The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – January 2023: Massachusetts
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1bhabeck
Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head back to one of the original 13 colonies – Massachusetts.
The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – January 2023: Massachusetts
History
Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. The state's capital and most populous city, as well as its cultural and financial center, is Boston. Massachusetts is also home to the urban core of Greater Boston, the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American history, academia, and the research economy. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing, and trade. Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.
Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization: the Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, and in 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Colony, taking its name from the indigenous Massachusett people, established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which, during the Industrial Revolution, catalyzed numerous important technological advances, including interchangeable parts. In 1786, Shays' Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, originated from the pulpit of Northampton preacher Jonathan Edwards. In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that later led to the American Revolution.
Massachusetts has played a powerful scientific, commercial, and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, and transcendentalist movements. In the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health in 2004, and elected the first openly lesbian U.S. state governor in 2022, by a wide margin—and Boston is a hub of LGBT culture and LGBT activism in the United States. Prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams and Kennedy families.
Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, with the largest financial endowment of any university. The university has educated eight Presidents of the United States while Harvard Law School has educated a contemporaneous majority of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010. Both Harvard and MIT, also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. The state's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance. Massachusetts has been ranked as one of the top states in the United States for citizens to live in, as well as one of the most expensive.
Massachusetts is one of the most educated, developed, and wealthiest states, ranking 1st in percentage of population 25 and over with a bachelor's degree and 1st in percentage of population 25 and over with an advanced degree, 1st on both the American Human Development Index and the standard Human Development Index, 1st in per capita income and 2nd in median household income.
Geography
Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state in the United States. It is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States and has an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km2), 25.7% of which is water. Several large bays distinctly shape its coast. Boston is the largest city, at the inmost point of Massachusetts Bay, and the mouth of the Charles River. Massachusetts borders on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine to the east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west.
Despite its small size, Massachusetts features numerous topographically distinctive regions. The large coastal plain of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern section of the state contains Greater Boston, along with most of the state's population, as well as the distinctive Cape Cod peninsula. To the west lies the hilly, rural region of Central Massachusetts, and beyond that, the Connecticut River Valley. Along the western border of Western Massachusetts lies the highest elevated part of the state, the Berkshires, forming a portion of the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.
The U.S. National Park Service administers a number of natural and historical sites in Massachusetts. Along with twelve national historic sites, areas, and corridors, the National Park Service also manages the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. In addition, the Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains a number of parks, trails, and beaches throughout Massachusetts.
Fun Facts
In Webster, you’ll find Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Nope, that’s not a typo. What’s now known to most as Lake Webster was originally Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg before being shortened to Lake Chaubunagungamaug. It derives from the Loup dialect, which is an Algonquian language. The lake’s name comes from the local Nipmuc tribe, and according to local legend, it translates into “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.” Not only is it the most unique lake in Massachusetts, but it's the longest place name in the country.
Boston was struck by a bizarrely deadly disaster in 1919. It’s known as “The Great Molasses Flood,” and it’s exactly as weird as you can imagine. Most people today know molasses as a sweet treat, an ingredient to be used in baked goods. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was another use for this sticky liquid – alcohol production. The Purity Distillation Company was doing just this at their distillery in Boston, where they had an enormous tank that held up to 2.5 million gallons (9.4 million liters) of molasses. On January 15, 1919, the tank exploded, which flooded the entire north end of the city. This bittersweet calamity injured as many as 150 people and killed 21 others.
If you drive through Lincoln, you may come across one of the most unique roadside attractions in Massachusetts, a strange gathering of plastic rocking horses. These ponies mysteriously appeared sometime in 2010, and no one knows why. It started with just one horse, but it has grown over the years. Locals have officially named this anonymous roadside attraction “Ponyhenge."
The first subway in America was built in Boston, Massachusetts in 1897? Known as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway, it currently runs 78 miles long and has over 130 stations in the metro area. Thanks in large part to the robust subway system in the city, Boston has more pedestrian commuters than any other major city in the United States.
The chocolate chip cookie was invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband in 1930 in the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.
The Ted Williams Tunnel interface in East Boston between the land-based approach and the underwater section is 90 feet below the surface of Boston Harbor, the deepest such connection in North America. Engineers were forced to make this tunnel so deep because of the depth of the Boston Harbor. They used the cut-and-cover method to construct it. The tunnel is a 1.6-mile long and dips to close to 100 feet below sea level. First opening for public use in 2003, it was one of the first major links constructed as part of the Big Dig. A toll is charged when entering the tunnel from either side.
It was here in Massachusetts that the process of Vulcanization was invented by Charles Goodyear in a factory in Woburn where he lived. He accidentally combined rubber and sulfur upon a hot stove. Much to Goodyear’s surprise, the rubber didn’t melt. And, when he raised the heat, it actually hardened.
