MY READER'S BLOCK

2026 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge

2026-11-12T09:24:43.648-05:00

It's been a while since I joined Michelle at The Mystical Lantern/Seasons of Reading for her holiday challenge & readathon: Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge & Readathon. In short, the challenge runs from November 23, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The books read for the challenge must be Christmassy in nature--novels, short story collections, books of poems, etc. Readathon books need not all be holiday-oriented but one must be.

Three ways to participate:

1. Challenge: Pick a level
      ~Candy Cane: read 1 book
      ~Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
      ~Christmas Tree: read 5-6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)

2. Readathon: read as much (or as little as you want)

3. Participate in both!

Additional levels for watching Christmas movies and reading children's books with your kids--but you must complete one of the main reading levels to fulfill the challenge.

For more details and to join up, follow the link above.

As usual, I am joining at the Mistletoe level for Christmas books and the Readathon as well since I can also count non-Christmas books for that:

12 Recs from 12 Friends

2026-11-10T13:09:19.019-05:00

Suggested by bookscoffeeandcats77 on Instagram

Similar to a simple challenge I did in 2023--ask twelve friends for book suggestions and then read those twelve books by the end of 2027. I've solicited suggestions from my friends on Facebook and will post the list once I have twelve. If I get more than twelve then I may do more (will add as they come in).

1. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen [rec by Ryan Groff]

2. In the Red by Christopher Swidler [rec by Becky Laney]

3. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr [rec by Ivan Kreilkamp]

10.

11.

12.

Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair

2026-11-09T21:23:45.168-05:00

Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair (1991) by David Stuart Davies

Once again, Sherlock Holmes is called upon to prevent an international incident. Readers of Anthony Hope's books revolving around Kingdom of Ruritania may have thought that all was settled there. But Colonel Sapt comes to Holmes for help when the crown is in danger once again and the country is facing a threat from Count Rupert of Hentzau. King Rudolf the Fifth is deathly ill and Count Rupert plans to take advantage of his weakened state to take over the throne.

Colonel Sapt has come to England to ask Rudolf Rassendyll to impersonate the King one more time to save the kingdom (not to mention Queen Flavia, who Rassendyll loves). But Rassendyll is nowhere to be found. What starts as a simple request to trace the missing Englishman soon leads Holmes and Watson through a trail of murder and deception to the wilds of Ruritania and a daring impersonation by Holmes to save not one Rudolf, but two.

This is one of the best Holmes pastiches that I have read from Davies. It is a much shorter work (mirroring the length of The Prisoner of Zenda) and I think he does a very good job weaving Holmes into a swashbuckling tale. A fast-moving and engrossing tale and I'm glad that Watson (through Davies) was finally able to allow it to be published. The romantics among us will be happy to know that there is a (at least temporary) "happily every after" ending for Queen Flavia and Rassendyll...and for Ruritania as well. The kingdom is in much better hands than when King Rudolf the Fifth was in charge and we're definitely glad that Count Rupert has been taken care of. ★★★★

First line: I have often reflected that of the many investigations carried out by my friend, the celebrated detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, those which had the most dramatic openings often led on to even more dramatic conclusions.

Last line: "However, in this instance, old friend, I believe you may be right."
****************************

Deaths = 4 (one natural; two stabbed; one shot)

(Finished 11/5/26)

The Serpent Pool (Spoilerific)

2026-11-09T20:28:21.266-05:00

The Serpent Pool (2010) by Martin Edwards

Warning: I am going to be explicit about a certain plot point. It won't reveal the killer, but it will reveal part of the motivation behind the murders. Read on at your own risk.

DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Lake District's Cold Case Squad has decided to open the seven-year-old case of Bethany Friend. Bethany was found drowned in the Serpent Pool's few inches of water. Though tied up with the leads from her car, there was no evidence of anyone else in the vicinity and it was just feasible that she had tied herself up and committed suicide for attention. But would a woman deathly afraid of water choose to drown herself? Bethany's mother always insisted it was murder and now that Mrs. Friend is dying, Hannah hopes to find out the truth before the woman is gone.

Just as she and her team begin investigating, the officers handling current day cases are faced with another bizarre suicide/possible murder. George Saffell, an obsessive book collector, dies in a blaze that consumes his expensive collection. Again, there is evidence that he was tied up...and the fire was obviously set. But would a man so obsessive about his book collection actually commit suicide by burning himself and his books up? Is it possible the two deaths are connected?

A third death occurs--first connecting historian Daniel Kind (who has worked with Hannah before) and his sister. But then a real connection between the three deaths becomes apparent: Marc Amos, Hannah Scarlett's partner. Marc is a bookseller and had supplied both of the dead men with books. And, as Hannah learns from other sources, Bethany had worked for Marc briefly before she and Marc became a couple. Why didn't Marc tell her? Does he know more about the deaths than he's let on? And then Marc disappears...

Running through the book is a theme connected to Thomas De Quincey. Daniel is researching for a book on the man known for his Confessions of an English Opium Eater and On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts. One of the suspects is organizing a conference about De Quincey and has asked Daniel to give a lecture. And then it occurs to Hannah that the murders seem to fall in line with De Quincey's thoughts on the subject. Bethany feared water and was drowned. George loved his books and it is now certain that he was alive to watch his books burn. And the last known victim, was claustrophobic and died of exposure in a small, deep well.

