Mystery Madness discussion

Prompts have been announced for our 6th round of March Mystery Madness! A link to the graphic can be found here.

Let us know if you have any questions about the prompts and what you are thinking of reading during the month of March!

New this year is our Discord! If you'd like to come chat about mysteries there, the link is here.

That works perfectly!

I'm waiting until closer to March to start figuring out what I want to read. I have too much February clogging up my mind right now. I'll start looking in like a week and a half or two weeks. I'm such a mood read TBR's are kinda hard for me to stick with.

No problem! The prompts will be there when you're ready. You can also decide not to use the prompts at all and just read mysteries. It's completely up to you ^-^

Awesome prompt ideas. I will wait until towards the end of the month to see what I can come up with. Should be a great month of reading mysteries.

Thanks! Looking forward to seeing your TBR ^-^

I tried copy and pasting the link for discord but says it’s not a valid link, how do I join then?

Here are some of my possibilities for Title-rific prompts MMM 2021:
(*) asterisk denotes physical book on my shelf

SINGLE (one-word title):
Scrapped (Cumberland Creek #2) by Mollie Cox Bryan
AND/OR Saturnalia by Paul Fleischman
Artifacts (Faye Longchamp #1) by Mary Anna Evans
Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
NUMBER:
Cinco de Murder (Taste of Texas #3) by Rebecca Adler, AND/OR,
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1 by Alexander McCall Smith*
Twenty-one Days (Daniel Pitt #1) by Anne Perry
Double for Death (Tecumseh Fox #1) by Rex Stout
PERSON:
Queen of Hearts (Her Royal Spyness #8) by Rhys Bowen, AND/OR,
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin #10 by Nancy Atherton
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1)* by Jacqueline Winspear
The Umbrella Lady by V. C. Andrews/Andrew Neiderman
PLACE:
Malice at the Palace (Her Royal Spyness #9) by Rhys Bowen
AND/OR Farm to Trouble (Farm to Table #1) by Amanda Flower
Short-circuited in Charlotte, Vermont (Pret' Near Perfect #2)* by Amy Patricia Meade
WEATHER (severe drought/rain):
The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper
AND/OR There is a Tide....by Agatha Christie*
COLOR:
Gilt Trip (Scrapbooking #11) by Laura Childs
AND/OR The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie*
Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea #11 by Nancy Atherton
Two Bronze Pennies (DI Harper #2) by Chris Nickson
TIME (seasons):
Murder in Season (Murder She Wrote #52) by John Lund, AND/OR
Rio Grande Fall (Sonny Baca #2)* by Rudolfo Anaya
SPACE (death as liminal space):
Faithless in Death (In Death #52) by J. D. Robb AND/OR
A Glimmer of Death (Odessa Jones) by Valerie Wilson Wesley
BONUS TITLE:
Postcards from the Dead (Scrapbooking #10) by Laura Childs

Donna wrote: "Here are some of my possibilities for Title-rific prompts MMM 2021:

SINGLE (one-word title):
Scrapped (Cumberland Creek #2) by Mollie Cox Bryan
NUMBER:
Cinco de Murder (Taste of Texas #3) by Rebec..."

I loved The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper!

I didn't think of Laura Childs, great ideas,

Jackie wrote: "I tried copy and pasting the link for discord but says it’s not a valid link, how do I join then?"

Hi Jackie - you don't need to copy and paste the link for Discord. Just click on where it says "here" and it will take you to the chat room invite. Just accept the invite and you'll be in. I did just check it and it does work. Please let us know if you still have trouble.

Donna wrote: "Here are some of my possibilities for Title-rific prompts MMM 2021:

SINGLE (one-word title):
Scrapped (Cumberland Creek #2) by Mollie Cox Bryan
NUMBER:
Cinco de Murder (Taste of Texas #3) by Rebec..."


Great choices!

Hello and welcome to March Mystery Madness 2021. I want to invite you all to join me in reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I have started a new thread in the folder labeled Whodunits Book Club where you can let us know if you plan to join in. Later there will be discussion threads and a reading schedule added to that folder.

Fun choices! Lots of firsts in series ^-^

Unsure of the books I can read for space. Can someone help

Tina wrote: "Unsure of the books I can read for space. Can someone help"

Hi Tina - A couple of our hosts have done dedicated videos on selection recommendations for each prompt. I'd definitely recommend checking out their channels for ideas: Raul from Latin Lector, Matt from Paperback Junkie, Tim from World of Sleuths, Laura from mom2triplets04, and Janelle from Too Fond of Books all have prompt recommendation videos up ^-^

This is what I’ve got planned for now, but I may swap books out for Single, Weather, Color, and Space:

Single - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Number - Swamp Team 3 by Jana DeLeon

Person - Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Place - Swamp Sniper by Jana DeLeon

Weather - The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Color - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Time - The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James

Space - Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

Bonus - Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Jamie wrote: "This is what I’ve got planned for now, but I may swap books out for Single, Weather, Color, and Space:

Single - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Number - Swamp Team 3 by Jana DeLeon

Person - Good Gi..."

