Vintage Mystery Scavenger Hunt 2016: Wrap Up Post

If you’re a regular reader of the blog you’ll probably be aware that this year I have been participating in Bev Hankins’ Vintage Mystery Scavenger Hunt, which is runs from her brilliant blog My Reader’s Block. In this particular challenge the aim of the game was to read books with certain items on the cover. In total there were 75 items to find and to make it even harder I decided to pick the gold level, which meant that the books had to have been originally published before 1960. A couple of months ago I finally made it to the end of the challenge and only incurred a few sleepless nights trying to find a book cover with a coffin on (which felt a little ironic given the nature of the genre). This wrap up post is the final stage of the challenge, listing my scavenger hunt items, or rather books. Since there are 75 of them I decided to make it a little more interesting to read by putting the entries into different categories, such as my least and most favourite reads of the challenge.

Favourite Challenge Reads

• The Norwich Victims by Francis Beeding (Item: Shadowy Figure)

• Blood on his Hands by Max Afford (Item: Weirdest Thing You’ve Ever Seen)

• Case for Three Detectives by Leo Bruce (Item: Blue Object)

• The Iron Clew by Alice Tilton (Item: Blood Stains)

• Dancing with Death by Joan Coggins (Item: Tombstone)

• Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers (Typewriter)

• Dead Man’s Quarry by Ianthe Jerrold (Item: Dead Body)

• The Wooden Overcoat by Pamela Branch (Item: Staircase)

 

Least Favourite Challenge Reads

 

• Glass on the Stairs by Margaret Scherf (Item: Full Skeleton)

• The Riddle of the Travelling Skull by Harry Stephen Keeler (Item: Skull)

• The Face on the Cutting Room Floor by Cameron McCabe (Item: Two People)

• The Sealed Room Murder by Rupert Penny (Item: Clock/ Time piece)

• The Man from the River by G. H. D. and Margaret Cole (Item: Map or Chart)

• Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler (Item: Carriage/Wagon)

• When Last I Died by Gladys Mitchell (Item: Moon)

 

Challenge Reads Set Outside of the UK and the USA

 

• Death on the Riviera by John Bude (Item: Body of Water)

• The Hotel of the Three Roses by Augusto De Angelis (Item: Rope/Hangman’s Noose)

• Wings Above Diamantina by Arthur Upfield (Item: Plane)

• Come Away Death by Gladys Mitchell (Item: Camera)

 

 

Challenge Reads Set Within the USA

• Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout (Item: Bottle/Glass for Drinking)

• Murder Loves Company by John Mersereau (Item: Statue)

• The Rubber Band by Rex Stout (Item: One Person)

• Dragon’s Cave by Clyde B Clason (Item: Skeletal Hand)

• Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly (Item: Car/Truck)

• Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice (Item: Magnifying Glass)

• The Case of the Restless Red Head by Erle Stanley Gardner (Item: Red Head)

• The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (Item: Blunt Instrument)

• The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr (Item: Bottle of Poison)

• Poison Jasmine by Clyde B Clason (Item: Hand Holding Weapon)

• Skeleton Key by Lenore Glen Offord (Item: Flashlight)

• Punch with Care by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (Item: Green Object)

• The Corpse Steps Out by Craig Rice (Item: Mask)

• If the Shroud Fits by Kelly Roos (Item: Evil Eyes)

• The Golden Box by Frances Crane (Item: Painting/ Photograph)

 

Challenge Reads Set in Rural Areas (E.g. Countryside, Country Houses, villages etc.)

• The Blue Diamond by Annie Haynes (Item: Ghostly Figure)

• The Mystery at Stowe by Vernon Loder (Item: Brunette)

• The Bungalow Mystery by Annie Haynes (Item: A Country Scene)

• The Secret of High Eldersham by Miles Burton (Item: Red Object)

• Murder Included by Joanna Canaan (Item: Object of any other colour)

• There May Be Danger by Ianthe Jerrold (Item: Damsel in Distress)

• The White Priory Murder by Carter Dickson (Item: Food)

• The Spirit Murder Mystery by Robin Forsythe (Item: Spooky House/ Mansion)

• Fool Errant by Patricia Wentworth (Item: Dog)

• The Polo Ground Mystery by Robin Forsythe (Item: Any Other Animal)

• The Rasp by Philip Macdonald (Item: Telephone)

• The Crime at Noah’s Ark by Molly Thynne (Item: Christmas Tree/Decoration)

• The Bishop’s Sword by Norman Berrow (Item: Policeman)

• The Factory on the Cliff by A. G. MacDonell (Item: Cigarette or Pipe)

• The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr (Item: Broken Object)

• The Fingerprint by Patricia Wentworth (Item: A Blonde)

• The Ginger Cat Mystery by Robin Forsythe (Item: Cat)

 

Challenge Reads which were Short Story Collections

 

• Arsene Lupin vs. Holmlock Shears by Maurice LeBlanc (Item: Hat)

• The Crime Club by Frank Froest and Goerge Dilnot (Item: Revolver)

• Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries ed. By Martin Edwards (Item: Any Other Holiday Object)

• The Eyes of Max Carrados by Ernest Bramah (Item: Building which is not a house)

 

 

 

 

Hardest Challenge Items to Find

• Cork on the Water by Macdonald Hastings (Item: Fishing Gear)

• The Mummy Case Mystery by Dermot Morrah (Item: Coffin)

• Miss Pinkerton by Mary Roberts Rhinehart (Item: Nurse)

• Death Has Deep Roots by Michael Gilbert (Item: Knife)

• The Puzzle of the Silver Persian by Stuart Palmer (Item: Library or Book)

 

 

 

Agatha Christie Challenge Reads

• Five Little Pigs (Item: Artist/ Art Equipment)

• 4:50 from Paddington (Item: Doctor – a film tie in cover helped with this one)

• Cards on the Table (Item: Playing Cards)

• The Moving Finger (Item: Spider or Spider web)

 

 

 

Challenge Reads by Authors New to Me

• Measure for Murder by Clifford Witting (Item: Bird)

• The Pleasure Cruise Mystery by Robin Forsythe (Item: Boat)

• The House of Lies by Augustus Muir (Item: Jewellery – the advantage of earlier editions which include adverts on the back of books)

• Death in the Tunnel by Miles Burton (Castle or Ruins)

• Death in the Quadrangle by Eilis Dillon (Item: Graveyard)

• The Warrielaw Jewel by Winifred Peck (Item: Performer)

• Murder in the Museum by John Rowland (Item: More than Two People)

 

Challenge Reads Set in Urban Areas 

 

• The Peacock Feather Murder by John Dickson Carr (Item: Yellow Object)

• The Front Page Men by Francis Durbridge (Item: Musical Instrument)

• The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr (Item: Town Scene)

• The Terror and White Face by Edgar Wallace (Item: Chandelier/ Candle)