Lynda's Favorite Mystery Authors for 2014

In 2012 and 2013 I did a pyramid challenge. But this year I am going with a half challenge, 7 books in 14 categories for a total of 98 books. I decided to go with mystery and action writers since they are my favorite genre.
And yes I know Jessica Fletcher and Richard Castle are not real writers but I still like the books.



1. Edgar Allan Poe
2. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
3. Rex Stout
4. Agatha Christie
5. Ian Fleming
6. Donald Hamilton
7. Mickey Spillane
8. Dick Francis
9. Joanne Fluke
10. Jessica Fletcher
11. Richard Castle
12. TV Detectives
13. Detectives new to me
14. Detectives in my TBR pile

I. Edgar Allan Poe; 1809-1849

1. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Read 12-19-2013
2. The Gold Bug
3. The Sphinx
4. The Oblong Box
5.
6.
7.

II. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: 1859-1930

8. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans Read 12-20-2013
9. The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard
10. Danger! and other Stories
11. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
12. The Speckled Band
13.
14.

III. Rex Stout: 1886-1975

15. Prisoner's Base Read 12-20-2013
16. The Red Box Read 12-27-2013
17. The Hand in the Glove Read 1-29-2014
18. The Broken Vase Read 2-27-2014
19. Double for Death
20.
21. Too Many Women

IV. Agatha Christie: 1890-1976

22. At Bertram's Hotel Read 3-10-2014
23. 4.50 from Paddington
24. Passenger to Frankfurt
25. Hallowe'en Party
26. They Came to Baghdad Read 12-27-2013
27.
28.

V. Ian Fleming: 1908-1964

29. Live and Let Die Read 2-3-2014
30.
31.
32. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
33.
34. Casino Royale
35. Man with the Golden Gun

VI. Donald Hamilton: 1916-2006

36. The Removers
37. The Silencers
38. The Interlopers
39. The Terminators
40.
41.
42.

VII. Mickey Spillane: 1918-2006

43. Lady Go Die Read 12-30-2013
44. The Goliath Bone Read 2-10-2014
45. Encore For Murder Read 2-11-2014
46. The Little Death Read 2-12-2014
47. Oil and Water Read 2-28-2014
48.
49.

VIII. Dick Francis: 1920-2010

50. Silks Read 1-15-2014
51. Refusal Read 1-25-2014
52. Forfeit
53. Second Wind
54. Proof
55.
56.

IX. Joanne Fluke: 1943- Present

57. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Read 12-29-2013
58. Cinnamon Roll Murder Read 1-25-2014
59. Cream Puff Murder Read 1-30-2014
60. Lemon Meringue Pie
61. Peach Cobbler Murder Read 2-7-2014
62.
63.

X. Jessica Fletcher: Series aired 1984-1996

64. Skating on Thin Ice Read 12-29-2013
65. Coffee, Tea or Murder
66. Brandy and Bullets
67. Murder in a Minor Key
68. Trick or Treachery
69.
70.

XI. Richard Castle: Series aired 2009-Present

71. Heat Wave Read 1-9-2014
72. Naked Heat Read 1-14-2014
73. Heat Rises Read 1-23-2014
74.
75. A Brewing Storm Read 1-03-2014
76. A Raging Storm Read 2-1-2014
77. A Bloody Storm Read 3-25-2014

XII. TV Detectives

78. Rizzoli and Isles: Last to Die Read 1-10-2014
79. Burn Notice: The Giveaway
80. Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse by Lee Goldberg Read 3-24-2014
81. Diagnosis Murder: Prescription for Murder
82.The Glades
83.
84.

XIII. Detectives New to Me

85. Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown Read 1-1-2013
86. Getting Old can Kill You by Rita Lakin Read 1-20-2014
87. Suicide Season by Rex Burns Read 2-7-2014
88. Never Cross a Vampire by Stuart M. Kaminsky Read 2-26-2014
89. A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender Read 2-26-2014
90.
91.

XIV. Detectives in my TBR pile

92. The Innocence of Father Brown Read 2-11-2014
93. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards Read 1-05-2014
94. Twin Cities Noir
95.
96.
97.
98.

This will be my sixth Category challenge. Before I would always have genres I don't usually read and have discovered several that I truly enjoy. But this year I decided to go with what I really love and read some of the lesser known works of my favorite mystery authors. I had allowed myself till the 13th of January for my current 13-13 challenge but it looks like I will finish by the 13th of December instead. That being the case I hope to start my 14-14 challenge on the 14th of December.