This was interesting entry in Hannah's and Daniel's dance towards relationship (I've read a later book, so I know what's coming). But I have to be honest, the cruelty of the murders and, especially the scenes with the last intended victim were a bit off-putting even though they were not as graphic as they could have been. Also, I caught on quite early to the De Quincey connection and the fact that the murders were committed in part to create as much suffering as possible for the victims. It wasn't nearly the a-ha moment that it should have been. As soon as De Quincey came up more than a couple times, I was right on it. And once the third victim is found the suspects aren't exactly thick on the ground. Not my favorite of the series. ★★★

First line: The books were burning.

Last line: Tomorrow would be another day.
***********************

Deaths = 11 (one drowned; one in fire; one exposure; two natural; one accident: two in car accident; one stabbed; two fell from height)

(Finished 10/30/26)

The Mystery of Jockey Hollow

2026-11-08T22:54:50.641-05:00

The Mystery of Jockey Hollow (1934) by Cleo F. Garis

A young adult mystery featuring three friends from college, Arden Blake, Terry Landry, and Sim Westover. The three young women are joined mid-way by their newest friend, Dot Keene for Christmas vacation at Sim's house. They are on their own--essentially house-sitting while Sim's parents have to to be away over the holidays. A holiday full of horseback riding and exploring the neighboring woods is interrupted by mysterious events at the nearby Sycamore Hall.

Arden got a taste for mystery solving in their first adventure, The Orchard Secret, set at Cedar Ridge College. So, when she hears stories about workmen encountering ghosts at Sycamore Hall as well as a legend about missing deeds, she all set to investigate. She and her friends are especially interested in helping Granny Howe find the missing papers that will help establish her families right to the property. Is someone playing ghost to keep Granny's family from searching for the deeds? Or is someone just intent on keeping the workmen from tearing down the old house to make way for state park? Arden and her friends will have to find out if the ghost is friend or foe before they can even begin to help Granny Howe. And will they be in time to make this the happiest Christmas Granny has seen in a very long time?

So...as a mystery, this leaves a bit to be desired. It's a bit like Scooby Doo-lite (when it comes to the solution about the ghosts) and there is very (and I do mean VERY) little deducting going on. Most of what Arden & company "discover" falls right into their laps. Arden doesn't figure out where Granny's ancestor hid the deeds--a bit of (something--can't say what, it would spoil what little mystery there is) falls apart and, by golly, if there isn't a hollow spot where a box with the deed was hid.

This is a very interesting study of the early 1930s and the characters involved in the story. If this had been pure fiction and not billed as an entry in the "Arden Blake Mystery Series," I would be handing out a higher rating. But even for a young adult/juvenile mystery, this is pretty sparse in the investigation department. ★★ and 1/4

First line: The proud old house rang with excitement.

Last line: "But think of all that did happen!" laughed Arden.
******************

Deaths = 3 natural

(Finished 10/27/26)

The 52 Book Club's 2027 Challenge

2026-11-07T20:41:06.551-05:00

I'm gearing up for another round of Liz's reading challenge at The 52 Book Club . Hers is a low-key challenge, so there is no pressure to fulfill all 52 categories I'm setting a personal goal of 26. I may read more that fit the categories, but at 26 I can claim my challenge goal fulfilled. Several times in the past I've managed to pull off all 52--so who knows, maybe I'll get there again. I'll list some tentative selections below as I decide on them and update as needed.

1. Title starts with the letter "Q":

2. Audiobook with sound effects:

3. Author with three names: Max Allan Collins

4. Rags to riches:

5. A book you've been putting off:

6. Set in a close-knit community

7. Same series--book one:

8. Same series--book two:

9. Same series--book three:

10. Related to the word "fate": The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cook

11. 1st chapter is more than ten pages:

12: Book is a 3-time award winner: The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny [Agatha, Anthony, & Macavity awards)

13. Follows a character from childhood:

14. 2018--By an author under 30: The Corpse Hangs High by Edward S. Aarons [age 23]

15. 2019--Name of color in title:

16. 2020--Published when you were 20: Murder on the Glitter Box by Steve Allen; Amends for Murder by M. D. Lake; The Merry Devils by Edward Marston

17. 2021--A dual timeline: The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (maybe)

18. 2022--Nonfiction bestseller: Elizabeth & Essex by Lytton Strachey; Here Is Your War by Ernie Pyle; The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

19. 2023--A city/country name in the title: The China Sea Murders by Van Wyck Mason; Last Seen in London by Anna Clarke

20. 2024--At least 4 different POV: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

21. 2025--Title is ten letters or fewer:

22. 2026--Spans a decade or more:

23. Any previous 52 Book Club prompt:

24. Read by a Narrator in Audible Hall of Fame: Death Notes by Ruth Rendell OR Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George (both read by Davina Porter)

25. Unrelated books with opposite titles (book 1):

26. Unrelated books with opposite titles (book 2):

27. A purple cover:

28. Divided into parts:

29. Has a tenth anniversary edition: Murder Is Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

30. Leaves you questioning:

31. Underdog story:

32. Same publisher as prompt ten:

33. Eureka!:

34. Title is in 1st person: I Am Saxon Ashe by Anonymous; I Hear Adventure Calling by Emile Loring

35. Character is on vacation:

36. Political thriller:

37. Has an index:

38. Low fantasy:

39. Bird on cover:

40. Set in a fictional country:

41. ISBN ends in 6:

42. Includes a party:

43. Copy has a misspelling/grammatical error:

44. Image of person on the spine:

45. Mentions another book title:

46. Verb in the title:

47. A morally grey character:

48. "I prefer the UK cover":

49. Over 10,000 Goodreads reviews:

50. A nostalgic read:

51. Published in 2027: Where Are the Wise by C. S. Harris (due out in April)

52. Your final read of the year:

2027 Color Coded & Read It Again, Sam Challenges

2026-11-07T19:32:55.509-05:00

There continues to be a lot of love out there for both the Color Coded and Read It Again, Sam Challenges. Since I don't monitor these quite as closely as my other challenges and my linky provider limits the number of linky "parties" I can provide, I am setting these up on the same sign-up and headquarters sites again this year. The Headquarters with review links and wrap-up links will be updated on the sidebar at the beginning of the year. Here are the challenge descriptions and sign-up links:

Color Coded Reading Challenge

I've opened the possibilities up just a bit further--the color may be named in the title, in the author's name, or it may appear as the dominant color for the cover of the book. For "implies color" the image implying color should dominate the cover--for instance a large rainbow, a field of flowers, or the image of a painter. Get ready for a rainbow of reading in 2027.

