With the clock counting down ever nearer towards the year new, it is time for me to reflect on how well I did with the two reading challenges I participated in, hosted by Bev Hankins at My Reader’s Block.
The first of these was a new one to me: Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge (instructions to be found via link). I went for the hardest level of linking 12 books in a row and by the end of January I had reached a chain of 19. Instead of doing the sensible thing and patting myself on the back for a job well done, I decided to see how long I could keep going … and by the end of the year I reached the grand total of a chain of 168 books.
Thankfully having kept a record of my monthly chains (and how each month joins on from the previous) in my Book of the Month posts, I do not need to present my chain in full. Below are the posts charting my links between January and November:
And these are this month’s links:
It was interesting taking part in this challenge, coming up with links, sometimes between books which were quite radically different from one another. It was surprising to find books sharing similar character names, when the names in question are like Perdita, Marchmont and Sigismund. At other times I had to turn the authors themselves for the links such as writers sharing the same year or month of birth/death and in one case two writers who both experienced breast cancer.
The second challenge I participated in was the Vintage Scavenger Hunt Mystery, which I have participated in before. This year I managed to complete all of the Gold card categories and 53 of the Silver card categories, making a grand total of 128 categories completed, which is a personal best for me. Though I am somewhat a victim of my own success as Bev requires blog participates to post a summary of the categories they completed, which of course means I have a long list to do. To make it slightly more entertaining I have added the odd picture here and there of my pets enjoying the festive holidays.
- Full Skeleton: Voyage into Violence by Lockridge
- Shadowy or Ghostly Figure: Tenant for Death by Hare
- Written Document: Death and Letters by Daly
- Knife: Look Your Last by Strange
- Body of Water: The Widow’s Cruise by Blake
- Any Piece of Furniture: The Body on Page One by Ames
- Bottle/Glass for Drinking: Two Bottles of Relish by Lord Dunsany
- Statue: The Piccadilly Murder by Berkeley
- Bird: Vulture in the Sky by Downing
- Chandelier/ Candle etc.: The Layton Court Mystery by Berkeley
- Boat: Murder in Trinidad by Vandercook
- Broken Object: Murder is a Collector’s Item by Dean
- Painting/ Photograph: The Spinster’s Secret by Gilbert
- Nurse: The Patient in Room 18 by Eberhart
- Telephone: With a Bare Bodkin by Hare
- Suit of Armour: A Blunt Instrument by Heyer
- Jewellery of Any Sort: Latter End by Wentworth
- Curtain/s: The Hanging Captain by Wade
- Castle or Ruins: Death on Tiptoe by Ashby
- Hat: The Canvas Dagger by Reilly
- Cigarette or Pipe: Master of the Day of Judgement by Perutz
- Blonde (woman or man): The Case of the Platinum Blonde by Bush
- Blue Object: Scarweather by Rolls
- Fog/Mist: The Valley of Fear by Doyle
- Musical Instrument: Overture to Death by Marsh
- Skeletal Hand or Skull: Death Points the Finger by Levinrew
- Train: Murder Has Motive by Duncan
- Spooky House/Mansion: The Trouble at Turkey Hill by Knight
- Revolver: The Adventuress by Reeve
- Any Other Weapon: Here Comes the Chopper by Mitchell
- Bottle of Poison: A Puzzle in Poison by Berkeley
- Clock/Timepiece: The Haunted Lady by Rinehart
- Dog: Dumb Witness by Christie
- Any Other Animal: The Waikiki Widow by Sheridan
- Car/Truck: Rumble Murders by Eliot
- Carriage/Wagon: Serpents in Eden, ed. By Edwards
- Bloodstains: Death in High Heels by Brand
- Staircase: Some Must Watch by White
- Doctor: The Dutch Shoe Mystery by Queen
- Typewriter: Murder in Pastiche by Mainwaring
- Flower/s: Suddenly at his Residence by Brand
- Glove: Long arm of the Law, ed. By Edwards
- Door: The Danger Within by Gilbert
- Graveyard: Crime at Diana’s Pool by White Church
- Magnifying Glass: No Tears for Hilda by Graves
- Playing Cards: Casino For Sale (1938) by Brahms and Simon
- Red Head (woman or Man): Murder, Maestro, Please by Ames
- Red Object: My True Love Lies by Offord
- Suitcase/Briefcase: The Murdered Banker by De Angelis
- Spider or Spiderweb: Golden Spiders by Stout
- Rope/ Hangman’s Noose: Dr Priestley Investigates by Rhode
- Blunt Instrument: Cold Blood by Bruce
- Damsel in Distress: Arrest the Bishop by Peck
- Hand Holding Weapon: The Lyttleton Case by Morris
- Dead Body: The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Gardner
