Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

     ~The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge~

               

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)[

(hide 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)[Science fiction differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas". Science fiction is largely based on writing entertainingly and rationally about alternate possibilities in settings that are contrary to known reality. (hide 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)[ Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. Thrillers often overlap with mystery stories, but are distinguished by the structure of their plots. In a thriller, the hero must thwart the plans of an enemy, rather than uncover a crime that has already happened. Thrillers also occur on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others. (hide 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.

Reserved.

Wow! I had no idea there were so many types of mysteries! This looks like a great challenge. Unfortunately I have too many challenges going right now to join, but maybe at some point I'll try it. :)

They are even more than this, Kristie. Maybe, if this is popular, we'll do "Part Two." LOL! Glad you like it and hope you'll join us eventually.

lol...I think I have a book shelf labeled mystery_thriller, though I definitely have some that fit into a bunch of the different sub-genres. I guess I'm really lumping them together. hahaha

So where would Hard Case Crimes fall under...Thriller? I'm thinking novels like Joyland or any that have the yellow ribbon or Hard Case Crime.

I'm in for this one for sure :-) As usual with most challenges I will start with the first level (Grifter) and work up from there.

Grifter
1. Joyland - Paranormal Mystery - Aug.2nd
2. Always Watching - Thriller - August 6th
3. XO - Double Act - August 11th
4.
5.

I think Hard Case tends to fall into the noir category but I could be wrong. May fit under multiples, even?

The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge
Level: Crime Scene Investigator - 21-30 books at least
Duration: 8/1/13 ~ 1/31/14
6/21-30 Read

Cozy Mystery:
Culinary Mystery:
Double Act: 8/4/13 5♥
Futuristic:
FBI/CIA/ATF:
Private Eye: - Tate is a PI does most of the behind the scenes work 8/20/13 3.5♥
Missing Person Mystery: 8/17/13 3.5♥
Paranormal Mystery: 8/8/13 4♥
Police Procedural: 8/12/13 4♥
8/22/13 5♥

Cathie wrote: "So where would Hard Case Crimes fall under...Thriller?"

Good question, Cathie. I would say Thriller or Noir. Or maybe even paranormal? We didn't do horror or supernatural, to which Joyland snuggles up pretty close. Leave it to King to give us a unique perspective.

Great, Melissa! Welcome - along with Cathie - to the challenge.

Was this thing made for me or what? Mystery is my genre!

I'm inquiring for specifics on what Lead Homicide Detective means-- Do you mean if I read 1 cozy, I should go ahead and read 2? 1 thriller means I should double up and read 2? And does it mean that I have to do every single category twice? Or just my favorite categories twice?

Or am I doubling up the levels (Gumshoe, etc)? Thanks!

Whatever the case (har har)... I'm in for LHD.

If you want to double some of your favorite categories, but not do every category, I would go for Crime Scene Investigator. LHD is as it says = 50 books! Two of every sub-genre.

*I'll add the 50 books.

Great. I think I can manage 50, two from each sub-genre. In fact, I kind of like that little guideline because it will "force" me to read sub-genres I have been neglecting or meaning to read.

How long do you think it will take, Teresa? Are you just going to leave it "open ended"?

~The Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Squad Reading Challenge~



Level: Lead Homicide Detective - Double the number for each category!
Cases Solved: 2/50
Duration: Open Ended

(view spoiler)[
Introduction Post
Sub-Genre List Part 1
Sub-Genre List Part 2
(hide spoiler)]

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. The Hit, by David Baldacci
2.



Forensic Specialist:
1.
2.

Futuristic:
1.
2.

Historical Mystery:
1.
2.



Legal:
1.
2.

Medical:
1.
2.

Missing Person Mystery:
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. Heat Lightning, by John Sandford
2.



Technothriller:
1.
2.

LOL! Sweet Dreams, then.

Oo, this might be interesting. I'll have to consider what challenge I want to try for, but I might do 1-2 per subgenre. As much as I like mysteries though, some of those look like they'd be difficult to find books I'm likely to enjoy. Hmm, might be half the challenge right there.