Looks like a very good setup! Nice to return to old favourites. I have Trick or Treachery on my TBR as well so perhaps I shall join you in reading that one :)

I think lots of mysteries is always a good thing! Your 2014 Challenge sounds like fun.

A year full of mysteries! That's so cool!

I love mysteries also and have you starred to make sure I don't miss anything good (damn those book bullets). I was actually wondering last night if I should consider a mystery challenge for 15 ( yes thinking ahead)

Found your thread! A genre-specific theme.... I like that idea. Something I can think about for 2015. ;-)

It's a mystery to me how I've not noticed your thread before today. I'm the other Lynda with a Y. Good luck w/your 2014 challenge!

Mysteries are my favorite, and I have often toyed with the idea of having my whole challenge feature mysteries. I've starred your thread, and I look forward to your reads, maybe I will discover yet another new author or series :)

Your categories look like they will be a lot of fun. I love mysteries so I'll be looking forward to hearing about what you read.

Did you forget Frozen Heat?

No I just don't have it yet. I left one open for either Frozen Heat or another Derrick Storm book.

Ooh, a whole mystery challenge... Yep, there'll be bookbullets. :)

Yay for this challenge! I love a mystery. I plan to wedge mysteries into most of my categories this year.

I'm looking forward to getting hit with plenty of book bullets here. I'm sadly uneducated when it comes to the classics of the mystery genre.

Starting on the 14 December is a great idea and one I might copy. I'm itching to get going.

I'll be checking in here quite often.

Yay! Done with 13-13 Challenge. Now, which book do I start with? Hmm...

Lynda, you will be like the proverbial "kid in a candy store" trying to pick one from the above list!

Congratulations on finishing the 13-13 challenge.

glitter-graphics.com

Ooh, a fun thread to follow. What a wonderful idea.
This is what my 2013 turned into, tons of Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh. With a blitz through CJ Box in Nov-Dec.
I agree, why not play to our strength once in awhile and just admit we're more likely to read a ton of mysteries than other genres :-)
Enjoy!

My thoughts exactly!

1. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. I started my challenge with Edgar Allan Poe. Gordon decided on a whim to follow his friend Augustus and go out sailing on the Ariel during a storm. After their ship is cut down by the whaler Penguin they decide not to tell anyone. But Arthur likes the sea and decides to stowaway on Augustus' fathers ship the Grampus. But once out at sea a mutiny put him and his friend at danger. Luckily Arthur, Augustus, and two friends gain control of the ship and then the adventure really starts.

I read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym a few months ago. It took me by surprise as it was such a straight-forward adventure at sea story, more like Robert Louis Stevenson than Edgar Allan Poe!

I know right. Not what I was expecting at all. Still it was a good story.

Hi great idea to read your favorite genre, I'm looking forward reading your review. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was a candidate for the June GeoCAT, it's going now at the top of the list.

Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout
Priscilla Eads comes to Nero and wants to stay for the week. But once Nero finds out who she is he refuses. Archie finds out that she was murdered shortly after he put her in a cab for home. Feeling guilty, Archie "hires" Nero to find out who murdered her and why. When Priscilla's maid is found murderd also, Nero decides to put his mind to the problem.

The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Mycroft ask Sherlock to look into the death of Codogen West. He is found murdered next to the railroad tracks with the plans for the Bruce-Partington submarine minus three pages. Mycroft fears the plans will be sold to an enemy agent and wants Sherlock to find them first.

They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie
The bad news is, Veronica got fired ...again. The good news is she met Edward. The bad news is he is going to Baghad the next day. The good news is that Veronica just found a job as a traveling companion to Mrs. Clipp who is going to Baghdad. But the bad news really starts when a man dies in her room. At least the good news is that she is still alive...so far.

The Red Box by Rex Stout
Llewellyn Frost hires Nero to find out who killed Molly Lauck. But when Nero catches his cousin, Helen, in a lie Lew is desperate to get Nero off the case. Yet the murder of McNair causes Helen to hire Nero to solve his and Molly's murder no matter who turns out to be the murderer.

I am looking forward to reading some Rex Stout myself in the upcoming year as part of my ROOT challenge. Are you reading them in order or just whichever comes to hand first?

