Monthly Sub-Genre Challenge: What Type Are You? November 2018
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1bhabeck
Each month a randomly selected sub-genre of Mystery and Suspense will appear. We want you to discuss your favorite books and make recommendations. You may choose books to read in this sub-genre and post comments or reviews about the books read. Even a sentence or two will do!
The sub-genre for the month of November 2018 is...Puzzle Mystery
The Puzzle Mystery is a subgenre of detective fiction where the emphasis is on the "whodunit" aspect. The entire novel or film is oriented to the puzzle and its solution, and characterization takes a distinctly secondary place.
The Puzzle Mystery is what most people think of when they hear of the mystery genre. The Puzzle Mystery is predicated on a game of pitting the reader against the writer. The plot to the book is king and the question is how or why was the crime committed? These books are great to read once, but many are read once and discarded since many of them are predicated so heavily on the elements of plot and surprise. These are often called "fair play" mysteries because everything the reader needs to know in order to solve the mystery must be presented, though it may be in ways that misdirect the reader.
In addition to the “Whodunit?” Mystery, there is also the Locked-Room mystery - another variant of the Puzzle Mystery where the victim is discovered in a room or enclosure with no apparent exit leaving the detective to ascertain the killer’s means of escape. Well-known examples of a Puzzle Mystery would include Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey (both “whodunits”), and the Locked-Room mysteries Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe and The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston LeRoux. A more modern example is The Water Room by Christopher Fowler where the victim drowns in a dry room.
In preparing this sub-genre challenge, the authors/series that were most often recommended were the following:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/mystery-puzzle
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/mystery-puzzles
http://bestmysterybooks.com/lists/list/Crowd/Puzzle-Mystery
Happy Reading ❤
The sub-genre for the month of November 2018 is...Puzzle Mystery
The Puzzle Mystery is a subgenre of detective fiction where the emphasis is on the "whodunit" aspect. The entire novel or film is oriented to the puzzle and its solution, and characterization takes a distinctly secondary place.
The Puzzle Mystery is what most people think of when they hear of the mystery genre. The Puzzle Mystery is predicated on a game of pitting the reader against the writer. The plot to the book is king and the question is how or why was the crime committed? These books are great to read once, but many are read once and discarded since many of them are predicated so heavily on the elements of plot and surprise. These are often called "fair play" mysteries because everything the reader needs to know in order to solve the mystery must be presented, though it may be in ways that misdirect the reader.
In addition to the “Whodunit?” Mystery, there is also the Locked-Room mystery - another variant of the Puzzle Mystery where the victim is discovered in a room or enclosure with no apparent exit leaving the detective to ascertain the killer’s means of escape. Well-known examples of a Puzzle Mystery would include Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey (both “whodunits”), and the Locked-Room mysteries Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe and The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston LeRoux. A more modern example is The Water Room by Christopher Fowler where the victim drowns in a dry room.
In preparing this sub-genre challenge, the authors/series that were most often recommended were the following:
-
Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr) – the crime fiction writer most closely associated with Locked Room and impossible crime puzzles. He wrote The Hollow Man/The Three Coffins (1937) which was voted Best Locked-Room Mystery of all time in 1981
Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
Dorothy L Sayers – Unnatural Death (1927). One of the first in the Lord Peter Wimsey series
Arthur Conan Doyle – the Sherlock Holmes series
Ellery Queen – The Greek Coffin Mystery (1932)
-
Lawrence Block – The Burglar in the Library (1997)
Ben Elton – Dead Famous (2001)
Gilbert Adair – The Act of Roger Murgatroyd (2006)
Happy Reading ❤
2LibraryCin
That's interesting. I had to read the explanation to see what it was!
I'll check my tbr to see if I have something!
I read "Dead Famous" a long time ago (before shelfari, I'm sure). I remember liking it, but don't recall any details, as before shelfari was also before I started writing reviews! (Fyi, you might want to edit to fix the touchstone on that one. :-) )
I'll check my tbr to see if I have something!
I read "Dead Famous" a long time ago (before shelfari, I'm sure). I remember liking it, but don't recall any details, as before shelfari was also before I started writing reviews! (Fyi, you might want to edit to fix the touchstone on that one. :-) )
3LibraryCin
I might finally try the first "The Cat Who..." book:
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards / Lillian Jackson Braun
I don't know if it "really" fits or not, but it's on one of the GR lists.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards / Lillian Jackson Braun
I don't know if it "really" fits or not, but it's on one of the GR lists.
4bhabeck
>2 LibraryCin: done! Thanks for the heads up on that
5Olivermagnus
I totally recommend The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon if you haven't read it. Great characters that you're never going to forget.