Interesting selections! I think the universe is telling me to finally read Rebecca myself. I'm seeing it mentioned everywhere, even in a book I read recently!

My stack currently looks like this:-

The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith
Cover Her Face by PD James (Person)
They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (Place)
Death of a Songbird by Chris Goff
A Pitying Of Doves by Steve Burrows (Colour)
The Thursday Night Murder Club by Richard Osman (Time)
This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber (Space)
The Boreal Owl Murders by Jan Dunlap (Bonus)
Running Scared by Ann Granger
Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely
The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jane Ashford
Arrowood by Mick Finlay (One Word Title)
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart (Number)
Snow by John Banville (Weather)

I doubt I will get to them all but it will be a lot of fun!

Amelia wrote: "My stack currently looks like this:-

The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith
Cover Her Face by PD James (Person)
They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (Place)
Death of a Songbird by Chris Goff
A Pi..."

Great list! This one sounds very interesting:
The Boreal Owl Murders by Jan Dunlap (Bonus)

Jacquie wrote: "Amelia wrote: "My stack currently looks like this:-

The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith
Cover Her Face by PD James (Person)
They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (Place)
Death of a Songbird by ..."

Thanks, I am an avid birdwatcher so combining it with a mystery seemed perfect!

I just realized I have 30+ books on my list. 0.o

I really want to read more Louise Penny (crime set in small town French Canada) as I really enjoyed her first Inspector Gamache novel but really don’t want to read anything with child victims and or sexual abuse so can anyone tell me if these are themes in any of her novels. Many thanks in advance

Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS TBR I can't make fit any prompts. Please and Thank You for any help.

The View from Rainshadow Bay: Place and Weather

Real Murders:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder:

Hooked on Murder:

Pleating for Mercy:

ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS TBR I can't make fit any prompts. Ple..."

Nice lineup! I have read Real Murders and Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder and enjoyed them. Hooked on Murder is on my To Read list also.

As far as the prompts go, it is not mandatory to fit all your reads into them for March Mystery Madness. The prompts are an optional challenge. All we ask is that you read mysteries in March, so all of these work for our event! Hope this helps ^-^

Di wrote: "ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS TBR I can't ..."

I know but I'd still like to try to fill the prompts if I can. One that's not on my SAS TBR but is on my Middle Grade March Mystery Madness TBR

The Secret of the Old Clock: Time

ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Di wrote: "ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS T..."

I'm not very good at stretching the prompts to be honest, but I'll try.

I believe one of our hosts used a plural word for the number prompt, so Real Murders could be number because it refers to more than one murder?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder could be Single because it's only one cookie?

Mercy is a name, even though it's probably not what is being referenced in that title. I'd go for it though.

Hooked on Murder could be for the Bonus Prompt?

Di wrote: "ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Di wrote: "ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the ot..."

I'm going to go with person/people for Real Murders. I've seen the movies of these books and Real Murders is a club where they talk about famous murders. One of my favorite Hallmark movie series.

I think im going to go with your suggestion for Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder of single. I'll probably use either Pleating for Mercy or Hooked on Murder or both for the bonus.

Thanks for the help

ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS TBR I can't make fit any prompts. Ple..."

I love your idea of being creative with the titles you already have chosen! Betty Hechtman's covers are always very colorful, so maybe it would work for Color.
Pleating is gathering fabric into small spaces so to speak.
Real Murders is also a gathering at a specific time, " It's Real Murders time."

Breezy Ann wrote: "ambiekraftsreads wrote: "Hey. I want to read books that are on my Serious About Series TBR for March Mystery Madness. One book I made fit two prompts, but the other mysteries on my SAS TBR I can't ..."

Thanks for the idea of color for Hooked on Murder. The cover is colorful and the main characters name is Molly Pink.
Im using the first Nancy Drew book The Secret of the Old Clock for time.

I’m not reading for all the prompts but here is what I hope to read
Steamed (Single)
One Garish Ghost & Blueberry Peach Jam (number)
Murder in Venice (place)
Devil in a Blue Dress (color)
Betrayal in Time (time)
Cat Chase the Moon (space)
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder
Read and Buried

I don’t normally read this many books in a month so this is a place to start

Lisa wrote: "I’m not reading for all the prompts but here is what I hope to read
Steamed (Single)
One Garish Ghost & Blueberry Peach Jam (number)
Murder in Venice (p..."

