Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

To track my progress in the 2025 Clue Historical Mystery Challenge.

TITLES FOR THE CLUE CHALLENGE:
GENERAL TRIVIA:
1) UK: Gallows Court by Martin Edwards/WWII: Five Decembers by James Kestrel
2) Black: Punishment of a Hunter by Yulia Yakovleva /Corpse: The Whitechapel Horrors by Edward B. Hanna
3) Archived: The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss/Number of pages: Sister Pelagia and The Red Cockerel by Boris Akunin
4) Poisoned: Sister Pelagia and The White Bulldog by Boris Akunin /Bottle: Medicus by Ruth Downie
THE SUSPECTS:
Ms. Scarlet: Red: Man Eater by Marylin Todd/First in a series: Satan in St.Mary’s by Paul Doherty
Col. Mustard: Yellow: The Empty Birdcage by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Military Man: Metropolis by Philip Kerr
Prof. Plum: Purple: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Eizabeth Peters
/Scholar: The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Mr. Green: Green: The Beast of the Stapletons by James Lovegrove /Clerical Figure: Sister Pelagia and The Black Monk by Boris Akunin
Mrs. Peacock: Blue: The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore/Bird: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty/
Mrs. White: White: Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Japan by Keisuke Matsuoka/Healer: The List of Seven by Mark Frost
THE WEAPONS:
Rope: Rope: The Crack in The Lens by Steve Hockesmith/Initials: The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Rick Boyer
Revolver: Gun: Clandestine by James Ellroy/Word:
Lead Pipe: Cylinder: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane /Metal: The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis
Knife: Knife: The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin/Name: The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada
Candlestick: Candle: Enola Holmes-The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer/Flame: World's Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith
Wrench: Wrench:/Hardware: The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith
THE ROOMS:
Study: Study:/School:
Conservatory: Glass structure:/ Plants: The Black Rose Murders by Jane Kalmes
Ballroom: Dancer:/ Gathering: The Case of Minerva by Francis M. Mulhern
Hall: Items: The Name of The Rose by Umberto Eco/Double Letter: Affinity by Sarah Waters
Lounge: Chair: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey/ Leisure: On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith
Kitchen: Kitchen:/ Item:
Billard Room: Sport: Holmes on The Range by Steve Hockensmith/Round object: The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Dining Room: Buffet:/Items: The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby
Library: Library:/Reading: The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin
THERE NOW REMAINS:

GENERAL TRIVIA:
1) UK: Gallows Court by Martin Edwards/WWII: Five Decembers by James Kestrel
2) Black: Punishment of a Hunter by Yulia Yakovleva /Corpse: The Whitechapel Horrors by Edward B. Hanna
3) Number of pages: Sister Pelagia and The Red Cockerel by Boris Akunin
4)/Bottle: Medicus by Ruth Downie
THE SUSPECTS:
Ms. Scarlet: Red: Man Eater by Marylin Todd/First in a series: Satan in St.Mary’s by Paul Doherty
Col. Mustard: Yellow: The Empty Birdcage by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Military Man: Metropolis by Philip Kerr
Prof. Plum: Purple: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Eizabeth Peters
/Scholar: The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Mr. Green: Green: The Beast of the Stapletons by James Lovegrove /Clerical Figure: Sister Pelagia and The Black Monk by Boris Akunin
Mrs. Peacock: /Bird: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty/

THE WEAPONS:

Revolver: Gun: Clandestine by James Ellroy/Word:
Lead Pipe: Cylinder: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Knife: Knife: The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin/Name: The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada
Candlestick: Candle: Enola Holmes-The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer/
Wrench: Wrench:/
THE ROOMS:
Study: Study:/School:
Conservatory: Glass structure:/
Ballroom: Dancer:/ Gathering: The Case of Minerva by Francis M. Mulhern
Hall: Items: The Name of The Rose by Umberto Eco/Double Letter: Affinity by Sarah Waters
Lounge: Chair: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey/
Kitchen: Kitchen:/ Item:
Billard Room: /Round object: The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Dining Room: Buffet:/Items:
Library: Library:/Reading: The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin

I expect I will be checking your list for suggestions many times. Thanks for your effort.

Sandy wrote: "I expect I will be checking your list for suggestions many times. Thanks for your effort."

Happy you like it! :) Thank for the compliment.

Okay, so I removed my earlier comment because I realized that it wasn't allowed to to the Random org before January 1st, and then, I completely forgot to write my comments.
But here goes:
A: THE ROOMS
B: Billard Room (Sport)
C: Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith

A: THE ROOMS
B: Billard Room (Sport)
C: Holmes on the Range
D: Finished on January 4th.
4/5
The mix of Old School Mystery and Western fiction works very well and Old Red & Big Red are a very memorable pair. It only lost some points because I guessed most of the solution by the midway point.