I am reading any I haven't read yet. I started reading the Nero Wolfe series back in 2005. I read the first 10 in order but now I read them as I find them.

@ 43 -- I love your review of They Came to Baghdad! That's definitely my favorite of Christie's "political" mysteries.

>46 LA12Hernandez: I read some (many?) years ago as a teenager, but recently acquired about 20 of the paperbacks when my parents moved house. I guess I will go in order but skip any I don't have on my shelves...

20 Nero Wolfe books? Lucky.

Skating on Thin Ice by Jessica Fletcherand Donald Bain
Eldridge Coddlinton wanted to upgrade the old Cabot Cove Ice Arena, but someone else wanted to shut it done. So when Eldridge brought in coach Devlin to train Alexi and Christine for the Olympics every one thought things were looking up. But the murder of Alexi puts things into a tail spin, and it looks like the arena will shut down after all, just when Jessica wanted to try skating again.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Hannah loved her life, at least the owning of The Cookie Jar and baking cookies part. The Tuesday dinners with mom and her attempts to fix her up with Norman DDS weren't. When she finds the body of Ron LaSalle in his truck she soon finds herself in the middle of her brother-in-law's, Bill's, murder case and right it the sights of his new boss Mike.

Mike Hammer: Lady Go Die! by Mickey Spillane
Mike and Velda go on vacation to Sidon but shortly after he gets there he has a run in with Dekkert. After saving Poochie from a beating by the local police, Mike decides to find out what is going on and who killed Sharron Weasley and tried to kill him.

An excellent book, never saw the end coming.

Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown
The only thing Mary Minor Haristeen got out of her marriage was her nickname, "Harry". As the Postmistress for Crozet all information flows through her little office and when she finds the connection between the two murders at the train tunnels she finds herself the next target.

Although I read this all the way through I was not "caught up" in the story." I may try another book next year.

Wow, you have been reading a bunch of books!

Trying to get as many read as I can before life catches up with me.

You are off to a good start!

Great progress over here! Inspired to get moving on my own challenge. :)

A Brewing Storm by Richard Castle

Derrick Storm rises from the dead to solve a kidnapping that turns out to be about more than money. Soon Derrick finds himself tangled in a web of lies and deceit and the spider may be a close friend.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lillan Jackson Braun

Qwillian finds himself the new art reporter for the Daily Fluxion even though he doesn't really know anything about art. Then he meets with the art critic, Monteclemens, and his cat KoKo and soon he learns art is not for sissies. Three deaths and an attempt on his life gives Qwill not only a new pet, but a new outlook.

The first of the series and I plan to read more.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Jamieson Rook may enjoy a good murder but Nikki Heat knows there is more to Matthew Starrs fall from his 6th story apartment. But with the reporter, Rook, following her for a series of magizine stories, Nikki and the other cops do their best to work around him.

First of the series and a bit slow in spots but still can't wait to read the next book.

The first four Cat Whos are my favourites. Enjoy!

I think I read about 20 Cat Who... Books before giving up. I did love the cat and the house he eventually moves into sounds amazingly cool!

I am looking forward to reading more. The library has several but I don't know what numbers they are. I didn't realize there were so many.

I used to love the Cat Who books. There will come a point where you want to quit reading them, but you've got a ways to go before you get to it!

Rizzoli and Isles: Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen

Three teens with one thing in common; someone wants to kill them. Although Rizzoli believes there is some kind of connection between these kids, no one else does. An even though Isles doesn't believe the Evensong Boarding school is the safest place for them everyone involsed does, The only solution is to find out the connection and stop the killer.

Though I liked the plot, the story itself was slow and boring. I don't think I will continue this series.

Naked Heat by Richard Castle

Cassidy Towne uses the power of her gossip column to create and destroy the lives of people. So Nikki Heat has plenty of suspects to consider when she turns up dead and her body is stolen on the way to the morgue. And since Jameson Rook was doing an article on her, the killer believes he has the details of her tell all book.

I used to listen to The Cat Who books to and from work. It made for a relaxing commute. It also made me hungry. That cat eats better than I do.

That he does. Which I could afford to eat like that.

Silks by Dick Francis
Geoffrey (Perry) Mason decides to be a barrister instead of a solicitor like his father. He just wanted a little more excitement like that he gets when he races his horse. But a bad spill puts an end to his racing days and the murder of Scot Barlow may put an end to him. The only way to keep Steve Mitchell off death row is to find the killer before he winds up the next victim.

