test Of Wills by Charles Todd - 07.01.14 - ★★★★
2. Death at the Alma Mater by G.M. Malliet - 30.01.15 - ★★★



Thriller
1.
2.

Technothriller
1. Game by Anders de la Motte - 16.07.14 - ★★★
2.

[Lisa Kay]

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "No kidding! I think I'm just going to bookmark this challenge as a "TBR reference", lol."

Now there's great idea! LOL!

[Lisa Kay]

Does that mean you're in, Dr. Sophie?

[Lisa Kay]

Rhonda, I think Catherine was just listing them all for her spot/reference. I did change some spelling and punctuation, but the only thing I've added to the original challenge where the Booktown Series to "Proprietor Mysteries."

[[deleted user]]

Nothing but Reading Challenges
The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge
Duration: 8/1/2013 - Til Done!

Progress: 0 out of 50

AMATEUR SLEUTH
1.
2.

ARISTOCRATIC DETECTIVE
1.
2.

CAPER
1.
2.

COZY MYSTERY
1.
2.

CULINARY MYSTERY
1.
2.

DOUBLE ACT
1.
2.

FBI/CIA/ATF
1.
2.

FORENSIC SPECIALIST
1.
2.

FUTURISTIC
1.
2.

HISTORICAL MYSTERY
1.
2.

LEGAL
1.
2.

MEDICAL
1.
2.

MISSING PERSON
1.
2.

NOIR
1.
2.

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1.
2.

ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY
1.
2.

PARANORMAL MYSTERY
1.
2.

POLICE PROCEDURAL
1.
2.

PRIVATE EYE
1.
2.

PROFESSIONAL SLEUTH
1.
2.

PROPRIETOR MYSTERIES
1.
2.

SCI-FI
1.
2.

SCOTLAND YARD
1.
2.

THRILLER
1.
2.

TECHNOTHRILLER
1.
2.

[Barbara]

Another challenge I can't refuse! I love mysteries...my favourite genre!
I'm glad it's a set your own pace challenge as I have so many going on right now.
I'm in for CSI with 25 over one year-duration Aug1, 2013-July 31, 2014.

THE MYSTERY, MAYHEM AND MURDER SQUAD CHALLENGE
Duration: Aug1, 2013-Jul31, 2014

AMATEUR SLEUTH

-FINISHED October 9, 2013

-Finished January 15, 2014

ARISTOCRATIC DETECTIVE

-Finished February 9, 2014
(Maisie, although born working class, lives as an adult within the realm of the aristocracy)

CAPER

COZY MYSTERY

-FINISHED JANUARY 8, 2014

CULINARY MYSTERY

DOUBLE ACT

-FINISHED December 1. 2013

FBI/CIA/ATF

-FINISHED Sept 23, 2013

FORENSIC SPECIALIST

FUTURISTIC

HISTORICAL MYSTERY

-FINISHED November 28, 2013

-FINISHED February 1, 2014

LEGAL

Author is a lawyer & main character is a lawyer trying to solve a historical mystery
-FINISHED March 2, 2014

MEDICAL

MISSING PERSON

-Finished October 28, 2013

NOIR

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY

-FINISHED August 1, 2013

PARANORMAL MYSTERY

-FINISHED February 16, 2014

POLICE PROCEDURAL

PRIVATE EYE

-Finished January 27, 2014

PROFESSIONAL SLEUTH

-Finished October 31, 2013

PROPRIETOR MYSTERIES

-FINISHED January 13, 2014
I am putting this here because it's a mystery that is solved by a biographer who runs a small bookshop with her father. Not your typical who dunnit mystery but a mystery nonetheless. If someone thinks I should put it elsewhere let me know.

SCI-FI

SCOTLAND YARD

THRILLER

-FINISHED March 1, 2014

TECHNOTHRILLER

-Finished November 1, 2013

[Lisa Kay]

Welcome to the challenge, Pigletto and Barbara!

[Lisa Kay]

Rhonda wrote: "I'll go ahead and delete my post if that's okay & this one too?"

Fine by me. ☺ Then I'll delete mine, so they don't cause confusion.

[Sallie(GeorgiaGirl)]

LEAD HOMICIDE DETECTIVE
COMPLETED: 9/50 16% Finished

1~Amateur Sleuth: The amateur sleuth tries to solve the murder of someone close. Either the police have tried and failed, or misread the murder as an accident/suicide. Both the loss and need for a solution is personal. Examples: Miss Marple Series; Murder, She Wrote Series (Jessica Fletcher). (Special Note: Contrast with “Professional Sleuth” below.)
1. A Yuletide Murder, jessica fletcher Finished~08.12.2013
2. Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch, jessica fletcher Finished~08.17.2013

2~Aristocratic Detective: The aristocratic detective novels are usually - but not exclusively - featuring a member of British gentry and set in Britain’s Golden Age. Examples: Lady Emily Series; Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries; Sebastian St. Cyr Series; Inspector Lynley Series; Her Royal Spyness Mysteries.
1. And Only to Deceive, tasha alexander
2. A Poisoned Season, tasha alexander

3~Caper: A caper is a comic crime story. Instead of suave and calculating, the caper chronicles the efforts of the lovable bungler or protagonist who either thinks big or ridiculously small. Finally we get to laugh. Examples: The Spellmans Series; Stephanie Plum Series; Melodie Campbell’s The Goddaughter; Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season; Donald E. Westlake’s The Fugitive Pigeon and God Save the Mark: A Novel of Crime and Confusion as well as his Dortmunder Series.
1. The Spellman Files, lisa lutz
2. Takedown Twenty, janet evanovich Finished~01.13.2014

4~Cozy Mystery: A bloodless crime and a victim who won’t be missed. The solution can be determined using emotional (Miss Marple) or logical (Poirot) reasoning. Examples: A great indexed site is www.cozy-mystery.com which has books wonderfully arranged by theme, author, holidays, professions, hobbies, state, etc.
1. Holiday Grind, cleo coyle Finished~10.09.2013
2. Roast Mortem, cleo coyle

5~Culinary Mystery: Chef, baker, wine connoisseur; if it’s ingestible and includes recipes, it’s a culinary mystery. Examples: Check out listopia’s Mysteries in Good Taste.
1. The Whole Enchilada, diane mott davidson Finished~09.17.2013
2. The English Breakfast Murder, laura childs

6~Double Act: It takes two to solve this mystery. They may be working together at the beginning, or not. Nevertheless, these partners help each other out by the end. Examples: Chet & Bernie Mysteries; Cut & Run Series; Elvis Cole Series (though his partner, Joe Pike, is not listed in the series’ title); Rosemary & Thyme Mysteries; Rizzoli & Isles Series; Lincoln Rhyme Series (though his partner, Amelia Sachs, is not listed in the series’ title); Tommy & Tuppence.
1. The Surgeon, tess gerritsen
2. The Apprentice, tess gerritsen

7~FBI/CIA/ATF: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). While the FBI, CIA, and ATF appear in many mysteries, for this sub-genre category we want books where a main character is an employee of one of these government agencies, even if they are not a field agent. Examples: FBI Thriller Series; Quincy & Rainie Series; FBI/US Attorney Series; CIA Spies; Tony Wolf/Tim Buckthorn Series; James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor.
1. The Cove, catherine coulter
2. The Maze, catherine coulter

8~Forensic Specialist: A medical examiner, forensic pathologist, forensic psychologist, forensic anthropologist, forensic entomologist…you get the idea. Examples: Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries; Kay Scarpetta Series; Temperance Brennan Series.
1. Red Mist, patricia cornwell
2. 206 Bones, kathy reichs

9~Futuristic: Set in the future, whether in our world or another. Examples: J.D.Robb’s In Death Series or Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist Series.
1. Treachery in Death, j.d. robb Finished~10.31.2013
2. New York to Dallas, j.d. robb Finished~11.20.2013

10~Historical Mystery: Move your mystery into the past, near or far, and you've entered the realm of the historical mystery. Examples: Victor Legris Series; Amelia Peabody Series; Erast Fandorin Mystery Series; Chronicles of Brother Cadfael.
1. Crocodile on the Sandbank, elizabeth peters Finished~12.17.2013
2. The Curse of the Pharaohs, elizabeth peters Finished~04.01.2014

11~Legal: Although popular, these tales are usually penned by actual lawyers due to the demands of the information presented. Examples: Kindle County Legal Thriller Series; some books by John Grisham; Kermit Roosevelt’s In the Shadow of the Law: A Novel.
1. The Pelican Brief,john grisham
2. The Client, john grisham

12~Medical: Doctors make effective protagonists since they seem to exist on a plane far above the rest of us. As with the “Legal” sub-genre, these tales are usually penned by actual doctors due to the demands of the information presented. Examples: Prescription for Trouble Series; Dr. Steven Dunbar Series; medical mysteries by Dr. Tess Gerritsen; Dr. Robin Cook’s Coma and his Dr. Marissa Blumenthal Series.
1. Spider Bones, kathy reichs
2. Flash and Bones, kathy reichs