A: TRIVIA
B: Poison (Someone poisoned)
C: Sister Pelagia and The White Bulldog by Boris Akunin
Ironically, the one I had received as my first book originally.

A:TRIVIA
B: Poison (Someone poisoned)
C: Sister Pelagia and The White Bulldog by Boris Akunin
D: Finished on January 25th.
3/5
The style is somewhat overwritten and the plot in convolutated at times. That being said, once the third act rears its head, the book becomes more enjoyable.

A:THE ROOMS
B: Conservatory (Plants)
C: The Black Rose Murders by Jane Kalmes

A:THE ROOMS
B: Conservatory (Plants)
C: The Black Rose Murders by Jane Kalmes
D: Finished on January 31st.
4/5
Would have been a 5 were the ultimate plot twist regarding the murderer a bit too far-fetched for me. But the style, the characters and the plot were all very enjoyable. Strongly recommend.

A:THE ROOMS
B: Lounge (Leisure Activity)
C: On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith

A:THE ROOMS
B: Lounge (Leisure Activity)
C: On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith
D: Finished on February 3rd
4/5
Hockensmith continues to impress me with his western mystery comedy series and I can't wait to read more.

A:THE WEAPONS
B: Rope (Rope on the cover)
C: The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith

A:THE WEAPONS
B:Rope (Rope on the cover)
C: The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith
D: Finished on February 6th
5/5
Building on strengths already visible in the previous books, this one takes the Red Brothers on a much darker tale, and Hockensmith proves himself just as apt when tackling a more serious story.

A: THE WEAPONS
B: Rope (Initials)
C: The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Rick Boyer
First Sherlock Holmes story!

A:THE WEAPONS
B:Rope (Initials)
C:The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Rick Boyer
D:Finished on February 13th
4/5
A pastiche worthy of Conan Doyle, though perhaps a bit too derivative of The Hound of the Baskervilles to warrant full marks.

A:THE WEAPONS
B:Candlestick (Flame)
C: World's Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith

A:THE WEAPONS
B: Candlestick (Flame)
C: World's Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith
D:Finished on February 17th
4.5/5
Steve Hockensmith's series remains a deeply entertaining and engaging read all the way through. The World's Fair setting is new and fresh for the series (though I lament the omission of H.H.Holmes) and the mystery was very well-constructed.

A:THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. Peacock (Blue)
C: The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore

A:THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. Peacock (Blue)
C: The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore
D: Finished on February 24th
3.5/5
Clever plotting and very funny, however it's also a tonally inconsistent book and more supernatural than its place among the previous lists of Historical Mysteries would have let me believe.

A: THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. White (White)
C: Sherlock Holmes-A Scandal in Japan by Keisuke Matsuoka

A: THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. White (White)
C: Sherlock Holmes-A Scandal in Japan by Keisuke Matsuoka
D: Finished on March 8th
5/5
This is a great Holmesian pastiche that emphasizes the too often overlooked humanity of Sherlock Holmes and manages the impressive feat of making a historical figure team-up work and not appear gimmicky and forced. The Japanese setting is very well realized and the mystery is interesting if not exactly clear at the start.

A: THE WEAPONS
B: Wrench (Hardware)
C: The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith

A: THE WEAPONS
B: Wrench (Hardware)
C: The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith
D: Finished on March 12th
4/5
Probably the weakest of the Holmes on the Range I've read so far, but still a very fun and interesting book. The Amlingmeyers are always a lot of fun and placing them in a completely different setting made for a very engaging story. Just not on par with the others.

A: THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. White (Healer)
C: The List of Seven by Mark Frost

A:THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. White (Healer)
C: The List of Seven by Mark Frost
D: Finished on June 12th.
3/5
A very interesting story (albeit more fantastical again) that is let down by an overwritten style that apes the typical Victorian writing prose, yet only ends up dragging the story down.

A: THE WEAPONS
B: Lead Pipe (Metal)
C: The Metal Pigs by Lindsey Davis

A: THE WEAPONS
B: Lead Pipe (Metal)
C: The Metal Pigs by Lindsey Davis
D: Finished on June 15th
3/5
A very entertaining read, albeit a somewhat weak mystery. It is weighed down by Falco having all the telltale signs of a "tough guy as written by a woman" that you can usually notice, which made him a decidedly acquired taste. I'd still be interested in revisiting the series some day.

A: GENERAL TRIVIA
B: Cellar (Archived)
C: The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss

A: GENERAL TRIVIA
B: Cellar (Archived)
C: The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss
D: Finished on June 20th
3.5/5
This bizarre spy mystery that reads like Austin Powers in the style of Oscar Wilde was very entertaining if odd.

A:THE SUSPECTS
B: Mrs. Peacock (Bird)
C: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty