The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
TASK HELP: Winter Challenge 2022
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20.3 - Best Review - Chris MD's Task: The Golden Age of Detective Fiction
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This space is for books that work.I'm going to list the series that work or any series where only certain books work.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (books 1-12 only)
Bess Crawford by Charles Todd (books 10-14 only)
Inspector Ian Rutledge by Charles Todd
Saffron Everleigh Mystery by Kate Khavari
Roaring 20s by Jenn Bennett
Joseph Spector by Tom Mead
This space is for books that don't work.
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Great task, Lord Peter is my literary crush and I enjoy the between the wars period (in spite of feeling bad for the characters who I know will have to go through another war, even if they don't know it!)
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JennRenee wrote: "is it okay if there are two books listed in the series to be counted as a series? A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons"It's showing as a series, so it works! Looks interesting.
Bea wrote: "I'm reading A Test of Wills. Set in 1919, it is a mystery and #1 in series."It's wonderful series. The books get even better as you go along.
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20 point tasks are always 1 book tasks. Just take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Kim wrote: "Just want to verify, is this a one book task?"Yes.
Would Death and the Conjuror count as being part of a mystery series? It was published in 2022, and book #2 of the series has "expected publication date" in 2023. Goodreads description of the novel says it is set in "1930s London".
Thanks
Deedee wrote: "Would Death and the Conjuror count as being part of a mystery series? It was published in 2022, and book #2 of the series has "expected publication date" in 2023. Goodreads descri..."
Yes, it says it's part of a series, and it's the right time period.
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Death and the Conjuror (other topics)Death and the Conjuror (other topics)
Grave Phantoms (other topics)
Grave Phantoms (other topics)
A Test of Wills (other topics)
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The period between the first and second world wars is often called “The Gold Age of Detective Fiction.” Agatha Christie created both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple; Dorothy L. Sayers gave us Lord Peter Wimsey. Along with Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh, they were the “Queens of Crime.” Murderers lurked among the upper classes in English country houses or skulked around picturesque English villages. In 1929, Ronald Knox even wrote 10 rules for detective fiction that included no supernatural elements, only one secret passage or room per book, and the criminal must be mentioned early in the story. Here's a link to the 10 Rules: https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/knoxs-c...
Option 1: Read a book by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, or Ngaio Marsh that was published BEFORE 1939.
Option 2: Read a whole-numbered book from a mystery series and that takes place between 1919 and 1939. The book must have an MPG of Mystery, and the series name and number must be indicated in the GR title listing in grayscale parentheses following the title or grayscale italics above the title. REQUIRED: If the time period of the book isn’t clear in the GR description, please provide other evidence.
There are many excellent series to choose from, but be careful about the years. Most of the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd takes place during WWI, so only books 10-14 take place after the Armistice and can be used for this task (#14 is set to be published during this SRC). Likewise, the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear has now moved into WWII, so only books 1-12 will work. Also, while some readers tend to think of this period in detective fiction as uniquely British, there are a growing number of excellent series set in other countries and among diverse populations during this time period. As long as it’s clear it’s the 1920s or 30s, you can use it. One list that might provide some inspiration is Mysteries Between the Wars.