TUPPERWARE™ was invented by Earl Tupper while he was experimenting with plastic. He molded the then-new material into containers and started marketing his products as giveaways with cigarettes.
Massachusetts revolutionized the frozen fruit industry. Clarence Birdseye, developed the first freezer to quick-freeze fish and other foods including meat, vegetables etc. Foods that were frozen quickly as opposed to slow freezing tasted better. Birdseye was issued US Patent #1,773, 079 that marked the beginning of the frozen food industry. A range of frozen foods were test marketed in Springfield, Massachusetts; and after a great response from the public, the company continued to sell their frozen food products and the rest is history.
In the 17th century, 19 “witches” were taken to trial and hung in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Known today as the Salem Witch Trials, the events which took place have horrified some and inspired others for hundreds of years. The trials took place between February 1692 and May 1693 in the then colony of Massachusetts, mainly in Salem and Salem Village. For just over a year, more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft, with some of the accused being as young as four years old. By the end of the trials, 30 people had been found guilty of witchcraft, with 14 women and 5 men being put to death by hanging. The trials are known to be the deadliest of all colonial North American witch trials. (The infamous town of Salem, Massachusetts is home to many modern-day Wiccan and Pagan organizations today including W.E.B (the Witches Education Bureau) and P.R.A.N.C.E. (the Pagan Resource and Network Council of Educators)).
There’s a town in Massachusetts that has a museum dedicated to terrible art. It’s called the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), and it’s located in the town of Somerville. describes itself as “the only museum dedicated to bringing the worst of art to the widest of audiences.” Some notable pieces include the Mana Lisa and a Georges Seurat–style paining of a man sitting on a chamber pot titled Sunday on the Pot With George.
Notable Residents
Four US Presidents have been born in Massachusetts: John Adams (2nd) , John Quincy Adams (6th), John F. Kennedy (35th), and George H. W. Bush (41st).
American folk hero Johnny Appleseed was from Massachusetts. In fact, he’s the official folk hero of the state of Massachusetts. He was born as John Chapman in the town of Leominster on September 26, 1774. Johnny was a pioneer in botany and one day took it upon himself to spread the joy of apples all across the nation. While it’s commonly thought that he went about his ways randomly scattering apple seeds, he actually put a lot of thought into it. Wherever he went, he established a nursery, planting a sapling and building a high fence, which he then left in the care of a neighbor. It was from these nurseries that Johnny Appleseed’s apple trees ended up all over the country.
The state has given us a number of mystery authors such as Dennis Lehane, Jane Langton, Lisa Gardner, Robert B. Parker, Tess Gerritsen and Linda Barnes. Other authors include Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jack Kerouac, Sylvia Plath, John Irving and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In honor of MASSACHUSETTS, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
Happy Reading ❤
The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – January 2023: Massachusetts
History
Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. The state's capital and most populous city, as well as its cultural and financial center, is Boston. Massachusetts is also home to the urban core of Greater Boston, the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American history, academia, and the research economy. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing, and trade. Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.
Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization: the Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, and in 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Colony, taking its name from the indigenous Massachusett people, established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which, during the Industrial Revolution, catalyzed numerous important technological advances, including interchangeable parts. In 1786, Shays' Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, originated from the pulpit of Northampton preacher Jonathan Edwards. In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that later led to the American Revolution.
Massachusetts has played a powerful scientific, commercial, and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, and transcendentalist movements. In the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health in 2004, and elected the first openly lesbian U.S. state governor in 2022, by a wide margin—and Boston is a hub of LGBT culture and LGBT activism in the United States. Prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams and Kennedy families.
Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, with the largest financial endowment of any university. The university has educated eight Presidents of the United States while Harvard Law School has educated a contemporaneous majority of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010. Both Harvard and MIT, also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. The state's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance. Massachusetts has been ranked as one of the top states in the United States for citizens to live in, as well as one of the most expensive.
Massachusetts is one of the most educated, developed, and wealthiest states, ranking 1st in percentage of population 25 and over with a bachelor's degree and 1st in percentage of population 25 and over with an advanced degree, 1st on both the American Human Development Index and the standard Human Development Index, 1st in per capita income and 2nd in median household income.
Geography
Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state in the United States. It is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States and has an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km2), 25.7% of which is water. Several large bays distinctly shape its coast. Boston is the largest city, at the inmost point of Massachusetts Bay, and the mouth of the Charles River. Massachusetts borders on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine to the east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west.