**hee hee** Very true! Great, Ruth. Welcome to the challenge.

I'm in, this is just the challenge for me.
I'm going to to try for Lead Homicide Detective, as it's an open ended challenge. I think I have multiple books for each subgenre.



Lead Homicide Detective
15/50

Amateur Sleuth:
1. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris ✔ 26 August 2014
2. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris ✔ 29 August 2014



Aristocratic Detective:
1. Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
2. In de ban van bedrog by Elizabeth George



Caper:
1. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich ✔ 16 August 2014
2. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich ✔ 18 August 2014



Cozy Mystery:
1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
2. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie



Culinary Mystery:
1. Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson ✔ 25 Febuary 2015
2. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle ✔ 16 March 2015



Double Act:
1. De chirurg by Tess Gerritsen ✔ 10 January 2015
2. De leerling by Tess Gerritsen ✔ 15 Febuary 2015



FBI/CIA/ATF:
1. The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
2. The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner



Forensic Specialist:
1. Doodsoorzaak by Patricia Cornwell
2. Rigor Mortis by Patricia Cornwell



Futuristic:
1. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb ✔ 08 March 2014
2. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb ✔ 05 April 2014



Historical Mystery:
1. Sovereign by C.J. Sansom
2. Revelation by C.J. Sansom



Legal:
1. De Broederschap by John Grisham
2. De partner by John Grisham



Medical:
1. Epidemie by Robin Cook
2. DNA by Robin Cook



Missing Person Mystery:
1. Fallen by Karin Slaughter
2. Kidnapped by Jan Burke



Noir:
1. .The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
2. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler



Romantic Suspense:
1. Keeper of the Bride by Tess Gerritsen
2. In Their Footsteps by Tess Gerritsen



Rooting for the Bad Guy:
1. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer✔ 23 August 2013
2. The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer✔ 25 August 2013



Paranormal Mystery:
1. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher ✔ 02 April 2014
2. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher ✔ 07 May 2014



Police Procedural:
1. Predikant by Camilla Läckberg
2. Steenhouwer by Camilla Läckberg



Private Eye:
1. Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky
2.The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith



Professional Sleuth:
1. IJsprinses by Camilla Läckberg
2. Schaduwleven by Harlan Coben



Proprietor Mysteries:
1.Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett
2. Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett



Sci-Fi:
1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
2. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde



Scotland Yard:
1. A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
2. Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh



Thriller:
1. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn ✔ 08 August 2013
2. Wachten op woensdag by Nicci French



Technothriller:
1. De Delta Deceptie by Dan Brown
2. Het Juvenalis Dilemma by Dan Brown



This detective is reading......

This is a great challenge for us mystery lovers!

I'll do Lead Homicide Detective and leave it open-ended. I'll do a partial listing later.

I've neglect mysteries lately. They rarely fit in my other challenges.

I'm in.
Going for Lead Homicide Detective.
*it seems there is going to be a lot of lead detectives after we are done ☺*

Open-ended for now. ☺

This is great! Welcome to the challenge, Imke, Jackie, and ❀Tea❀.

Aw! Imke! I love it! Great start. ☺

❀Tea❀ wrote: "I've neglect mysteries lately. They rarely fit in my other challenges.

I'm in.
Going for Lead Homicide Detective.
*it seems there is going to be a lot of lead detectives after we are done ☺*"

Good thing we are scattered all over the globe so we won't step on each others' toes as lead detectives. ;)

**chuckles** Yes, good thing.

Can I have Watson to help me? ☺

LMBO! Sure, ❀Tea❀.

I'll do Hard Boiled P.I. And go for 20 books.
July 30 -

20/20

Amateur Sleuth
A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett 8/9

Aristocratic Detective
Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers 8/12

Caper
Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich 8/2

Cozy Mystery
The Scarlet Pepper by Dorothy St. James 7/31

Culinary Mystery
You Cannoli Die Once by Shelley Costa 8/6

Double Act
Children of the Mist by Bill Knox 8/5

FBI
The Night Is Alive by Heather Graham 8/7

Forensic Specialist
The Bone Bed by Patricia Conwell 8/15

Historical
Hardcastle's Spy by Graham Ison 7/30

Legal
Angel Condemned by Mary Stanton 8/10

Missing Person
Smoky Mountain Tracks by Donna Ball 8/25

Futuristic
Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz 8/3

Romantic Suspense
Deception Cove by Jayne Castle 8/29

Paranormal
Woof at the Door by Laura Morrigan 8/22

Police Procedural
The Tamarack Murders by Patrick F McManus 8/23

Private Eye
Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David 8/3

Professional Sleuth
Brewing Up a Storm by Emma Lathen 8/19

Proprietor Mysteries
Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay 8/20