General Rules:

~Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2027 and any book read after January 1 may count regardless of when you sign up. You may sign-up any time.

~Read nine books in the following categories:

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue in the title/author name/on the cover.

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red in the title/author name/on the cover.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow in the title/author name/on the cover.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green in the title/author name/on the cover.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown in the title/author name/on the cover.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black in the title/author name/on the cover.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White in the title/author name/on the cover.

8. A book with any other color in the title/author name/on the cover.title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, etc).

9. A book with a word/image that implies color in the title/author name/on the cover. (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc).

~Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

~To Sign Up please fill in the form below. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge on your site and enter the url link. You may also enter a link to a Goodreads or Library Thing list, Instagram, etc. If you can't use the form for any reason, you may also sign up by commenting below.

~If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ColorCoded2027.

~At the beginning of the new year, I will put up posts for review links for each color category and the sidebar image will be updated to the new challenge links.

Read It Again, Sam

For those of you who love to revisit old friends in the book world, I present another round with Sam at the piano for all your reading music needs. While not quite as popular as the Color Coded Challenge, this one still has its devotees.

Rules:
~Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2027. Any book read after January 1, 2027 will count no matter when you sign up.

~Levels:

Déjà vu: Reread 4 books

Feeling Nostalgic: Reread 8 books

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Reread 12 books

Living in the Past: Reread 16 books

Just Give Me a Time Machine Already...: 24+ books

~Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're lost in a nostalgic haze and want to tackle a higher level, then you are welcome to upgrade. You cannot change down, however.
~Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

~If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ReadItAgain2027.

~~To Sign Up for either or both please fill in the linked Google Form. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge/s on your site and enter the url link. You may also enter a link to a Goodreads or Library Thing list, Instagram, etc.
~No blog or social media site or can't use the form for any reason? No problem! Post a comment below to announce your entry into the challenge/s and when you have completed just post a comment on the most current review site with a list of your books.
~Please use the Headquarters Page (updated link coming in January) to post review links and a final wrap-up post and/or comments. [Reviews are not required--but we'd love to see what you think about the books you've read if you do review.]

2027 Read Yourshelf Silly Reading Challenge (My Sign-Up)

2026-11-07T19:03:58.836-05:00

I just put the Read Yourshelf Silly Reading Challenge together this afternoon and, of course, I'm going to do my own challenge. Please see the rules at the link, but the short version is that we will be reading from our TBR shelves--eight books at a time. The minimum commitment is eight books or one shelf. I will be committing to one whole bookcase (four shelves). Come join me!

Shelf One
1.

Shelf Two

Shelf Three

Shelf Four

Full Bookcase!

2027 Reading by the Numbers (My Sign-Up)

2026-11-07T18:30:19.446-05:00

The Reading by the Numbers Challenge is the reading challenge at its most basic--just track everything you read. Anything counts--graphic novels or comic books, hard copy, e-books, audio novels, etc. If it is a book, it counts. And although the covers shown in the challenge image are all mysteries, you may read from any and all genres that interest you. Just set a goal and when January 1 comes around, start reading.

In the not-so-distant past, I set my goal at 150, but in 2025 life went off the rails and I had to dial my goal back to 100 for 2026. I'm going to stick with that for 2027 as well. I always hope for more, but with 100 I can claim the challenge complete.

10.

New for 2027: Read Yourshelf Silly Reading Challenge

2026-11-07T17:16:12.174-05:00

Brand New for 2027! A challenge that can work as a companion piece to several challenges offered here at the Block--especially (but not exclusively) Mount TBR, Virtual Mount TBR, & Reading by the Numbers--or with other reading challenges. The object? To clear specific "shelves" off your TBR list, both owned and virtual. If you have masses of TBR books (like me), then there may be shelves or stacks or boxes of books hanging out that you just never seem to get to. I've got a whole pile of science fiction that I scooped up back when that was my primary reading genre. Then I got distracted by mysteries and let those SF gems languish. I'm going to try and do at least one shelf from that bunch. I'd love for you to join me in clearing off some shelves.

Rules
~Challenge runs from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027. Books should be read during this time period.

~Select a "shelf" of at least eight books. For the purposes of this challenge, a shelf may be eight books sitting together on an physical bookshelf or eight books stacked on your nightstand or eight books in a pile that have been checked out from the library or eight books in a row from your e-reader list (not being an e-reader type of girl, I'm not sure how they appear).

~The key is that once selected, you need to read the books in the order they appear to you. Example: If I choose my books from the lower shelf above beginning with the second Wallace book with his profile on the binding (The Terrible People) through the blue Wells book (The Missing Link), then I will need to read them in that order. Or I could start with Wells and work backwards. If you use a stack or list of eight books then you read up or down the stack in order.

~The minimum challenge goal is one shelf. But when you sign up (link will be below), you will set your own goal. Four shelves = One bookcase. So, you could sign up for a whole bookcase if you've got quite a few books that you'd like to clear off the TBR shelves.

