Sunday, March 22, 2026

2026 Color Coded Challenge

 


This challenge, hosted by Bev Hankins,  is located here.  

Read in previous years' challenges
Planned
Completed

Read nine books in the following categories:

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue in the title/on the cover.
The Blue Sequin by R. Austin Freeman, 1929
Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
Blue Hand by Edgar Wallace, 1925
Mystery of the Blue Train - Agatha Christie
The Blue Horse of Taxco by Kathleen Moore Knight
  • note for next time?  
  •  

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red in the title/on the cover.
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
The Adventure of the Red Circle by Arthur Conan Doyle (k)
Red Aces by Edgar Wallace, 1929
Case of the Crimson Kiss - Erle Stanley Gardner
The Red Mass by Valentine Williams
  • note for next time? The Scarlet Letters by Ellery Queen
  • note for next time? The Red Lamp by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • note for next time? A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
  • note for next time? Crimson Friday by Dorothy Cameron Disney
  • note for next time? The Crimson Circle by Edgar Wallace

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow in the title/on the cover.
Gold Comes in Bricks by A. A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner)
The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Case of the Blonde Bonanza - Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Lame Canary - Erle Stanley Gardner

  • note for next time? The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout
  • note for next time? The Golden Goose by Ellery Queen
  •  note for next time: Mys. of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux (gutenberg/faded)

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green in the title/on the cover.
The Square Emerald by Edgar Wallace (1929) a.p.a. Girl from Scotland Yard
Green Hazard - Manning Coles (1945)
The Green Ribbon - Edgar Wallace (1930)
Case of the Green Eyed Sister - Erle Stanley Gardner
The Jade Venus by George Harmon Coxe
  • note for next time? The Man in the Green Hat by Manning Coles
  •   "The Greene Murder Case" by S. S. Van Dine for this one!

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown in the title/on the cover.
The Mystery of Mr. Bernard Brown by E. Phillips Oppenheim (1896)
The Wisdom of Father Brown - G.K. Chesterton
Case of the Borrowed Brunette - Erle Stanley Gardner
The Bronze Hand by Carolyn Wells (1925)

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black in the title/on the cover.
Black Murder by Anthony Boucher
The Blackpool Highflyer by Andrew Martin (2004)
The Adventure of Black Peter by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903-4
Black Orchids - Rex Stout
The Ebony Bed Murder by Rufus Gillmore (1932)
Acts of Black Night by Kathleen Moore Knight (1938)

  • note for next time? The Black Mountain by Rex Stout


7. A book with "White" or any shade of White in the title/on the cover.
The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart
The White Elephant Mystery by Ellery Queen Jr.
The White Dress by Mignon G. Eberhart
The White Cockatoo by Mignon G. Eberhart
White Rider by Leslie Charteris
  •  note for next time? White Face by Edgar Wallace

8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, etc).
The Adventure of Greystones Villa by Tony Evans
Mystery of the Gold Box by Valentine Williams
The Gold Skull Murders - Frank L. Packard (1931)
Case of the Gold Diggers Purse - Erle Stanley Gardner
The False Purple by Sydney Horler (1932)
  • note for next time? The Chinese Orange Mystery by Ellery Queen
  • note for next time? Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy Hughes
  • note for next time? The Silver Key by Edgar Wallace
  • The Mystery of the Ivory Charm Nancy Drew *faded page)

9. A book with a word/image that implies color in the title/on the cover
 (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc).
The Shadow on the Door by Frances K. Judd (faded page)
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Pattern - Mignon G. Eberhart
Miss Paisley on a Diet by John Pierce (1969) 
The Willow Pattern Van Gulik (faded page)

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

2026 Abra Cadavers

 

 


Get a Single by reading one book.  

Murder of a Quack by George Bellairs 

Get a Double by reading two books by a second author  
 
Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

Problem at Sea by Agatha Christie 

 Get a Triple by reading three books by a third author  

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny #3

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny#4 


 

Get a Home Run by reading four books by a fourth author. 

Case of the Missing Governess by Tony Evans

 Problem of Poldennis Hall by Tony Evans

Case of the Solo Anarchist by Tony Evans

Adventure of Greystones Villa by Tony Evans 

 
Hit for the Cycle once you complete a single, double, triple, AND a home run.
  
 
Get a Foul by giving up on a foul one with the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) 

The Arabian Nights Murder by John Dickson Carr 

Get a Bunt by reading a short story.

 


Get a Stolen Base by stealing (reading) a book which has been submitted to any of our previous or current challenges - in any year - by someone else.  
 

Strike Out when a book physically strikes out of your house (back to the library, loaned out, mailed out, given away, sold, traded, composted, thrown out, audiobook taken outdoors for a walk, book taken elsewhere to read, etc.)

Monday, January 19, 2026

2026 Vintage Scavenger Hunt

 

2026 Vintage Scavenger Hunt

 


Bev Hankins at My Reader's Block is sponsoring the 2026 Vintage Scavenger Hunt. The challenge page is located here

The goal is to find as many objects on the scavenger hunt list as possible on the covers of the mystery books you read. I am working the Golden Age era. Here is the list:




 Progress will be recorded on this spreadsheet.