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

[Helen]

MMM #2

CSI= 21-32 books, 1 each category

"Sherlock plus Watson!!"= 200 in both MMM 1 & 2
207 Books Total
From each of 54 subtypes out of 54

(4) Action-Adventure
(T,A) Eruption Michael Crichton 12-12-24 (Army, testosterone, competition)
(A) Methodical Deception Rebekah Roth 12-27-24 (Getting clues, avoiding the "Octopus")
(C,T) Die drei ??? Kids 37. Der Fluch der Indianer Ben Nevis 2-7-25 (Pursuing leads in dangerous ways)
(A) Better Off Dead Lee Child 6-9-25 (Retired MP & FBI catch wrongdoer with much physical action & killing.)

(1) Blackmailed
(A) The Falcon Always Wings Twice Donna Andrews 8-9-24 (Meg Langslow #27) (blackmailed for a play part)


(1) Classic Whodunit
(A) The Body in the Library Agatha Christie 2-11-25 (Miss Marple from 1942)

(1) Cold Case
(T, A) The Killer Book of Cold Cases: Incredible Stories, Facts, and Trivia from the Most Baffling True Crime Cases of All Time Tom Philbin 9-23-24 (cold cases plus other baffling cases)

(1) Computer Hacking/ Business/ Corporate
(A) The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham 7-11-24 The Exchange #2) (kidnapping of int'l corporation employee)

(1) Crafters/ Hobbyists
(A) Reflex Dick Francis 2-7-25 (Photography hobby of jockey)

(1) Double Act
(A) Robert B. Parker's Little White Lies Ace Atkins 5-24-25 (PI Spenser and helper Hawk solve crime of con men & gun runners)

(1) Religious Protagonist
(A) The Confession by John Grisham 7-30-24 (Lutheran minister was confessed to & he helped solve the mystery)

(1) Fantasy
(C) Cat & Cat Adventures: The Goblet of Infinity Susie Yi 7-29-24 (Cat & Cat Adventures #2) (cats in magic world)

(5) Famous People
(A) Murder and the First Lady Elliott Roosevelt 12-29-24 (Eleanor Roosevelt)
(A) Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living: A Handbook for the Damned Human Race Mark Twain
4-8-25 (Mark Twain--burglary and overcoat anecdotes)
(T, A) Reconsidering JFK Michael Shelden 7-1-25 (his life & assassination)
(A) The Trial of Julian Assange: A Story of Persecution Nils Melzer 7-27-25 (his attempts to avoid extradition to the USA)
(A) Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath Mimi Alford 7-28-25 (Real affair with JFK-his taking advantage of her)


(2) Female Detective
(A) Hiss and Hers M.C. Beaton 10-11-24 (Agatha Raisin series #23)
(A) Darkly Dreaming Dexter Jeff Lindsay 5-27-25 (Det. La Guarda catches the criminal)

(2) Furry Sleuth
(A) Trident K9 Warriors: My Tale from the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines Mike Ritland 9-8-24
(T,A) Best Dog Stories Lesley O'Mara 8-25-25 (Father Brown mystery in which dog gives evidence)

(3) Holiday
(T, A) Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea Mary Higgins Clark 9-30-24 (Thefts and avoiding arrest on a holiday cruise)
(A) Visions of Sugar Plums Janet Evanovich 11-30-24 (Christmas)
(A) The Christmas Riddle Susan Sleeman 1-6-25 (Christmas)

(4) Horror-Splatterpunk
(A) Lethal Defense Michael Stagg 8-4-24 (Nate Shepherd #1) (very violent murder with repeated specifics)
(A) Skeleton Crew Stephen King 8-31-24 (several horror short stories)
(A) Fully Loaded Thrillers: The Complete and Collected Stories of Blake Crouch Blake Crouch 6-20-25 (Horror, torture in some)
(T,A) The Big Book of Adventure Stories: The Most Daring, Dangerous, and Death-Defying Collection of Adventure Tales EverCaptured in One Mammoth Volume Otto Penzler 8-31-25 (Horror in some)

(2) "Howdunit"
(A) Sky Full of Elephants Cebo Campbell 10-3-24 (Find out halfway through how genocide was done.)
(A) The Mystery of Mrs. Christie Marie Benedict 1-2-25 (How she rigged the game against her husband.)