Sci-Fi
The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez 8/26

Scotland Yard
Twice in a Blue Moon: An Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery by Patricia Moyes 8/18

Oh man I've never even heard of some of these categories. Time to investigate...
(If any of these are obviously in the wrong place, someone please let me know. I'm just guessing based on the premise.)

Duration: August 1, 2013 - ??
Level: Lead Homicide Detective

READ: 46/50

Amateur Sleuth COMPLETE!
✔1. Aunt Dimity's Death - Nancy Atherton 9/8
✔2. Aunt Dimity and the Duke - Nancy Atherton 10/6


Aristocratic Detective (British gentry)
✔1. What Angels Fear - C.S. Harris 10/15
2.


Caper COMPLETE!
✔1. Unplugged - Lois Greiman 1/9
✔2. Unscrewed - Lois Greiman 2/17


Cozy Mystery COMPLETE!
✔1. A Hoe Lot of Trouble - Heather Webber 10/30
✔2. Ink Flamingos - Karen Olson 9/17


Culinary Mystery COMPLETE!
✔1. Strawberry Shortcake Murder - Joanne Fluke 3/20
✔2. A Brisket, a Casket - Delia Rosen 8/13


Double Act COMPLETE!
✔1. Hour Game - David Baldacci 1/30
✔2. The Janus Affair - Philippa Ballantine 1/31


FBI/CIA/ATF COMPLETE!
✔1. Split Second - Catherine Coulter 10/25
✔2. Ashes to Ashes - Tami Hoag 3/9


Forensic Specialist COMPLETE!
✔1. The Bone Bed - Patricia Cornwell 10/28
✔2. Grave Secrets - Kathy Reichs 10/8


Futuristic COMPLETE!
✔1. Thankless in Death - J.D Robb 12/12
✔2. Concealed in Death - J.D. Robb 3/19


Historical Mystery COMPLETE!
✔1. The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog - Elizabeth Peters 8/13
✔2. The Seventh Sinner - Elizabeth Peters 8/28


Legal COMPLETE!
✔1. Guilty as Sin - Tami Hoag 10/13
✔2. Sleight of Hand - Phillip Margolin 12/27


Medical COMPLETE!
✔1. Murder Suicide - Keith Ablow 1/3
✔2. Blood Lies - Daniel Kalla 10/3


Missing Person Mystery COMPLETE!
✔1. Unwanted - Kristina Ohlsson 8/21
✔2. P is for Peril - Sue Grafton 8/2


Noir COMPLETE!
✔1. The Ice Princess - Camilla Läckberg 7/17
✔2. The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler 8/16


Paranormal Mystery COMPLETE!
✔1. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher 10/29
✔2. Who Do, Voodoo? - Rochelle Staab 10/13


Police Procedural COMPLETE!
✔1. Four Blind Mice - James Patterson 3/16
✔2. 12th of Never - James Patterson 9/26


Private Eye COMPLETE!
✔1. R is for Ricochet - Sue Grafton 10/4
✔2. W is for Wasted - Sue Grafton 2/8


Professional Sleuth COMPLETE!
✔1. Blood Will Tell - Dana Stabenow 4/19
✔2. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher 6/1


Proprietor Mysteries COMPLETE!
✔1. Slay It with Flowers - Kate Collins 8/9
✔2. Little Shop of Homicide - Denise Swanson 10/22


Romantic Suspense COMPLETE!
✔1. Kiss Me, Kill Me - Maggie Shayne 9/13
✔2. Last Breath - Mariah Stewart 6/16


Rooting for the Bad Guy COMPLETE!
✔1. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay 6/13
✔2. The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart - Jesse Bullington 10/1


Sci-Fi
✔1. The City and the City - China Miéville 11/21
2.