Getting Old can Kill You by Rita LaKin

Joyce just "happens" to rent the apartment below Arlene, an old friend. But Arlene is not inclined to renew an old friendship with the women who stole her husband, even if it was fifty years ago. When Joyce is found posioned Arlene is the perfect suspect. But even without the Associates, in the Gladys and Associates Detctive Agency, Gladys manges to solve this very twisted murder.

I have to look up the title but this is very simular to a Nero Wolfe story I read years ago.

Heat Rises by Richard Castle

Nikki Heat can't understand why Montrose is putting up all these barriers in her investigations of the Father Graf murder. She knows that the Huddleston, Barclay and Graf murders are connected she just doesn't know how. Then when Montrose is murdered she is convinced she is right but trying to find answers has cost her her badge, gun, promotion and possible her job.

Refusal by Dick and Felix Francis

Sid Halley is enjoying retirement from the PI business. He has a beautiful wife and daughter and no desire to lose them. So when Sir Richard asks him to look into some racing irregularities Sid says no. But then some people won't take no for an answer, like the Irishman, and Sid finds himself in a battle that may cost him and his family their life.

This is like the Matt Helm book Death of a Citizen by Donald Hamilton. The hero is living a nice quiet life only to be forced, against his will, out of retirement.

Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke

Hannah just barely missis getting in a multi car pile up due to an icy road. When she sees the band's, Cinnamon Roll Six, bus upside down in a ditch she goes to see if she can help. The bus driver is the only casualty and Buddy's wrist is the only serious injury, But it isn't Buddy's wrist that causes his death but the surgical scissors that he was stabbed with. Can Hannah save Norman from a loveless marriage and still solve Buddy's murder?

Lynda, how do you like the books Felix Francis has written? I still haven't made up my mind if he is as good as his Dad was. I will always prefer the early Dick Francis stories though.

This was the first book I read by him and like you I am not sure. I was a little disappointed that it was a familiar plot. I plan to go back and re-read the Sid Halley books and see how they all stack up.

I want to try one of the Nikki Heat books this year. I'm a big fan of Castle the TV show, but I haven't yet tried any of the books.

I'm not familiar with Nikki Heat or Castle, but it looks like he should be on my watchlist.

Castle is a TV show about a mystery author, Richard Castle, who writes novels about a female police detective named Nikki Heat. Heat is based on Kate Beckett an NYPD detective out of the 12th whom Castle shadows to get his story ideas. The books Heat Wave etc. are the books the charecter Castle has written. There is also a compaion series about Derrik Strom which Castle supposingly wrote before Nikki Heat but got tried of and killed off. Luckily he brought him back in A Brewing Storm.

Definitely goes on the wishlist!

Yeah another Castle convert, I never read the books but the show is good, good balance between police work, family time and humor.

I find myself less enamored of "Castle" these days. It's a perfectly fine show (and I do love Nathan Fillion, of course!), but I'm starting to get a little bored with the standard procedural format. I feel like I've already seen all these mystery plots before, either in books or other shows and movies. Seasons 1-3 are great and definitely worth watching, but I think the show gets stale after that. (That said, I am still watching!)

>81 christina_reads: I agree. I was wondering if it was because the romantic tension is gone now that Castle and Beckett are engaged...

Hand in the Glove by Rex Stout

Theodolinda (Dol) Bonner is a private detective and P.L. Storrs is her client. He wants her to discredit George Leo Ranth the leader of the League of the Occidental Sakti. But before Dol can gets started she finds Storrs body hanging from a tree in his favorite garden nook. Now she wants to solve this crime before the police.

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke

Ronnie Ward loves to flirt with good looking men, well any man, but mostly good looking. It didn't matter to her if they were in a relationship or married, in fact she preferred it, humiliating other women really made her day. So when she winds up dead there are more then enough suspects and since she worked for the police department they have to back out of the case. Now Hannah is getting advise from all sides on how to proceed with the investigation.

Live and Let Die By Ian Fleming

Working with the FBI and the CIA, Bond is going after Mr. Big and his smuggling operation. First Bond meets up with him in Harlem and follows Mr. Big to Bermuda. There his finds out that Mr. Big is keeping the legend of Baron Samedi, a powerful voodoo zombie, alive in order to keep the natives in line.

The movie had a lot of action in it but the book is a better story.