(3) "I Never Knew You at All"
(A) The Resort Sara Ochs 7-9-24 (people didn't know each other's pasts & criminal records)
(A) The Other Child Lucy Atkins 8-29-24 (wife didn't know husband's history)
(A) The Husband's Secret Liane Moriarty 6-26-25 (wife didn't know husband's history)

(1) Locked Room
(A) 1222 Anne Holt 11-27-24 (Group stuck in hotel in hurricane-force snowstorm; no one comes or goes for days.)


(5) Mixed Bag
(T, A) Permanent Resident Rusty Ellis 8-14-24 (chick-lit, thriller, mental illness)
(T, A) In the Blood Lisa Unger
8-14-24 (chick-lit, thriller, mental illness)
(A) The Runaway Jury John Grisham 1-24-25 (legal, historic, corporation, PI's, the U.S. South)
(T,A) Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer Robert Swartwood 6-20-25 (Why people kill; plus mix of victims and perpetrators)
(A) Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce 7-13-25 (PTSD, stalker, suicide, homicide)

(1) Pastiche
(A) Devil May Care Sebastian Faulks 8-16-24 (This author writes a James Bond book in the style of Ian Fleming)

(3) Serial Killer
(A) 12 Months to Live James Patterson 8-7-24 (Jane Smith #1) (cliffhanger will be followed up by second killing of a group)
(A) Unseen Mari Jungstedt 7-8-25 (Anders Knutas series #1)
(A) Killer's Art Mari Jungstedt 8-29-25 (Anders Knutas series #4)

(1) Setting-- Exotic Locale
(A) Dying for a Diamond Cindy Sample 1-4-25 (The Caribbean, on a cruise!)

(2) Setting-- Southern US
(A) The Gift of the Magpie Donna Andrews 8-29-24 (Meg Langslow #28) (Virginia)
(A) Murder Most Fowl Donna Andrews 9-8-24 (Virginia)

(3) Setting-- Third World
(A) The Coroner's Lunch Colin Cotterill 2-18-25 (Laos)
(A) Anarchy and Old Dogs Colin Cotterill 2-25-25 (Laos)
(A) Disco for the Departed Colin Cotterill 7-10-25 (Laos)

(3) Setting-- Quaint English Village
(A) The Bad Samaritan Robert Barnard 8-17-24 (Minister's wife in English village)
(T-A) The Christmas Appeal Janice Hallett 10-11-24
(A) The Appeal Janice Hallett 10-24-24

(1) Soft Boiled
(A) Others of My Kind James Sallis 10-9-24 (Life afterward of kidnap survivor)

(2) Spy/Espionage
(T, A) Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio Derf Backderf 10-3-24 (Lots of spies on campus from campus police, FBI, military intelligence, maybe even CIA)
(A) The Art of Intelligence Henry A. Crumpton 1-5-25 (Spy life in late 1980-2000's USA)

(1) Steampunk
(T, A) Forevermore Jim Musgrave 9-9-24 (mid-1800's urban alt-historical)

(4) Theft
(T, A) Campusland Scott Johnston 9-29-24 (Has a minor theft, but the bigger theft is of people's jobs)
(A) Methodical Illusion Rebekah Roth 12-15-24 (Heist of gold)
(A) Intervention Robin Cook 4-3-25 (theft from Roman tomb)
(C, T) By the Great Horn Spoon! Sid Fleischman 6-23-25

[Helen]

MMM Categories with 4 books or more!

2024-2025

(7) Legal
(A) True Intent Michael Stagg 8-4-24 (Nate Shepherd #2) (specific legal + detailed courtroom scenes)
(A) Blind Conviction Michael Stagg 8-7-24 (Nate Shepherd #3) (specific legal + courtroom scenes)
(A) The Child Who Simon Lelic 10-11-24
(A) The Client John Grisham 11-3-24
(A) Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense: The Courtroom Battle to Save His Legacy Dan Abrams 4-20-25 (Libel case in court)
(A) A Trial by Jury D. Graham Burnett 7-19-25 (A real trial in NYC--he was jury foreman)
(A) The Halls of Justice Lee Gruenfeld 8-19-25 (corrupt judge)

(7) Magical Realism
(A) Slash and Burn Colin Cotterill 9-17-24 (Dr. Siri Paiboun #8) (shamanism in Laos)
(A) Here One Moment Liane Moriarty 12-27-24 (Fortune-teller)
(T,A) Learn German with A Christmas Carol: German - English Bilingual Edition Side By Side Translation Parallel Text Novel For Advanced Language Learning Charles Dickens 12-27-24 (ghosts)
(C,T) The Christmas Ghost Francine Pascal 12-27-24 (ghosts)
(A) Thirty-Three Teeth Colin Cotterill 4-16-25 (Dr. Siri Paiboun #2) (shamanism in Laos)
(A) Practical Demonkeeping Christopher Moore 5-24-25 (How to get rid of a serial-eating demon)
(T,A) Vanished: When Lightning Strikes / Code Name Cassandra Meg Cabot 8-12-25 (MC has supernatural power.)