~DNF: As with my Mount TBR challenges, DNF books count--provided they meet your personal DNF criteria (I, for instance, generally give books about 100 pages unless they are 200 pages or less) and you don't plan on ever giving the book another try. If you feel like you might like it better at another time, then you'll need to replace it with another book.

~Please sign up at the challenge Google Form. And if you would like a bookcase graphic to fill in as you read, then I have put this one together with eight books per shelf: Bookcase

~If you post on social media, please use #ReadYourshelfSilly2027.

2027 Reading by the Numbers

2026-11-07T10:35:29.688-05:00

Year number six for the Reading by the Numbers Challenge on My Reader's Block! Over the years various blogs sponsored reading challenges that were all about tracking how many books you read. But those that I participated in are no longer active, so I decided to create my own. This is the reading challenge at its most basic--just track everything you read. Anything counts--graphic novels or comic books, hard copy, e-books, audio novels, etc. If it is a book, it counts. Books with numbers in the title are not required. I merely used those above as a play on the challenge name. And, although the covers shown in the challenge image are all mysteries, you may read from any and all genres that interest you.

~Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2027.

~No pre-set challenge levels. You decide on your personal goal.

~May be used concurrently with other "number" reading challenges (such as the Goodreads Challenge) or with any other challenge.

~A blog and reviews of the books are not required to participate, but if you have a blog, please post your sign-up for the challenge and link the post in the form linked below. You are also welcome to link up other media sites where you log process (Instagram; Goodreads; etc.).

~Please sign up for the challenge on this Google Form.

~As with my other challenges, I will update the Headquarters link in the left sidebar of the blog at the beginning of the year.

~If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ReadingByNumbers2027.

2027 Vintage Mystery Word Search (My Sign-Up)

2026-11-07T10:18:18.939-05:00

For 2027, I've changed my set-up just a bit for the Vintage Mystery Challenge. This version features a word search puzzle and challengers will find the listed words in various ways within the mystery genre. The words may feature in the title, on the cover, or in particularly relevant quotes (or in some way I didn't imagine)--it's all up to the reader. Eight books are all you need to claim the challenge complete, but challengers are welcome to go for all of the words in either the Golden or Silver eras (or both!). My commitment will be for the eight books needed in each era, but I will try to find as many as possible. Please join me--info at the link above.

Golden Age Mysteries
1.

Silver Age Mysteries

Vintage Mystery Word Search Challenge

2026-11-06T14:27:26.576-05:00

I've put together a brand-new Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge for 2027. This year's version is called the Vintage Mystery Word Search (reader's choice edition). The object is to find as many mystery-related words as possible while reading your mystery novels. The list of words to find may be found HERE. As you can see, it comes with a bonus word search puzzle. All words listed should be hidden in the word search (I'm trusting the free puzzle creator I found online...). As always, you may play along in either the Golden or Silver Mystery Eras (or, for the more adventurous, both).

Rules

*Object: To find as many words from the word search puzzle list as you can--with a minimum goal of at least eight books in a single Mystery Era to claim completion of the challenge. Feel free to set a more challenging goal for yourself if you'd like.

*Please know that "red herring" was meant to be one phrase, not two separate words to find. The puzzle creator didn't quite get the memo. So, it's intended that you find a red herring in just one book. But--if you want to find a book for "red" and a book for "herring," please feel free.

*This version of the challenge is parenthetically called "reader's choice" because you may choose how you find the words listed. The word itself may appear in the title. If the word is an object (such as rope), then you could claim a cover (see below). Or maybe you find a particularly apt quote that features the word. It's up to you--just keep track of how you've found each word claimed.

* All books must be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.). The mystery/crime must be the primary feature of the book--ghost stories, paranormal, romance, humor, etc are all welcome as ingredients, but should not be the primary category under which these books would be labeled at the library or bookstore.

*As with all versions of the Vintage Mystery Challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Golden Age short story collections (whether published pre-1960 or not) are permissible provided all of the stories included in the collection were originally written pre-1960. Please remember that some of our Golden Age Vintage authors wrote well after 1959--so keep an eye on the original publication date and apply them to the appropriate card. Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive). Again, Silver Age short story collections published later than 1989 are permissible as long as they include no stories first published later than 1989. Yes, I admit my dates are arbitrary and may not exactly meet standard definitions of Golden or Silver Age.

*Challenge runs from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027. All books should be read during this time period. You may sign up at any time. Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge and a little bit about your commitment—if you’re going Silver or Gold…or maybe both. Then sign up via the form below. And please make the url link to your Challenge post and not your home page. If you do not have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are also acceptable OR you may comment below to indicate your sign up.

* Please sign up at this Google Form.

*"On the cover" may apply to either the front or the back cover of the book. For example, Dell Mapbacks are sometimes perfect--with interesting illustrations on the back cover. Also, the item should be found on the cover of the edition that you read. If at all possible either post a picture showing the item on the cover in the monthly review linky or provide a link to a page showing us. Exception: If the edition you read has no picture whatsoever (hardbacks that have no dust jacket, e-copies, etc.), then you may go on a scavenger hunt online to find a cover image--again, please provide a link to the edition used. Bottom line: if I choose to check up on entries, I must be able to find the item claimed on a cover for the book read.

*No double-counting within the challenge. If a book has several words from the list in the title or on the cover or in really cool quotes, then you need to choose just one. You are welcome to change the word claimed at any time.

*Books read for this challenge may be used for other challenges as well.