Scotland Yard (British)
1.
2.

Thriller COMPLETE!
✔1. The Hit - David Baldacci 12/23
✔2. You're Next - Gregg Hurwitz 2/20


Technothriller COMPLETE!
✔1. Sandstorm - James Rollins 8/26
✔2. Deep Six - Clive Cussler 8/23

They all look perfect to me, Barbara★. I think I read every Linda Barnes mystery there was, back in the day. Man-oh-man! I meant to put in Booktown Mysteries under "Proprietor Mysteries" - guess I still can. ☺

P.S. Welcome to the challenge.

This is definitely a challenge for me, my favorite genre. I plan(hope) to get all 50 done by the end of the year. My list of challenges just keeps getting longer and longer.

P.S. If you make a Part 2, please don't start till next year, my challenge addiction is getting a little out of control and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from joining that one as well.

Timeframe: Aug - Dec 2013(subject to lengthening if necessary)
Level: Lead Homicide Detective
Completed: 2/50

Caper
1. The Last Word by Lisa Lutz 8/2/13 4♥


FBI/CIA/ATF
1. Stolen by Allison Brennan 8/4/13 4♥

Turtlecollector wrote: "This is definitely a challenge for me, my favorite genre. I plan(hope) to get all 50 done by the end of the year. My list of challenges just keeps getting longer and longer.

P.S. If you make a Part 2, please don't start till next year, my challenge addiction is getting a little out of control and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from joining that one as well...."

LOL. I feel the same way! It so difficult not to join all the fun challenges!!

Turtlecollector wrote: "P.S. If you make a Part 2, please don't start till next year, my challenge addiction is getting a little out of control and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from joining that one as well."

FOFLMBO! Okay, T. I'll try to remember.

Ditto, Kristie.

Welcome to the challenge, Sandy!

Duration: August 1, 2013 - July 31, 2014
Completed: 25/25

✔Amateur Sleuth
Murder at the Vicarage (5/28) ★★★★



Aristocratic Detective:

✔Caper:
Skin Game (6/20) ★★★★★



Cozy Mystery:

✔Culinary Mystery:
State of the Onion (4/23) ★★



✔✔Double Act:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (9/14) ★★★★
Murder on the Links (11/12) ★★★



FBI/CIA/ATF:

✔Forensic Specialist:
Déjà Dead (11/18) ★★★



Futuristic:

✔Historical Mystery:
Jamaica Inn (10/20) ★★★



Legal:

Medical:

✔✔Missing Person Mystery:
The Spellman Files (11/25) ★★★★
Small Favor (3/14) ★★★★★



✔✔Noir:
Hard Magic (8/24) ★★★★★
Spellbound (9/17) ★★★★★



✔Romantic Suspense:
The Shadowy Horses (8/8) ★★★★★



✔Rooting for the Bad Guy:
Heist Society (9/3) ★★★



✔✔Paranormal Mystery:
Darkhouse (8/17) ★★★★
Fool Moon (12/14) ★★★★



✔✔Police Procedural:
Moon Over Soho (8/4) ★★★★
Whispers Under Ground (8/9) ★★★★



✔✔Private Eye
Storm Front (10/6) ★★★★
Summer Knight (1/2) ★★★★



✔✔Professional Sleuth
Dead Beat (1/30) ★★★★★
Proven Guilty (2/10) ★★★★★



Proprietor Mysteries

✔Sci-Fi:
The Shining Girls (8/13) ★★★★★



Scotland Yard:

✔✔Thriller:
Dark Places (8/5) ★★★★
The Keep (3/26) ★★★★



✔Technothriller:
Relic (2/15) ★★★

Wonderful, Steven and Ash! Welcome to the challenge.