(5) Historical
(C) You Wouldn't Want to Be an Inca Mummy! Colin Hynson 8-16-24 (the Sapa Inca in 1525 kills lots of people at will)
(A) The Mistletoe Murder And Other Stories P.D. James 10-9-24 (Written in Agatha Christie time.)
(A) The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot Naomi Wolf 1-5-25 (History of fascism development in other countries.)
(A) Methodical Conclusion Rebekah Roth 1-5-25 (Info about how 9-11 done)
(A) Abandon Blake Crouch 7-14-25 (Lots of killing in the Old West and again as they are trying to figure out the past.)


(8) True Crime
(A) You Think You Know Me: The True Story of Herb Baumeister and the Horror at Fox Hollow Farm Ryan Green 8-16-24 (True crime--serial killer of prostitutes & gay men)
(A) The Old Man and the Gun: And Other Tales of True Crime David Grann 9-28-24 (Three stories of true crimes solved.)
(A) Liberty on Trial in America: Cases that Defined Freedom Douglas O. Linder 9-30-24 (Crime cases that got to the Supreme Court)
(A) Shameless: Republicans' Deliberate Dysfunction and the Battle to Preserve Democracy Brian Tyler Cohen 1-8-25 (Deliberate, ongoing lying to the American people plus obstruction of justice)
(A) Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning Liz Cheney 1-21-25 (Death threats, insurrection, not following the Constitution)
(A) America After the Cold War: The First Thirty Years Patrick N. Allitt 3-5-25 (9-11)
(A) One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway Åsne Seierstad 3-18-25
(A) Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat Caroline Burau 5-17-25 (911 dispatcher)

(4) Private Eye
(A) Dying for a Decoration Cindy Sample 12-4-24 (Private eye with small group in Placerville, CA--strong honor to help client)
(A) Where Roses Never Die Gunnar Staalesen 12-17-24 (P.I. in Bergen)
(A) Dying for a Deal Cindy Sample 1-15-25 (P.I. in family agency)
(A) The Summons John Grisham 1-21-25 (Hired PI plus the victim himself)


(6) Root for Bad Guy
(T, A) How to Kill Men and Get Away with It Katy Brent 9-14-24 (Draws on frustration with men in society who sexually abuse women in various ways.)
(A) The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023 Otto Penzler 9-24-24 (Seven stories about rooting for, or forgiving, the bad guy)
(A) The Disposables David Putnam 10-18-24 (The bad guy is saving kids' lives via kidnapping)
(A) Stealing America: What My Experience with Criminal Gangs Taught Me about Obama, Hillary, and the Democratic Party Dinesh D'Souza 1-27-25 (placement in criminal halfway house with felons.)
(T,A) Listen for the Lie Amy Tintera 7-28-25 (Happens in both the mystery and in the romance!)
(A) Letters from the Earth: Mark Twain (Classics, Literature) Annotated Mark Twain 8-18-25 (You root for Satan because of his good arguments!)


(14) Kid and Y. A.
(C) Room One: A Mystery or Two Andrew Clements 7-16-24 (fourth grader solves: who are the people in the abandoned house?)
(C) Horrible Harry and the Locked Closet Suzy Kline 7-29-24 (Horrible Harry #17) (third graders, mystery of closet plus teacher)
(C) Scaredy-Pug: A Branches Book (Diary of a Pug #5) Kyla May 8-14-24 (girl detective, household mystery)
(C,T) Mudshark Gary Paulsen 2-11-25
(T) Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman
4-25-25 (Child killed by his father--teen's responses)
(C) January Joker Ron Roy 5-22-25 (Older kids pretend UFO & aliens attacked)
(C) February Friend Ron Roy 5-26-25 (kids find owner of pet)
(C) Madeline and the Cats of Rome John Bemelmans Marciano 6-6-25 (girl catches a thief)
(C,A) Homer Price Robert McCloskey 8-12-25 (Child & pet solve the crime)
(C) Knee Knock Rise Natalie Babbitt 8-19-25 (Adventure & mystery)
(C) The Christmas Eve Mystery and Other Holiday Stories Eva Moore 8-19-25 (children's mystery)
(C) The Woodshed Mystery Gertrude Chandler Warner 8-19-25 (historical mystery)
(T,A) Vanished: Safe House / Sanctuary Meg Cabot 8-24-25 (teen suspense)
(C, T, A) Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day Donald J. Sobol 8-24-25 (child mystery)