- Food: Exit a Star by Knight (carrot advert on back cover)
- Library or a Book: Cats Don’t Need Coffins by Olsen (back cover)
- Cat: Smallbone Deceased by Gilbert
- Map or Chart: Death from a Top Hat by Rawson
- Plane: Death in the Clouds by Christie
- Holiday Decoration: And Four To Go by Stout
- Newspaper: Murder in Moscow by Graves
- Policeman: Enter Sir John by Dane and Simpson
- Building (Other Than A House): Was it Murder? by Hilton
- Camera: The Camera Clue by Coxe
- Performer: No Mourning for the Matador by Ames
- Snow/Snowy Scene: Dark Days by Conway
- Tree: Family Matters by Rolls
- Tombstone: The Eames-Erskine Case by Fielding
- Moon: They Came To Baghdad by Christie
- Flashlight: Death Walks in Eastrepps by Beeding
- Brunette (Man or Woman): Death in Berlin by Kaye
- Green Object: Continental Crimes ed. By Edwards
- Mask: X v. Rex by Macdonald
- Butler/Maid/Servant: The House of the Arrow by Mason (Spine image)
Silver Card
- Shadowy or Ghostly Figure: Evidence of Things by Daly
- Written Document: Enter Murderers by Slesar
- Knife: Death by Request by John
- Body of Water: Foreign Bodies ed. By Edwards
- Any Piece of Furniture: Murder on the Blackboard by Palmer
- Bottle/Glass for Drinking: The Black Coat by Little
- Bird: Keep it quiet by Hull
- Boat: Too Much Water by Hamilton
- Broken Object: The Willow Pattern by Gulik
- Painting/ Photograph: Murder in the Mews by Reilly
- Nurse: Locked Doors by Rinehart
- Jewellery of Any Sort: A Taste of the Unexpected by Dahl
- Hat: Mr Priestley’s Problem by Berkeley
- Cigarette or Pipe: The Ingenious Mr Stone by Player
- Blonde (woman or man): The Man in the Tricorn Hat by Ames
- Blue Object: Seven Dead by Farjeon
- Skeletal Hand or Skull: Ye Olde Book of Locked Room Conundrums ed. By JJ
- Train: Somebody at the Door by Postgate
- Spooky House/Mansion: Blood Upon the Snow by Lawrence
- Revolver: Death Takes a Wife by Gilbert
- Any Other Weapon: Vanishing Point by Wentworth
- Bottle of Poison: The Case of the Late Pig by Allingham
- Clock/Timepiece: Crime Gentlemen Please by Ames
- Any Other Animal: A Dying Fall by Wade
- Car/Truck: The Power House by Buchan
- Carriage/Wagon: Death of a Commuter by Bruce
- Bloodstains: Family Skeleton by Disney
- Staircase: Sleeping Murder by Christie
- Flower/s: Death at the Dog by Cannan
- Glove: Duet of Death by Lawrence
- Door: Landscape with Corpse by Ames
- Red Head (woman or Man): Four Days Wonder by Milne
- Red Object: Anonymous Footsteps by O’Connor
- Suitcase/Briefcase: The Shapes of Sleep by Priestley
- Blunt Instrument: Murder in the WPA by Williams
- Damsel in Distress: Riddle of a Lady by Gilbert
- Dead Body: The Sleeping Car Murder by Japrisot
- Food: Heir Presumptive by Wade
- Library or a Book: The Weight of the Evidence by Innes (Back cover)
- Cat: The Judge is Reversed by Lockridge
- Holiday Decoration: Dancing Death by Bush
- Newspaper: I’ll Grind Their Bones by Roscoe
- Policeman: Police at the Funeral by Allingham
- Building (Other Than A House): The End of the Web by Sims
- Performer: A Bullet for the Ballet by Brahms and Simon
- Snow/Snowy Scene: Portrait of a Murderer by Meredith
- Tree: Case for Sergeant Beef by Bruce
- Tombstone: The White Alley by Wells
- Moon: The Hours Before Dawn by Fremlin
- Flashlight: Still Waters by Lorac
- Brunette (Man or Woman): The Rynox Mystery by Macdonald
- Green Object: Crime Out of Mind by Ames
- Mask: The Black Iris by Little
Next year I have just joined up for the one challenge: Just the Facts Ma’am, participating at Gold and Silver levels.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have my end of the year blog post ready, so stay tuned…
Well done, Kate! I could never be so prolific!
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Thanks Brad! and I know for a fact that I couldn’t even put on one theatrical show let alone four in a year!
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Is that your papillon?
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Yes he is our oldest family dog. He’s 14/15 years old now so the additional coat apart from making him look festive, does help to keep him warm in the colder months. I think in that photo he was very intently looking at the hand holding a treat out of shot of the camera.
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Kate, you are amazing. Linking your reads every which way and nearly knocking out both scavenger hunt cards. Wow and double wow. Thanks so much for joining in my challenge fun!
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haha thanks! I am still in awe though of the number of challenges you take part in.
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