*Reviews are encouraged, but they are not necessary to participate. If you do not have a blog, post to the comments below that you intend to join and then post again at the end-of-year wrap-up site when you have completed your challenge (include a list of books read, categories you have completed, and how to find images of covers).

*The Vintage Headquarters link which appears on my sidebar will be updated for the 2027 version once the new year begins. You can go there for review links and information.

*If I am able, I will provide a PRIZE Opportunity: Challengers who complete the minimum eight books from a single era may be eligible for a drawing at the end of the year for a book from the prize list. Please keep track of your progress and be prepared to submit a final wrap-up post or comment at the end of the year. Please do not submit completion notifications prior to the posting of the Wrap-Up Link. Thank you.

*If you post on social media, please use #2027VintageWordSearch.

Happy Returns

2026-11-02T21:05:59.240-05:00

Happy Returns: A Ghostly Comedy (1955) by Manning Coles

This is the second of three books featuring the ghostly cousins James and Charles Latimer and their pet monkey Ulysses (also a ghost). The Latimers met their fate in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Full of the courage that comes from strong drinks, they had tried to stop a German advance and the residents of a small French village had given them an eternal (so it was thought) resting place in their local cemetery.

But our brave, gentlemanly ghosts just can't stay put--at least not when a relative is in trouble. So, when their young cousins Sally and Jeremy come to pay respects at the gravesite and James and Charles pick up an air of disquiet, they know they must come back to the earthly realm and fix up whatever's wrong. Sally and Jeremy are on their way to a bachelor uncle in Italy who is being hounded by an eager widow who doesn't know the meaning of the word "no." Poor Uncle Quentin definitely needs a rescue.

By the time James and Charles materialize, their young cousins have spun away in their spiffy Rolls and our heroes must find a way to get hold of more modern clothes as well as means of transportation. They outwit two sets of thieves--winding up with the loot and helping the local policeman earn a promotion by capturing a murderer. Then, after keeping enough of the money to meet their sartorial needs and to buy a motor car, they play Robin Hood to various citizens in the town. We then follow their adventures as they learn to drive (the last thing they drove was a pony cart), stage an old-fashioned duel, and solve an old murder with help from the victim (who just happens to be a fellow ghost). They also find themselves in the middle of a terrific muddle when Ulysses, who loves wine and occasionally misses the company of others of his kind, discovers a yard full of retired circus animals in a small garrison town. The drunken Ulysses thinks it would be a fine idea to set the 78 monkeys, juggling seal, kangaroo couple, and an Educated Elephant by the name of Ernie free. Once the hullabaloo calms down, James and Charles (and Ulysses) finally catch up with Sally and Jeremy and they all set off together to rescue Uncle Quentin.

If you're looking for good, clean fun with ghosts. This will be right up your alley. If you need absolutely everything to make sense....well, then maybe not. But if you're willing to suspend your disbelief and swallow the idea that ghosts can become just as solid as you or I (at least for limited amounts of time), then this is a rollicking good read. James and Charles are fish out of water. Life has moved on quite a bit since they were put in the ground and even their first adventure with Sally and Jeremy (see Brief Candles, 1954) didn't quite prepare them for everything in the modern world. It's great fun to see our well-mannered gentlemen of yesteryear try to to adjust to whatever year it's supposed to be--that was never quite clear to me. There are fast cars and motor bus tours--but then we have an old-fashioned duel, so it's really quite confusing.

While James and Charles do help solve mysteries--thefts and murder, those who want clues and the ability to work out the puzzle before being told may be disappointed. The best thing to do is to just hop in the car with the Latimers, hang on tight, and enjoy the ride. It's been a while since I read one of the Manning Coles ghostly mysteries (the non-Latimer book The Far Traveller) and I had forgotten how much fun the ghost story version of mystery was. ★★★★

Thank you to Kate from Cross Examining Crime for the gift of this one in our Secret Santa 2019 (see, Kate, I do read my TBR books eventually!)

First line: St. Denis-sur-Aisne, like most towns, has a cemetery.

Last lines: "Where do you and Cousin Charles want to go?"
"To St. Denis-sur-Aisne."

*********************

Deaths = 5 (two in war; one shot; one natural; one pushed off cliff)

[finished 10/24/26]

November Reading by the Numbers Reviews

2026-11-01T20:48:31.655-05:00

November Virtual Mount TBR Reviews

2026-11-01T20:46:42.037-05:00

November Mount TBR Reviews

2026-11-01T20:36:41.350-05:00

November Vintage Scavenger Hunt Reviews

2026-11-01T20:26:05.138-05:00

The Opening Door

2026-10-25T15:51:32.066-04:00

The Opening Door (1944) by Helen Reilly

Eve Flavell has been estranged from her family. Rather than marrying money as expected, she leaves home to start her own shop--starting with books and then adding gloves and stockings (quite a combination). Her family, especially her father, thinks it's demeaning.

"The book shop he might have been able to swallow, books were cultural and not undignified, but when she had added stockings and gloves he had thrown up his hands: 'A female haberdasher, after four years of college--my dear girl. What an achievement! You must be proud of yourself."

She decided to visit her family one more time to let them know that she has decided to marry Jim Holland. It will be a nice, comfortable marriage...but not one for love. She can't marry the man she loves because Bruce Cunningham has promised himself to her stepsister Natalie. And Eve adores Natalie and could never hurt her. The worst part of visiting her family will be seeing her Aunt Charlotte. Charlotte also adores Natalie and is fond of Eve's brother, Gerald, but she never cared for Eve. And the feeling is mutual. If Eve can only slip in to make her announcement and out again without seeing Aunt Charlotte or Bruce. Then all will be well...