(14) Medical
(A) Life Support Tess Gerritsen 9-27-24 (MD wrote it)
(A) Saturday Ian McEwan 11-30-24 (MC diagnoses the guy who beats him up.)
(A) Cripping Intersex Celeste E. Orr 1-31-25 (Medical treatments as torture for children.)
(A) The Hypnotist Lars Kepler 3-5-25 (Joona Linna #1)
(A,T,C) A Home for Dakota Jan Zita Grover 3-6-25 (puppy mill abuse)
(A,T) No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian Robert T. Sharp 3-12-25 (forensic cases of animal abuse)
(A) Suspect Michael Robotham 4-2-25 (Psychologist)
(A) Tell Me Your Dreams Sidney Sheldon 5-16-25 (MPD/DID murderer)
(A,T) The Deadly Dinner Party: and Other Medical Detective Stories Jonathan A. Edlow 6-7-25
(A) Secrets of Sleep Science: From Dreams to Disorders H. Craig Heller 6-9-25 (Medical aspects of assault & murder while asleep!)
(A) The Woman with a Worm in Her Head: And Other True Stories of Infectious Disease Pamela Nagami 7-2-25 (medical detective work)
(T, A) Critical Judgment Michael Palmer 8-5-25 (ER doctor & corporation malfeasance)
(T,A) Toxin Robin Cook 8-12-25 (Contaminated beef issue)

(4) Thriller
(A) The Heartless David Putnam 9-9-24 (Bruno Johnson #7) (Bruno's daughter threatened, twice)
(A) Chill Factor Sandra Brown 11-5-24 (Stuck in cabin with asthma & possible killer)
(A) The Teacher Freida McFadden 11-13-24 (getting caught in sexual affairs plus murder)
(A) Three Jack Reacher Novellas: Deep Down, Second Son, High Heat, and Jack Reacher's Rules Lee Child 3-18-25 (dangerous situations--Son of Sam et al)

(6) Amateur Sleuth
(A) Dying for a Date by Cindy Sample 12-12-24 (no detective experience, but getting self out of false accusation)
(A) Dying for a Daiquiri Cindy Sample 12-14-24 (Brother & SIL both accused of murder)
(A) Dying for a Dude Cindy Sample 12-26-24 (She's still an amateur)
(A) The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas- How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love Julia Romp 3-21-25 (Mom becomes a sleuth for missing cats--true story)
(T,A) Stories of Suspense Scholastic Book Services 4-6-25 (Amateur sleuth evades The Perfectionist.)
(K,T) Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme Donald J. Sobol 7-9-25 (You solve along with him)


(5) Setting--Isolated Locale
(T) Found Joseph Bruchac 8-18-24 (Teen hunted by adults in Canadian forested area)
(A) Hollow Crib B.J. Bourg 8-31-24 (remote forest in Northern LA)
(A) Stolen Ann-Helén Laestadius 3-20-25 (reindeer in Northern Sweden, Sampi)
(T,A) Shattered Dean Koontz 4-8-25 (isolated U.S. roads, coast to coast, then isolated house in SF)
(A) Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? Dave Eggers 4-25-25 (Kidnapped to unused Ft. Bragg)


(4) Chick-Lit
(A) Twelve Sharp Janet Evanovich 7-26-24 (Stephanie Plum #12) (life of female bounty hunter)
(A) Dying for a Double Cindy Sample 1-17-25 (female PI helps missing actress)
(T,A) Limoncello Yellow Traci Andrighetti 1-25-25 (female PI with dating issues)
(T,A) Foul Play Janet Evanovich 4-12-25 (mostly romance, slight mystery)


(4) Prof. Sleuth
(A) All Dressed in White Mary Higgins Clark 10-27-24 (TV host-- investigates runaway bride)
(A) Slay Ride Dick Francis 11-17-24 (British Jockey Club investigator)
(A) Don't Let Go Harlan Coben 11-22-24 (county government investigator)
(A) Plum Island Nelson DeMille 4-19-25 (NYPD detective on sick leave)
(T, A) The Medical Science of House, M.D.: The Facts Behind the Addictive Medical Drama Andrew Holtz 6-11-25 (House is a medical sleuth.)