I might join Cindy in The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. I've had it for ages.
I might join Cindy in The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. I've had it for ages.
6gaylebutz
I'm going to read The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters. A friend of mine really likes this series with Brother Cadfael and I've been meaning to give it a try so now's the time. I found this on one of the Goodreads lists that Brenda posted.
I've read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Burglar in the Library and enjoyed both.
I've read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Burglar in the Library and enjoyed both.
7Carol420
This entire little book was somewhat of a puzzle...so I'm going to count it.
Elevation by Stephen King (Novella)
4.5★
Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.
In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade—but escalating—battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own—he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
The book description is almost longer than the book itself:) it's not a bad story...good... but not great. In 147 pages it doesn't really have the time to have been either one. There's going to be a host of readers that are going to slam and down-rate the book for not being longer...stating on the front cover that it's a novel when in actuality it's a novella...or treading very close on the heels of another of Stephen Kings books... Thinner. Overall, in spite of the length, it was a good story. I liked the main character of Scott Carey and his attitude to a situation that would have certainly made most people at least paranoid if not down right out of their minds crazy. Read it if you aren't looking for something on the order of Salem's Lot or It... you will enjoy it. After all the "King" of Horror" wrote it.
Elevation by Stephen King (Novella)
4.5★
Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.
In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade—but escalating—battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own—he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
The book description is almost longer than the book itself:) it's not a bad story...good... but not great. In 147 pages it doesn't really have the time to have been either one. There's going to be a host of readers that are going to slam and down-rate the book for not being longer...stating on the front cover that it's a novel when in actuality it's a novella...or treading very close on the heels of another of Stephen Kings books... Thinner. Overall, in spite of the length, it was a good story. I liked the main character of Scott Carey and his attitude to a situation that would have certainly made most people at least paranoid if not down right out of their minds crazy. Read it if you aren't looking for something on the order of Salem's Lot or It... you will enjoy it. After all the "King" of Horror" wrote it.
8jguidry
The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
3 stars
from my library's catalog: Shortly after he inherits the powerful position of Lord of Eaton, 10-year-old Richard Ludel disappears from Shrewsbury Abbey, where he had been a student. Did he run away or was he kidnapped? Brother Cadfael suspects the hermit of Eyton Forest, a mysterious man rumored to have holy powers, knows the answer.
my thoughts: This was a decent mystery novel. I liked the characters and the story itself was fine. What kept it from a higher rating for me was the anti-climactic ending. It kind of just fizzled out when the murderer was revealed. Even Cadfael kind of went, "Oh well." Loved the historical elements so I will definitely continue the series.
3 stars
from my library's catalog: Shortly after he inherits the powerful position of Lord of Eaton, 10-year-old Richard Ludel disappears from Shrewsbury Abbey, where he had been a student. Did he run away or was he kidnapped? Brother Cadfael suspects the hermit of Eyton Forest, a mysterious man rumored to have holy powers, knows the answer.
my thoughts: This was a decent mystery novel. I liked the characters and the story itself was fine. What kept it from a higher rating for me was the anti-climactic ending. It kind of just fizzled out when the murderer was revealed. Even Cadfael kind of went, "Oh well." Loved the historical elements so I will definitely continue the series.
10Carol420
The Gathering: Shadow House by Dan Poblocki
Shadow House series Book #1
4.5 ★
Some houses are more than just haunted... they're hungry. Dash, Dylan, Poppy, Marcus, and Azumi don't know this at first. They each think they've been summoned to Shadow House for innocent reasons. But there's nothing innocent about Shadow House. Something within its walls is wickedly wrong. Nothing -- and nobody -- can be trusted. Hallways move. Doors vanish. Ghosts appear. Children disappear. And the way out? That's disappeared, too... enter Shadow House... if you dare.
To begin with...it's a Young Adult book...but it is one of the best ghost/haunted house stories I have read in some time. Five kids...all with a special talent...all underdogs in their home life and their schools...all receive invitations to what they thought was a school that would enhance their talents. Once they arrive they are apprehensive but they can't go back...so they go in. The problem is they can't get out. Continued action and twists at every turn make this a readable, chilling, adventure that makes you just need to read one more page. It's a series and I hope I can get the other 3 books...if not...this one was well worth the time. It's recommended for 3rd -7th grade but I wouldn't recommend it for anything below 5th grade due to some real frightening events in the story.
