All mystery readers need to check out Summer Mystery Reading Challenge hosted by Liz and Bob at Reviewed by Liz. The rules are very simple: participants read 6 books by new-to-you mystery authors between June 1st and August 31st. What could be simpler than that? Okay, so maybe not so simple if you are like me and are already participating in more challenges than a reasonable person would take on. Still . . . There's that Karen E. Olson mystery Sacred Cows I would really like to read, and what about Paul Levine's Solomon vs. Lord, that caught my eye one day when I was browsing through the mystery section? Oh! And I have been meaning to try a book by Betty Webb whose mystery series has been highly recommended. I dare not tell you how many books by new-to-me authors I own but have yet to read, and quite a few fall into the mystery category in one way or another. I do not lack choices for this challenge, let me tell you! As it is, I'm already slated to read three new-to-me mystery authors for the Medical Mystery Challenge. And wouldn't that be perfect if I get in a time crunch?
So I said no more challenges. A woman can change her mind. The advantages to this latest challenge are that I do not have to chose the six books I plan to read ahead of time and there is no set time limit to have each book read by as long as the books are read between June 1st and August 31st.
Any excuse to read a mystery . . .
Speaking of mysteries, I could not help but share this story. I subscribe to a fantastic magazine called Mystery Scene. One of the letters in the letter's section caught my attention. Reader Roy Pursey wrote in to inquire about a book called Spy he had seen listed on the Fantastic Fiction website that he hoped to find a copy of. The author Justin Scott (aka Paul Garrison) responded by saying that the novel has yet to be published, much less written. Evidently a reviewer saw mention of his book in a catalog and published a review in several magazines. To top it off, another dishonest reviewer passed the review off as his own. According to the author, "All the reviews were very encouraging and doubtless would have helped sales if only I had written the book." [Mystery Scene, Number 99, 2007, pg 6]
Funny you should mention Sacred Cows... Karen Olson is going to be one of the featured authors during the Summer Mystery Reading Challenge. Sacred Cows is a great book and we are hoping more readers will discover it (you can see my review of it on reveiwedbyliz.com under Karen's name on the right side of the page if you want a preview).
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the book, my young daughter mis-read the title and asked me what the cows were scared of. We still chuckle over that one.
Glad you can participate in the Challenge!
Liz
Oh my gosh! I love Betty Webb! Love love love her!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite one so far is DESERT WIVES but the main character is wonderful. I am anxiously awaiting the next book!
If you are interested in a cozy fun mystery, I like the Jane Austen mystery series.
And the Cliff Janeway books by John Dunning are good too.
Oh no... I really didn't want to add another challenge to my mix but I love mysteries! I don't think I'll be able to resist this one :)
ReplyDeleteA lot of people think my cows are scared :)
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great challenge, since there are so many books out there that need to be discovered, and I can't wait to read them.
Thanks, Liz! I will definitely check out your review. :-)
ReplyDeleteMalady - Another Betty Webb fan! I must start on her series then. I will have to look for Cliff Janeway. I have a couple of John Dunning's books, but he's another author I have yet to actually read anything by. I tend to be overly eager in collecting books to read and the actual reading of them just can't keep up.
Illiana - This one is irresistable for mystery lovers like us, isn't it?
Karen - As long as your cows don't scare me. LOL Actually, I probably wouldn't mind that even.
Good luck with the challenge! I admire your gumption in signing up for another one. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for that fake review, things like that just make me wonder how much stock to really put in critical reviews.
I'm really looking forward to this one!
ReplyDelete