[Meghana]

Started in 2024. Doing this concurrently with Part 1


Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge - PART II
=========================================
Duration: 01/01/24 - 12/31/25
Level: SHERLOCK

34/50

✔ 1. Action & Adventure – AKA Testosterone-Drenched Tales: Completely chauvinistic of us to think that these only apply to male leads, but you get the idea.
Zoo by James Patterson 7/10/25 3★
How it fits: High adrenaline, action and gore sprinkled throughout the book

✔ 2. Blackmailed: We’re not talking about those Harlequin books were the heroine is romantically pressured. With these mysteries, it’s all about the money, money, money.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz 1/14/25
How it fits: Jacob steals his student’s book plot after his death. Once he gets famous someone starts to blackmail him about his secret.

✔✔ 3. Chick-lit Mysteries: Mainly mysteries, but still concentrating on young working women and their emotional lives
The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh 12/24/24
How it fits: Emma loves her husband and daughter very much but has kept her entire past hidden from them. As her husband started it unravel the mysteries of her part, she has to convince him that she really it the woman her thought she was.
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich 1/25/25
How it fits: Stephanie Plum takes a job as an apprehension agent and her first job involves her ex-boyfriend.

✔✔ 4. Classic 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. Modern when it was published, it is therefore not a true Historical Mystery found in Part I of this challenge.. We’ll take anything published over 50 years ago.
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene 06/05/25 4★
How it fits: Written in 1930s where Nancy tries to figure out where the missing will is hidden.
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 7/15/25 3★
How it fits: Written in 1923, Agatha Christie novels are the definition of a classic whodunnit.

✔ 5. Cold Case or Hard Case Crimes: Unsolved mysteries from the past are resurrected
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins 1/6/25
How it fits: Emily finds out that there was a murder at the village she is staying at and she finds that there is more to the murder thank what was documented.

✔ 6. Computer Hacking or Business/Corporate: We’ve combined these, for obvious reasons, but feel free to use a book that involves one without the other.
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman 1/15/25
How it fits: The mystery revolves around a private security firm that is being misused by an international money smuggler.

✔ 7. Crafters/Hobbyist: There are variety of these for many different enthusiasts.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige 04/27/25
How it fits: The arm-chair detective Lena is a birdwatcher

✔✔ 8. Ecclesiastical Mystery/Religious Protagonist (Priest, Nun, Rabbi, Reverend, Shaker, etc.): Any lead protagonist whose main calling is working for God.
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
How it fits: One of the MC is a Vicar
The Secret of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton 5/7/25 3★
How it fits: MC is a Father in the local church

✔ 9. Fantasy/Urban Fantasy: A mystery that contains rudiments that are not realistic, such as magical powers, talking animals, supernatural phenomena, etc. as a plot element, theme, or setting.
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg 7/18/25 4★
How it fits: The book revolves around the mysterious enchanted house that is inherited by the protagonist and the magical housekeeper who arrives to solve it.

✔ 10. Famous People: Both real and fictitious, these are more than mere walk-on parts. They are either the sleuth, the person requesting their services or hiring them, or even assisting them
A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson 10/31/24
How it fits: The Lady Detectives- the three Dahlias who are famous actresses turned detectives are called in to investigate the murder on the film set.

✔ 11. Female Detective: Be she a P.I., a policewoman, or amateur sleuth, she carries double X chromosomes and uses them to their full potential
Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf 12/18/24 2★
How it fits: Amelia Winn after finding the deal body of her friend turns in to an amateur sleuth to find out who the murderer is

✔✔12. Furry Sleuth or Pet Owner Mysteries: Protagonist owns a pet of some kind - be it a cat, a dog, or a bird, etc. - that plays a MAJOR role in helping them solve the mystery
Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn 3/18/25
How it fits: Bernie is a PI with him own detective agency who solve mysteries with the help of his dog Chet who is the main narrator
To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn 04/29/25 3★
How it fits: Bernie is a PI with him own detective agency who solve mysteries with the help of his dog Chet who is the main narrator

✔ 13. Holiday Mysteries: Setting is during one of the major holidays [Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patirick’s, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc.].
Chocolate Bunny Betrayal by Tonya Kappes 04/24/25 1★
How it fits: Easter is celebrated

✔✔ 14. Horror/Splatterpunk: Splatterpunk is defined as “a literary genre characterized by the explicit description of horrific, violent, and often pornographic scenes.”
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison 10/29/24
How it fits: Horror
A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke 06/09/25
How it fits: Onboard the boat, Dominique will uncover a dark past riddled with lies, cruelty, and murder. Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for almost a century. Something that craves revenge.