Despite its small size, Massachusetts features numerous topographically distinctive regions. The large coastal plain of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern section of the state contains Greater Boston, along with most of the state's population, as well as the distinctive Cape Cod peninsula. To the west lies the hilly, rural region of Central Massachusetts, and beyond that, the Connecticut River Valley. Along the western border of Western Massachusetts lies the highest elevated part of the state, the Berkshires, forming a portion of the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.
The U.S. National Park Service administers a number of natural and historical sites in Massachusetts. Along with twelve national historic sites, areas, and corridors, the National Park Service also manages the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. In addition, the Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains a number of parks, trails, and beaches throughout Massachusetts.
Fun Facts
In Webster, you’ll find Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Nope, that’s not a typo. What’s now known to most as Lake Webster was originally Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg before being shortened to Lake Chaubunagungamaug. It derives from the Loup dialect, which is an Algonquian language. The lake’s name comes from the local Nipmuc tribe, and according to local legend, it translates into “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.” Not only is it the most unique lake in Massachusetts, but it's the longest place name in the country.
Boston was struck by a bizarrely deadly disaster in 1919. It’s known as “The Great Molasses Flood,” and it’s exactly as weird as you can imagine. Most people today know molasses as a sweet treat, an ingredient to be used in baked goods. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was another use for this sticky liquid – alcohol production. The Purity Distillation Company was doing just this at their distillery in Boston, where they had an enormous tank that held up to 2.5 million gallons (9.4 million liters) of molasses. On January 15, 1919, the tank exploded, which flooded the entire north end of the city. This bittersweet calamity injured as many as 150 people and killed 21 others.
If you drive through Lincoln, you may come across one of the most unique roadside attractions in Massachusetts, a strange gathering of plastic rocking horses. These ponies mysteriously appeared sometime in 2010, and no one knows why. It started with just one horse, but it has grown over the years. Locals have officially named this anonymous roadside attraction “Ponyhenge."
The first subway in America was built in Boston, Massachusetts in 1897? Known as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway, it currently runs 78 miles long and has over 130 stations in the metro area. Thanks in large part to the robust subway system in the city, Boston has more pedestrian commuters than any other major city in the United States.
The chocolate chip cookie was invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband in 1930 in the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.
The Ted Williams Tunnel interface in East Boston between the land-based approach and the underwater section is 90 feet below the surface of Boston Harbor, the deepest such connection in North America. Engineers were forced to make this tunnel so deep because of the depth of the Boston Harbor. They used the cut-and-cover method to construct it. The tunnel is a 1.6-mile long and dips to close to 100 feet below sea level. First opening for public use in 2003, it was one of the first major links constructed as part of the Big Dig. A toll is charged when entering the tunnel from either side.
It was here in Massachusetts that the process of Vulcanization was invented by Charles Goodyear in a factory in Woburn where he lived. He accidentally combined rubber and sulfur upon a hot stove. Much to Goodyear’s surprise, the rubber didn’t melt. And, when he raised the heat, it actually hardened.
TUPPERWARE™ was invented by Earl Tupper while he was experimenting with plastic. He molded the then-new material into containers and started marketing his products as giveaways with cigarettes.
Massachusetts revolutionized the frozen fruit industry. Clarence Birdseye, developed the first freezer to quick-freeze fish and other foods including meat, vegetables etc. Foods that were frozen quickly as opposed to slow freezing tasted better. Birdseye was issued US Patent #1,773, 079 that marked the beginning of the frozen food industry. A range of frozen foods were test marketed in Springfield, Massachusetts; and after a great response from the public, the company continued to sell their frozen food products and the rest is history.
In the 17th century, 19 “witches” were taken to trial and hung in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Known today as the Salem Witch Trials, the events which took place have horrified some and inspired others for hundreds of years. The trials took place between February 1692 and May 1693 in the then colony of Massachusetts, mainly in Salem and Salem Village. For just over a year, more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft, with some of the accused being as young as four years old. By the end of the trials, 30 people had been found guilty of witchcraft, with 14 women and 5 men being put to death by hanging. The trials are known to be the deadliest of all colonial North American witch trials. (The infamous town of Salem, Massachusetts is home to many modern-day Wiccan and Pagan organizations today including W.E.B (the Witches Education Bureau) and P.R.A.N.C.E. (the Pagan Resource and Network Council of Educators)).
There’s a town in Massachusetts that has a museum dedicated to terrible art. It’s called the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), and it’s located in the town of Somerville. describes itself as “the only museum dedicated to bringing the worst of art to the widest of audiences.” Some notable pieces include the Mana Lisa and a Georges Seurat–style paining of a man sitting on a chamber pot titled Sunday on the Pot With George.