Steven is right, I *have to do this one! I'll go for LHD but leave it open-ended for now. Some of these sub-genres will be really easy for me, but others will be a real ... ummm ... challenge? :)


THE MYSTERY, MAYHEM AND MURDER SQUAD CHALLENGE
NO DEADLINE

PROGRESS: 50/50

AMATEUR SLEUTH
✓ 1. The Xibalba Murders (Archeological Mystery #1), by Lyn Hamilton, finished 8/29
✓ 2. Dead Man's Puzzle (Puzzle Lady #10), by Parnell Hall, finished 9/14

ARISTOCRATIC DETECTIVE
✓ 1. A Suitable Vengeance (Inspector Lynley #4), by Elizabeth George, finished 4/9
✓ 2. A Presumption of Death (Lord Peter Wimsey #2), by Jill Paton Walsh, finished 7/22

CAPER
✓ 1. Mama Gets Hitched (Mace Bauer #3), by Deborah Sharp, finished 8/4
✓ 2. I Shot You Babe (Bombay Assassins #4), by Leslie Langtry, finished 9/25

COZY MYSTERY
✓ 1. Cloche and Dagger (Hat Shop #1), by Jenn McKinlay, finished 9/8
✓ 2. The Silver Needle Murder (Tea Shop #9), by Laura Childs, finished 9/27

CULINARY MYSTERY
✓ 1. Cupcakes Aren't Just for Eating (Trixie Pristine #3), by Laina Turner, finished 9/24
✓ 2. The Whole Enchilada (Goldy Schulz #17), by Diane Mott Davidson, finished 10/4

DOUBLE ACT
✓ 1. Your Chariot Awaits, by Lorena McCourtney, finished 8/20
✓ 2. Buttercream Bump Off (Cupcake Bakery #2), by Jenn McKinlay, finished 9/30

FBI/CIA/ATF
✓ 1. National Security (Jericho Quinn #1), by Marc Cameron, finished 1/31 ★★★.5
✓ 2. Buried Secrets (Nick Heller #2), by Joseph Finder, finished 2/8 ★★★★

FORENSIC SPECIALIST
✓ 1. The Outcast Dead (Ruth Galloway #6), by Elly Griffiths, finished 4/19 ★★★★
✓ 2. The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone #1), by Tessa Harris, finished 7/2 ★★★

FUTURISTIC
✓ 1. Amped, by Daniel H. Wilson, finished 1/19
✓ 2. Glory in Death (In Death #2), by J.D. Robb, finished 3/10

HISTORICAL MYSTERY
✓ 1. The Curse of the Pharaohs (Amelia Peabody #2), by Elizabeth Peters, finished 9/1
✓ 2. Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead (Rai Rahotep #1), by Nick Drake, finished 9/6

LEGAL
✓ 1. Irreparable Harm (Sasha McCandless #1), by Melissa F. Miller, finished 9/17
✓ 2. The Litigators, by John Grisham, finished 10/13

MEDICAL
✓ 1. Till the Cows Come Home (Stella Crown #1), by Judy Clemens, finished 11/26
✓ 2. Oath of Office (Dr. Lou Welcome #1), by Michael Palmer, finished 6/28 ★★★

MISSING PERSON
✓ 1. Unsolicited (Booklover’s Mystery #1), by Julie Kaewert, finished 8/18
✓ 2. The Screwball King Murder, by Kin Platt, finished 10/8

NOIR
✓ 1. The Phantom Of The Opera, by Gaston Leroux, finished 8/1
✓ 2. Storm Front (Dresden Files #1), by Jim Butcher, finished 8/27

PARANORMAL MYSTERY
✓ 1. Embrace the Grim Reaper (Grim Reaper Mystery #1), by Judy Clemens, finished 8/26
✓ 2. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Haunted Bookshop #1), by Alice Kimberly, finished 10/24

POLICE PROCEDURAL
✓ 1. One Coffee With (Sigrid Harald #1), by Margaret Maron, finished 8/15
✓ 2. Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat #4), by Richard Castle, finished 8/23

PRIVATE EYE
✓ 1. W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23), by Sue Grafton, finished 9/12
✓ 2. The Good Book Club (Jane Sunday #1), by Rick Dewhurst, finished 10/2

PROFESSIONAL SLEUTH
✓ 1. The Red House Mystery, by A.A. Milne, finished 8/6
✓ 2. You Only Die Twice (Britt Montero #7), by Edna Buchanan, finished 9/5

PROPRIETOR MYSTERIES
✓ 1. Not the Killing Type (Booktown #7), by Lorna Barrett, finished 8/1
✓ 2. Lost and Fondue (Cheese Shop #2), by Avery Aames, finished 9/3