A Raging Storm by Richard Castle

What most people don't know is that the Communist party and the Russian Government were two different things. And before the Government fell the party hid their gold, billions of it. Petrov knows where it is and Jebidiah wants that information before anyone else gets it. Storm now finds himself in the middle of a mad dash to find and recover the gold.

So far I am loving this series, much better than Heat. but don't tell anyone I have friends that will go ballistic if they find out.

Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke

Will Shawna Lee succeed in driving Hannah out of business and out of town, thus leaving her free to pursue Mike? When Hannah finds Shawna shot to death in her store Mike becomes one of the suspects. But when Mike and Norman propose, Hannah has more to deal with then an old flame.

Suicide Season by Rex Burns

Professor Loomis tells Devlin Kirk that McAllister is looking for a detective agency and although Dev would rather not work for McAllister he needs the money. Seems an employee stole some plans and gave them to a rival company. But McAllister isn't sure the information he received is trustworthy. He wants Kirk to quietly check up on the man but the target commits suicide. All of a sudden he has lots of clients wanting to know what is going on. but his growing feelings for the widow may just be getting in the way.

>85 LA12Hernandez: I read Live and Let Die a few months ago, and I agree that the book plot was better than the movie plot. Although the style was a bit dated, I found it an enjoyable read.

The Goliath Bone by Mickey Spillane

Mike Hammer knew something was going to happen, what he couldn't tell but it wasn't going to be good. So when he saves to teens from a professional hit man he wasn't all that surprised. But he was surprised to find out what it was all about and the international implications surrounding the package those teens were carrying.

The Innocence of Father Brown by Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Short stories about the little, easily overlooked, Father Brown. My Favorite was the Blue Cross, a story where Father Brown outwits a thief. And I really enjoyed the Secret Garden though it was a little more gruesome.

Encore for Murder by Mickey Spillane

Rita Vance comes back into Hammer's life but not to pick up where they left off, rather to try for a comeback in the theater. But first she gets death threats and then she's kidnapped. Hammer thinks it may not be her comeback that is at the root of things but her late husband's connection to the local mob boss, who just happened to be his father.

The Little Death by Mickey Spillane

Carmen Rich is once again out to get Hammer. By targeting Helen Vans he makes Hammer confront him only it 's not Carmen but Buddy who's pulling the strings and that puts Helen in a whole new situation.

Never Cross a Vampire by Stuart M. Kaminsky

Bela Lugosi is recieveing threats and ask Toby Peters to find out who's doing it. Then William Faulkner is accused of murder and Bela recommends Peter to him to find out just what is going on. Toby is convinced the two cases are connected but his big brother, the police chief, thinks little brother needs to stay out of his way. So taking on Vampires, muscle men, a not so grieving widow and his brother Peter's determined to get to the bottom of things.

A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender

First of all Eleanor Swift should never taken that last pizza delivery order. Secondly she should have just left when she found Richard Olsen dead. But no she calls it in and finds herself the primary suspect. And as if that's not enough, she should never have run off to help save Sheila from Faith without letting someone know where she was going.

This is a lot like the Cookie Jar series and I prefer the Hannah Swenson series better.

The Broken Vase By Rex Stout

After a terrible concert with a very expensive Stradivarius violin Jan Tuner commits suicide...or did he?
When his violin is stolen then returned the detective, Fox, wants to find out just what is going on and how is all this connected to Lawrence Mowbray's death years earlier.

You're plowing through the books at a rapid pace!

Yay, The Blue Cross! That's my favourite Father Brown story too. The BBC recently adapted a bunch of stories with Mark Williams as Father Brown, which I would love to see.

>98 rabbitprincess: I found those adaptations disappointing. They settled Father Brown down into a parish, with a housekeeper and parish church ladies having significant and continuing roles and eliminated Flambeau... Plus changed them to be in the 1950s.

As I expected life has caught up with me and I will be gone for awhile. I hope to see everyone again in June.

We'll be here when you get back. Hope everything is OK.

Life does that sometimes. Hope things are manageable and looking forward to see you back.

Here is hoping that life stays manageable for you, Lynda.

Thank you, things are fine. It's just doing my spring cleaning, Lenten activites, getting ready for spring break and Easter, the end of school, plans for summer vacation, and the birth of my third grandson that's taking up my time. But it's all good.

Congratulations on the new grandson! :)

How's it going with your reading and life? Haven't heard from you in awhile.