Sunday 14 December 2014

Vintage Mystery Bingo Wrap-up

One of the challenges I've really enjoyed doing this year is Bev's Vintage Mystery Bingo challenge.




I decided to have a go at the Golden card and for this it was necessary to read books that were published pre-1960.




I have to say, it's introduced me to all kinds of authors whose books I'd never read before and sometimes authors I'd never even heard of. I started out wandering all over the golden bingo card, having lots of fun for several months just filling various categories willy-nilly. Eventually I could see several bingo lines that were close to being finished but in all I read 25 books for the challenge and that included 3 bingos. These are they:

Bingo 4th. horizontal line:

The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin (1946) (A locked room mystery) (read June 2014)

The Mad Hatter Mystery by John Dickson Carr (1933) (An author never read before) (read in February 2014)

Watson's Choice by Gladys Mitchell (1955) (A book with a man in the title) (read in August 2014)

The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey (1929) (A book with a professional detective) (read May 2014)

Detective Stories from the Strand edited by Jack Adrian (stories all pre-1960) (A short story collection) (read May 2014)

Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie) (1923) (A book set anywhere other than US or UK - read in place of medical mystery) (read November 2014)


Bingo 5th. horizontal line

Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin (1948) (An Academic Mystery) (Read in October 2014)

Laurels are Poison by Gladys Mitchell (1942) (A book with a method of murder in the title) (Read in November 2014)

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (1931) (A country house mystery) (read October 2014)

Lock 14 by Georges Simenon (A mystery that involves water) (1934) (read February 2014)

Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (A book set in England) (1932) (read February 2014)

Holy Disorders by Edmund Crispin (A book by an author with a pseudonym) (1945) (read June 2014)


Bingo 3rd. vertical line

Hag's Nook by John Dickson Carr (A book with a spooky title) (1932) (read September 2014)

A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey (A book that has been made into a movie) (1936) (read July 2014)

Fer-de Lance by Rex Stout (A book with an amateur detective) (1934) (read March 2014)

Watson's Choice by Gladys Mitchell (1955) (Book with a man in the title) (read August 2014)

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (1931) (A country house mystery) (read October 2014)

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (1935) (A book that involves a method of transportation) (read June 2014)

Many thanks to Bev for hosting such a thoroughly enjoyable challenge.

~~~oOo~~~

10 comments:

BooksPlease said...

This was quite a major commitment for one challenge, but what an achievement!!

I have very few crime fiction books from pre-1960, which is why I didn't attempt this - reluctant to add to my tbr piles! But it certainly looks a worthwhile project for a crime fiction fan. If I could reduce my tbr piles I'd certainly give this a go.

Cath said...

Margaret: Thank you. It was a huge committment but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

You have a point about the tbr pile. Very few of the books I read were previously owned - I read library books or bought books secondhand etc. So, as a way to take books off your tbr pile? Nope, not a good idea.

DesLily said...

good grief charlie brown!! Only MY Sis could read that many books so quickly. (well it's quick to me!) Congrats Sis!!..I am going to admit I am smirking that the TBR pile didn't go down all that much LOL

Cath said...

LOL, Pat! I did read them over a year but yeah, I was on a real roll most of this year and read a *lot*. Struggling a bit now due to being busy and not being able to decide what to read.

Nope, this Vintage Mystery challenge didn't help the TBR pile much at all. LOL!

Peggy Ann said...

Good job Cath! I failed miserably at this one this year. Pre 60's mysteries are my favorites but I didn't read many this year. didn't even get one bingo.

Bev Hankins said...

Great job, Cath! And remember (and this if for you too, Margaret) there's the silver card for books that are a little more recent...maybe that would fit better with the TBR pile?

BooksPlease said...

I'll check that Bev!

Cath said...

Peggy: I failed at others but I enjoyed this one a lot so did well with it. I also did quite well at your Scottish one. :-)

Bev: Thanks! It might do, I'll check. To be honest your Mount TBR challenge was the best for that pile even though I didn't climb as high as I'd intended.

TracyK said...

Sorry I am seeing this so late. You did great with Bingos and your choices were very good books too.

Cath said...

Thanks, Tracey! I really enjoyed this challenge last year.