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
✓ 1. Death on Demand (Death on Demand #1), by Carolyn Hart, finished 10/6
✓ 2. Under Construction (Cartel #1), by Summer Ellis, finished 11/19

ROOTING FOR THE BAD GUY
✓ 1. Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl #1), by Eoin Colfer, finished 10/26
✓ 2. Thunder Point (Sean Dillon #2), by Jack Higgins, finished 11/26

SCI-FI
✓ 1. Shift (ChronoShift #1), by Zack Mason, finished 11/29
✓ 2. Pattern Recognition (Blue Ant #1), by William Gibson, finished 11/30

SCOTLAND YARD
✓ 1. The Final Cut (Nicholas Drummond #1), by Catherine Coulter & J.T. Ellison, finished 10/29
✓ 2. The Yard (Murder Squad #1), by Alex Grecian, finished 10/4/14

THRILLER
✓ 1. Split Second (King and Maxwell #1), by David Baldacci, finished 9/27
✓ 2. The Zero Game, by Brad Meltzer, finished 11/20

TECHNOTHRILLER
✓ 1. Daemon (Daemon #1), by Daniel Suarez, finished 10/4
✓ 2. Effected Intent, by Alan Ross, finished 11/22


***** CHALLENGE COMPLETE 10/4/14 *****

You got me with this one. I'm going to aim for Crime Scene Investigator in a year. Now, I just need to get off of my YA kick and read some mysteries :)

Start Date: July 30, 2013

Amateur Sleuth:

Aristocratic Detective:

Caper:

Cozy Mystery:

Culinary Mystery:

Double Act:

FBI/CIA/ATF:

Forensic Specialist:

Futuristic:

Historical Mystery:

Legal:

Medical:

Missing Person Mystery:

Noir:

Romantic Suspense:

Rooting for the Bad Guy:

Paranormal Mystery:
Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones - 7/30/13



Police Procedural:
12th of Never by James Patterson - 8/2/13



Private Eye:

Professional Sleuth:

Proprietor Mysteries:

Sci-Fi:

Scotland Yard:

Thriller:

Technothriller:

Barb wrote: "Steven is right, I *have to do this one! I'll go for LHD but leave it open-ended for now. Some of these sub-genres will be really easy for me, but others will be a real ... ummm ... challenge? :)
..."

I am not shocked to see you here, Barb. ;)

Some additional examples for some of these, if anyone needs them:

CAPER - Mace Bauer series, by Deborah Sharp
FORENSIC SPECIALIST - The Bug Man series, by Tim Downs
HISTORICAL MYSTERY - Sister Fidelma series, by Peter Tremayne, and/or Daisy Dalrymple series, by Carola Dunn


One of my favorite missing person books is   Vanished, by Joseph Finder.


And suggestions for Round 2: Inverted (from the point of view of the 'villain') and Locked Room :)

Oh, and there's a new Kinsey Milhone book, W is for Wasted, coming out in September, and a new No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency book, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, is due out in early November :)

Ashley Marie wrote: "Barb wrote: "Steven is right, I *have to do this one! I'll go for LHD but leave it open-ended for now. Some of these sub-genres will be really easy for me, but others will be a real ... ummm ... challenge? :)"

I am not shocked to see you here, Barb. ;) "

LOL I'm glad Teresa posted in our Mango thread to let us know about the challenge!

Barb wrote: "Some additional examples for some of these, if anyone needs them:

CAPER - Mace Bauer series, by Deborah Sharp
FORENSIC SPECIALIST - The Bug Man series, by Tim Downs
HISTORICAL MYSTERY - Sister F..."

I *love* locked room/bottle episodes. One of my favorite sub-genres :D

Barb, thanks for the Joseph Finder mention for a missing person book. I was actually pondering over finding a book to fit that one.

is coming out in September! Fits Police Procedural and Futuristic (and possibly others). (Forensic) comes out in late August.

I'm thinking about making a file of upcoming mysteries to use as a reference for this challenge.

Welcome to the challenge, Barb and Rebecca!

Can I also just say that the pic in the banner for this challenge is awesome? I love the "well played" Mystery section!