Awesome list! Are you reading The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder with Sarah at The Bookish Knitter?

Lisa wrote: "I’m not reading for all the prompts but here is what I hope to read
Steamed (Single)
One Garish Ghost & Blueberry Peach Jam (number)
Murder in Venice (p..."

I never read as many books as I want to in March.

*Snow (single)
*One Good Turn (number)
*Salvation of a Saint (person)
*The Hanging Garden (place)
*White Heat (weather)
*The Red House Mystery (colour)
*The Midnight Witness (time)
*Under a Silent Moon (space) *(all read by 27 March 2021) Thanks!

Single: Scotched by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Number: The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton
Person: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie
Place: Riddle of the Lost Lake by Joanne Barkan
Weather: Gown with the Wind by Stephanie Blackmoore
Color: The Deception at Lyme by Carrie Bebris
Time: Midnight Magic by Avi
Space: Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Nice list Louise! The Midnight Witness, is that the first book in the Louise Rick series? If so, I've read 2 books in that series and really enjoyed them. I hope you do too ^-^

Awesome line up Books In Every Room! Which book will you be starting with?

Lord Edgware Dies will be first!

My TBR for March Mystery Madness 2021 Hope to read these all in March

Single - unfaithful by Natalie Barelli

Number - One Potato,Two Potato Dead by Lynn Cahoon

Person - Killer in the Kitchen-Jessica Fletcher

Place - Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander

Weather - A pairing to die for By Kate Lansing

Color - Death in Dark Blue by Julia Buckley

Time - Crunch Time By Diane Mott Davidson

Space - The book stops here by Kate Carlisle

Bonus - Crime of ancient Marinara by Stephanie Cole

Great list, Tina!

I love these prompts!

Single (one-word title): Holding by Graham Norton
Number: The Second Time Around by Mary Higgins Clark
Person: Defining Diana by Hayden Trenholm
Place: The City & the City by China Mieville
Weather: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Color: The Stolen Blue by Judith Van Gieson
Time: The Second Time Around by Mary Higgins Clark
Space: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton *Mammoth read also

Half are women (Women’s History Month)
One is combined (Number & Time)
One is also over 800 pages = March of the Mammoths challenge.

Looking forward to this reading month!

Awesome job combining challenges, Natalie!

MMM 2021 possibilities...

Single - The Stolen Letter single ' letter '5th in this fav series✔

Number - Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
top of library holds list, so fingers crossed😉
Yes! In transit to my branch for pick up!
OK! Got it in time for the MMM 🍀

Person + Colour
Sister Eve and the Blue Nun ✔

Place - Murder in an Irish Bookshop just downloaded
Always prefer finding an Irish themed book for March 🍀✔

Weather - The Light at Wyndcliff light + wind✔

Time - Hasty Death 2nd book of this Edwardian series of 4✔

Space - Death in a Stately Home ✔

Bonus ? A surprise when I discover it...
Ok.. new Irish library holds ready for my St Patty's 🍀 reading enjoyment!
The Lost Traveller 🍀✔
The Nature of Fragile Things🍀✔
Christmas Cocoa Murder🍀✔

finished A Crafty Killing for another challenge but it also is a cozy mystery.

writer... wrote: "MMM 2021 possibilities...

Single -

Number - Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder
top of library holds list, so fingers cro..."

Nice list of possibilities! I usually like to read at least one Irish themed book in March too, but I don't have one on my TBR this round.

Tish wrote: "finished A Crafty Killing for another challenge but it also is a cozy mystery."

Awesome job!

Jazzy's March Mystery Madness!
March 2021
2/9

If I had a bookstore I would make all the mystery novels hard to find.
~Demetri Martin



1. Single
Vertigo (1954) - Boileau-Narcejac

✅ 2. Number
Double Indemnity (1936) - James M. Cain

✅ 3. Person
Mr. Fortune's Practice (1924) - H.C. Bailey

4. Place
In a Lonely Place (1947) - Dorothy B. Hughes



5. Weather
Killer in the Rain (1964) - Raymond Chandler

6. Colour
Red House Mystery (1922) - A.A. Milne

7. Time
Rose's Last Summer (1952) - Margaret Millar

8. Space
The 39 Steps (1911) - John Buchan

9. Bonus
A Study in Scarlet (1887) - Arthur Conan Doyle



The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I completed my first book for MMM for Single. Here's the review. Check it out https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3 new Irish reads added to my bonus MMM reading 🍀 yay!

I read for the number prompt: Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh
finished single prompt: Trauma by Michael and Daniel Palmer
now reading for person prompt: The Chef by James Patterson

all very good so far, all from my shelves, which gets them off my tbr.
especially the first 2, been on my shelves for quite some time.

Great job writer... and Susan!