But of course, Aunt Charlotte is there. And there is a bit of scene. And then Bruce comes. And Eve is miserable. She finally makes her escape and thinks life can finally begin new. Except...at some point Aunt Charlotte goes out to the neighborhood park and gets herself shot. And Bruce is the prime suspect because it was his rifle that was used to do the deed. Inspector McKee is on the job to find the killer and despite the DA's insistent that they've already got their man, McKee isn't too sure. But can he prevent one more death before he can gather up all the right clues?

Let's start with the drawbacks--Eve, our point-of-view character behaves like suck a nitwit for a large portion of the book. She's going to give up the man she loves for her stepsister. A stepsister who has everything--looks, the adoration of the family, and wealth. A stepsister that she also adores--for reasons that are unclear. Then, when the murder happens and Bruce is under suspicion, she goes out of her way to do stupid things that will draw even more attention to Bruce. Now, fortunately, Inspector McKee is not a nitwit and is not prone to go with the obvious just because it's obvious and will bring the case to a quick conclusion (cue the DA who likes that kind of thing). Another slight problem (for those who love a good, old-fashioned mystery) is the lack of fair play. There aren't a lot of clues hanging about that the reader gets to see and try to figure out on their own. By the time a real, live clue actually showed up, I had given up looking and it flew right by me. Maybe that was the strategy. I won't give a lot of clues. Then when I do stick one right under their noses, they won't even notice it. :-)

However, even with those items on the deficit side of the ledger, there is still a lot to like. Reilly does a good job with police procedure and Inspector McKee is, as always, fascinating to watch in action. Some of the later books focus too much on suspense and woman in danger, but this one has a very nice mix. It'd be even better if Eve didn't go out of her way to make things complicated for herself. The solution is solid even though the solution is more Holmesian with plot points held close to the chest before the big reveal. ★★★ and 3/4

First line: The murder didn't take place until after 7 p.m. on the night of December 2nd.

Last line: She snatched it [her coat] from a hanger and Bruce put her into it and they moved to the door and out into the storm side by side.
**********************

Deaths = 5 (three natural; one war; one shot)

[Finished 10/18/26]

The Final Problem [spoilerish]

2026-10-19T21:26:46.243-04:00

The Final Problem (2026) by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

From the book flap: ...a locked-room mystery set in 1960 at an isolated Greek island resort following a group of strangers, a suspicious death, and a washed-up actor ready to put his on-camera detective skills to the test.

June, 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Nothing could prepare them for what happens. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside the beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all times. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes' amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best quipped to uncover the truth behind this classic closed-room mystery.

Ormond Basil has pretty much retired from the silver screen. He's retired to a lovely home in the Antibes on the French Riviera but also loves to travel and treat himself to a shopping trip or two. On his lates trip, he runs into the movie producer, Pietro Malerba, and his current lady love, Najat Farjallah. The couple are traveling on Malerba's yacht and they invite Basil to join them. Malerba is cooking up a scheme for a tv series focusing on great villains and he wants to convince Basil to agree to play a new villain every week. They stop for the night on the small island of Utakos and find themselves stranded when a sudden, intense storm crops up. Then the murders begin and instead of preparing to play villains, Basil finds himself stepping into the shoes of the world's first consulting detective for real. At his side, as Dr. Watson, we find not Malerba, but a Spanish mystery writer by the name of Francisco Foxá. Does the "great detective" get his man/woman in the end? Well...that would be telling. [which I might do...so read my comments below at your own risk.

Okay...first question. How many times is Foxá going to fawn all over Basil and tell him how he's "just like Holmes"??? Which leads to...How many times is Basil going to say "Elementary"--apparently just to be saying it? Not because something really is. But because we want to say it again. How many times is Basil going to say he's just an actor and then proceed to reel off Holmes-like observations like a boss?

This is both the most frustratingly meta mystery I've read in a very long time as well as a tremendously interesting one. We have Ormund Basil (an obvious play on Ormund Sacker--Watson's initial name--and Basil Rathbone, who in some fans' minds is the Sherlock Holmes) who I could not not imagine as Basil Rathbone in my mind. It's like we have an actor pretending to be Rathbone pretending to be Holmes. It was an interesting concept to have someone who'd played Holmes actually try to use the Holmes technique to solve a mystery. Though, I have to say, Pérez-Reverte isn't the first author to come up with that idea (see Julian Symon's Three-Pipe Problem, for instance). But Pérez-Reverte is the first (to my knowledge) to play it so meta. And that is part of the problem. The number of times that Basil & Foxá have long, drawn-out conversations about how this is all a mystery novel really took me out of the story. If we had played it straight--just had Basil take up the mantle of Holmes and solve the murders--then I would have found it much more satisfying. But all the navel-gazing focus on "look at us being Holmes & Watson in this murder mystery" really was a bit much.

And don't get me started on the non-ending. I might have bought into Basil's handling of the situation if we had stuck with one of the motives (the one for which I had the most sympathy)--but when we gave the same person multiple motives of varying sympathetic value and they were all true...well that kind of lost me. I do see what Pérez-Reverte was going for there. And that makes the writing and construction interesting. But a solid mystery plot? Not nearly as much. If you like your murders all neatly solved and your murderers handed over to justice all tied up with a bow, then this isn't the book for you. I'm going to give this one a nice, middle-of-the-road ★★★ , primarily for concept and the interesting writing & construction.

First line: It was June of 1960 and I had traveled to Genoa to purchase a hat.