11Carol420
The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood
3★
Plenty of legends surround the infamous Boulder House in Whispering Bluffs, Wisconsin, but nobody takes them seriously. Certainly nobody believes that the original owner, Maxwell Cartwright Jr., cursed its construction—or that a murder of crows died upon its completion, turning the land black with their carcasses. If there were truth to any of the local folklore, River Red High wouldn’t offer a field trip there for the graduating class. Five very different seniors—Violet, Paul, Ashley, Dylan, and Gretchen—volunteer, each for private reasons, none of which have to do with trip itself. When they’re separated from the group, they discover that what lies within Boulder House is far more horrifying than any rumor they’ve heard. To survive, they’ll have to band together and ultimately confront the truths of their darkest selves.
The book started off to be really interesting and that was before they ever went on the field trip. These are kids that diffidently needed some discipline. Their language was atrocious. They each had secrets that they didn't want reveled. Boulder House, being a lot more than mere bricks and stone...senses this and the trouble begins. The things that happened on the trip through the house didn't make much sense nor did I ever really learn what made the house evil to begin with. It doesn't offer much to adults but I suppose if I was 15 years old...I might be scared.
12LibraryCin
I'm not sure if this really counts, but I found it in one of the lists...
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards / Lillian Jackson Braun
3 stars
Qwilleran, a reporter, has taken a job writing an art column at a newspaper, though he knows nothing about art. He moves in underneath another art reporter who has a Siamese cat who he says reads the newspaper… backwards. Qwilleran often ends up taking care of the cat, Koko. Some time after Qwilleran has met and interviewed the owner of a local art gallery, that owner is murdered.
Have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I kept wondering where the cat from the title was! He was introduced about 1/3 of the way in to the book. Then, his name (Kao Ko-K-something); sadly, when I want to shorten a long name like that, I tend to use initials – not so good in this instance. The main character, luckily, shortened it to Koko, but every time I saw the name written out entirely, my head went to KKK. Then, the murder didn’t happen until ½ way through the book. By then, I was also questioning whether or not this was actually a mystery of some type! Anyway, I thought it took too long to get going. Once the murder finally happened, it got a bit more interesting, but I’m going to leave it as “ok” and I don’t have current plans to continue the series.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards / Lillian Jackson Braun
3 stars
Qwilleran, a reporter, has taken a job writing an art column at a newspaper, though he knows nothing about art. He moves in underneath another art reporter who has a Siamese cat who he says reads the newspaper… backwards. Qwilleran often ends up taking care of the cat, Koko. Some time after Qwilleran has met and interviewed the owner of a local art gallery, that owner is murdered.
Have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I kept wondering where the cat from the title was! He was introduced about 1/3 of the way in to the book. Then, his name (Kao Ko-K-something); sadly, when I want to shorten a long name like that, I tend to use initials – not so good in this instance. The main character, luckily, shortened it to Koko, but every time I saw the name written out entirely, my head went to KKK. Then, the murder didn’t happen until ½ way through the book. By then, I was also questioning whether or not this was actually a mystery of some type! Anyway, I thought it took too long to get going. Once the murder finally happened, it got a bit more interesting, but I’m going to leave it as “ok” and I don’t have current plans to continue the series.
13bhabeck
>12 LibraryCin: I recently read the book as well and was a bit underwhelmed. A friend loves the series and has read them all so I was hoping for more. Despite the title of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, there was surprisingly little interaction with the cat and a lot of talk about Qwilleran's mustache.
14LibraryCin
>13 bhabeck: LOL! Yes, I agree!
15Olivermagnus
>12 LibraryCin: >13 bhabeck: - I also read this book this month. It's fairly dated since it was published in 1966. I wanted more action from the cat too.
16gaylebutz
The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters
3.5★
Description
A marriage has been arranged between an ageing nobleman and a very young woman. As both parties arrive for the ceremony, there is a savage killing, and Brother Cadfael is called on to investigate. Outside the city stands a leper house, a sanctuary for the sick, and a refuge for the hunted man?
This story seemed rather simple compared to other mysteries I’ve read but it was very well written. It captures well the atmosphere of the middle ages and the situation of the people with leprosy. A young squire is falsely accused of stealing and murder and gets help from the Brothers and the lepers. There were two surprises at the end that I hadn’t figured out. This was an enjoyable historical mystery.
3.5★
Description
A marriage has been arranged between an ageing nobleman and a very young woman. As both parties arrive for the ceremony, there is a savage killing, and Brother Cadfael is called on to investigate. Outside the city stands a leper house, a sanctuary for the sick, and a refuge for the hunted man?
This story seemed rather simple compared to other mysteries I’ve read but it was very well written. It captures well the atmosphere of the middle ages and the situation of the people with leprosy. A young squire is falsely accused of stealing and murder and gets help from the Brothers and the lepers. There were two surprises at the end that I hadn’t figured out. This was an enjoyable historical mystery.
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