15. “Howdunit” or “Howcatchem" or Inverted: The identity of the killer and their motive are revealed early in the story. The main focus is the means by which the detective or investigator catches them.

✔✔ 16. “I Never Knew You at All”/Masquerade: Someone very close to the protagonist has been masquerading as someone else for years, or has a hidden past that suddenly comes into play in the mystery
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 12/27/24 4★
How it fits: Leigh Teabing, the protagonist’s friend who helps him solve the murder of the curator turns out to be the one who actually murdered him and even more people.
One by One by Freida McFadden 7/21/25 2★
How it fits: the protagonist’s friend is who thought to be dead in the beginning turns out to be the murderer.

✔ 17. Locked Room/Puzzle: Careful observation and extraordinary logic reveal the means of a seemingly impossible crime or escape.
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates 04/17/25 3.5★
How it fits: Takes place in a an abandoned isolated mountain cabin with a blizzard raging outside the entire time.

✔✔ 18. Magical Realism: Magical Realism specifically with a mystery, not just the mystery of where the magic is coming from.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young 1/29/25
How it fits: June Farrow sees and hears things that arent there and uses those to solve the disappearance of her mother.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 3/26/25
How it fits: The octopus is sentient, understands human language and is able to solve the mystery

✔ 19. Miscellaneous or Mixed Bag: Catch-all category, or for those which have too many overlapping categories to count. Or you found something we haven’t covered.
Here To Stay by Mark Edwards 2/23/25

✔✔ 20. Pastische: This is a technique where an author imitates another author’s style (and/or characters), in a respectful way
Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge 3/15/25
How it fits: The novel is written in a style reminiscent of Agatha Christie's classic detective novels, with a focus on a locked-room mystery, a gathering of suspects, and a female amateur detective
A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge 5/20/25
How it fits: The novel is written in a style reminiscent of Agatha Christie's classic detective novels, with a focus on a locked-room mystery, a gathering of suspects, and a female amateur detective

21. Serial Killer: Why are we fascinated by man’s inhumanity to man? Does it matter?

22. Setting - Exotic Local: Protagonist is often on vacation to a foreign country.

✔✔ 23. Setting - Isolated Local: Such as a private island, cabin-in-the-woods, or other deserted setting. Protagonist(s) is left (relatively) alone with murderer and/or suspects. They are somehow unable to communicate with authorities for assistance, or help can’t get to them soon
The Guest List by Lucy Foley 6/21/24 2★
How it fits: The wedding is happening on an isolated island off the coast of Ireland when someone turns up dead.
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney 3/8/25
How it fits: The entire book is set on the mysterious isolated Scottish Isle of Amberly which does not allow visitors and has only a population of 25

24. Setting - Southern U.S.: With all its charm and hospitality, they explore issues of family and community and usually don’t shy away from sensitive racial issues.

25. Setting - Third World: Characters are drawn entirely from those (often unfamiliar) cultures.

✔✔ 26. Setting - Quaint English Village: It is all about the ambiance of this charming local. St. Mary Mead - and its resident Miss Marple - is probably best known, but there are many others.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley 5/11/25 3.5★
How it fits: Set in a fictional quaint village called Tome near Dorset, England
Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge 06/28/25 3.5★
How it fits: Set in Listleigh, a quaint village in England with country homes.

[Meghana]

✔ 27. Soft-boiled: A contrast to the realism and cynicism of the Hard-boiled or Noir, these are tempered with optimism, and light humor, but not quite as slapstick as Caper
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman 10/8/24 5★
How it fits: This is a cozy mystery set in a retirement community with 4 septuagenarians solving the murder of their friend.

✔✔ 28. Spy/Espionage: You asked for it, here it is. Just a good, old-fashioned spy mystery.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn 04/26/25
How it fits: The protagonists are retired spies who are being targeted while on their retirement vacation
Call for the Dead by John Le Carré 06/20/25 2★
How it fits: The protagonist is a spy for the British government who is accused of causing a man’s death

29. Steampunk: Just add “mystery” to the Steampunk definition: A subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan “What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.” It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. Although usually set in Victorian England, we’ll also take Western Steampunk and Medieval Steampunk.

30. Theft (art, jewelry, etc.): Major theft or heist of some kind.

31. True Crime: Non-fiction.

32. Young Adult: Youthful protagonist.