Last line: "Then possibly," she said, "my answer has crossed yours."
*******************

Deaths = 4 (one natural, one hanged; one stabbed; one hit on head)

Death Draws the Line

2026-10-16T23:20:02.353-04:00

Death Draws the Line (1949) by Jack Iams

Mark Wallis is the young manager of the Whitcomb publishing syndicate, having taken over the reins when the legendary founder Bill Whitcomb died after a sudden illness. Another sudden death puts Wallis in the middle of mystery and mayhem. Zeke Brock, the morose and drunken cartoonist who created the little ray of sunshine known as Little Polly Pitcher, is found dead at the drawing board by his assistant Mary Bradley. Mark and Zeke were expected at the annual Whitcomb dinner held in remembrance of Big Bill. Mark stopped by the cartoonist's place to try to get him in shape for the event--but Zeke passes out. So Mark had asks Mary to check on the cartoonist about an hour before the dinner to make sure he's presentable (sobered up) for the occasion. But nothing would ever make Zeke lively enough for the occasion....and Mary calls Mark for help when she finds the body.

The Whitcomb family doctor is all set to pronounce death due to alcoholic over-indulgence, but Mark and Mary notice a few oddities that make them suspect that someone had been in Zeke's rooms after they left. Mark calls on his friend in the DA's office to see if a preliminary investigation can be made on the down-low. It doesn't stay low for long...because an autopsy proves that Zeke was drowned using a little basin of water. The fact that the basin had been moved between Mark's visits was one of the oddities Mary and Mary had noticed. Now that the investigation has become official...and officially a murder investigation...the police want to know who benefits from the death of the man behind the money-making cartoon. And curiously enough, the clue needed will be found in the last cartoons Zeke ever penned. Once they can be found.

The book has an interesting premise for the conclusion. That Zeke knew something about someone and was set to reveal it in a lightly disguised story line in Little Polly Pitcher. What was fascinating was watching Mark and Mary figure this out and find a way to recreate the missing cartoons. It sets up a nice gotcha moment at the end where they can help the police catch the killer without forcing a confession. Iams gives us good character studies in the Whitcomb family menage and throws in a very weird scene with a woman who was infatuated with the cartoonist--just to add a bit of spice. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: The street in the plush Eighties, was dark with a late September rain.

Last line: "Let's wander off hand in hand and get our Wassermann tests."
*******************

Deaths = 2 (one drowned; one poisoned)

Ten Pins Game: 2026-2027

2026-10-05T20:24:26.683-04:00

Rick at the Mystillery has the bowling lanes waxed, the bowling pins polished, and the bowling shoes all lined up for those who don't have their own. Your reading challenge goal is to knock down all ten pins using books with numerals in the title. You can use any book read this year. For full details click on the link above.

I've got my bowling shoes on and am on my way to knocking all ten pens down:

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (3/2/26)

Two Bronze Pennies by Chris Nickson (7/20/26)

"Two Out of Three Rule" by Patrick J. Hurley (5/2/26)

The Fourth Policeman by Craig Rice (2/25/26)

"Nineteen Sixty-Four Ford Falcon" by Tim Foley [Wild Card] (5/2/26)

The Six Iron Spiders by Phoebe Atwood Taylor [2 deaths] (5/30/26)

"The First Seven Deaths of Mildred Orly" by Fred Senese (5/2/26)

"The Poisoned Dow '08" by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/31/26)

And Then There Were None (Audio Version Redux)

2026-10-04T22:29:42.773-04:00

And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie
[read by Hugh Fraser

For those who would like a more in-depth look at my views on the story itself, please see my previous review under the previous title: Ten Little Indians

And Then There Were None (1939) is one of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries and the plot is well-known among mystery fans. It regularly makes "Best Of" lists--from Best Crime & Mystery Novels to Best Books of the 20th Century to PBS's Great American Read. One would think that everyone would know the story by now. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I regularly find people in my life who don't--who have never read it. Or seen one of the adaptations. Or listened to it on audio. And every time I convince one of them to give it a try, I make the same offer. If they can read it and honestly tell me at the end of the book that they figured it out before the grand reveal...then I will buy them dinner at any restaurant of their choosing. Over 30 years of periodic offers and I have not had to pay up once. Dame Agatha was that good at what she did.

This time it was my own son who hadn't experience this particular Christie masterpiece. Whenever he and I make a car trip together (usually to go visit my parents), he indulges me and listens to audio mystery novels. I prefer to listen to audio novels for books I've already read in print form (especially in the car so it won't matter if I don't hear every detail). It is always fun to listen to his commentary as he hears a story for the first time that I already know what happens. When we got to the afterword portion of ATTWN, I stopped the CD and asked if he knew who did it. He didn't--I will say that he (like a few of my friends) had his eye on the correct culprit until certain events made him revise his guess. By the time everyone was dead, he was just as baffled as everyone else I've known. (Including me--I didn't figure it out when I first read it either).

Christie's story is always a five star read for me. If I could give double-points this time I would--just because I had such a good time listening to it with Kyle. ★★★★★

First Line: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

Last Line: And they will find ten bodies and an unsolved problem on Indian. Island.
************************

Deaths = 21 total [eleven by the island murderer (four poisoned; one strangled; one stabbed; two shot; one drowned; two hit) and ten+ caused by our current murder victims (two run over; three neglect/medical malpractice; one shot (war); two drowned; one hung; one overdose [and a bunch of unnamed natives that Philip Lombard left to die in the jungle])

The Clue of the Broken Locket

2026-10-04T21:16:12.337-04:00

The Clue of the Broken Locket (Original text 1934/Revised text 1965) by Carolyn Keene

Once again I have returned to the revised text which I read when growing up. This book was my all-time favorite Nancy Drew novel and I wanted to see if it held up when read in my mid-fifties rather than during elementary school. I thought that I might read both versions of the text, but I think I'll put off the original text for another time. I was more in the mood for nostalgia than I was for a different version.