Notable Residents
Four US Presidents have been born in Massachusetts: John Adams (2nd) , John Quincy Adams (6th), John F. Kennedy (35th), and George H. W. Bush (41st).
American folk hero Johnny Appleseed was from Massachusetts. In fact, he’s the official folk hero of the state of Massachusetts. He was born as John Chapman in the town of Leominster on September 26, 1774. Johnny was a pioneer in botany and one day took it upon himself to spread the joy of apples all across the nation. While it’s commonly thought that he went about his ways randomly scattering apple seeds, he actually put a lot of thought into it. Wherever he went, he established a nursery, planting a sapling and building a high fence, which he then left in the care of a neighbor. It was from these nurseries that Johnny Appleseed’s apple trees ended up all over the country.
The state has given us a number of mystery authors such as Dennis Lehane, Jane Langton, Lisa Gardner, Robert B. Parker, Tess Gerritsen and Linda Barnes. Other authors include Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jack Kerouac, Sylvia Plath, John Irving and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In honor of MASSACHUSETTS, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
Happy Reading ❤
2bhabeck
Brenda's Americana Challenge: January 2023 - Massachusetts
3 of 3 Complete
In honor of MASSACHUSETTS, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
How to Bake a Murder by K.J. Emrick; takes place in a bakery; 1/31/23; 2 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery;
The River of Fallen Angels by Laura Joh Rowland; LGBT character; 1/28/23; 3.5 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
Verity by Colleen Hoover; 1/22/2023; 4 stars
3 of 3 Complete
In honor of MASSACHUSETTS, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
How to Bake a Murder by K.J. Emrick; takes place in a bakery; 1/31/23; 2 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery;
The River of Fallen Angels by Laura Joh Rowland; LGBT character; 1/28/23; 3.5 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
Verity by Colleen Hoover; 1/22/2023; 4 stars
3Carol420
Carol Has Dibs on the chocolate chip cookies!!! - Oh, Okay I'll Share
🍷 - ★
3 of 3 - Done 1/16/23
1. A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover.
🍷The Lighthouse Witches - C. J. Cooke - 5★
2. A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery.
Whatever It Takes -Max Walker - 5★ (This is listed as an M/M Romance, but it has two detectives solving missing persons case and a murder. If I need to change it let me know. No problem.)
🍷3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS
You Have to Believe Me - Sunday Tomassetti - 4★ (S & T)
4gaylebutz
I'm going to read The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
It has a politician as a primary character.
It has a politician as a primary character.
5Andrew-theQM
Andrew Does Massachusetts!
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
✔️Blood and Treachery by J D Kirk (Detective Sergeant is in a relationship with another woman) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
✔️Graveyard of Empires by Scott Mariani ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
✔️Blood and Treachery by J D Kirk (Detective Sergeant is in a relationship with another woman) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
✔️Graveyard of Empires by Scott Mariani ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
6bhabeck
>3 Carol420: Whatever it takes works for me!
7Carol420
>6 bhabeck: Thanks. Most books that have LGBTQ characters are listed as belonging to the M/M Romance genera even if they are more Mystery & Suspense.
8bhabeck
>7 Carol420: I always check on the book’s main page at Goodreads if there’s any question. For Whatever it Takes, it shows Romance - MM as the 1st listing but Mystery-Crime as the 2nd.
9Carol420
>8 bhabeck: Just wanted to play by the rules.
10Olivermagnus
In honor of MASSACHUSETTS, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Apple," "Cookie," "Lake," "Frozen/Freeze," or "Witch" in the title OR has a Cookie, an Apple, a Train or a Pride Flag on the cover;
• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Massachusetts OR includes a character who is a member of the LGBT community OR has a politician as a primary character OR takes place at a bakery; and
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in MASSACHUSETTS.
11Sergeirocks
Ticket to Oblivion - Edward Marston 4★s (Train on the cover)
School Days - Robert B. Parker 5★s (Takes place in Boston, Massachusetts)
Kill My Darling - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 4★s (Author’s initials in MASSACHUSETTS)
School Days - Robert B. Parker 5★s (Takes place in Boston, Massachusetts)
Kill My Darling - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 4★s (Author’s initials in MASSACHUSETTS)
12gaylebutz
Done - The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 4*.
A primary character is a politician.
A primary character is a politician.
13bhabeck
>11 Sergeirocks: >12 gaylebutz: Well Done!
15bhabeck
>14 Carol420: Congrats!
16Andrew-theQM
Only managed two categories this month.
18Andrew-theQM
>17 Carol420: Thanks, but obviously not hard enough 😂 Must do better!
19bhabeck
>17 Carol420: LMAO!
20bhabeck
>1 bhabeck: Just in the nick of time! Done!
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