Here, Nancy, Bess, and George make a trip to Misty Lake. Carson Drew has asked Nancy to meet a young woman by the name of Cecily Curtis and give her the key to a cabin on the lake. The job was originally assigned to Mr. Winch, the cabin's caretaker, but Winch has cried off the job. He swears the place is haunted and that a ghostly launch appears out on the lake. Nancy, of course, can't resist the mystery.

And then once the girls meet Cecily, Nancy is faced with two more mysteries. Cecily's fiancé, popular singer Niko Van Dyke, is missing royalty payments for all of the records sold of his latest hit single. He's sure that the record company is cheating him, but there may be more to the story. In addition, Cecily is on the hunt for a treasure that belongs to her family. According to a note in a locket passed down in the family, a clue is supposed to be hidden in "an iron bird" on the family's estate--but the estate was sold long ago and records have been lost. Cecily believes that Pudding Stone Lodge on Misty Lake previously belonged to her family and longs to investigate.

The lodge is currently being rented by a surly man by the name of Driscoll and his brother--and his wife. After an uncomfortable encounter with Mr. Surly Driscoll, his brother comes to apologize and offers the girls the opportunity to search for Cecily's iron bird. But strange events start happening--Nancy gets locked out on the roof: there are a pair of twins that don't look very much like the Driscolls; there's a flashing light from a little round window in an inaccessible part of the house; and there are odd humming noises coming from the beach near the lodge. Before Nancy is done, she will have solve the mystery of the iron bird and the mystery of twins and the light...and the mystery of Niko's missing royalties.

Well...I enjoyed my trip down memory lane. The story is still thoroughly enjoyable and I love the adventures that Nancy and company get up to. I know a bit about the original text and it's both interesting and a bit baffling how the original storyline of the children is used. Other than adding one more mystery to the already full plotline, I'm not sure how much it adds. There are always coincidences involved in any Nancy Drew story, but we do push the limits a bit on this one. I'm not going to change my rating, though. I loved this book as a child and I'm giving it the full ★★★★★ that I originally handed out.

First line: As Nancy Drew seated herself at the breakfast table, she noticed a door key beside her plate.

Last line: "I'll never, never forget you or the clue of the broken locket!"
********************

Deaths = one auto accident

Random Killer

2026-10-04T17:11:05.456-04:00

Random Killer (1981) by Hugh Pentecost

Most days, everything runs like clockwork at the Hotel Beaumont in NYC. That's thanks to Pierre Chambrun, manager extraordinaire, and his loyal army of hotel employs. But today is different--in the morning, in Suite 3406, the breakfast table was set for two, but Geoffrey Hammond, one of the world's best and sometimes most hated television journalists, doesn't get to sample the culinary delights from the kitchen. When the waiter returns to retrieve the serving cart, he finds Hammond strangled to death...with picture wire. Chambrun and Mark Haskell, Chambrun's right-hand man, are just getting things calmed down when another guest is found strangled. Joanna Frasier, women's lib advocate, had laid out all the accoutrements for a cocktail tête-à-tête but who as her unexpected guest?

In each case, the victims' secretaries had no record of an expected breakfast or cocktail partner. And there was no struggle, so Hammond and Frasier must have been comfortable enough with the other person to turn their backs on him or her. At first, it looks like the Beaumont just has a psycho roaming the halls, killing famous acquaintances at random--and the Beaumont is full of famous personages. But as Chambrun, Haskell, and Lt. Hardy begin digging, they find a connection to a similar murder a couple of years ago at a ski lodge in Colorado. Sharon Dain had been accused and convicted of strangling her lover with picture wire. There were many who thought Dain was innocent and both Hammond and Frasier were approached to lend their influence to help the defense. Both turned the suggestions down for difference reasons. When others are killed in connection with the Dain case, it becomes clear that someone has taken it upon themselves to eliminate those who didn't help Sharon "enough" (whatever that means in the killer's mind).

Chambrun is convinced that someone in the hotel must have seen something...but will he find out who and what before it's too late?

I have to say--I don't care how exclusive, how nice the Beaumont is. It's one of the last fictional hotels I'd want to stay in. Considering how many books are in this series, the odds of getting knocked off are about as high as if you were visiting Jessica Fletcher in Cabot Cove (or anywhere in her vicinity wherever she is). Probably higher, because the Beaumont tends towards multiple murders and Jessica seems to run to one per episode. Why on earth you'd want to stay at a hotel where the guests drop like flies is beyond me. But...setting aside that little thought...is this a good mystery?

Yes. It's actually one of the better clued and better plotted mysteries in the Chambrun line-up (not that I haven't enjoyed the others I've read). You have to fill in some blanks and work off of things that are implied--but you absolutely can get there from what Pentecost gives us on the page. Just remember...you've got to mistrust what people tell you. The one quibble I have is how Pentecost tends to recycle plot points. The ending of this one and Murder in Luxury (my most previous read--though it appears two books further in the series) are almost identical: Killer knows Chambrun is on to them. Killer takes hostages and insists on escape vehicle. Chambrun comes up with plan to nab the killer on the way to the escape vehicle that will keep the killer from killing the hostages. But that's a small quibble for an other-wise very good mystery. ★★★★

First line: I suppose if you were psychotic and you wanted to kill famous people at random, you couldn't find a better hunting ground than the Hotel Beaumont.

Last line: "We still have a hotel to run."
*****************

Deaths = 5 strangled

[Finished on 9/25/26]